Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-12-06
THE SPY.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
{ ~ ES,F5s-i


LIN the hickering caudle-light;, some
$ with fierce faces, marked by the, bitter
) : ines~of hunger. and hate; some with.
the enthusiastic and rapt expression
of dreamers; others with the cold
impassiyity of great generals. One
of the aforementioned, colder, more
impressive than the rest, sat at the
foot of the table, facing the president.
His manner showed not the slightest
t$nervousness.f Yetin an hour he meant
tosbetray the men who sat about HIM
to the horrors of living death, on
the bleak plains of Siberia, gaining
thereby the lasting favor of his inn
/. perial iaaster. The blow that would
s ruin lis comrades would make him.
The clock struck eight as. the presi-
i dent rose to speak.
Brothers," he began, ''we have
all sworn the same sacred VOWS, we
,haye;all stood the severe tests of our
order-we can all be trusted. 1t be-
comes my duty, therefore, to speak
= out. Our days of plotting are passed,
the time for action has come. At last
we shall strike decisive blow for
liberty"
He paused, but no one spoke. There
was not sound in the room. Point
4 ing t tdsapowder.keg in q: corner, the
\ president continued:
Our materials are at hand; our op-,
pott2aity,afso The Gear visits kras-
noe -Selo Thursday
The noise Of asscufie in the hall
outside the door interrupted him.
De sreraf Of the men who sat about the
E; ablssprnng tc their feet; the door
4 barst6pen, aud an officer, followed by
squad Of soldiers, rushed into the
room. In an instant every one of
the conspirators was covered by
rife:
You are my prisoners!" said the
officer CURLY.
SPY what right?' exclaimed the
president. He alone seemed cool; the
rest stood as though paralyzed. Ignor-
ing tes president, the officer glanced
at,the others.
lime mp against the WALL" he
ordered.
Silently they obeyed nim-power-
less to resist. The soldiers raised
their guns, and aimed them at the de-
fenseless breasts of tho prisoners.
Again the president spoke:
.tWhss do you mean to do?" he
cried:
ct o execute you at once, 2 returned
the officer cold Then, TO the soldi-
. ers. e aim. g
stop S, 3 81. .Si
The cry rang out loud and clear in
the deadly stiffness of the room, and
the spy sprang forward from where
ke stood against the wall.
Get backlp said the officer, sternly;
but the spy continued to advance. His
s coldness, his impassiveness, had dis
appeared; his face was yellow with
Sfear;@his teethchattered:
You must not shoot meP.' he
zsshriek kedt g am of yourselves! It was
81 who informed against tt ase men! If
s yoakifi ime twill be murderr' He
sgroYeled on the floor at the officers
6 feet.
The doomed men looked at the
miserable wretch with bitter contempt
{ while in the presiden't eyes there was
E Something that locke like triumph.
An .agent-of the policel' said the
officer doubtfully. 'You have your
credentials"
@Yes-yes!" screamed the wretch,
tearing, piece of paper from his
pocket and handingiit to the officer.
SIT is there-it is there!'
.The soldiers, dropping their rifles,
sprang upon him, and bound him hand
and foet.t,
aBrothers, said the president to
Che amazed. men, who still stood
against the wall, 'sbrothers in a great
causel like ours we can not be too care,
full. This little scene was devised to
discoyer what traitors We, had among
Ssus. III. has succeeded. You who have
proved faithful are quite SAFE"
.sThe men looked at him as though
they could scarcely credit their senses;
then one or two began to sob, and one
man laughed.
'.And this spy?" he questioned.
a fierce murmur ran round the
i room.
! .tKill him-kill himp' they shouted.
The president raised his hand.
.'Stopr' he cried. ."The man is
mine-mine to punish as see fit
Leave him to me. You will accompany
our brother Vassoloff'-indicating
the pseudo-oficer-"to place of re-
s..:sfngeS From our friends admission,
we are no longer safe here.
The conspirators turned, and silent
ly went out.s
Then the president was alone with
i the spy. he stood looking at him for
d moment, q cruel smile on his white
bearded face. Presently he took from
his pocket long fuse, placed one end
\ in the powderkeg, and wound the
other about one of the tallow candles,
an inch from the burning wick. Then
y s'hs placed the candle in front of the
{ .spy's face, where he could almost
toseh it, and turning, went to the
door. At the threshold he paused.
your fate will be lesson to your
q fellow-spies, he said.-and was gone.
The spy heard his steps as be went
down the passage. He counted them
tiliEthey died sway in the awful silence
: Of the night. Then he looked at the
candle. How long would it take an
Inch 81 tallow to burn? The police
would NOT come till niue. He looked
ct the clock. Twenty minutes past
. eight Wonld that, inch of tallow last
8. AG Minutes? If it should NOT, would
s. being blown up be so painful?
IssgSssHs1 looked at the candle again. 1t
1t6sssmed TO melt away before his eager
5 ssgPsza HE tried to shrek, but could
81 NOT he became unconscious. He