Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-04-13
L. M. GRIST & SONS, Publishers.
A COTTAGE BY THE V0LGA.
BY STEPNIAK.
SAVED BY THE STARS AND
Copyright, 1897, by Tillotson & Son.
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
The train had long passed by, ant
the plain lay in dead silence. 1t hat
left off raining, and the sharply GU
crescent Of the moon appeared on th'
horizon, lighting up with its faint
beams the damp earth, the villages and
the motionless figure lying by the rail
way line. A fresh breeze began tt
blow. The clouds in the east grew paler,
awaiting the dawn, and still the DARK
mass lay motionless. and now in the
faint dawning light bloody spots began
to show on the white sand about its
head.
A little band Of quickly moving
white smoke appeared once again OF
the horizon and under the smoke 6
black line. It was the first goods train
of the early morning. 1t came nearer,
with its long chain of gray carriages
nearer and nearer-and then, with 9
deafening roar and rattle, passed by,
making the ground shake as it went.
The engine driver opened the valve,
and a shrieking whistle pierced the
damp morning air.
The inert human mass shuddered and
writhed, and at the last harsh sound
the man regained consciousness, sprang
up and, driven by some panic Of terror,
started off to run, leaping and STUN
bling among the weeds and bushes
The train went off in the distance,
the noise died away and the fugitive
gradually came to his senses. he stop
ped.
~ needn't rum" he thought.
"There's no one following me-"
At first he quite believed that the
train which had startled him to con.
seriousness was the same from which he
had so successfully jumped; but, look
ing at the sky, and seeing that day was
dawning, he soon realized that this
could not be and that he must have lain
insensible for long time.
He pulled his watch out Of his pocket,
but it had struck against stone and
was broken. From the color Of the sky,
it must now be about in the morning.
Something warm was trickling down
his forehead.
He touched it with his hand-it was
blood! His face was all smeared with
clotted blood.
"I'm in sweet state to show myself
to peopler' he thought.
But how was be to stop the bleeding?
The wound was not serious, but it was
extremely inconvenient at the moment.
He opened little knapsack, which be
had hung over his shoulder and forgot
to take off, but there was nothing in it
except a pocket handkerchief and some
writing materials. Fortunately there
were some weeds with thick, milky
stalks growing near. He picked several
stalks and, squeezing out the sticky
white juice, smeared it on the wound.
The bleeding stopped.
"That's all right" he said to him
self ioyfully.
The only thing left for him was to
get away from this dangerous spot as
quickly as possible. To walk to the town
was out of the question. He could not
reach it before midday, and by that
time the whole police force would be on
the lookout for him and he trapped like
a rat.
He decided to 60 across country at
hazard toward the nearest dwelling.
There be should find out what to do
next.
He crossed the line quickly and went
straight southwark, cutting across the
road which ran parallel to the railway,
and with a sense Of delight penetrated
into the thicket, which seemed to ten
derly receive him and hide him in its
embrace.
He walked on for about half an hour,
glancing from time to time at the
whitening east in order not to lose his
way.
Beyond the copse was a wide open
plain, in which man could be seen at
three miles distance. After the thicket
he felt kind of shrinking from walk
ing in the open plain. Anybody could
see at glance that he was not a native
of the place, and then that travelling
knapsack-he wished he had thrown it
away in the thicket. 1t would be danger
ous to leave it in the open field.
In front Of him was freshly built
stack. The fugitive approached it with
the intention Df hiding his knapsack in
it, but glancing backward perceived at
100 PAGES from him two peasants, whose
faces he could not see clearly in the
dim light of the dawn. One was a
youneish, dark haired man, the other
old and gray headed. They were both
dressed in greasy sheepskin "touloups'
and were standing still with their arms
hanging loosely beside them. Although
they were looking straight at him their
expression was so Indifferent and apa-
thetic that he felt convinced they had
not noticed him. He went up to them.
GOOD morning" he said.
"Morning" answered the elder.
"Can you tell me-" asked the fugl-
tive, "where can get horse and trap
about here?'
The peasants exchanged glances.
"Well, of course, you can get horse
in the village" said the elder one.
"Where may you be from?'
"I'm travelling through here" an
swered the young man, land l missed
the last train at the station. / didn' t
want to wait till the morning train,
because I'm in hurry, so started to