The Portland daily press., 1898-05-04
nv WILLIAM lie QuEux,
COPYRIGHTED. 1897,
Chapter XXXI1I.-
RAD COMP NY


"Well," I managed TO calculate, stand
ing quite still, without moving d muscle.
I saw that his attitude was one of deter
nlination, and that he had been joined by
ruffianly looking companion who had
emerged from the underground as If by
magic.
My only thought was of my past life
How had l been able to bear the sus-
picion and suspense so long? had borne
it because the star of hope had glimmered
in the darkness. And now the star had
vanished, and the hope was dead. Dark
ness had fallen upon my soul, and storm
rose within it like the chill whirling
wind that swept across the steppe at dead
of night. I could not think; I forgot
where was, forgot everything except my
anger My heart was full of blind de-
spair.
/ was conscious that the gaol-bird spoke.
He was demanding my money, and
threatening tc put bullet through my
head If / refused
81 promised you money on condition
that you took me to Sonia Korolenko, ;"
answered 81 am ready to pay when
you have fulfilled your part OF the con-
tract
Both men laughed heartily.
I'VE have no knowledge Of her," de-
clared the man who had been my guide
''All we know is that you have money;
If you don't hand it to us quietly your
leaves
"He'llsbe company for the Others OBJ
served the man with a fox-like counte-
nance who had joined us, and was lean
ing upon an old Berdan rifle.
"qhen understand you have brought
me here, to this spot, on a false pretense.
You mean to rob me?" l said. "You as
sured me that you were Sonia's messen-
ger, and so implicitly did 1 trust you that
left my revolver behind at the inn.'
"Thst is no affair of ours" answered
the old scoundrel, Struggling his shoulders
money, and we are ready to guarantee
you safe conduct, either on into Germany
or back to Skerstymore.
"1'll pay you nothing, not even a
rouble navodkou, until you take me to
your leader" answered defantly, fer
somehow I had from the first been con-
WINGED of the truth of the mans assertion
that Sonia was in that neighborhood.
LAS We are unable to conduct you to
the lady, whoever she is, we shall there
fore be compelled to use violence" OBJ
served my guide, glancing at his COM
panion who nodded approyingly. Then,
still holding the muZzle of his weapon to
my face, he added with brutal frankness:
You'd better make the sign of the cross
now If you want to. 1t win be tho last
chance you'll get When a mans dead and
buried he can tell nothing to the police
Well l knew the desperate character of
these brlgandised nomads, and fully rec
ognized that they We're not to be trifled
with. The people who come to US for
aidssneyer get across the frontier unless
they part with their money first" he con-
tinued 'tIf they don't-well, we put
them to rest quietly and unceremonlously
and give them decent burial A good
buried in these WOODS. You asked me
whether it was paying profession" he
laughed. Judge for yourself"
he still spoke with that unaffected care.
lessness that had impressed m when we
lad first met outside the 0i..ev ligtle
''tractir' in Skerstymore.
Come, cried the ragged -raced
mar, lmpatiently, with all at-O. Ii OF
South Russia. ''We have no Tina To waste
we have many versts before US ere
dawn
''Then you had better be off and leave
me- to lind my way back as best I can, -
said, endeayouring to preserve an out.
side saow of oalmness.
Some noise, SO faint that did not dis
tinguish it, caused both outlaws to hold
their breath and listen. They exchanged
quick chances. They had wandered thous-
ands Of vers5s across the "taiga" and the
steppe, and consequently on the alert to
evade Cossack patrols and police, they
knew every sound of the forest. They had
learnt to know the voice OF the wood; the
speech of every tree. The great frs rustic
with their thick boughs, the dark gloomy
plnes whisper to one another in mystery
the bright green leafy trees wave their
dewy branches, and the mountain-ash
tremble with a noise like a family
rippling brook. They knew, to their dis
gust, too, how those spies Of the frontier
the magpies, hover in crowds over the
track Of the man who tries in daylight to
creep unseen across the bare open steppe.
1t was evident that the noise had for an
instant puzzled Them yet after listening
moment both became treasured, and re-
demanded with many violent threats
whatever money had upon me.
81 tell you / refuse" I answered "If
you take me to Sonia you shall have two
hundred roubles each, with twenty more
ma vodkou.'
Then you do not wish to live?'' ex-
claimed the man who had SO cunningly
entrapped me.
ST will give you nothing" I said reso-
lutely.
"Ihen takerrthatr' he cried, wildly, and
at the same time his revolver flashed close
to my face.
The shot echoed far away among the
myriad tree-trunks, but the bullet passed
harInlessly by my ear.
Ere he could tire second time spranp
upon him, and olutching him by the
throat with one hand, with the other
grasped the wrist of the sinewy hand
that held the revolver. 1t was a struggle
for life. EF#
Again my antagonist drew the trigger.
but the weapon was exploded in mtd-air.
Then his companion flung himself upon
me IN an endeavour to drag me off. This
he was unable to do, and apparently fear
ing lsst should succeed in wrestling the
wsapon from his accomplice's grasp and
use it against him, he sought to stun me
by raining blows with his clenched fist
upon my head.
A third time the ruffianly assassin's re-
yolyer went off with q loud report, but
doing no harm At that moment how
ever, | was conscious that my strength
was falling me. was muscular, but
against this pair of hulking brutes had
no chance in a contest of mere physical
power.
The repeated blows upon my skull
dazed me, but hearing shouts resounding
in the darkness, l held on with grim
logged coura ye with the faint hope that
they might lie Cossacks. In the dim light
could distinguish figures moving rapid
" beneath the trees. The forest seemed
suddenly alive with men bat AFT that in