The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-06-21

1 ~ ~
their agency has all this knowledge
come to me. What think you of it, my
friend; what think you of it, hey?"
He struck me again, very brutally.
The malignity of his glance and the
harsh, set faces of the other men showed
me only too plainly that had small
mercy to expect now.
Slips of paper were handed round the
table, and each member was directed to
inscribe thereon what should be my
punishment. Then the slips were hand
ed to Menskoff, who glanced at them
with CLEAN of satisfaction on his face.
Edward Withers," he said, address
ing me, after a pause, ''the sentence
written by each member of this meet
ing consists of one word, Death Make
ready; your time is short
The anarchist went to the corner of
the room where he had deposited his
portmanteau. Hastily opening the
bag, he took from it a small bomb with
clockwork apparatus attached, also
tiny clock of common appearance.
Having deposited these on the table be-
side me, he addressed his comrades.
MY good brothers." he exclaimed,
talking in quick, eNcitable tone, nov
that you have pronounced the sentence
of death, it is but right that you should
be informed how your sentence will be
carried into effect. Behold,
then, this bomb. l obtained it at our
factory at Edinburgh, together with
the cloclIwork gear by which the time
of explosion can be regulated. With
this little bomb shall blow our friend
to pieces, and it will be well now if you
bid him adieu and leave us together.
You will also do well to keep in hiding
until the present activity on the part of
our kind friends, the police, is some
what abated.''
Obedience to this man seemed newt
able. One by one, the whole crowd rose
and slowly left the house, each man
giving me look of hatred as he went.
/ perfectly understood Menskoff's
design in resolving to destroy me by
means of the bomb instead of taking up
his revolver and dispatching me then
and there. The explosion would bring
the house to the ground, damage adj
joining property, and would be in every
way the best advertisement that the
cause could obtain, whilst at the same
time all other informers would tremble
when they learned the horrible fate of
one of their body. Verify, fiend's de-
vice, and worthy of him who devised it.
When the last footsteps of the re-
treating men had died away, the an
archist leaned over the table where the
deadly apparatus was placed and slow
ly adjusted it. Then turning to me, he
exclaimed, with a malignant laugh
which was as brutal as a blow:
''See here, my good friend, see here.
[ have left the bomb and the clock in
such position that you are bound to
see both, and as the hands of the clock
creep on, you will have the felicity of
knowing that each minute is carrying
you nearer to the end. And now, shall
l tell you, my friend, at what hour, nay,
at what minute, l have timed this lit
tie plaything to explode?'
1t was impossible for me to convey
my desire to know, for | could not move
my head or open my lips. However,
Menskoff appeared to consider an an
swer superfuous, for, after a minutes
interval, he laughed again and cried:
81 have set it to explode at ten min
utes to nine. :. Why not before?
Simply because, good Mr.. Withers, it
will add tenfold to your torture to re-
member that had ten minutes more
been given you, you would have been
rescued by your friends from Scotland
Yard. i. Aha! l see you change color.
You appreciate the tenderness of my
little PLAN
The fiend spoke the truth. The ter
rible cruelty of his scheme burned into
my brain. 1t was hard, Enthusiastically
hard, to be done to death at all-with
many hours elapsing between myself
and possible rescue. ;. but to know
that ten minutes would mean life, and
the absence of them death. ah,
that was refinement of agony which
man must be in my place to thoroughly
and properly appreciate!
The anarchist gave one more glance
at the apparatus to see that it was all in
order, and then turned toward the door.
He returned, however, to where 1 was
bound, and greeted me with mocking
smile.
you are admiring my little clock, are
you not?'' he asked, grinning so wide
ly that his black gums sickened my
sight. 'Well, it may interest you to
know, good Mr.. Withers, that you and
are the only two persons in the world
who shall have had any use for it.
L bought it in Edinburgh only this
morning, little thinking that it's career
would end so SOON"
Then, tapping the timepiece gently,
he exc1aimed. "Farewell little clock