The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-10-29

back premises were strictly private
after the gates to the mill had been
closed; and the person-if it was a per-
son who had got to the windows,
must either have secreted himself with
IN the dvor, or have gained access to it
In some improper manner. Now, how
ever, all was still as could be.
Down sat, to watch, close by the
door of the kladovoy. lchose dark
corner, and one where, in the dusk, it
would have been a hard matter to see
me, but l had full view of the lattice.
waited till my patience was beginning
to wear out, and then fancied that [
heard some slight sound outside under
the fortochka. 1t was so slight that at
first was not sure whether it might
not be merely fancy, but after little
pause l heard it again, louder and more
distinctly. l sat still as mouse, ar
kept sharp lookout.
Slowly and gradually something
raised itself before the opening. 1t was
a human head; but in the uncertain
light could not say whether it was a
human head or that OF some brute
creature. Whichever it might be,
could see enough of it to know that it
was such wild, haggard, unearthly
looking thing as 1 had never looked
upon before. Any quantity of shaggy
hair was hanging about it, and it's only
features to speak of seemed to be eyes.
Eyes it had past all mistake. Never
did I see anything like the way in
which it glared at our good provisions
within. have seen what famished
wolf looks like, and ] should hardly
think famished wolf worth comparing
with that creature. 1t was ravenous
after what it saw. Up beside the head
came two lunches of long claws, which
wrenched at the wooden lattice as if to
tear it down. But they were too weak.
The strips held fast. And then the
thing fell to with its teeth to gnaw a
way through.
While the creature was thus engaged,
I contrived to slip quietly from my dark
corner by the door, and catching up a
big stick. went out at the back of the
house. l stole round as noiselessly as
| could toward the window. There
were, as said young fir trees on that
side of the house, SO that with little
care, it was not difficult to approach
the place unobserved. When l got to
within few yards, l saw that the man
for the creature was man-was
still hard at work, trying to force way
in.
I dropped my stick, and made a
rush at him, and had him before he
knew anything about it. He did not
give up quietly. He struggled hard
desperately, may sayo But bless you,
he'd not the ghost of a chance with me-
l am tolerably strong man still, as
men 60, and | was younger then.
could have undertaken three such as
he, and thought nothing of it. The
poor wretch had no sort of condition
about him-he was mere skin and
bones-no muscle at all. He was moth
ing but a walking anatomy, with but a
few rags by way of covering -and only
very few.
All that he gained by his struggles
was good shaking, for l gave him one
that made every tooth in his head chat
back.
l had been long enough in the coun-
try to gain some knowledge of Russian
l could use it pretty freely to our mill
people; and l must own that for terms
in which to BLACKBOARD set of lazy
rascals, as most of those fellows are.
Billingsgate isn't patch on it. So l
could make my prisoner understand
me. 'Now, then, my friend,' l said
to him, ''you needn take the trouble
to show any more fight. You see it
+ ~ st
quietly off with me to the ouchas-
tock'-the ouchastock being, as YOU
perhaps know, equivalent to the police
station in English.
But instead of getting up, and doing
as he was told, like reasonable being,
the creature contrived to wriggle itself
upon its knees and to hold up its hands.
while it begged of me in the name of
the Virgin and all the Saints not to
hand it over to the politzia. 1t would
rather be killed outri ght, and was ready
to be beaten as much as l pleased.
my ragged FRIEND" l said, ''you
arc a queer chap! Why do you object
to the police so strongly?'
The poor wretch made no direct an
swer, but only reiterated his entreaties
that would not give him up. began
to have some suspicion of the quality of
my guest. IL am inclined to think, -
| said, THAT you are neither more nor
less than an escaped CONVICT
Instead of attempting to deny it, he
only begged me to pity him as before.
Russian law is terribly hard on those
who in any way assist in or conceal the
escape of a convict. Of that l was
aware. But though am big fellow
to look at, and in some things can hold
my own as good as any man, I have
always been soft-hearted fool in 9th
ers. Twas beginning to feel down
right sorry for that poor rascal-it was
not so much his prayers that fetched
me as his looks.
"Well,' said, "suppose don't give
you up, but let you 20. What then?''
He would always remember me with
gratitude. He would 60 on his way at
once. and do no harm to my property.
He was no thief. He had only entered
this dyOr-thiS yard-tO hide himself,
but the sight Of food had overcome
him; he was furnishing, and he dared
not beg. He had walked, how far he
could not tell, perhaps a thousand
versts, and all the way he had not
dared to ask for food, scarcely to spea K
to living soul. He was trying to
reach his own village, perhaps a thou
sand versts further. If l would only
set him free he would go on at once.
That was about the substance of the
fellows answer. His appearance seemed
to bear out his statements, and was
inclined to believe him. Its sheer
nonsense said. ''for you to talk OF
setting off for walk of a thousand
versts, if l let you go. You might as
we'll talk of flying. You have not the
strength to walk ten. You would fall
by the roadside, You miserable scare
crow, and die in ditch. should be
doing the kinder thing by you if hand
ed you over to the authorities. If do
let you 60, l must give you something
to eat first. Come with me-
The miserable wretch hardly be-
lieved that I really ment to feed him,
and would have run away had he dared.
l took him into the empty house, OF
which | had the kew, and fetched him