Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-02


were In the guardroom at the far cor
ner of the buildings, where fire made
light and warmth. He shivered In
the cold moonlight and longed for the
appointed end of his vigil, yet n two
good hours away. He envied furious
ly his comrades stretched at length
on the truckle bedsteads among warm
layers of straw.
Suddenly out of the emptiness of the
barn behind him resounded clatter
and the ring of iron. He stopped,
swung upon his heel and looked across
at the building gapingly. He swore
with great evaporation. "The devil
take all cats" he muttered, land burn
all kittens But suppose l must ex-
anime"
He strobe across to the door, fun
bling at his keys. He leaned his rife
against the wall and inserted the key
in the rusty wards. Slowly he pushed
back the nail studded panels. Holding
his lantern above his head, he entered
and looked uncertainty about him.
From behind the door a dark figure
rose silently and with terrific force
dashed an iron bar upon his head. The
unfortunate soldier dropped like
stone. grunt MS of felled bullocl,
issuing from between his half closed
Inns. The lamn clattered In tbe stonas
and was extinenlsbed in moment
Then silently and carefully the door
was closed upon the prostrate victim
and his assailant.
For another half hour ouiet reipned
in the COURTYARD. Then noiselessly tho
harm door onapod and a so,diar awe
ant. He pickcd nm the rifle which stjlI
Ieaned against +bc wo,, and SWINGING
his keys in his hand, strobe steadily
up the yard and staid and listened at
another door in the end of the same
building. He stooped to the keyhole.
A sound of measured brea thing came
from within, and an audible snore here
and there broke the silence. He took
his keys and tried II en- one by one at
the lock. 1t was not till the fifth or
sixth attempt that one fitted and work.
ed easily through the wards. He push
ed the door fro him and entered.
His lantern owed II bare, mud
fioored ro a. ana lying about 1t In va
rious attil ..des of uneasy rest were 80
men, bound. draggled and filthy. With
one exception they slept the sleep of
hunger and utter exhaustion. Bound
hand and foot. leaning his back
against the wall was Colonel Preobes.
las, blinking wearily at him in the dim
light, his eyes peering out suspiciously
from under his shaggy eyebrows.
Courses be yours, felloww he said in
Russian. "Can't we get any sleep
without being rouSed up and stared at
every half hour OF the night?"
The soldier carefully closed tbe door
set down his Ion,ern and advanced tn.
ward him. n kuife cleaning in his
hand.
aYou cursed assassinr said the colo.
nell staring nm at him fierceIv "Do
Won mean TO murder me?"
The soldier nut his 6npers worniny,v
to his Inns. bent down and Aith n nent
a,osb ar two emoto Off tho Ioshinas
that hound the coloners fect and
hands preobes,os feit n so,t ,e.r
dron upon bis face os The other hont
over him
He loolked i'm omozaa,v t,en startod
bacl, and rubbed his eves netrided
With ostopishm.nt .Dasn,ondw ha
oxcI,inod "nosmord, Have yo, r,s-
ON fron, tho dood,,,
Tbe sham soIdiar laid bis sngor ~,
bis lin "No noise ~ yo, oan hoI,
colonel, Evervthinc is vet 70 do UiI,
n,or ,s sofon ho ,n,,snorod .n,,,. w.
n,us+ not thaso ,,t,,ors s,oad na +h.s
th,, I,,,s,,oss Il, lie ho,,,,n W. ,,,,,s.
s,,rn,.;so ,,,a ouord and nat tho;, ,,aos ),
TN ooiona1 ,,,as stiu s,or,nn st,,r;,,.
o ano a., ,,noau ..In t,a 80, 20
noodnass, ha hono,
,,osr,o,d ho,a o., ,,s hora "N,.
,,o,,, 49, don, s,,,. Al In aooa .,,,o
Co ,;.,, ~, - "a h. .i,'oa .o,ns"
~ ,.,ouo D.. anaa ,"a',,I,, H., as
for oornor bis haoS ,,,I,ouod on a hoon
- 49, soron,ras h,s hound ,,,,,hs
Hnaa,oa inta Snottad mosa or d,s
aon,sor,
w. ,. ,,s ra, a., os,oa -,
r,h,,n .,o,, I'D ~ - =, tha a,,,,."
nnn,har nasnond o,,t ,ma tho ao,,
-, a.a;, . haaido a,,
haie mn,.onoa ',on tn oan,,,noo h,n ne
n.a M s'', - - ,',.',a - - Va
.,... 80 - 49,. H., - a',,,e5,
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I,,..,,u on ~ ..,o, ~ .,,,
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