The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-12-10

birds and the buzz of insects sounded
among the trees, but beyond this, aud
the distant bark of dog, no sign told of
life: They lay hid among the bushes,
their rifles ready, a stern, set look in
! their eyes, such as those have who look
death In the face.
AS the light grew, an axe sounded
/ Lere and there, for Miloff was too wise
/ to remove all sounds of labor. Then, far
away, rose the sharp roll of drum the
wood echoes carrying it on through the
! trees.
| Nearer and nearer it came, its gruff
! rumbllng seeming to carry with it the
reverberations of a steady, mononoton-
Gus tramp, such as a body of men make
| when moving in concert.
! Nearer, and the men lying in the
bushes grasped their rifles and smoth-
| cred fame began to burn in the ewes
that intently watched the road.
For some distance beyond the place
Where the ambuscade lay, the road ran
III starlight line, and any person NOV
ing In 1T could be seen for considerable
distance. AS the drum came nearer, a
| wolf darted across the read, and went
sneaklng Oft among the trees. Then
! frightened hare scampered along the
thoroughfare, and hawk swooped down
to grasp it, striking the ground heavily
as the hare sprang into the bushes.
Then the drum ceased, and in the
SHINING tiecks of light that shone down
among the morning leaves, CLEANED the
bright lines OF bayonets, as, rank after
rank, the soldiers of the guard marched
into view.
On they came, their leader at their
head, his eyes YEARLY scanning the road
ahead, and the dense underground that
thanked the way. r
But not movement betrayed the foe
that lurked in the shadows; not a sound
told of the death so near.
On, with a solid tramp the soldiers
came. They passed the flank of the am
bush. They reached its center. All was
still; only the murmurs of the wood, the
steady fall of the soldiers feet.
In the middle ranks of the guard
woman rode. She was beautiful, and
clad IN rich garments, but the misty
look of her eyes, the suppressed sob that
made her bosom rise and fall told that
l1fe had lost some, if not all it's gladness.
But she went on, guiding her horse with
a firm hand, looking neither to the right
or left, Tor hope was dead in her soul.
The column was nearing the far end
OF the ambush, and now, swift as the
lightning flash that speeds across the
face of the storm, a vivid flame shone in
among the bushes, and before the re-
port had sent its echo rod, two hun
dred rifles had sang their song OF DEATH
The officer in command of the guard
was brave and able. Battle and carnage
were not strange to him, and clear and
firm came his order to cover and return
fire.
But this was not what AIiIoff desired,
and the next instant he sprang forth,
followed by his men. Then the battle
became bloody and sanguinary one.
for there was the desperation of despair
on one side, and on the other the desire
to avenge a fancied wrong.
The blows were strong and sure.
Bayonets clashed, and sword blades
smote each other, but in the melee three
seemingly old men chung close together,
and steadily pressed on toward the prin-
cess. There was marked antagonism
between the actions and looks of these
men, for while their hair and boards
were gray, their arms were strong and
swift, and their blows told fercely on
| their foes. The surprise had been COM
plete, and but for the firm control of the
officer commanding, would have been
| followed by instant rout. He, however,
was too brave and cool to fail even at
such a time, and his cheering words had
! brought his men into a respectable bat
| tie array
| The assault of Miloff, however, COM
! pleted the panic, and though his men
| fought, it was too feebly to insure even
a safe retreat.
| Miloff, seeing this, sprang toward the
officer, around whom the fight was most
| bitter.
"Hold," he cried, "we have won the
| day. Surrender, ana stop this unneces-
sary bloodshed.
| 6 For my men, [ accept your offer,
| but | shall die here. Down with your
arms, my comrades; you have done all
| you could. And now, sir traitor, have q
care" and the officer aimed a blow at
Miloff's head
But the latter was an expert swords
man, and his blade met the descending
sword and wrenched it from its owners
| grasp, while with his left hand the DOW
erful leader of the wood cutters tore his
opponent from his saddle and flung him
to the earth.
Secure these men, and take them to
the black cavern. Do them no harm,
for they act according to their light
Bury the dead as quickly as you can,
and follow all the orders given last night
| at the council.
No words were spoken as the assailing
party dispersed in different squads, each
performing its allotted duty. Only the
the old men had disappeared, and the
! princess was not to be seen.
That night, however, when a sharp
rap sounded through the hall of Count
/ Borodin's country mansion, IL reached
| the ears of four people seated around a
table in dark and closely curtained
room. Three were men, whose gray
hair and boards contrasted strangely with
! the smooth foreheads and bright ewes
they framed. They had just stolen
| through narrow and hidden passage,
and were taking a glass of wine to re-
| fresh them.
"Quick, out of these disguises," cried
Borodln. " You, Demireff, and the
princess, will remain here, while Ivan
! and 1 go forth to see what this means"
/ The coarse robes and white hair were
! flung aside, and Borodin, Nicolai and
| Demire1f stood revealed, and followed
by Ivan, Borodin strobe to the door.
As he opened it, Kertchy stood before
him. s -
90 1t is the wood-cutter, Miloff. He
wishes to speak with you"
! '' Bring him here. :"
The vouno man tI1rnad hack into +bo