Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-03-09
now consider yourself accredited as a

now consider yourself accredited ms a
Government agent"
II? No. thank you,' | cried, starting
back, and putting my hands behind
me.
What do You mean. sirg cried the
chief. sterIlly. Have you not been In
sistiDg all this time that you were
oneg."
Certainly. But Ii does rot follow
that after the treatment | have re-
ceiyed 1 mean to continue TO be one. /
have run a very narrow chance of los
ing my liberty for a long period, If not
| my life. in the service of a Government
that seems TO be prepared TO throw its
agents overheard when convenient"
Take care. sir, You are not yet ut
liberiy!,'' shouted the chief. in a voice
Of thunder. Il viii have TO more tri-
fling. Tell me at once how much you
have learned of this conspiracy, or
viii Immediately draw the conclusion
thar you have been playing with me
all along,'
You may please yourself, VI. de Noil-
left" ! said, firmly. Il viii never an
swer a single question until my terms
are granted-if. indeed. / consent to 20
on with the business at ALL"
You will 90 back TO prison until you
change your mind"
Very probably. In that case, my
brother. who knows that / have under
taken this mission. will make repre-
sensations 10 the Foreign Office in
London
Pooh, We have only Il deny the
whole thing. 1t will be supposed that
you have fallen a victim TO your
friends. the conspirators," said De
Noilleff, with a sneering smile.
Possibly. None the less, the world
win see what the fate of those who
rashly try to serve the Government of
the Car is likely to be-"
This, i knew, was my strong point.
A despotism did not dare 10 let ii be
said that it does not keep its promises
TO its agents. or does not defend them,
when possible, for, if that impression
| became general. it would be impossible
to get people to serve them at all.
The chief Of the secret police consid
cred for a moment, and then said, in Il
milder tone: ION what conditions,
then, will you consent TO work with
uS?''
'In the first place" said l, 'lnstruc-
tions must be given that | am to be set
mt liberty, and that / am not TO be
again interfered with. | can do moth
ing if the police are to be always az
my heels, MS they have been OF late"
'sThat shall be seen TO-" said De
Noileff. with a smile. / interpreted
the smile to mean: IF you Imagine
that we are going to trust you to go
and come as you please, you are very
much mistaken"
We'll. what nextT'
l flatter myself that my next move
was a good one.
BE good enough to add your initials
TO this" and | held up the memoran-
dunn Davis had given me at Brier-
wick.
Without a word the chief wrote I'M
derneath the lines. Il approve and
signed it with his initials.
And now, sir, allow me to deposit
this piece of paper in your hands. Ii
Is too dangerous to carry it about with
NE. If my revolutionary friends We're
TO suspect me for any reason. and
search me. what would be my fate ii
liliS iltOIStt VI ldDfl WIZ "a AZ hs
pocketbook 7"
The chief stared at me for a moment,
holding the paper in his hand.
you really wish me TO take charge
of thisg" he said.
Certainly. 1t could not be in safer
hands,
NJ. de Noilleff locked the memoran-
DUN up in his safe: and when he had
done so. | saw from his manner that l
had TO some degree won his confidence.
II will at once sign the papers winch
viii procure your release" he said, as
lie resumed his chair. And now L
should be glad to know what You have
learned about those scoundrels. and
what You were about when you fell in
to the hands of the police"
Il cannot say that know anything
as yet. Of my own knowledge" l re-
Piled. II can only tell you what the
conspirators told me. To a certain eX-
tent they have taken me II their con-
fidence. and / believe they have told
the truth, for the very good reason that
they cold have had no object in mis-
leading me-
They expect you to become a mem
Der OF their society,"
'.They expect that l will consent 10
work with them
.In what way
ss1lhey think they will be able TO use
ne fer any dangerous service that may
turn up. But l was going TO tell you
that. supposing they have told me the
truth, the victims of the Black Terror
have not been put to death. They are
all alive. and are confined somewhere
out of Russia"
confined somewhere! In prison? 1t
is impossible.'
strange as 1t may be, / believe 1t to
he true. How else can we account for
the fact that not a word has reached
| their friends from one of the victims!'
"They may be dead"
sin that case, their bodies would
have been found. 1t would have been
far more impressive to allow the bodies
of the victims to be discovered, say in
one place, at one time. than 10 allow
them to be quietly forgotten"
II am not so sure of that" said DE
Noilleff. but, supposing that this
story Is true. where is the place of con
finemeht situated-have you no ideay'