Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-01-26
..can | see the prisonersY' I asked.

of them herSaTter, you Hau pettcA
me take you 10 see them while they are
alseep."
/ thanked my host for his considera-
ton, and a few hours later. just De-
fore il was time for me to go to Fay
cabin. Won Mitschka took me through
a door that led to the main deck
A sentry with a rifle in his hands
stood at the further end of the passage,
but at sight Of Won Mitschka he sa-
luted and stepped aside to let US pass.
Another sentry, with rifle and fixed
bayonet, stood at a door OF rough
wood. which apparently opened into a
wooden structure. At a sign from Won
Nlitschka the gaoler opened a small
trap door in the wall, and | peepet in.
/ saw a room, the walls of which were
of rough planks, about fourteen feet
long by ten or eleven wide. On one
side there was a broad wooden bench.
on which the forms Of two men We're
stretched, while a hammock, swung at
the other end of the cell, contained a
third person. The place had no Ill
doors, and seemed to be fairly well
ventilated.
lou Stt, We Guil Itti'A Vbi pA'S
ers. even at night" whispered Won
Mitschka TO me I'VE are more merci-
full than our enemies. But, indeed, IT
would be useless for them TO break out
while we are at sea, as every man on
board would lend a hand to capture
them; and during embarkation and
landing special precautions are taken.
The face of one Of the prisoners was
turned towards me, and by he light or
n ships lantern hung opposite a round
hole in the plank wall, but outside, l
could see him tolerably well. He was
a man we'll advanced in years, and
from his heavy white moustache, and
something in the poise of his body, l
took him to be a military officer. Won
Mitschka told me afterwards that |
was right. He slept so soundly that
the noise made by our voices and the
tramp of the sentry did not in the least
disturb him.
1t was impossible to restrain n shud-
der as ! thought Of the fate that had
overtaken this veteran.
would you like TO see the prisoners
food?' asked Won M~itschka, on our
way back to the cabin.
said / had no curiosity on the sub
ject.
1T is good and abundant, though
plain,'' said he; 'but, then, these are
untried prisoners. After they are CON
victed they will have TO submit 10 a
fare more like that which the paternal
Government of the Car deals out TO
it's victims"
ssyn,r small Nf ,,ptriaI vrtcnnnrS Ien
you mean that you hold a regular trial
upon these unfortunate menT
Certainly. We are the Committee
Of Public Safety. We are not bandits.
You shall witness the trial Of these
three men if you wish it."
Thanks. 1 am not sur that I do
wish it. But what would you do if
you found that one of them had TO be
acquitted? You dare not release him."
Not now; but We Thould have TO do
1T as soon as it was practicable. Our
present establishment is a temporary
one, and, in any case, the detention
would not last beyond the time of our
removal to the new prison. But l
hardly think the emergency is likely
to occur" -
'"There ! agree with YOU was the
r~ejoinder on the tip of my tongue; but
/ did not utter it.
Although / was debarred from coa-
sulting the compass, it was, of course,
impossible to prevent me gaining a
general idea of the ships course by
noting the position of the sun. And |
found that we were sailing TO the
northward. This surprised me, for /
had entertained the idea hat the Nj
hilist settlement was a long way from
Russian one of the u~ninhabited isl.
ands of the Pacific, perhaps. / could
hardly imagine that they would be safe
on the soil of any European country.
But on the fourth day, when l judged
that we had sailed beyond the latitude
Of the Shetland Islands, course
seemed to be simply that of the wind.
No matter what direction the wind
blew from, the brig was always put
before 1t. j tried for some time a
rough reckoning of II position, but l
am no sailor, and / o o found that
my inability to calculate. even approx
imately. the rate of sailing. made it i'm
possible to form a guess as to our
whereabouts. knew that we must be
still in the neighborhood Of the North
Sea or the North Atlantic, and that
was all.
We passed several vessels, large and
small: or, rather, they passed more or
less closely TO us, for the Susannah did
not seem TO be a particularly fast sail
err. Occasionally signals were *
changed by flags, and I supposed that
questions were asked and answered.
but what was said | did not know, and
| knew that it would be useless TO ask.
Sometimes. however, the signals Of
other ships were left unanswered; and
1t struck me that il depended on the
course of the questioning vessel wheth-
er q reply was made or not.
In this apparently aimless cruise a
week went by. Strange as 1t may
seem, | cannot say that ! found the
time hanging heavily on my hands.
There were a few well-selected books
OIL board; and the rest Of the time was
spent In playing chess and chatting
with o Mitschka. / found him a de-
lightful companion. He was one Of
those men of wide reading and retent-
i've memory, who seem to know some
thing Of every subject under the sun;
and though such a man may be a bore
In general society, he is an interesting
companion on IL sea voyage. But. in
addition 10 his mental requirements.
Won Mitschka had a store of strange
nvyaAntnv.Aan n