The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-10

Pldtof seized the handle and flung the
door far back.
wishes our apartment we will gladly |
give it up. Convey to him our best re-
CARDS on his arrival. And now where |
can we sleep for the remainder of the
night?"
81 can put you on the floor Of the
postroom, said the starosta doubtful
", ''if your honor doesn't object to the
other occupants
"And who else is there?' asked Pous-
sin.
"Well," replied the starosta, count
ing OH his fingers, "there are four peas
ants, and two soldiers, and Cossack
lieutenant, and three drunken buriats,
and merchant from Tomsk, and
dog
"That will do" interrupted Pous-
sin. 81 don't want to hear any more.
see that the moon is shining. Travelling
will be good. Fetch me relay OF the
best horses you can get, and at once,
mind you. We will start Immediately
and make up for loss of rest at the next
station we reach.
| starosta, ~ am afraid-horses-they
are scarce, and his excellency will
WANT Here he paused and glanced
] over his shoulder, but the Cossack, hav-
I ing lent his presence to the edict OF ex-
pulsion, had made his way unnoticed
into the courtyard.
Poussin readily interpreted these lit
| tie maneuvers. "Get M he horses, and
will give you 10 ruoles extra, he
said. ~ want provisions also. Put me
in sufficient for five days travel. One
cannot procure food fit for dog to eat
at the stations between here and Vladi-
vostok. "
"But food is even scarcer than
horses" said the starosta with greedy
twinkle in his eye. "All that can be
procured will be consumed by his ex-
cellency and party"
provide what want, and will pay
your price," replied Poussin. Make
haste, now, and get our sledge ready.
We will start at once, and his excel
lency can have this room"
eyes, your honor, said the starosta,
81 will do my best" And, bowling low,
he departed. Poussin carefully closed
the door after him and crossed the room.
'You heard all our conversations" he
asked abruptly.
Eyes" said Platoff. "Thank heaven
we are safe! 1t was terrible fright,
and was sure that all was lost. Your
GOODNESS preserved us from fatal blum
der. You are wonderful man"
1 hot
the present." answered Poussin, "but
what have just heard has hidden
I, meaning that only could understand.
You remember my telling you that
iourneyed from Irkutsk to Toluar IL
company with two men under whose
names and with whose passports yor
are now traveling?"
"Yes," said Platoff, II recollect.
"Well," resumed Poussin, those
men, Miroff and Lyapin, are both Rus
, sian officers, although they travelled in
cognito and the passports made no men
> ton of their rank. From Irkutsk the!
were sent ahead by his excellency TIN
inspector, and when we arrived at Tol
mar a telegram reached them containing
instructions to await the arrival of tn
inspector at that station. They travel
ed with me, you see, in order that thel
rank might not be suspected. His excel
lency was not due at Toluar for som
weeks but it appears now that he ha
o journeyed with unusual rapidity. III
) will be here in an hour or two Mirof
and Lyapin are with him. An examina
L ton of passports will lead to the dis
y covery of our ruse, and disaster will fol
J low"
't Poussin threw himself on a chair an
. wiped the perspiration from his brow
: "A bad state of affairs indeed!' sal
Platoff. "What can be done?"
y Little, l fear" replied Poussin. .
have ordered the sledge at once, and W
+ may gain some hours on his excellency
II all depends, however, on a sing
81 thing--the examination of the passport
J. It is possible that no such inspectit
will be made, since the inspector al
80 his party are Of such high rank. In TN
event all will go well, and by ha
As travelling we can reach Vladivostok
u fore the inspector, but if the passpor
~ are requested by the officer who exai
40 ined ours last night, and he hears G
50 names of those men, the coinciden
no will at once strike him, and discove
10 will follow"
III EITHER Cossacks will then be sent
n pursuit or orders will be telegraphed
u the next station to arrest us on our
~ rival"
gu "But the chances are in our favor
IL exclaimed Maurice eagerly. "At lei
ng so it seems to me. If these men b
procured other passports, and these pa
"a, ports had been examined at varic
lel points along the route-points at viii
as our passports had also been examined
en- would not this discovery have be
no made long ago?"