Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-09-06

armed strangers In a sleigh over
took us, and o%verpowering IL
they took all our possessions, made Il
give up our furs in exchange for thes
wretched garments, and then cutting
our horse loose, they drove him off il
the darkness and took flight. On 100
we made our way back to the neares
village, and were so fortunate as to fall
in with these brave soldiers, who pro
cured us a horse and accompanied u
thus far on u Journey"
Visa inward rage | listened to thi
strange tale, realizing only too %clearl,
the mistake l had made, and my feel
ings may be imagined when the MAJ
handed me two folded papers, saying
There, sir, are the passports the vii
lains were SC considerate to give US il
exchange for our own"
tore them open. They were made
out to Ivan Brosky and Vladimir Pro
gram.
Tho rascals have escaped" I cried
angrily. "Thcy passed through no.
two hours ago, and | dared not dotaiI
them"
And it is too late to overtake them?'
cried Alexis Zamose.
TOO late. They have crossed the
Vistula an hour ago"
1.-THE Government shall atono fol
this, the two men cried out together.
They would see if travellers wero to be
robbed with i%mpunity on tho Cars
high road.
| was vainly e~ndeavoring to pacify
them, when a soldier entered the room.
Captain" he said, 1.-THE Vistula has
risen. The bridge was carried away at
daybreak."
"Those two Travellers" I demanded
eagerly. "Did they get across in time?'
mo, Captain. They started for the
upper bridge"
Then we'll have them yet" l cried.
"Call out tho guards at once. Don't lose
a second"
| buckled on my sword, seized my
cloak and hat and rushed to the door
where my horse already awaited me.
My w men were mounting in haste,
and the Cossacks sat motionless in their
saddles.
A moment more would have seen us
of, when a solitary rider came in sight,
far up the road, and presently refined up
before us painting and breathless.
"Orders from the Gar" he cried,
vanl ing from the saddle. 'llavc Ivan
Bro5ky and Vladimir passed this sta
tion?"
| briefly explained the situation.
They must be arrested at all haz-
ards!" he cried. They left st. Peters
burg with forged passports. 1t was dis
covered only yesterday"
"And who are these men?' | asked.
They are Shamerin and KharkofI,"
replied the messenger, "tAc assassins of
General Orley."
1t was Of grave Importance, indeed,
that they should be captU.ed, and,
mounting in haste, we dashed away at
full speed, leaving the Cars messen-
ger to enjoy the comforts of the station,
for he had been riding all night and
badly needed rest.
Our course led eastward to the Vistula,
and thence turned off to the south, fol.
owing a rugged and little travelled road
through the hills, which led eventually
to another bridge over the Nistula, some
twenty miles further down the stream.
1t was bad enough for horsemen; for a
sleigh it was terrible.
Irode in advance, side by side with
Captain Karaman, the commander of the
Cossacks.
We Numbered at a headlong speed
over the frozen ground, sure of our
prey-for, on the road before us, fast
freezing up in the morning air, were
the tracks of hoofs and runners inn
printed in the slush. At intervals,
through the hill gaps we caught sight
of the V%istula, q turbid, yellow mass,
swirling past with its burden OF floating
ice.
We must travel still faster. The
upper bridge was a heavier, more solid
structure, little likely to be carried off
by even such a flood as this. We must
overtake them before they reach it.
We drove the spurs into our painting
horses, and the forest and barren hill
sides shot past us in one flying PIANO.
rama as we g%alloped like the wind over
the frozen ground, rounding bond after
bend, only to see the same empty gilt.
tering stretch Of road fading in mock.
cry into the frosty atmosphere.
Furlong after furlong. mile after
mile, and still they kept ahead with a
speed that seemed incredible.
Look" cried Captain Karaman,
under his frosted beard, "the tracks
are still soft We shall o see Them
Struggling houses came in sight, and
the people ran to their doors in wonder
as we swept past like the whirlwind-
Karaman's.Cossacks of the Volga, sombcr
and stern in their great black cloaks
and shakos; my dragons. a trile more
picturesques with their green uniforms
and waving plumes.
We galloped through the little vii.
lage of kapan-only five miles to the
bridge and, as we swept round the
brow Of a hill, in the distance we saw q
black speck on the frozen road.
Even as Karaman pointed it out i,
vanished over a bridge. We Numbered
on in hot pursuit. losing sight of il
sometimes, but all the while gaining
steadily, until from a vague, dark OBJ.
ject, it assumed shape and form, and we
could very plainly make out q sleigh
and two horses.
With fierce Joy l saw 1t drawing
closer and closer. They were flashing
the horses with furious desperation, but
the poor brutes were fast giving out.
Barely q quarter Of a milo Law be.
tween US, and now the distance was
diminishing very rapidly. We were
going down a gentle slope, when sud.
denly Captain Karaman exclaimed.
"The bridge! Do you see the bridge9'
Crossing the road far ahead o, rs wa.
q cleaning bit of water, spanned by /,
narrow wooden bridge. 1t was not tn,
Vistula, but a puny mountain stream
one OF the tributaries Of the Vistula
whose existence l had forgotten.
1t was possible, ! thought, to overtak,
the assassins before they could reach it
and even II we failed 1t mattered little
for the Vistula was still a mile or NOR,
away. We swept over the icy ground a
a dangerous speed, and | felt lik,
shouting out with triumph, for tn,