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

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1t was possible, 1 thought, to overtake
the assassins before they could reach it;
and even if we failed it mattered little,
Tor the Vistula was still mile or more
away. We swept over the icy ground at
dangerous speed. and / felt like
shouting out with triumph, for the
sleigh was running slower and slower,
and the capture of the men seemed GER
tain.
called them to surrender, but thew
made no reply, though they must have
seen how hopeless their situation was.
The bridge was now very close, and I
saw at glance it was giving way, for
the stream was high and swollen, and
great cakes of ice were crashing against
the wooden piles.
Look out, they are going to fire, "
cries Karaman, suddenly. And as he
spoke the smooth-faced man half rose in
his seat and turning round pointed the
gun directly at us. ! heard the report
and felt the whiz of the bullet past my
ear. Then came puff of white smoke
and second shot; and with a cry of
pain the Cossack behind me sprang up
from his saddle and rolled down on the
Icy road. while his riderless horse
reared with fright
'The scOundrels!'' Kissed Karaman
through his teeth. eff we only dared
fire on them!''
But this was exactly what we dared
not do. They must be taken alive at
all hazards. In the excitement I had
forgotten all about the bridge, and clos
ing up we dashed on in rapid pursuit
The assassins had nearly reached the
edge of the stream now. The bearded
man was plying the whip savagely, and
his companion was standing, gun in
hand, holding his fire apparently until
we should come little nearer.
Faster and faster-and now the stream
was before us. a raging, roaring torrent,
flashing by with terrible velocity, and
still the fugitives madly dashed their
faded horses.
An instant more and the panic
stricken brutes dashed upon the sway
ing, trembling structure; and then, with
a mighty crash and binding cloud Of
spray and snow, bridge, sleigh and all
crumbled into the torrent, and with a
terrible effort we checked our trembling
horses on the very brink.
For a moment could see nothing,
and then Karaman pointed out the two
assassins huddled together on a great
cake OF ice that was whirling rapidly
down the stream. The horses and sleigh
were nowhere to be seen.
A peasant was speedily found who led
us through the forest to the shores OF
the Vistula. at point close to the
mouth of the tributary stream.
On the other side rose the Austrian
military station, but no trace of the
assassins could be discovered; and from
the swollen condition of the river / be-
lieved it impossible that they could
have been saved. Captain Karaman
was OF the same opinion, so we gave up
the search and rode back to the station.
The Cossack who had been shot was
not fatally injured, and gave promise of
recovering in few weeks
made out my report and forwarded il
to headquarters, and fortnight later I
was exonerated from all blame. much
to my relief, for very unjust and arbi-
trary decisions are sometimes made in
such cases.
What their fatc was never certainly
knew. Long afterward. an Austrian,
travelling to st. Petersburg, informed
me that Shamerin and Kahrkoff had
been seen in Vienna, and were supposed
to be editing revolutionist journal,
but 1 have grave doubts of the Aus
TRANS veracity, and in my opinion, the
two assassins persisted in the icy waters
of the Vistula. Atlanta Cons titution.