The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-07-27


way | followed him, and turnkey
walked behind us. We proceeded until
we came in front Of the prison. The gov
ernor pointed To door and the turnkey
Immediately opened it, passed in first
lighted lantern and carried it in front of
us We descended ten stone steps and
found ourselves in the first section of the
dungeon But we did not stop there
We had To 90 down ten steps farther, and
even there we did not stop. but Went down
five more and there we stopped.
The doors were all numbered. and the
governor stopped in front Of No. H. He
made a sign to the turnkey without speak
ing. One would imagine that in this tomb
people had lost the faculty of speech.
The door was opened, and We descended
six more steep and damp stone steps
Here we found ourselves in i cell about
eight feet square In the light Of the
lantern saw human figure move in this
cell We could hear dull ard rustling
noise understood at once what it was
and whence 1t came Ii was the water of
the Neva rushing against the walls Of the
fortress The cell was below the level of
the river
"Get up and dres, pourself said the
governor.
looked td see to whom the order was
given. and H. the turnkey threw the light
Of his lantern upon far corner of the cell
| noticed thin aud pale old man, with
white hair and hong white beard. No
doubt he was put into that cell with the
rlothe~ which he wore when he was ar
rested. but these garments had worn away
piece by piece. and he was now only half
I clad in tattered cloak, Through the
I torn rags could s,e his shivering aud bony
body, which perhaps at one time was dress
ell in splendid garments Perhaps the
insignia of the most noble orders were once
+ fastened upon that aeshles, breast. Now
be- was a living skeleton, without rank,
without dignity and even without a name.
He was simply Ne. H.
lie cot up aud wrapped himself mp in
his tatter.i old cloak without muTmur.
His body wa> bent, br,,ken down BY long
( Imprisonment. humidity. darkness aud per
haIs hunger. but his glance was s,ill proud.
slmoei threatening
An right. said the governor
. Come
The prisoner cast a 6nal glance around
+ hi- cell For IN instant his eye rested
{ upou his stone seat his water pitcher and
hi musty straw. He heayei sigh
,i,sd heavens Could it be possible that
he could re-xret anything there: Tie fol-
bowed the governor aud passed IN front 1t
me | can never forget the look he gave
me a. he moved BY and the depth Of re-
proach that was in that hook
- young. he seemed Ia say and
alrrady u the or,lers Of tyranuy east
down nay eye That glance wen, 10 my
heart Ike a poniari How hong had be
been in thar cell Perhaps he did No,
himself. Probably he had long ceased to
measure the days and the nieht- in the
depth of thai abyS>
lie passed on. and walked after him
The taller followed "a and carefully elosed
the e~.ll door M doab, it wa needed
for another Outside the two sleighs were
ready The prisoner WAS placed ia the
one thas brought as The governor. my
s,lf aud the Old man sat down, the governor
q, his side and | Ip front If him The
athcT sleigh was occupieI by four soldiers.
Where we wpre goiug Or What we were
about 10 do erald M, imagine. The al
fair itself was nos my business ! was to
see asl that va ali But. yes. there
va something axe had To say |
-aW
We started off In my position |
Sound nv knees touching the knee Of the
old man. could feel him trembling
The governor was wrapped up in turs, aud
| was hutton.ed up in my military over
coat, aud siill We felt the cold The Old
man was alulCst naked. and the governor
offered him nothing to cover him. For
an instant | had an idea of taking of my
oyercSas and giving i 50 the psor old man,
bat the guyeTnoF guessing my intention.
remarked, Il in worth while - I
kept nn ray oyerouaI
We had not gone Tar before the storm
bur, upon IA with al ils fury The 1
snswaakrs became ~ thick thar We we're
Ia danger of helEg i,.st IN pertect walls OF 1
4a0W, Al las; we stopped. when, a. .
imagine. We must have been about one |
league from 81 Petersburg The COVER
nor alighled and approached the second .
sleigh The four soldiers had already got .
down, each one holding in hi, hand the
instrument he was ordered to bring.
Make hole in the ice said the
governor.
could not suppress cry or horror.
commenced to understand.
Al. muttered the old man in tone
~ strange that it might be taken for the
unearthly laugh Of skeleton The Em
press remembers ne thought she had
forgotten me
What Empress was he speaking Of?
Three Empresses had succeeded each
other-Anne, Elizabeth aud Catherine.
Il was evident that he thought he was still
living under one of them and that he was
ignorant of even the name of him who had
deereed his death What was the dark
ness Of that terrible night compared to the
long years of darkness in his cell
The four soldiers went 10 work. They
cut the ice with their axes and lifted up
the block with their crowbars, suddenly
they jumped backward The work was
done the water appeared. Get down,
said the governor TO the old man. turning
To the sleigh where he expected TO see
him. The order was useless, for the old
man had already come down. kneeling
upon the ice, he was praying. Then the
governor gave an order in low tone TO
the four soldiers and returned and seated
himself beside me- had not left the
sleigh At the end of minute the old
man arose, Il am ready, said he,
The four soldiers seized him. closed
NV eyes, but if did not see | heard
heard the splash Of a body thrown into
the hole In spite Of myself | turned
around The old man was gone. | for
got that it was not for me to give orders,
and | cried out to the driver. Paehol
Pachol
'Stoi = cried the governor,