The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-06


as though entirely unconcerned in the
grim tragedy to be enacted on the o
row. Not SO Radovitch. From side to
side of his narrow cell, like some Gagged
wild animal, he paced, listening the
while iutently for the footstep of the
messenger that was to recall him to
freedom and to the joys of life. The
long night passed, all too quickly for
him, for whom the messenger no unac-
countably delayed. He had seen Gen
eral Garashinin in court from day to
day, and ono a glance of intelligence,
he persuaded himself, had passed be-
tween them. Vainly the two warders,
whose duty it was to watch him, sought
TO induce him to take rest.
HE may come at any moment, I" he
kept saying to himself, land I had bet
ter keep awake in case of any misun-
derstanding." g., .
tongue Glove to the roof of his mouth,
but he refused every offer of water or
wine, overcome as he was with the ter
rible anxiety of impending doom, an
anxiety rendered all the greater by the
conviction that such doom was not in
tended for him.
At last O faint grayness began to man
ifest itself through the close bars of his
cell. 1t was the light, the herald of a
new day, the last for the condemned
men. And now Radovitch began to ex-
plain, in husky tones, that his convic-
ton was all a blunder. The two men
looked intelligently Mt each other and
pityingly upon the wretched prisoner,
but said not q word.
In a few minutes all the ten were as
sembled in the courtyard of the prison,
nine of them calm and collected, for the
bitterness of death was already past,
one a prey to mortal fear and sickening
terror and evidencing it all too plainly
in his trembling limbs and livid coun-
tenance. In the hurried goodbys they
exchanged with each other Radovitch
came in for more than his share of at
tention.
"Come, Dimtri," said one, 1--WE all
owe nature a death. AS well pay it now
as later"
"Cheer up. comrade. :" whispered an
other. ''It makes these hirelings rejoice
to see you afraid"
Its all a mistake" mumbled the
wretched man. Where is General Gar.
ashinin?'
HE is never present at executions, I"
replied the soldier he addressed. HE
issued his final orders last night"
And then a melancholy procession be-
gan to move toward the glacjs of the
fortress prison. A priest led the way,
holding aloft q large cross before the
eyes of the doomed men, who followed
in single file, their ordinary dress COW
cred with a long robe of white linen,
at once a covering for the living and a
shroud for the dead. The morning sun
had not yet risen as the procession wend-
ed its way slowly to the place of execu-
ton, their life's span narrowed to a
few minutes and narrowing with fear
full rapidity at every step they took.
At last they reached the place ap-
pointed. Five stakes had been driven
into the ground lei the summit of the
long, even slope of the rampant. To
these they were bound in couples, fac
ing the east, now kindling with the
warm flush of the rising sun, whose
coming was to be the signal for their
death. Ranged in front of them, at q
distance of Is yards, was a company of
soldiers with loaded rifles, whose cap
tain, standing a little way apart, held
in his hand a white handkerchief, at
whose fall so tongues of fire would leap
1 Rcw%h onl Rn hsrlIafC ConH %hn hna w%c 90
the unhappy men.
There was still time for the last scene
but one in the tragedy before the sun
should rise. The cross was held before
the lips of each man for a final kiss in
turn. Then a dagger was broken over
their heads by a soldier detailed from
the thousands drawn up to witness the
vengeance of the car. AT that moment
the sun seemed to bound into space, and
every heart almost stopped.
But the officer has not let the signal
handkerchief fall. Instead the retreat
Is sounded on a score of bugles, and the
troops march off the ground. The kneel-
ing men were informed that the emper-
or had been graciously pleased to grant
them their lives. They were unbound,
and, as if in a dream, tried to realize
all that had happened and to congratu-
late n another ere the last couple had
been reached. One of these had fallen
forward on his face as far as his bonds
permitted. 1t was Radovitch.
HE has tainted said q soldier.
Bring me some water, sharp"
"No need to trouble, " said the doc
tor, who had rapidly examined him.
"He is dead. The fright has killed
him"
It was too true. The chief of the Sc
cret police had carried out his promise
only too literally. The spy had no longer
any reason to fear his betrayed com
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