San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-07

Va likSihF bNs osA-
ed Maurice eagerly.
In the harbor," said Platoff, there
are constantly English, French, Ger
man, Spanish and American vessels
and Russian corvets," he added, with
a grim smile. The boys scarcely heard
the last words. In imagination they
saw a noble vessel riding at anchor,
with the dear old stars and stripes wav-
! ing over her deck.
March lively, now, do you hearp
cried Cossack soldier harshly, and
with tear dimmed eyes the boys quick
ened their steps, while Platoff trudged
! stolidly forward, buried in his own
thoughts.
One thing they had overlooked. In
| the time that had elapsed since the riot
at Irkutsk and their assault ON the
czar's storehouse they had come to be-
lieve that no further punishment would
be inflicted upon them. Even Platoff,
who should have known better, was
lulled into false security.
Everything must have an end, and so
this apparently interminable sourness,
this toiling over desolate Siberian wastes
and frozen rivers, was finished at last,
and one geary afternoon in the month
of January the mines of Kara burst up
on the hearfsies- and -pFesently
hhe command to halt ran up and down
J the line. In the thickly falling snow
| little could be seen-the dim outline of
gloomy houses, groups of exiles moving
to and fro and squads of armed Cos
sacks in all directions
For two hours or more the newly ar
rived party were kept standing in ranks
until their limbs were frost bitten a. /
the snow was heavy on their heads and
shoulders 1t was dark when the little
column was ordered forward again.
A brief march brought them to
low, gloomy log building, and present.
| ~ the prison doors were closed behind
them, and the long march was ended.
The gold mines of Kara are the pri-
vate property of his imperial majesty
the car. They consist of a series of
open gold placers, located along the
banks of the river Kara, a narrow and
rapid mountain stream.
Through this Kara valley lies scat
tered chain of prisons, mines and con-
vict settlements.
At the lower diggings centers the ad-
ministration of the whole settlement
There resides the governor of the pris-
ons, and there, in barracks, dwel!s q
military force sufficient to quell any in.
surrection that may arise.
Closely connected with the lower
diggings lies middle Kara, where the
gloomy prison of the working convict
force is located. There, in company
with the culinary aud vicious crimi-
nails, Maurice and his companions had
been placed, though the Significance of
the fact did not once occur to them.
The interior of the convict prison was
gloomy and wrCtched beyond descrip-
ton. The floor and the walls were COW
cred with tho accumulated dirt of years,
the narrow windows admitted through
their dusty panes meager supply of
light, and the atmosphere was vile and
sitting. Long, slanting platforms of
bare, unplaned boards served for sleep
ing purposes. A few benches were scat
tered about, but not h..f enough to ac-
commodate the inmates of the prison.
Inside the doorway the newly arrived
exiles, not more than 30 in number,
were halted, and an officer, with pa
per in his hand, called out the names
one by one and checked them off as they
were responded to.
The commandment of the prison, a
tall, bearded officer, with harsh face,
stood by his side, closely watching the
proceedings.
When the last name had been called,
the officer rolled up the paper and hand
ed it to the commandment, saying:
"There now, Captain Daroman, my
duty is done, and will leave these fell
lows under your authority. Take good
care of them and don't give them too
rich food or they will all get dyspep-
STA. F."
The officer laughed at his own weak
witticism and passed out Of the door,
which one CT the Cossacks held open for
him.
The weary exiles made a motion to
press forward into the room, but Cap
tain Daroman waved them back with
his hand.
Then in a hoarse voice be began to
speak briefly, going over the prison
rules and reciting at length the severe
punishment in store for any one daring
enough to break them. Maurice watch
ed him closely and read in the lines of
that cold, stern face the evidence of a
pitiless and malignant disposition.
Wretched indeed would existence be
in that prison under the will of Captain
Daroman.
He ceased at last, and as he turned !
away Paul Platoif stepped quickly for
ward. Captain Daroman, b" he said re-
specially, Il am political prisoner,
and so also are these two men," desig- J