Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-04-09

rOQSeQ QlmSel1. ne TeuleiuueIeu tHuG a
pipe was capital thing to keep oneself
awake with. He pulled out tobacco
pouch, carefully filled short wooden
pipe and, settling himself comfortably
in his corner, put the pipe in his mouth
and struck match.
damn him!" whispered the prisoner
to himself, closing his eyes in despair.
His last hope had failed.
At this moment something fell to the
floor. He opened his eyes quickly and
saw, under the opposite seat, the pipe
which had fallen from the gendarme's
hand. Its owner was sleeping heavily,
with the contented look settled on his
face which it had taken when he shifted
his position to smoke in comfort.
A delight, almost as painful in its in
tensity as the despair of minute be-
fore, rushed over the soul of the young
prisoner 1t was as if freedom had sud
denly appeared before him-as though
there no longer stood between him and
liberty terrible obstacle which moth
ing but the merest chance could enable
him to conquer.
He waited few moments, then rose
cautiously, pushed back his hat and
made two steps forward in the carpeted
passage between the seats. As he moved
the lamplight fell upon his figure,
throwing it into strong relief. He might
have been about "a or % years old. He
was above middle height and very well
proportioned, and gracefully though
not powerfully built He had small,
singularly mobile features, and a high
forehead, slightly narrowing at the
temples like the foreheads of many
musicians. This, together with the COL
umnlike, feminine neck, slender white
hands and tapersfngers, pointed to
nervous, impulsive, passionate nature,
more fit for al artist, perhaps, than for
q warrior. Such faces are not rare
among the so called Russian nihilists
and are by no means confined to the
more peaceable members of that body.
The general impression Of nervousness
and sensitiveness produced by the young
prisoners face was completed by the
fine gray eyes, now shaded by the long
lashes, now flashing out from under
them with a fiery light. These eyes
gave no security for steady determina-
ton and will power in their owner, but
they showed the capability Of that tre-
men6ous momentary energy which is
peculiar to very nervous people.
The young man tapped his foot upon
the floor in order to test the soundness
of his escorts sleep and fixed his wide
open, burning eyes upon him. Under
this steady gaze the gendarme stirred
in his sleep. The young man quickly
turned his eyes away, and after waiting
another moment to let the sleeper settle
again into complete repose approached
the window.
There was no time to lose One more
hour in the train and there would
open before him the black jaws Of
prison, from which maybe he should
never come out to the daylight again.
He had been arrested under a false
name, and the police did not know who
he was, but in the prison to which they
were taking him there was an informer
once his comrade-who would GER
tainly recognize him, and once recog-
nized there would be an end of him.
His plan was as simple as it was des-
perate-to jump out of the train while
it was going at full speed and, if he
should neither be killed nor break his
legs, get to the town and find his friends
there. They would help him to hide
until the first heat of pursuit was over,
and then he could return to st. Peters
burg. Fortunately he had succeeded in
hiding from the stupid provincial police
almost all his money, which was sewed
into his clothing.
Both the doors Of the carriage were
locked, as he knew, but the window
was wide enough for him. He let down
the glass pane. The roar and rattle of
the train rushed in, together with
current of fresh air.
Neither of the gendarmes moved. The
prisoner thrust his head out of the win