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

a small package under the stone on
which yuu are sitting. II contains tools
which may help you to escape from the
prison at night. You must conceal it in
some way about your clothes. | have
written on a 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
/ 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 pris-
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 l 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 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 a 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 l
ever thank you? How can l ever hope
to repay such a 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, degraded
convict, wearing the prison stripes, and
this aristocratio young Russian, the
daughter of famous Colonel Melikoff.
Forgive me-" he said humbly. 81
forgot-Iwas SO grateful-that was all.
l did not thing
1t is a debt" she interrupted cold
ly; ga sacred obligation on me, an
obligation that is doubly binding since
my father refuses to acknowledge it.
But do not think that regard you as
those men yonder, those thieves, assas-
sins, robbers. l have heard something
of your history. You are Englishmen.
you aud your friend. You are very
young, and prefer to believe that you
have fallen into bad company and sim
ned through ignorance. Don't think
that sympathize with your views, for
those who plot against our czar are
wicked men. If through any aid of
mine you C..n reach your own country
again, please try to think better Of Rus
STA. A"
81 shall never forget you," said
Maurice, "but your opinion of me is
NlOhSy gOus uA4l hOAthOA |"
revolutionist nor nihilist, and have
never plotted against Russia. am an
American, Miss Melikoff, and my story,
could you but hear it, would give you
some different ideas of your own land.
Ny mother was''-
"Hush!" said Lora suddenly. "The
guards are coming. must slip away at
once. l will never see you again, but
shall pray for your escape. Goodby."
"Goodby," exclaimed Maurice fer
vently, and as he rose to his feet the
harsh voice of the overseer summoned
the men to work, and he went slowly
and sadly down the slope.
Through the long hours of that after
noon he worked as though in dream,
and more than one sharp reprimand was
hurled at him by the angry overseer.
Little did he care for that A wild hope
Of freedom was seething through his
brain, vision of faroff America and
friends he had never expected to see
again, yet there was bitterness mingled
with his joy.
This Russian girl believed him guilty
Of the crimes with which he was
charged. She believed that he had plot
ted against her native land, against the
czar, whom she honored and revered.
Carried away by his feelings, Maui
rice even began to find some excuse for
the tyrannical and despotic means that
had placed him in his terrible situation.
If only be could have chance to tell
her his story, he thought, she would be
convinced and believe him. And now
he would never see her again, never
have chance to explain, and she would
always be ignorant of the truth.
The agjtated expression of his face
was noticed by his Companions. They
regarded him ouriously, wondering evil
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