The Red Cloud chief., 1882-03-23
THE NIHIIi>T'S STORY.

IHI NHIIf>I'S >ipEl.
For e li'iIr after tho Colonel had
c"a-"l. %" uu" -ppk". and ou.E 'n"
~cra"klng "i The Open iIr'. a. 81 laughed
and cTarkl"t upon the wIdo hearth w.'h-
ia. and Ia" moan Il ih.. nsuH'.H.H l
Roaming ia" lonely vast. without.
broh" ia" silence. Will. So, -'.alli.
pulled az oar pip then l~hpUp-pn,
III" h"-i. arc" ard b"yiu :, br.H .
fresh jug 81 flp. aud no" Wc.' Nir-lElnu.
i",iram. turned 10 H. companion aul
spok"
" Al"N. IT, y"ur 'grn. Give ~ "a l:u--
sian -'ory. full /" 10" hr'm wilh b"rrag-.
4 bar hunt upon gprr IIIImi'tul"
s'cIpr-. a wolf cha" along "a" N"igr.
'"~-a'k tight ia The south or a Tartar
rand upon ia" north. "r hr'l-r -tIIl. til
IA nf y"ur "wn NIhiii-lir ;rIal-
Tho man {" whom D--'ram -I,"kr
shi,r-r'i. and M strong face. dark and
deeply cut. f~witchcI a little, while his
~" .lram"I II" hr-I'if'd 4 moment.
then carefully laid hi p.I" upon la"
rough table. and half-turning. replied
"G"u'lrmrn. Il il j. nay turn ! viii
speak, and a ms friend has suggested
the subject. although n j. not 4 pleasant
"nr To- me-. | wIll tell Nou a talr ui my
home. Russia. and of mk-"lf. "A N.hIl!-t
II ii seem strang". then grant Ia" that
sirlnv" thng- aud horrible nnr, NAV
happen even ia Christian Europe. and
in thl- nineteenth century. l. /, word
for word true.
"" drew nearer ia" -pclk"r. and li-'-
.ncI int"ntly. \ itu--.au story told in
Colorado. for our cabin wa- far up
among the pur- 81 the I:"rhi"-, IN the
western portion Of Ih" state. and that
s,"rl the history of a NIhiII-t. Ma new
and strange treat Tor American ear.
SIN year .go. | Wa living in Darn
ON ~. Iu ia" prov Incc ut l;ublln, IN the
southern part "i Ia" greatest "i Ia.
ruirran empire, a young man happy -
circumstance would ALLOW, and a III"
time IF which | speak. d"uhll happy anl
conI"utcd IA nay liil" school, for ] Wa
"a teacher, since | had just made the
sweetest and prrtiir-t girl IA the ,illag"
my wife.
Mare Carl"n WAS mine. won from
"a score of Suiior~ hN love alone, Tor |
had little money. and | was content.
"thi.f amun" Tia" ,h~>""n>ulntr ones
WA the son oi an * army officer. IuuI-
I"di~ki lay nam" 4 hrul-nm" but un
rrincipl"d fellow. who for wears had
been infatuated with Marie. However.
when our comm" wedding WAS an
nnuncri. Louis left the Village. and I
waS spared his ~""wl and mutirr"l
threats. and soon forgot hIm in the JOY
of h"m"-liic.
For three wears | WAS ~ rr~t. Then
came the great cloud that TODAY over
hangs nv native land. and iiS dark
shadow fell across even my humble
threshold. | had been a II. Petersburg
student. and when the strange mono
mania "f communism. silent and deadly.
crrpt through ia" Nation, II found ia
me IN easy prey. and | hcramc a Mill
Isl, Swnrr the terrible oathS. and linked
my~rlf bod, and soul 10 their unknown
and horrible purposes. | shuddrr now
aS ! remember.
There WAS 4 circle formed in our
town. and two months aitcrI had Joined
j, there appeared n night amongst Us.
commissioned from the Grand Circle Al
Moscow ~ our chief. Louis LodiSki.
IL bowed before him. hut when | saw
the fierce light If haillcd passion and
eager revenge CLEAN in his hated eyes.
brightly a. when last ! mel him. then
the rejected Suitor Of my wife, | knew
and felt for the first time int" what a
horrible pit | had fallen; for. free a |
was before the world. IN secret | was
bound hy NV VOWS. the scrf and slave
of NV bitter enemy
But If all this my wife knew moth
inc. except that her old lover WAS in
town.
For a time there WAS l~ittltswork for
our society. hut il 80 happened that
toward the Sprinr a new puartcrinG of
soldiers was made in our town. under
the charge If Colonel .Iclikoti. a tried
and true officer of the Government. and
one who had several times incurred the
di>plcaSurc of the NihiliSrS. Hardly
had tnr troops become settled when a
sealed dispatch WAS received 10y Lodi>ki
from the Grand Circle at Moscow. on
tanning the dcath-warrant IF the
Colonel; and. in drawing lots for the
one la act rs eNccutioncr. the same
devils luck which had first dragged me
into this conspiracy. or some trcachcry of
HI tllltls IL lit tlttu tiuiN upon titt-
By the rules Of our order. unquc>tion-
ing Obedience, nj the price of one own
life, must toe given Ia all DEGREES hy the
person 50 chosen. and | knew il: yetthc
word murderer famed before nv
eyes. and my heart stood still. a. | held
the fatal lot IN my hands.
And even aS | cazcd. dazed and
dull. upon my comrades about me.
whose Stern. white faces reflected the
horror If my own. the whisper IF our
chief Missed warninSiy through the air
the single word:
..Rrwarc.'
With the cry Of n lost soul | fled
from the room.
There remained three DAYS nj grace.
The uka>e of the Grand Circle. with a
perfection OF cruelty. granted the slave
doomed 10 execute their diaholical COM
maud> three DAYS mercy. Al the end
of that time the condemned must have
ceased L. live. or the slave would be-
come the victim instead.
"of The frs, dav. | have no rrmenl-
brancc. Ii did not consist IF hours. hut
of moments. each separate and distinct
OF ideas only born Ia die. In a word.
for the first twenty-four hours | WAS
crazed. The second day found me cool
and helpless. made my plans. Obey
I must. for my wife sake and nv OWN:
Jelikoff must die that we might live.
For five hours l debated where Ia
do the deed: then. stil uncertain. walked
in the verge of the town. and aS | walk
ed some n Joined me-Lodi>ki.
".To-morrow?" said he. inquiringly.
Tomorrow" returned. 1t must
be tomorrow for one of US, and | shud-
dered.
We stood a space in silence: then
the man came closer. and placed his
hand upon my shoulder.
Listen. 1t is hard, it is danger
Gus. Capture means death. Here is
money. You must flee instantly the
work is done
Cnwiitingly | thrust the gold into
my bosom. and repeated after him:
IL must flee instantly. And my
wife?'
- will care for her until you re-
turn
In a single breath my brain cleared.
The droaI clopd that f,r ,u-, J,r. L,I