Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-02-25

&
then, but I'm glad to hear re SO eak,
though it is that way, for I thocht ye
were dead"
what has happened, Mac?" asked
feebly. Can you not help me get up?
Who boarded us pirates, Or
Nae pirates, captain" interrupted
nae doubt, and Sharpe himself was
saint to you fause-tongued loon O. q
bishop, as he ca'ed himself, the ring
leader o. the gang. And as for helping
We, laddie, how can / do it, seeing lie
here, tied neck and heels, like a calf
for the shambles? Brown and the fire.
man and the rest of the crew are all in
irons below, with the matches battened
down over them. The overseer and the
raft laborers have run off, frightened,
puir chiefs, out O. their bits o. wits,
and the major and his Cossack reivers
are about as comfortable, Capt. Burton,
as oursel's. Our best hope is in the
coming o. the police"
But, alas! when the police and mill
tary, in the gray dawn, came tagging
up in obedience to the summons of the
solitary Cossack who had ridden off
unframed, we found that from the Pol
ish frying-pan we had been promoted
&c
had passed some hours in impatient
durance tied to a willow tree, with
gag between his teeth and cord
around his wrists, actually foamed with
rage when we were hustled into his
presence.
'But for your help, English hounds"
he reiterated, 'yonder rebel scum could
not have interfered with the EmperOr's
justice. Prisoners have been rescued,
loyal soldiers have been bruised, dis
armed and deprived Of their horses. I
myself - Here, corporal, take the
scoundrels away. They shall suffer for
the success of their rascally accom-
plices."
Macgregor and Brown, being able to
walk, were sent off to Kew, each with
his right wrist chained to the stirrup
leather of a mounted policeman, while
l ,On account of the weakness caused by
a severe blow on the head inflicted with
the butt end of pistol, was conveyed
in jolting country cart to Tchernigov,
where / was duly lodged in prison.
! Very bitter were my reflections as |
| lay on my hard pallet bed watching the
scanty sunbeams that played upon the
barred window of my cell and listening
to the shrill squeaks and pattering feet
VI dIS ulSIl cSolASlJ totA1C I1dI uduACCu
the Jail. What was I to do? My en-
ployers would probably supersede me
as commander of the Fair Helen. OF
Siberia I had no serious fear, but a
long Imprisonment might end only in
expulsion from Russia. Annie was lost
to me. knew the rooted prejudices of
her father too well to believe that he
would ever accept a son-in-law who had
conspired against the imperial authori-
ties. And who was to persuade Mr..
Clements that I was blameless in the
matter? I could fancy him in his arm
| chair stolidly declaring, in reply to
Armies pleadings on my behalf, that
there was no smoke without fire, and
that as had made my bed so I must
lie. And so weeks went by.
"Mr. Burton, or Capt. Burton, you
are freew 1t was an officer of rank
| who spoke, pleasantly enough, tapping
his boots with his goldmounted riding
| whip as he stood on the damp stone
floor Of my cell, with the door open be-
| hind him, admitting welcome air and
daylight "Your innocence and that of
the other British subjects confined at
Kew has been at last fully proved by
the confession Of the principal rebel,
Count Demetrius Sobieski, wounded and
know of whom I talk. Well, he was
your passenger"
''The bishop" I asked, half stupefied.
Eyes, the bishop" replied the gen
eral with laugh. "The students and
| the last batch of raft laborers being, all
of them, disbanded Polish soldiers who
were willing to risk their lives for the
rescue of the Minsk prisoners; an ex-
plot in which they succeeded only too
completely AS for the nuns, two OF
them were men in female apparel and
the others were simply Polish ladies OF
| noble birth whose husbands were
among the exiles, and who were re-
solved to aid in their deliveraA>e or to
follow them to Irkutsk. Your <assel,
| the Fair Helen, you will find at KEW,
with your mate and engineer on board
of her. And now, Mr.. Burton, it only
remains for me. on the part of the gov
eminent, to express our regrets, &C.
| Annie and | are married, years since,
and I command ship of which Lam
part owner, but we do not live within
| the range of green-and-white frontier
| posts that mark the Cars domlnions.