Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13

| lips anu UUStTilS "a mist swan before his
81 eyes, his strength failed him and he re-
menbered nothing more.
4 . -
With a throbbng head with cramped and
aching limbs, Qufn. returned to conscious
| ness. His arms and legs were tied and by
the light from single window he saw that
he was lying on the floor of a. small and
empty room. He was dazed at first, but
| presently he remembered what had hap
| pened. He tried to break his letters but in
vain. Certain death confronted him. for
he knew that no mercy could be expected
from Count Sandoff and his fellow con-
spirators.
Suddenly he heard faint footsteps. and
then the creaking of lock. AS he looked
toward the door 1t opened slowly and
woman entered. By the dim light he rec
ognized the Countess Sandoff She ap-
preached and bent over him, knife held
in one hand.
BE quiet she whispered. 81 am here a
friend. oh, why did you come to this
| house? / believe your story but nv hus-
band does not. He and his friends have
decided to kill you in the morning. 1t is
now two hours past midnight. Has the
effect of the drug worn OFF,
II think So" Quin answered, hopefully.
| III l save you, the countess went on
viii you swear to say nothing of what
| Madam, I cannot take that oath" Ouin
replied. firmly.
The countess sighed regretfully.
| Il thought you would refuse: YOU are an
| Englishman," she said. But you saved
my life. and 1 would be unworthy the name
of woman if 1 let you perish. 1 will take
| the risk >"
May heaven reward your" ou,n whis-
| pered
The next instant the sharp knife had sew
| cred his bonds, and he rose unsteadily to
his feet. Beyond a slight dizziness he was
| all right as he assured the countess.
Then you must go at once" she replied.
Delay may be fatal. The court Is below.
and at present it is deserted. Open the
| q nd int he
| corner of the stable you will find horses.
Choose one, and ride for your life Turn
| to the left and keep straight on the forest
| road 1t will lead you to the neighborhood
of your camp
| But you?''
| Have no fear the countess whispered
Il have provided for my own safety. and 1
| And my servants?'
! They are prisoners, but their lives will
be spared. You can do nothing for them.
| Now go-go."
With that the intrepid and generous
hearted woman glided from the room AMI
| softly shut the door behind her
| 1t required several moments for Quin 10
| convince himself that what had Just trans
pi1ed was not a dream Then, cheered by
| the hope of escape, he followed instruc-
| tons He noiselessiy opened the window,
saw that the court was empty. and drop
| ped lightly into the snow. He hurried
| across and entered the farthest compart-
| nient Of the stables, which was dimly light
| ed by a lantern on the wall. He chose a
| fine-Iooking horse. saddled and bridled if
| and led it out
At that moment he heard door craak.
| and saw a servant, who had evidently been
| reused from sleep, issue from another part
| of he stables. The man called suspicjousIy
| to Quin, VINO at once sprang into the sad
| die and rode out Of the court bearing to the
| left. AS ne went flying along the snowy
| road he heard shout after shout behind
| him, until the whole place seemed in an
| upToar.
That lessons my chances" thought ouin.
| and I'm in for hot chase 1t won't b,
| long till they come tearing after me-
Half an hour passed, and the wintr,
! night gave forth no sound out the inoanin:,
| VI me Wlhq among the evergreen trees Ii
ZIG not icllow from this however. that the
| PurS ueFs were not on the track. And pres
| city, with thrill at his heart Ouin beard
| un1 muiHed pounding of hoofs in the rear
| he wa astride of a fleet animal and for
| more than an hour he Numbered on at a
| furious gallop, putting mile after mi,a he
nina MN. linen his enemies. Some of whom
| were on better steeds, hogan to gain. Tbis
| continued steadily, and Quin was powerIess
! 10 heip It. The dull thud of the bcofs preI.
louder, and hue stIld' cry reached his ,sars
| Los King over his shoulder he could sa4 :,
udih mass against the snow and 1t was
| Evldeht trait he himself had been sighted
+ or another half hour he urged his psnfipo
hofse 10 It's utmcst.speed, and then Al, am
eAperIed Obstacles FoonIed before him
ne crew rem on brink of a small riv
- 'A+t~AS tAS Iuntl appeared to end l.
"as hoI very wide stream, but it was 80
sWllt that its waters had not vet froze,,
Hser. mass of slowly-moving drift ice
t IA CAKES and small clogged the channel
lrt IN shtre to shore. On the farther sill
was ehe forest and safety; in the rear Coun+
oaEdotI and his companions were comm.
up rapidly. - cunning
To hesitate was to be lost. and o,,;n j.,
stahtiy aecided on risky venture Thers
was no alternative. He threw b,nnsn.f
nrs IA the saddle, turned his steed loose
a anu spfang upon one of the floating ice
river, leaping fl om foe to foe from ~,
~ cahe' Iney swung and dipped with
ms weight, and water spurted as high a.
ans, 't,locie. But he made no nissteps.
anu ne was more than two-thirds of H.,
way acrcss, when he looked back and so,
diSmount hastily 1870 -t0-''e' aiiH
| Crack-cracki cracl-cr,o,,, r.,
ana reVolyers q lively fire was. nonrad 10
ahsry cries mingled with the fusiIlado
iney were poor Inarksmen, else Oujn baT
Eol escaped The bullets whistled abo11t
MN as ne leaped upon the shore MOI a
bail had hit him, and with a deaan, sbo,,
ne uIshed INTO the shelter of the forest
ms enemies were not inclined to risk So
in1a5..ai passage. and after short
interval they renlounted and turned hack
towards the hunting lodge,
Quih Ieit that he was by no means ca
cure. lie mad not the slightest idea Ubara
| ne, ne was. and he shrewdly suspected thai
In
tne wrong direction. During the rest of tho
| hisht ara until noon of the next day he
wandered through the forest, sufferine,
from cold and hunger. Then he stumbled
on a little settlement, and learned from
me rude peasants that his camp was more
thah forty miles away. He reached IT two
DAYS lafer-he had to travel on foot-and
was gladly welcomed by his hired Russian
hunters who mad given him up for lost
Ivan and Serge had not returned. and
gum lost no time in procuring a horse and
siedge and driving to the nearest village
Where ne told his amazing story to the an
tnorllies. Meanwhile. two more DAYS had
elapsed. and when the police arrived al
Count Sanders hunting lodge, accompanied
| by euin, the birds had flown Ivan and
serge, however, were found locked I'D in
cellar; they had been confined there for
neatly week. with an insufficient supply
| of food and water
vigorous efforts We're made to capture
the fugitive nihilists, but Quin was ignor-
ant OF the result until he returned to St
Petersburg, six weeks later. taking with
MIN three fine bears for Prince Raloffskv's
collection. There he met Larry Belcher
and learned from him that Count Sandoff
and his wife, with the other conspirators
We're Known to be safe in Europe. They
had escaped by rail from Orenburg to the