The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-05-11

'S4fo't'hNf hNt'AAhc, A~ttNiS .AO4At ttA
chief commissioner to his well-be
loved brothers of SolteiI."
One of their bombs could hardly
have created greater surprise had j
been fired in the midst Of them
Every eye was alternately on me-
and the newly arrived agent.
'If you are indeed GustaYe Ber
GER" said Petrokine, "who is this p
"That | am Gustave Berger these
credentials win show" said thC
stranger as he threw q packet upor
the table. "Who that man may be
] know not; but ii he has intrudec
himself upon the lodge under falls,
pretenses, it is clear that he must
never carry out of the room what
he has learned. Speak, SIR" hC
added, addressing me; who ard
what are you ?"
felt that my time had come
My revolver was in my hip pocket
but what was that against so many
desperate men? l grasRed the butt
of it, however, as a drowning man
clings to a straw, and | tried to
preserve my GOODNESS as | glanced
around at the yindictiye faces turned
toward me.
Gentlemen" [ said, "the role
have played tonight has been
purely involuntary on my part. ]
am no police spy, as you seem to
suspect, nor on the other hand, have
| the honor to be q member Of your
association. / am an inofensive corn
dealer, who by an extraordinary
mistake, has been forced into this
unpleasant and awkward position" "
| paused for q moment. Was it
my fancy that there was a peculiar
noise in the street-a noise as Of
many feet treading softly? No, it
had died away It was the trobbing
of my own heart.
Il need hardly say," / continued,
that anything | may have heard
tonight will be safe in my keeping.
l pledge my solemn honor as a
gentleman that not one word Of it
shall transpire through me"
The senses of men in great physi-
cal danger become strangely acute,
or their Imagination plays them Gu
rious tricks. Ny back was toward
the door as | sat, bat l could have
sworn that / heard heavy breathing
behind it. Was il the three minions
whom / had seen before in the per
formance Of their hateful functions,
and who, like vultures, had shifted
another victim
| looked around the table. Still
the same hard, cruel faces. Not
one glance Of sympathy. | cooked
my revolver in my pocket.
There was q painful silence, which
was broken by the. harsh, grating
voice of Petrokine.
promises are easily made and
easily broken" he said. There is
hut one way Of securing eternal 81
lence. 1t is our lives or yours. Let
the highest among us speak"
You are right, sir, said the Eng
lish agent; ''there is bat one course
open. He must be dismissed"
l knew what that meant in their
confounded jargon, and sprang to
my feet.
by Heaven l shouted, putting
my back to the door, you shan't
butcher a free Englishman like a
sheepl The first among YOU who
stirs, drops"
A man sprang at me. l saw
along the sights of my Derringer the
gleam of knife and the demoni-
acal face Of Gustave Berger. Then
l pulled the trigger, and with his
hoarse scream sounding in my ears,
/ was felled to the ground by a
crashing blow from behind. Half
unconscious and pressed down by
some heavy weight, | heard the
noise of shouts and blows above me
and then ] tainted away.
When | came TO myself | was ~
ing among the debris Of the door,
which had been beaten in on the
top me. Opposite were dozen Of
the men who had lately sat in judg-
ment upon me, tied two and two,
and guarded by a score of Russian
soldiers. Beside me was the corpse
of the ill-fated English agent, the
whole face blown in by the force of
the explosion. Alexis and Petro-
kline were both lying on the floor
like myself, bleeding profusely.
"Well, young fellow, you've had a
narrow escape" said hearty voice
in my ear.
| lookeu up and recognized my
blackeyed acquaintance of the rail
way carriage.
stand up" he continued; you're
only a bit stunned; no bones brok-
en-. It's 10 wonder | lnistool you
for the Nihilist agent, when the very
lodge itself was taken in. Well,
you're the only stranger who ever
came out of this den alive. Come
down stairs with me. | know who
you are, and what you are afternow
III take you to Mr.. Dimidoif. Nay,
don't 60 in there" he cried, rs /
walked toward the door Of the
cell into which | had been origi-
nally ushered. keep out of that
he cried, as / walked toward the
door of the cell into which l had
been originally ushered. Keep out
of that; you've seen evil sights
enough for one day. Come down
and have glass of liquor"
He explained as we walked back
to the hotel that the police of Soltefl
of which he was the chief, had had
warning and been on the lookout
some time for this Nihilistic emmis-
sary. My arrival in so unfrequent-
ed place, coupled with my air Of
secrecy and the English lables on
that confounded portmanteau OF
Gregory's had completed the busi-
ness.
/ have little more to tell. My
Socialistic acquaintanees were all
either transported to Siberia or ex-
ecuted. My mission was performed
to the satisfaction of my employers
Ny conduct during the whole busi-
ness has won me promotion, and