Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-09-01
had uncovered large surface OF smoot
and yellow sand,

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. "Today
you may have 80 minutes rest"
Some Of the convicts cheered 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 Cossacks stacked their arms,
with the exception of two or three SEN
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 a half dozen stunted birches
A few feet below the crest spring Of
10y 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, for the waters Of the Kara
were slightly brackish and, moreover,
were usually muddy and tainted from
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 SHOW was falling thickly
over the rocky crest Of the hill, and
suddenly against the gloomy whiteness
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 hu-
man arm, and it was beckoning him to
approach. He watched it closely for a
moment or two. Twice it vanished and
then appeared again, and still it con-
tinued to motion him forward. A sud-
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 bad 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 a careless man
ner, but neither the overseers nor the
soldiers were paying any attention. He
dipped his cup into the spring, and as
he raised it to his lips soft voice whis-
pered with a strangely familiar accent:
"You sa my signal. You have come.
Be on your guard. Don't move. Don't
speak O 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.
"I am Lora Melikoff," continued the
speaker after pause. II have not for
gotten your brave deed. am going to
do what can for you in return. You
speak my language, do you not?"
Maurice inclined his head without
speaking.
"Your noble act has put you in great
peril" resumed Lora; more SO than
you think. My father is grateful, it is
true, bat he is stern-ah, you do not
know how stern and severe-and he de-
clares that you must be punished as an
example to the other men. I have i'm
plored him in vain, and last night lis
tened when he was talking to some off,
GERS. They will either shoot you or send
you to the province Of Yakutsk. One is
as bad as the other. have not time to
tell you of Yakutsk, but it is terrible
| place. In week an officer is expected
from st. Petersburg on tour Of inspec-
tion, and then your fate will be decided.
You must try to escape, though it is al
most hopeless. Do you know anything
of the country? Could you find the Pa
cifc ocean, do you think? There are
vessels at Vladivostok from every part
of the world.''
Maurice tremblingly held his bread
to his lips as though he were eating
and said in low whisper: II havo two
friends. One of them is Russian, O
man who knows the country. He has
spoken of Vladivostok and knows the
way down the valley of the Amur.
Then he added with sudden alarm:
"There are guards down the other slope.
They can see you surely"
"I do not fear them," said Lora
calmly. "There is but one and him l
have bribed to allow me to reach this
spot. You say you have two friends. 1t
will be more difficult for three to es-
cape, I fear, and yet may be wrong.