The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-01-22

reached the hedge which ran along the
stream. Sandorf leaped il at bound
and turned to help over Stephen when
the report Of a gun rang out some fifty
PAGES of.
Bathory was hit by the bullet. which
only grazed his shoulder, it is true
but his arm remained paralyzed and he
could not let his companion seize it to
help him.
Escape Mathiasi" he exclaimed
Escape"
mo, Stephen, no. We will die to-
gether," replied Sandorf. after trying
for the last time TO lift his wounded
companion in his arms.
Escape, Matthias !" repeated Bathory.
"And live to punish the traitors |"
Bathory's last words were, as it were,
q command to Sandorf. To him there
fell the work Of the three-to him alone
The magnate Of Transylvania. the con-
spirator of Trieste, the companion of
Stephen Bathory and Ladislas Zathmar
must give place to the messenger of
justice.
At this moment the police had reached
the end of the yard and thrown them
selves on the wounded man. Sandorf
would fall into their hands if he hest
tated another second
"Adieu, Stephen, adieu?" he ex-
claimed.
With leap he cleared the brook
which ran along by the hedge and dis
appeared.
Five or six shots were fired after him,
but the bullets missed and turning aside
he ran quickly towards the sea.
The police, however, we're on his
track. Not being able to see him in the
darkness they did not try to run straight
after him. They dispersed so as to cut
him off not only from the interior, but
from the town and from the promon-
tory which shelters the Bay of Rovigno.
A brigade of gendarmes reinforced
them, and were 80 manauvfed rs to pre-
vent HIM from taking any other route
than that towards the sen. But what
could he do there? Could he possess
himself of boat and put out to the open
sea? He would not have time and be-
fore he could get her clear he would be
shot. From the first he saw that his re-
treat to the east was cut off. The noise
of the guns. the shouts of the police and
the gendalmes as they approached told
him that he WIS hedged III on the beach.
His only chance of escape was to the SEQ
and by the seq. It WAS doubtless TO
rush to certain death; but better to find
il among the waves than before the fir
ing party in the courtyard of the fortress
of Pisino.
Sandorf then ran towards tie beach.
In few bounds he had reached the first
small waves that licked the sands. He
already felt the police behind him, and
the bullets fred at random whistled past
his head.
All down the Istrian coast there is
reef of isolated rocks just little way
out from the shore. Between these
rocks there are pools filling the depres-
sions in the Sandstone of them several
feet deep, some of them quite shallow.
1t was the last road that was open,
and although Sandorf thought death
was ct the end he did not hesitate to
take it.
Behold him then clearing the pools,
jumping from rock to rock but his pro-
file thus became more visible against
the less dense darkness of the horizon.
And Immediately the shouts gave the
alarm and the police dashed out after
him.
He had resolved not to be taken alive.
If the sea gave him up it would give up
corpse.
The difficult chase over the shaking
and slippery rocks, over the viscous
wlacks and weeds through the pools
where every step might mean fall,
lasted for more than quarter of On
hour. The fugitive was still ahead. but
the solid ground was soon to fail him.
He reached the lust rocks OF the reef.
Two or three police were not more than
ten yards away, the others were about
double as far behind.
Count Sandorf stopped. A last cry
escaped him a cry OF farewell thrown
to Heaven. Then, as discharge of
bullets rnined around him, he precipi-
tated himself into the sea.
The police came to the very edge of
the rock, aud saw nothing but the head
of the fugitive, like black point, turned
toward The ofiing.
Another voiley battered into the water
round the Count. And doubtless one
or two bullets reached him, for lie sank
under the waves and disappeared.
Till day broke the police kept watch
along the reef and the beach, from the