San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-15
CHAPTER x.-ALMosT A TRAGEDY.

CHAPTER X.-ALMoST A TRAGEDY.
What was the cause of this frightful con-
fagration9 Who was its authorl Should
it be regarded merely as simple accident,
the result of some hunters imprudence, as
Yegor had at first supposed, or as an act Of
aggression9
To explain this episode Of our tale, we
must recur to some facts already known.
Yegor and M. Lafeur after having hurl-
ed down the rock upon the chief of police,
thought the latter crushed buried forever
beneath the broken fragments of the block.
They were Acknowledgement still lived.
When he saw the rock totter above him,
quickly dropping his horses bride, he
threw himself against the vertical wall;
the latter presented a slight projection at
about mans height which preserved him.
However, some fragments wounded him on
the right leg. Yermac had only the loss Of
his horse to regret.
Screened by the pines dragged along by
the rock in its fall and, besides, having in
front of him the largest portion of the enor-
nous mass precipitated from the sides of the
mountain, he was concealed from every eye.
AS prudential measure, he remained in this
refuge all night.
The next day, thanks to bathing it with
cold water, the swelling on his leg diminish.
ed; he cut a cane for himself and managed
to reach Yakoute yourte, erected on one of
the slopes of the Verkho-Yans Noun
tains. He remained there only long enough
to take some nourishment and to borrow
Siberian horse. Then, despite his wound,
he at once resumed the pursuit of the fugi.
tives.
Shortly afterwards, he met a patrol of
Cossacks on horseback. These men. ques-
toned in regard to the fugitives, whom, as
Yermac thought, they must have passed. as
serted that they had seen no one
He informed them that he was the chief
of police of the government capital, and es-
tablished his identity by means of docu.
ments he bore about him. Then, he direct
ed the COssacks to notify the chiefs OF
the posts-ostrogs-that several eXiles had
fled from Yakoutsk, accompanied by
foreigner, F'renchman, and gave them
the descriptions of Yegor and his compan-
ions.
Some hours later, Yermac was walking
beside the vast forest in the midst of which
the fugitiveS had taken refuge. He passed
it, and then discovering no sign of them be-
yond it, retraced his steps, convinced that
they had penetrated into the forest and hae
not yet quilted it.
What could they be waiting for, hidden in
this spotl Without doubt they wished t.
put of the scent whoever might be seeking
to recapture them.
How was he to find them1 How was he
10 dislodge them9 He was alone and wound
ed they were numerous and well armed.
He was alone and the forest stretched over.
an immense space. The struggle was too
unequal.
He reflected for long while, and, at
last thought he had found an auxiliary.
Why should he not employ method used
to destroy wild BEASTS In his policeman's
eyes, these people were criminals-Yegor,
Nadege, and the lad, persons condemned
to labor for life, and NJ. Laheur an assassin.
He at first discarded this idea Of setting
fire to the forest, but it persistently returned
on the succeeding days. He finally became
used to it, and found it reasonable. The
trappers fire the forests TO drive away by
means of the smoke the swarms of mosqui-
toes which incommode them. Besides, the
slender supply of provisions obtained from
the Yakoute was diminishing, and, to cap
the climax, the horse loaned by the nomad,
wearying, perhaps, of its idleness, one morn
ing quilted the grass upon which it was
feeding in perfect freedom and returned to
its masters yourte.
While making up his mind what to do,
Yermac climbed an eminence. There, over
looking the immense plateau black with
pines and larches, pressed and heaped to-
gether as If to favor confagration, che
sought for spot in which to dndle the fire.
Should it be to the east or the weStl Two
parallel mountain spurs enclosed the vast
forest as with insurmouutable walls. To
start the fire at one of these eXtremities
would be to force the fugitives to make
their exit by the other. On the eastern
side, flight was possible only by passing
through a steep defle with bare sides.
The chief saw how easy it would be for
him to wait for them there, concealed behind
a rock.
When his plan was at last settled upon,
he decided to devote the forest toaa general
confagration. He piled dry branches and
brushwood at the feet of the resinOus trees,
and when the night was far enough ad-
vanced, set fire to them.
Then Yermac posted himself on the side
opposite to the confagration, in the defile
which presented the sole means of free
egress. Hidden behind rocks intermingled
with dwarf cedars, he watched with an
eager eye for the explosion of the volcano.
He had not long TO watt and when the
plateau resembled a sheet of fire and the
rro BE CONTINUED