The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-05

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. / 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 a week an officer is expected
from ST. Petersburg on tour of inspec-
ton, and then your fate will be decided.
You must try to escape, though 1T is al
most hopeless. Do you know anything
of the country? Could you find the Pa
cific ocean, do you think? There are
vessels at Vladivostok from every part
of the world"
Maurice tremblingly held his bread
II his lips as though he were eating
and said in low whisper: 81 have two
! friends. One of them is Russian, a
man who knows the country. He has
spoken of Vladivostok and knows the
way down the valley of the Amur.'
Then he aided with sudden alarm:
'"There ere guards dUwn the other slope.
They can see you surely"
II do not fear them," said L')ra
calmly. "There is but one and him
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, / fear, and yet may be wrong.
| Three can do more than one. But l
have much to say, and little time in
which to tell it. Listen closely now to
every word and be careful that your
actions do not betray you. Ihave placed
small package under the stone on
which you are sitting. 1t contains tools
which may help you to escape from the
prison at night. You must conceal it in
some way about your clothes. l have
written on scrap Of paper your best
plan for getting free of the prison. Heed
it carefully and be sure to destroy the
writing. 1t will be difficult and danger
Gus, and success is very doubtful, but If
you once gain the outside'of the prison
stockade you can place yourself in Sc
curity for few days at least. After
that you must do the best You can, and
l shall pray constantly that you may
reach Vladivostok and get safely away
from Siberia. Now, here is what you
must do when you are outside the prls-
on: Go directly to the Kara river and
follow its channel up TO this very spot,
so that it will be impossible TO track
your footsteps. Two miles along this
ridge is cave among the rocks 1t lies
in among seven pine trees and is diff
cult to find. No one but myself knows
it, and ] discovered it by accident two
years ago, when my father first came
here from Moscow. In this cave have
already hidden clothes and money. To-
day or tomorrow l shall find way to
convey food there, and tomorrow night
you must attempt to escape. If you can
reach the cave, you are safe for awhile.
Remain there for week or two, and
then, when the pursuit has abated or is
being conducted far from here, it will
be time to start for the distant Pacific.
If your friend is clever man, he may
guide you there in safety. You will
find clothes for three in the cave. Now
you had better go. Don't attempt to get
the package at present. Wait until you
start back to the prison at night.
"But you''-cried Maurice, quite for.
getting himself-"you have placed your
self in peril for my sake. How can
ever thank you? How can ever hope
to repay such debt of gratitude?"
"Hush," said Lora; mot so loud.
You will betray yourself" Her voice
had touch of haughtiness, of offended
pride, that showed Maurice instantly
the gulf between himself, a degraded
convict, wearing the prison stripes, and
this aristocratic young Russian, the
daughter of famous Colonel Melikoff.
Forgive me,' he said humbly. 81
forgot-I was so grateful-that was all
did not thing
'It is a debt" she interrupted cold
ly; ga sacred obligation on me, al
obligation that is doubly binding since
my father refuses to acknowledge it
But do not think that / regard you al
those men yonder, those thieves, assas
sins, robbers. / have heard something
Of your history. You are Englishmen
: you and your friend. You are very
young, and prefer to believe that you
have fallen into bad company and sin
: ned through ignorance. Don't thinl
that 1 sympathize with your views, fo
those who plot against our car ar
wicked men. If through any aid O
mine you can reach your own countr.
again, please try to think better of Rus
STA. 4"
81 shall never forget you," salt
) Maurice, "but your opinion of me ]
wrong, l assure you. l am neither
revolutionist nor a nihilist, and hav
2 never plotted against Russia. am al
4 American, Miss Melikoff, and my story
. could you but hear it. would give 20,
= some different ideas of your own land
My mother was