Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-11-01
CHAPTER NXNVI.


Der, striking the sack on which he sat.
What have you got theref" Gordon
asked eagerly.
Freedom, l tell You, for three days. It's
Indispensable. How long do you think you
are going to keep up on fir cones? Twelve
hours at the outside, I should say. by the
look of madam
What have you got in the sack, ask
Gordon repeated savagely.
Bread, and I'll guard it rs l would my
life" Ivan Dontremember answered, catch
ing the CLEAN of desperation which lit my
eyes as well as Gordon's
We are starving; We have eaten nothing
for four days. Hou must give us some"
You can get as much as you want at the
post Schemyl must keep his prisoners
alive till the patrol comes round to collect
them. Why should shorten my term Of
freedom TO prolong yours'"
Gordon looked Mt me. shall we give our
selves up'" his eyes asked, and mine an
swering Yes he held out his hand TO me
and said:
Come
Il am afraid you are leaving with n bad
opinion of me-" said Ivan Dontremembcr
rs rose. That's the worst Of being per
ftctly acknowledgements sure to offend some
amiable fool Now, if you only had a ruble
or two
WHAT cried Gordon, tearing open his
coat TO get at his note case. You will sell
your liherty?'
OF course l will. Schemyl always keeps
good stock on hand on the chance of
muneyed customer dropping in. Plenty
more where this came from, = he continued,
untieinE his sack and producing loaf
Its rather n high price-a ruble loaf,
pretty nearly half a crown of your money
but these poor government officials must
live"
Without a word Gordon snatched note
from his case, thrust it into VANS hand
and took possession of the loaf. Then with
horrible laughter. we tore the loaf in two
and ate with ihe raveuous fury of starved
beasts. For 4 time we forgot everything
but the animal joy OF satisfying our GRAY
ing appetite Whether Ivan spoke to us or
not do not know. II was not until our
hunger had been nppeascd that we could
think of him
What right have you 10 put temptation
i'll poor devils ways" he growled. DO
You know the value of the note you gave
me-"
Gordon shook his head. still eating
A thousand rubles-three years free
dom! Lifelong freedom, who knows? Take
ii hack, or may be tempted yet to knock
Won on the head"
He pushed the note into Gordon's hand
and turning away set his elbows on his
knees, dropped his bristly red beard in his
palms and rocked himself slowly backward
and forward, soowling into the fire
Gordon looked at him and then ut me in
silent perpleNity; we both doubted whether
the little man was in his right mind. Pres
entity glancing round and perceiving that
Gordon sill held the note in his hand, Ivan
Dontreno mber said angrily:
Pint it away. | tell you-hide it up.
Don't Nou know that the forest is alive
with desperate men: Any one of them
would murder the pair OF YOU TO get that
Why shouldn't they: Necessity knows no
law hUt self preservation. DO You know it
was in my Iaind to brain You as You sat
there in an ecstasy of animal pleasure? At
least You would have gone out OF the world
happy; it would have saved you-and the
government-years of trouble, and me too
Oh, there was enough justification. Rea
son WAS ON my side and opportunity as
we'll Nuu would have done it in my place
There was murder in your eye when YOU
asked for bread Bread is only means TO
living; the end of living is freedom \
man will light for life while there's n hope
Of freedom; when that hope is gone. he will
blow his brains out.
With your views" said Gordon, Il am
surprised that You did not AT least make
off with the note"
Perhaps | overlooked that alternative
in the greater temptation to kill you. The
probability was that You had other notes
in your CaSa-monCy enough to make escape
certain"
If You felt Yourself justified. why didn't
you kill me-"
For fool of reason sentimental
one Something in your hlii.d. your face
not the numerous expression in it, You
may he sure-dcterretl me. l felt just at
the critical moment, n If | were about TO
kill my dearest friend. And / can't shake
off this womnnly feeling while look at
you-th2t'S the queer thing"
Some personal re<emblance'" Gordon
suggested
Ivan Doatremember nodded gloomily
and turned his eyes again on the fire.
Its All odd coincidence that my resum-
blance to Russian has rot only saved my
life, but WAS the cause of my life being in
jeopardy"
What Russians" asked Ivan. turning
quickly.
'Taras-Priace BorSonsky."
''TGrds!' cried Ivan. s-9Tting to his feet
Is he alive"
He was when we left him not two
Ilonths ago"
Where was he them
In London"
Thank the fatas."
You know him."
What honest Russian who lived five
Years ago does not know Taras,"
Then he broke into Russian, apostro-
phizing Taras with pOetical fervor in words
that failed 10 follow. suddenly he
checked himself. and turning to us he said,
aS if to excuse himself:
Il have been dead five years and buried
in the fortress Of Petropavlovsk. One hears
nothing there. There was no political pris-
sraOtr-all and
scoundrels-they could tell me nothing
What should they know of Tarast'
And after Il pause lie added, with pa
thetic tremor in his voice:
Il thought he must be dead, too-my
friend "
He walked slowly round the fire to in
lulSe his reflections, touching ember
here aud there absently with his stick.
Coming close to where we sat, silent l.
sympathy, he said:
Did you know him-Tarass"
Intimately"
is he wells What is he doings How
loes he PASS his days. Tell me nj about
him"
You can answer these questions better
than L. said Gordon, noddinG to me.
| spoke, telling of our everyday life and
Of the work Taras was doing.
"Ha, ha,' exclaimed Ivan gleefully when
hdu ueScrloeu the groups OF statuarE.
He still sticks TO his guns, that good fight,
er Taras But do they leave him alone
the police:''
No, worse luck!' Gordon replied, and
then he told of the attempts made to kid
nap Taras and of the happy chance by
which had saved him, though he attrib
uted my success not to chance, but to cour
age and devotion.
Il beg your pardon" said Ivan, bowling
10 me. Il did you an injustice, thinking
that you English women could do nothing