The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-29
THE CAR OF THE NIHILISTS
A RUSSIAN MONTE CRIsTo.
WRITTEN FOR THE INDEPENDENT BY pRNCr 1osrpp ,upou,ys ,
CHAPTER xxxvIr.
n INCIDENT.

by power Of the discretion which is left
10 me in such cases, I declare the incident
that has occurred sufficiently weighty and
authorize the lawyer for the defense to
produce the witnesses!"
At these words Darine turned horribly
pale. The assembled crowd, on their way
out, turned back again,
"Mr. President" Darine objected, .'the
jury has deliberated and"
I'm such circumstance as these the law
makes me sole judge! / have said-Mr. s.,
you may speak,"
At the sight Of lana, whose beautiful
face looked TRANSPORTED, and of tho tri-
umphant look of Counsellor s., Darine
lost his countenance entirely, and, mad
with terror, feeling that something preju-
dicial WAS about to happen, he cried in a
greatly troubled voice:
''Mr. President. the verdict has been
Sgivenw
DO you not know, sir, that we nave the
right to seek information till the last NOM
emit before applying the law in the sentence.
DR.. Dakouss, who had so unaccountably
disappeared, has been found, and it is all
important that he should be heard. You
certainly know the law as imperial procura-
tor and I regret"
"But-'
Enough! Mr.. s., you desire that we
should hear the evidence of the Nabob
Dowgal-Sahib, who has brought the &C
cused Dakouss into court. So you wrote
u.s."
Eyes, Mr.. Presidentv' ,
Every we'll! BY virtue of the unlimited
nvHkh~~skrv ryhsn1, Lsn ,,csrA. Al .----
our master, has conferred Upon me,'' he
said, casting a severe look at Darine, II
order you. usher, to introduce the witness
Dowgal-Sahib, nabob of Cawnpore! Cen
darmes, you will seize this man Oak ouss,
who is in the witness room, and put him on
the bench of the accused. Go! As the
nabob is not a Christian, l will myself re-
ceive his oath. He is a prince in his coun-
try, usher; you will bring a seat for him."
Vladimir murmured with a great sigh:
mot lost yet"
Dakouss appeared and his hideously dis
figured face looked more fearful yet under
the pressure of abject fear. Muller, on his
side, entered the room preceded by the
usher.
At this moment a wicked smile appeared
on Darine's lips, whose looks seemed to try
hypnotize hiia. Rlih the nebob, gtook no
notice of his presence. He advanced slow
.ly between two row of curious men, who
crowded each other in their anxiety to see
bar, before bowling to the president, he cast
a single look at the bench, where the ac-
cused we're sitting. When he saw Dakouss
he,looked pleased. The president cknowl-
edged his bow with a courteous gesture,
and pointing at the seat which the usher
had brought, he said:
"The court invites your highness to sit
down. The oath required by the laws may
be sworn by your highness before us, ac-
cording to your own creed!"
The nabob simply bowed low. The pres
ident continues:
ness personally, but the rule requires that I
should ask your name."
The nabob crossed his arms; Darine rose
and opened his lips to speak, but the East
Indian had already begun, in Il loud and
firm voice:
81 am not the nabob of Cawnpore. My
name is Muller. of Mullertown, a Russian
subject, escaped prisoner. Ihave struggled
twenty years against society. To-day l
come, of my W free will, to bend my head
under that law which until now l have de-
spised."
There arose a cry of stupefaction, invol-
unfairly, from the assembly and the jury.
Darine, overcome, fell back in his chair.
Vladimir trembled, and forgetting his posi-
tion, EXCLAIMED, Mullen"
Inc preSluent, Qeeply INTERESTED. looked
at Muller, who at that moment raised his
hand toward the crucifix that was standing
upon the pulpit.
81 am a Christian, and I swear upon this
CROSS to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth! ] am not yet under
accusation and before expiating the crimes
which have committed 1 come to testify
and to demand justice against criminals
who are as guilty as / am"
He pointed with his hand at the seat oc-
cupied by the attorney general and all eyes
followed the direction.
denly stopped. "Not That man is the rep
resentative of justice, and 1 desire to-day
to show my respect for the laws. Indigna-
ton may tempt me to indulge in terms
which are not permitted in this court. l
shall try to temper my wrath and beg Mr..
S. to assist me with his COUNSEL
The president, deeply impressed with this
solemn scene, his colleagues and the jury
all listened eagerly.
"After having fed from Russia to escape
the penalty incurred by my misdeeds, / re-
Gently returned to this country with crimi-
nal intentions. Blind and presumptuons,
I deemed the reforms which our august
and venerable master had granted us too
slow and l wished to hasten the progress of
things. My wealth enabled me to establish
secret societies, of which i became the su-
preme head. l had, of course, many ac-
completes. One of my principal agents was
Andrew Darine, imperial procurator in the
courts of st. Petersburg
This accusation restored to Darine his
presence of mind to a certain extent. He
rose and inquired:
us it also usual to allow witnesses to
calumniate high officers of iustice""
But the president was too deeply interest
ed; besides, his personal feelings had been
shocked by Darine's passionate harangue.
"The defense is free" he said. IF the
sA,,a ~ snu ~, st,V v~rrvyt1avno la .,,.1l
have to answer for it," THIN he added.
go on!"
The curiosity of the assembled crowd had
reached fever heat; never had n trial been
half 30 interesting. To see the attorney
general on the bench of the accused, at least
formally, was u novel sight indeed; all lis
tened with intense eagerness.
"Whnt reasons may have influenced the
Procurator Darine to betray, for our bene- |
fit, that society which had contided to him
such important functions / do not know. |
What l do know is that he has betrayed all |
of us ono by one, to benefit his personal
ambition. / have myself heard, from my
oonoealment, how this man proposed to the
Countess Lanin-whose EVIDENCE | invoke
and whom ] herewith release from any
promise she may have given me--to save |
her husband. His condition was the for
tune md tho hand of Count Lnnin's
daughter! It was u most fearful sacrifice
for a mother to make, to give her only child
to such n man. But mother and daughter
were ready to make il to save the honor of |
their name, when ! interposed, promising |
them that l would establish Count Lanin's