Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-01-05


forces might be arranged against him that
not all his cunning, not all his caution, not
all hi watchfulness would enable him to
avert. But now he chuckled and chuckled
q ain. as he thought Of the letter which he
had received from his patron, Count Suvor-
Of wherein the Count said:-'In Sakhalin
you have absolute power. A man who has
absolute power should know how to deal
with an insolent Jewess. Humility she
knows not; you must teach it to her: Graft
tude she is a stranger to; make her ac-
quainted with it."
For months Alexieff had kept that letter
in his mind, and he looked forward to
Joy. He had done the father to death with
unrelenting cruelty, and his thirst for ven
geance would not be satisfied until he had
tortured and slain the dau Inter rs he tor
tured and slew the father. But when he
heard, to his amazement, that his son was
Rachel, his plan had TO be changed, and
his giving her passport to take her TO
Niadivostock was only part o the changed
plan. Presently he sent for his creature
Pavloff, who was still with him. and thus
addressed hint
"Paylof1, you are aware that Rachel Ara
II am, your nobleness."
"And you are aware that my son has fol-
lowed her across Siberia?'
II nj aware of that Also"
''You are invaluable, Pavoff. Now,
hearken. l have given to her a passport to
frank her to VladivoStock. and have coun-
selled her to take ship there for England or
France"
ain Gods name, your mightiness, you
have surely never done this thng?" cried
Pavlotf, in the profouudest amazement
II have done this thing, Pavlott my
faith ul one"
oh nd
her in your power. l thought you would
have tlayed her instead of giving her life
and liberty"
Alexietf smiled.
you are growing dull-witted. Pavloff,"
ne remarked. THE air of Sakhalin evident
ly does not tend to brighten you. DO you
forget that have my son to reckon with
here? While he is detained Rachel will 20
on her Journey, but. Pavlotf, my true and
truest friend. you will take care that she
does mol live to reach Viadivostock. Do l
make myself clear?"
Pavotf was silent for some moments, as
il overcome by this exhibition of his chiefs
superior cunning. Then he answered, and
there was a world OF meaning in his am
swer.
You make yourself quite clear"
And l can depend upon you in the
natter"
You cam" and as the creature said this
)
all too clearly the wickedness that was in
his heart. PavlutI was ahuman demon,
and aiming at power and the riches that
power would bring, he would stick at moth
ing. Such men as he seem imbued with
an idea that they are immortal, and that
tor them there is no reckoning But
IN tue present instance both he
AID his master were dealing with
unknown quantities. They forgot, per
hays they had never remembered it, that
woman driven to desperation by wrong
and cruelty cannot be looked upon with
Indifference.
In Nikolaevsk was Catherine Petrovna,
and in Sakhalin were Rachel Arama and
Paul Pe,rovna. The Governor had told
Rachel that she would have to leave in two
or three days, but in order to gain time sht
ieigned illness, and the Journey to thu
''oast was postponed,
1t CHARGED at this time that in Nikola-
evsk there was an exceedingly small garri-
son, altogether not more than twenty
soldiers; and the garrison of Sakhalin was
much below even in its winter strength,
while the convicts numbered nearly three
thousand. Amongst these the artel
brought its influence to bear, und with
such success that the plot gathered
strength, and men bound themse elves. by
solemn oaths not to betray each other,
and to make bold fight for liberty when
the hour came.
Paul, having money, managed by means
of a bribe to get q message. which he wrote
in pre-arranged cipher, conveyed to his
wife that ut given hour on q given day
the inhabitants of Nikolavesk, or such o:
them as could be trusted were to rise. and
Selling the steamer proceed to the island
andwait events there 1t was desperate VEN
ture. but what will people not do when situ-
a'ed as the unhappy convicts of Sakhalin
We're? 10 utter the word "treedom' to
them was to at once arouse in them the
fierce desire for it. and that being
done, nothing would seem i'm possible.
Furious as Catherine was at being sepa-
rated from her husband, and at the treat
ment he had been subjected to. she was a
host in helsel and she inspired Others with
her feeling. Silently, steadily, and secret
" she matured her 1lans and one evening
she and number Of other women whose
relatives pinned and labored on Sakhalin
lured a large proportion Of the garrison TO
Nlko!aevsk to the one drinking place
there was in the town, and when these
men were more or less daZed with vodka
and utterly without any suspicion of dan
ger, they were suddenly set upon by the
women and their male friends, ANA being
deprived Of their arms. some were slain
and others were bound hand and loot, and
thus rendered helpless.
Then the whole town was reused by tine
rOlterS. and the excitement spreading, q
rush Was made for the barracks, which
readily Tell into their hands before any de-
fence could be made, thong some of them
paid for their temerity with their lives.
But in the course OF an hour from the ont
break the little place was entirely in the
hands OF the mob. and at the head OF them
was Catherine, who havin- wheted her
flngs SO to speak. was not likely to he easily
restrained. The armory was forced, and
IL quantity of arms and ammunition was
seized, and then the desperate venturers
rushed on board the steamer and steered
her Tor the island.
So far then the revolt had been success
Jul. But this was only the initial stage
and there was yet much t. be done, and
unless similar success attended the attempt
that was to be made OH the island, the
rising would collapse and terrible would be
the penalty that would be exacted.
At the station on the island most of the
convicts were employed at some coal
mines, though what the coal was xraoted
for no one seemed to know. 1T could not
be shipped away, it could not be used; but
if the exiles had not done this they could
not have done anything else, for coal-and
a very inferior quality it isis the only
mineral the island produces The coal ia