Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-04
CuAP PIER X.-ALMOST A TRAGEDY.

What was the cause of this frightful con-
fagration? Who was it's author? Should
it be regarded merely as simple accident,
the result of some hunters imprudence. as
Yegor had at first supposed, Or as al act Of
aggression?
To explain this episode of our tale, we
must recur to some facts already known.
Yegor and M. Lafleur, after having hurl-
ed down the rock upon the chief of police,
thought the latter crushed, buried forever
beneath tne broken fragments of the block.
They We're deceived-Yermac 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 slight projection at
about a 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 it's 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 a 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 cane for himself and managed
to reach Yakoute yourte, erected on one of
the slopes of the Eerkho- Yansk Noun
tains. He remained there only long enough
to take some nourishment and to borrow
a 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
Iermac 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
fed from Yakoutsk, accompanied by d
foreigner. Erenchman and gave them
the descriptions of Yegor and his colnpan-
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 had
not yet quilted it.
What could they be waiting for, hidden in
this spot? Without doubt, they wished to
put off the scent whoever might be seeking
to recapture them.
How was he to find them? How was he
to dislodge them? 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 a method used
to destroy wild beasts! In his policenan's
eyes, these people were crininals-Yegor,
Nadege, and the lad, persons condemned
to labor for life. and M. 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 swarns 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 eTninence. There over
looking the immense plateau black with
pines and larches, pressed and heaped to-
gether as if to favor confsgration. he
sought for spot in which to kindle the fire.
Should it be to the east or the west. Two
parallel mountain spurs enclosed the vast
forest as with insurnountable walls To
start the fire at one of these extre1nities
would be to force the fugitives to make
their exit by the other. On the eastern
side. flight was possible only by passing
through steep deile 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 to general