Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-12-25
CHAPTER VII
THE TRIAL.

THE TRIAL
! 1stria, which became part OF Austria
Hungary in accordance with the treaty
Of 1915, is a triangular peninsular OF
which the isthmus forms the base.
This peninsula extends from the Gulf
Of Trieste 10 the Gulf of Quarnero
and along the coast line are several
harbors. Among others, almost at the
extreme southern point, is Pola, which
the Government was then forming into
a dockyard and arsenal of the first
rank
The province more especially on its
western coast is still Italian. and even
Venetian in its customs and language.
The Sclave element, still struggles with
the Italian element. and the German
element has some difficulty in maintain
ing its influence.
There are several important towns on
the coast and in the interior. Among
these are Capo dIstria and Pirano,
whose population is almost entirely
employed in the salt works mt the
mouths of the Risano and Gonna Lunga;
Parenzo, the headquarters of the Istrlan
Diet and the residence of the Bishop
Rivigno rich in its olive trees. and Pola,
whore tourists find interest IN the su-
perb monuments OF Roman origin, and
which is destined TO become the most
important military port in the Adriatic
But neither of these towns have the
right to call itself the capital of lstria,
The place that bears that title is Pisino
situated almost in the centre of the tri-
angle, and thither unknown TO them,
the prisoners were about to be taken
after their secret arrest.
At the door of Zathmar's house post
chaise was waiting. The four prisoners
entered it, and two of the Austrian
police, who were put IN charge during
the journey, took their places beside
them. They were thus prevented from
exchanging word which might in any
way compromise them or lead TO a
mutual understanding before their
appearance in the dock.
An escort of twelve mounted gend-
armes, commanded by ieutentant.
took up their positions in front, behind
and mt the doors of the carriage, and
ten minutes afterwards they were out
of the town. Borik was taken direct to
the prison ut Trieste, and there put into
solitary confinement.
Where were the prisoners going? In
what fortress of the Austrian Govern
ment were they to be lodged, since the
castle mt Trieste was not to receive them?
Count Sandori and his friends would
have been glad to know, but they tried
to discover in vain.
The night was dark. BY the light of
the carriage lamps only the first rank
of the mounted escort could be seen.
The pace was rapid. Sandorf, Bathorv
and Zathmar remained motionless and
silent in their corners. Sarcany did
not seek to break the silence, either TO
protest against his arrest or to ask why
the arrest had been made.
After leaving Trieste the post chaise
made bend which took it obliquely
towards the coast. Count Sandford
amid the noise of the trotting horses
and the jingling sabr, 8 could hear the
distant murmur of the surf on the rocks
along the shore. For moment few
lights shone out in the night, and almost
Immediately disappeared. This was
the small town of Muggia, which the
post chase had just passed without halt
ing. Then Sandorf noticed that the
road lay into the interior.
At eleven o'clock the chase stopped
to change horses. 1t was only at farm.
where the horses were waiting ready to
be harnessed. IL was not post-station.
The escort resumed its journey. The
carriage passed along a road among the
vineyards where the vines interlaced
themselves i'll festoons to the branches
of the mulberry trees. The road was
Hat and the carriage made rapid pro.
gress. The darkness now grew more
profound, for heavy clouds, brought up
by violent sirocco from the southeast,
covered the sky and although the wins
dows were let down from time to time
20 admit little fresh air-for the nights
are warm in Istria-it was impossible to
distinguish anything even close at
hand. Although Sandorf and his
friends noted every incident on the
road, the direction of the wind and the
time elapsed since their departure they
could not discover the direction in
which the carriage was travelling. The
object was doubtless to keep it as secret
as possible, so that their place of con-
finement should not be known to the
public.
About two o'clock in the morning
they again changed horses. As at tho
first change, the halt did not last five
minutes
Count Sandorf thought he could make
out in the gloom a few houses at the
end of road, as though on the extreme
outskirt of town.
This was Buje. the chief place Of
district situated about twenty miles
south 81 M,xw~x.a