Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-02-09

Sll;tll SlcdIu NiCuC uuu lOOh IL CRUISE
round the coast of Norway in search
of an island suitable for our purpose.
We found plenty of islands, but they
were all too liable to visits from whal-
] ers. tourists and men in search OF
sport SO then we continued our
search among the islands off the coast
of Scotland, and we We're lucky
enough to hit upon lnch-you won't
mind my calling it simply the lnch?-
! Thank you. 1t was for sale, and one
Of our number, assuming the character
Of a wellthy Dutch merchant, went to
London, opened a bank account, and
openly purchased the Inch for a deer
forest.
, Our first business was to get rid OF
the few shepherds who inhabited the
| island with their families. 1t was ne
cessary that there should be no talk in
/ the newspapers, about q hard-hearted
! foreign landlord turning British sub
jectS out of their homes: and the shep-
herds protited by our caution. We
gave each family a hundred pounds.
Some elnigra1ed; others found farms
! Gu the mainland; others went south in
search of employment. When we had
the place to ourselves, we let 1t be
! known that the proprietor. Van Kemp,
WAS going to build Il shooting lodge ILL
| the style Of Dutch house, and that
he intended to send for workmen from
holland to insure that the house
would be finished to his liking. or
course, the masoIls and carpenters
j were all members of our society. The
| island furnished stone in abundance;
! tie wood was brought from Norway.
1t took Il year to build and furnish the
prison with accommodations for the
governor anG. an armed guard. we are
now building q new prison, farther
from the sea shore by the help OF con-
Wet labor"
| "YOu mean that you force your pfls-
oners-generals, governors OF prisons
| and Of towns to work at digging and
building like ordinary convicts?''
Certainly" replied the chief, with
a slight frown. '"rhey are suffering a
mere 1.-THE of what they have been in
ficting upon men as little accustomed
as themselves to manual labor. They
are working out their sentences
"You mean that each is sentenced to
confinement for a term Of years?'
"In proportion to his offenSe-cer-
tainly."
"And when their sentences are ex-
plred:''
.By that ime either our plans shall
have succeeded, or we shall have
| failed. In the latter case we shall
conduct our prisoners to some town
from where they can make their way
to Russia, and the Committee OF Pub-
lie Safety will cease to hold it's sittings.
We shall at least have the satisfaction
of knowing that some wrongs nave
been avenged, and that many outrages
have been prevented by the rear ol
| falling into our hands,
"Do you have no visits from the ten
ants of the shootings in the neighbor-
ing islands,
sNo. 1t is understood on the islands
nearest to us that Mr.. Van Kemp is a
surly, unsociable fellow, who prefers
to he left to himself"
"Or from fishing boats?'
'"rhey occasionally put in here, espe-
cially if a gale happens to- be blowing.
But Angus is on the lookout for them,
and he renders them any little service
they REQUIRE without allowing them to
have as much as suspicion that any
.hing unusual is going on in the ISL
| ands."
angus? Who is he? You don't
mean that you have a Scotchman
member of your society,"?
Not exactly. He is Mr.. Van Kemp's
gamekeeper." said Won Mitschka, with
a smile. HE has proved invaluable,
and [ am very proud OF him, for L dis
covered him myself. Jus a year ago,
! when the buildings were finished, and
we were beginning to recognize the ne
cessity of having someone in the set
| Element who could talk to casual visit
CTS in their own tongue, even II we
had but two in the year, l happened TO
be in large manufacturing town III
/ the north Of England.
ut was a dismal, wet night, and
Geld. though the season was summer.
| Hurrying along a street OF dreary as
pect, and Of apparently infinite length,
| I overlook a group OF weary, footsore
travellers, whose appearance compelled
me TO pity them. There was father,
a mother and half a dozen children. In
spite CT their evident poverty, there
was a great deal OF what you call re-
spectability about their bearing. !
was particularly struck With the ap-
:earancn OF the man. His magnificent
height would have made him notice
able figure anywhere; but there was a
lcok of despair on his sunburnt face
that was terrible to see.
Il spoke to the man. He scarcely
answered me. When he did speak, il
was with Il savage demand for work
told him l was stranger in the
town. and asked where he meant TIC
pass the night He made no reply, but
his wife spoke for him, saying that
they were on their way to the work
house, which lay at distance Of two
miles. at the top OF a long hill. 1t was
built there by former generation OF
ot1icals-I forget what they are
called"
"Guardians of the Poor?" 1 suggest
ed.
"Yes-by a former generation OF
guardians. with the inhuman object OF
saving the pockets Of the ratepayers
by making it nearly impossible fol
those who were most in need OF help Il
obtain it. They We're on their way t.
this place to beg shelter for the night
with no idea what was to become OF
them next day.