Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-31

needn't kill Olga. she was bound BY her allegi-
ance to the nihilist order TO bring you here-it
was only what you English call all in the days
work."
I looked at her: she had tainted; but. as a
matter OF course no one noticed such trivial
detail.
still you must die-hshting, since you have
willed il So"
'Confound all Of your again reared, '.you
are an ungrateful lot of beasts. The only two
occasions have met any of you. and extremes
meet, was when put up the car and helped
that frowsy swindler, Lenko Boscovitch, and
all the thanks get is you are going TO have a
rough and tumble fight with me, and scrag
income on"
To my surprise, instead of rushing in-for
while had been speaking they had been ex-
banding like fan around me. at a signal from
their leader-and I knew them to be utterly
reckless brave men-he held up his hand and
by several in tones of surprise.
The leader said: Perhaps, Englishman.
there is a chance for your life. don't want to
take it, for you are braye-though your race is
that" (You can't bow TO compliments very
well. when you are pointing a revolver at the
utterer Of them.) "And you are only an ass
where we thought you were a tiger You said
you helped LenkO Boscovitch; tell us all,
and remember We can verify here your state
ment."
swell, call those black-muzzled retainers of
yours the other side of the ROOM and I'll
do so.'
He gave a command in Russian, and they
ranged themselves against the opposite wall,
one or two thrusting back, in their long un-
tanned leather boots, the long knives they had
all drawn.
.Be brief" he commanded. while took adj
vantage OF the lull to place myself behind the
dlssectlng table-katinka and Voleska with
commendable forethought had already disap-
peared under it-and grasped the longest and
brightest OF the amputating knives with my dis
engaged hand, which preparations the leader
(from whom never took my eyes) noted with
grim smile.
We'll, 1 was one day in Soho; went there for
one Of the foreign dinners to be got there"
He nodded impatiently. Tell your tale in
Russian"
1 nodded and continued: "There was fellow
asleep at the table next to me: he was very
poorly dressed The waiter shook him roughly
and woke him. He started up with bewildered
stare. Where is my friend? he gasped
Gone an hour ago. the waiter replied
a shilling to let you sleep an hour. Time is up.
You must CO.
while the waiter was speaking he had been
anxiously searching in all his pockets.
,Druggesd-rObOed of ALL he gasped I am
"The waiter grinned derikvely; but
and that his distress was genuine. Ny excel
lent and cheap dinner had warmed nv heart
Tor had Just finished, and 1 spoke to him in
Russian and left the cafe with HIM. To cut the
story short lent him four pounds two and six
pence good English money, which he swore he
would repay in few days. / kept the appoint
ment he made, for he seemed genuine honest
gentleman down In his luck, but he never
| turned up and 1 never heard of him again
was sorry, not for the money, but because 1
took liking to and believed in the man and
wanted to help him. and for moment forgot
my present position, as / regretfully thought
now had been misled by his courtly ways and
| seeming honesty.
"Engishman,' the leader replied, in a voice
that trembled with emotion, while a hoarse
mutter of surprise and satisfaction rolled along
the phalanx arrayed against the wall your
promptly crawled from under the torture
table; while Olga, who had recovered her
senses gave little cry of Joy.
The leader took off his mask and could see
the likeness. Lenko Boscovitch is my brother;
he is Prince Demetrieff- Mamonoff and was one
| of the leaders of our cause He was sent to
England with other brethren to shadow the car
| on his visit. The man who drugged and robbed
hlm-where you saw him-of papers which sent
numbers OF our brethren to unknown scaffolds
| In the tyrants dungeons, was a traitor to our
cause; he has since died on that table" "a
| gasping shrek from Voleska and Katinka as
| they convulsively pressed their hands to their
eyes as If to shut out some horrible sight, told
me too plainly what his fate had been
| The leader went on, not needing the inter-
ruption. THE next DAY he was arrested on a
false charge of forging rouble notes and was
| hurried to Russia by the secret police: he is
now slowly rotting in the quicksilver mines of
Siberia, his teeth and nails are gone, and were
there heaven he would pray to it for release
to his sufferings."
The motionless phalanx against the wall
groaned and cursed, the women moaned and
sobbed
"Here are the proofs of what 1 say. secre-
tary Netchayef, open the safe marked En-
gland and produce the necessary documents. "
The man at the head of the row of
masked figures stepped forward and. for the
first time, noticed row Of ponderous safes
labeled with the names of the different coun-
tries OF Europe. As he opened the safe
marked England" saw maps of London, a
mass of papers and books and piles of
English gold packed in neat rouleaux and
packets of English silver and bank notes ready
for any brother ordered there. The secretary
handed roll of papers to the leader who
beckoned to Olga to give them to me.
You hold them SO that / can read them"
said to her. She meekly obeyed. and ran nv
eye over them. The last report he had sent in
contained full memorandum of his meeting
ness had shown him. I had forgotten to give
him my name and address, but he mentioned
the appointment he intending TO keep
when he had obtained funds from the nihilist
treasury. L looked up. 1elt was entirely at
their mercy and must trust them unreservedly,
or not at all; so with an affectation of bon
homie threw the revolver and amputation
knife on the table, "All right" said.
Though we are nihilists we are not thieves"
the leader said-I disclaimed this statement
mentally. Secretary, pay the Englishman
the money he lent my brother"
pOcketed the money and took my belong
ings, which were gravely handed to me, with
affected nonchalance and bowed.
"We must keep your passport till the grand
council of the nihilists decide on it. l know,
for Olga's sake, you will be silent You will
join US in one toast" the leader said, sand
then you shall be set free-to the regenera-
ton of Russia"
Certainly" said fervently, for thought
it could not be in greater need of regenera-
ton.
The other end man of the phalanx came for
ward-they evidently stood in order of their
rank-and produced tray and a num-
Der of large horn cups. Man No. 2 filled
them with qvass. ''Take this cup" 1 heard
Voleska's voice say, as she filed two silver gob-
lets on tray behind me with Donskoi cham
payne, for the leader and myself. Katinka car
ried the tray to the chief and then brought it
to me.
"Let every man drain his cup" the leader
shouted, '.to the regeneration of Russiar'
My throat and mouth were parched with the
long excitement and drained mine to the
in a mt he Cd he ~;