The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-24

exchange for our own"
I tore them open. They were made
out to Ivan Brosky and Vladimir Pro-
gram.
''The rascals have escaped!" 1 cried
angrily. "They passed through not
two hours ago, and dared not detain
them
''And it is too late to overtake them?"
cried Alexis Zamose.
''Too late. They have crossed the
Vistula an hour ago."
''The Government shall atone for
this" the two men cried out together.
They would see If travellers were to be
robbed with impunity on the Cars
high read.
was vainly endeavoring to pacify
them, when soldier entered the room.
Captain" he said, 1.-The Vistula has
risen. The bridge was carried away at
daybreak."
'"Those two travelers?" 1 demanded
eagerly. Ibid they get across in timer"
mo, Captain. They started for the
upper bridge"
'Then we'll have them yetv' l cried.
"Call out the guards at once. Don't lose
q second"
buckled on my sword, seized my
cloak and hat and rushed to the door
where my horse already awaited me-
My own men were mounting in haste,
and the Cossacks sat motionless in their
saddles.
A moment more would have seen us
off, 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,
vaulting from the saddle. "Have Ivan
Brosky and Vladimir passed this sta
tion?"
l briefly explained the situation.
''They must be arrested at all haz-
ardsw he cried. ''They left ST. Peters
burg with forged passports. 1t was dis
covered only yesterday"
''And who are these men?" I asked.
''They are Shamerin and .Kharkoff, ="
replied the messenger, "the sesassins of
General Orley."
1t was of grave Importance, indeed,
that they should be captured, 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 Vistula, some
twenty miles fur Their down the stream.
It 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 Vistula, turbid, yellow mass,
swirling past with its burden of floating
ice.
We must travel still faster. The
upper bridge was heavier, more solid
structure, little likely to be carried of
by even such 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 galloped like the wind over
the frozen ground, rounding bond after
bend. only tosee 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.
ssLookw cried Captain Karaman,
1nder his frosted beard, "the tracks
are still soft. We shall soon 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, somber
and stern in their great black cloaks
and shakos; my dragons, tribe moro
picturesques with their green uniforms
and waving plumes.
We galloped through the little viii
lage of Kapan-only five miles to the
bridge-and, as we swept round the
brow of a hill, in the distance we saw a
black speck on the frozen road.
Even as Karaman pointed it out it
vanished over a bridge. We Numbered
ON in hot pursuit. losing sight of it
sometimes, but all the while gaining
steadily, until from vague. dark OBJ
ject, it assumed shape and form, and we
could very plainly make out q sleigh
and two horses.
With fierce joy saw it drawing
closer and closer. They were flashing
the horses with furious desperation, but
the poor brutes were fast giving out
Barely . quarter of q mile lay be-
tween us, and now the distance was
diminishing very rapidly. We were
going down gentle slope, when sud-
denly Captain Karaman exclaimed:
1.-THE bridget Do you see the bridger'
Crossing the road far ahead of-us was
. cleaning bit Of water. spanned by =
narrow wooden bridge. It was not the
Vistula, but puny mountain stream
one Of the tributaries of the vistula.