The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-02

you Do KIM enOuSH w teli US W WHao
part of Siberia we have been sentenced?
No one will give us any information. "
The lieutenant spoke few words to
the captain, and then. turning to Maui
rice, replied: 81 can tell you nothing
now. l promise you that you shall
know what your original sentence was
when you arrive at Tomsk." He signal
ed to the guards, and the boys were led
away to the larger apartment down
stairs.
Grodno was still sitting in moody ST.
lence in his corner, and the Cossacks
were filling their pockets with food and
their canteens with tea.
Outside the sturdy ponies were stamp
ing restlessly, and through the window
Maurice saw the wagon standing at the
station door. Another horse had been
found to match the one shot by Grodno.
A bugle blast assembled the Cossacks
in haste, and the boys were rebound
and placed in the wagon. Grodno was
fastened securely on the back of one of
the horses and given in charge of two
| Cossacks. At the last minute Lieuten-
ant Brosky appeared and took the front
seat. When just ON the point of starting
an incident occurred which for the mo-
ment diverted the boys from their trou-
bles
Amid the throng Of curious villagers
standing little distance from the wag-
| on the keen eyes of Lieutenant Brosky
| detected the cowardly driver who had
| run away from him that morning and
was lurking in the background hoping
to escape detection.
| The angry officer seized his whip and
sprang from the little wagon with a
single bound. Another leap carried him
! into the midst of the affrighted peas
J ants, who scattered in every direction.
| and catching his man by the neck be
dragged him back before the station
and applied the whip with merciless
| energy. The fellow howled and scream
! ed most piteously, but the officer con-
| tinued the castigation until the whip
| split in his hand, and then, tossing the
I fragments in one direction and the limp
peasant in the other, he coolly climbed
into the wagon, and with merry blast
of the bugles the convoy wound across
the steppe on it's way to Tomsk. Hamid
was not with the party. His condition
was probably too serious to permit re-
moval, but Maurice noticed that two OF
the Cossacks remained behind doubt
less to await the Turk s recovery.
At the time the convict barge had
been set on fire it was more than 100
miles from the city of Tomsk, and as
the fugitives had covered but little
ground in their flight the journey was
of short duration
The Cossack ponies and the horses
who drew the wagon were animals OF
superior strength and endurance, as are
all Siberian horses, and after two brief
delays at wayside posting stations
Tomsk was reached late the following
evening. They crossed the dark river
and drove into the wide and populous
streets of the town. On all sides the
boys were surprised to see large and
imposing buildings and churches OF va
rious denominations. AS the hour was
late, but few people were Oh the streets,
and these barely glanced at the little
cavalcade as it wound rapidly through
the town.
The challenge of the sentries rang
sharply OH the air as they halted before
huge military looking stockade,
pierced by large gate and flanked at
its corners by guardhouses
They passed through the gateway in
to the courtyard, and the huge forward
ing prison of Tomsk was before them,
not single large building, as might
have been expected, but dozen or more
one story log houses grouped about the
Enclosure without any attempt at reg
ularity. A large number of soldiers
were pacing to and fro with loaded ri
fies ON their shoulders, and owing to
the mildness of the night hundreds OF
convicts were sleeping on the ground.
When the new arrivals entered, many
of them sat up with harsh clanking
Of chains. The officer of the prison
quickly came forward, accompanied by
Captain Stanisla himself, and the pris'
! oners were once more placed in his Gus.
tody.
} Lieutenant Brosky drove away imme.
diately without even glancing toward
! the boys, the Cossacks trotted out Of
\ Al svcJosx~~o end <ha rocapfured fuOi