The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-05
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arms tOReUner, Wulle III Tue DdChSIouuu,
out of the snowy mist, doomed the sol
diers, pacing to and fro in their heavy
coats or grouped about the feeble fires,
where the tea was warming for the
MONDAY lunch.
With increasing regularity the long
string of wheelbarrows continued to
load and unload, and when midday
came the weary toilers with the picks
had uncovered large surface of smooth
and yellow sand
The overseer came forward and look
ed at it with evident satisfaction. 'That
is good work." he said briefly. To-day
you may have 30 minutes rest. P"
Some of the convicts cheerod and
flung their caps into the air. Even this
insignificant privilege was something
to be thankful for. Picks and barrows
were tossed aside, and sitting down on
stones and clods of earth the hungry
men began to devour greedily the black
bread and tea that were served out to
them.
The CosSao;Ss stacked their arms,
with the exception of two or three sem
tinels, and gathered about the fires,
rubbing their hands and stamping their
feet.
Ten or 10 yards from the spot where
the convicts were grouped the brow of
rocky hill sloped to the river. 1t was
| barren and rugged, strewn with bowl
ders and half dozen stunted birches.
| A few feet below the crest spring of
icy water poured out, and after falling
| in numerous cascades down the slope
emptied into the Kara river. AT this
spring the prisoners were often allowed
to drink, fer the waters of the Kara
were slightly brackish and, moreover,
were usually muddy and tainted from
J the mining operations.
! Today but few of the men were
thirsty. One or two climbed painfully
up the slope, and filling their tin cups
came back to their places. Maurice was
sitting ON an upturned wheelbarrow
slowly eating his bread and looking
| wistfully at Phil and Platoff, who were
some yards away near the bank OF the
river. He turned his eyes toward the
spring. The snow was falling thickly
over the rocky crest of the hill, and
suddenly against the gloomy wilderness
of the sky he saw an arm thrust from
the rocks Thinking it only delusion,
he rubbed his eyes and looked again.
No; he was not mistaken. 1t was hui
man arm, and it was reckoning him to
approach. He watched it closely for a
moment or two. Twice it vanished and
then appeared again, and still it con-
| Il, ,,,f nd r.
den thrill of hope made his heart beat
wildly, but with great self command he
checked all show of emotion and as
sumed careless attitude.
Presently he ventured to look about
him. No one else apparently had seen
the signal. The convicts were engrossed
in their bread and tea, the overseers
were sitting by the fire with their backs
toward the hill, and the soldiers off duty
for the time were chatting loudly among
themselves.
Maurice hastily gulped down the re-
mainder Of his tea, and taking the tin
cup in one hand and his hunk of bread
in the other he rose slowly to his feet
and commenced to ascend the hill with
careless, hesitating steps. He trembled
constantly with excitement, fearing
each second to be called back, but NO
such summons came, and at last be
gained the spring and sat down ON
fat stone beside the outpouring water.
Close over his head was the nook
among the rocks where he had seen
that wavering arm. Not daring to look
behind him, he glanced down into the
hollow. Some of his fellow prisoners
were looking at him in careless man
ner, but neither the overseers nor the
soldiers were paying any attention. lie
dipped his cup into the spring, and az
he raised it to his lips a soft voice whis-
pered with strangely familiar accents
"You saw my signal. You have come.
Be on your guard. Don't move. Don,
speak word"
The cup almost dropped from Mau'
rice's trembling hand, but with great
effort he recovered himself and drank
as though nothing had happened.
II am Lora Melikoff. ;, continued the