The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-03-09

Come. Is 1t q bargain? Five thousand
rubles down and the secret yours to do
as you like with. A grand opportunity
for you, Mr.. Borofsky. only, mind you,
my money and my passport and 4s
hours start before you act upon 1t.
81 think I may promise that Count
Boris will reward you handsomely,
though. Of course, we have the whip
hand Of you. and might. If we chose,
screw your very soul out of you fot
nothing. Tell me about this conspiracy,
and l will advise him to be generous
"Well 1 will trust you. You will be
satisfied with my tale. Why do you
suppose Andre has come to st. Peters
burg? For the pleasure (and risk Of liv-
ing in this comfortable house and pass
ing among strangers az the Count Ian.
drinof? No, my friend, there would be no
solid advantage to balance the tremen-
dous risks. He has come to your house
because he finds it a grand center and
sanctuary for the quiet Matching Of his
own egg That's all. The man requires
q little time to himself and a quiet
place, and here he has found both. The
plot? Very we'll. 1t is aimed against
the head Of the realm, of course. Be-
tween the station kirilof and Bootief.
where the line runs through a forest.
about one mile from the Bootief clear
ing, is a woodman's cabin. Close to
that cabin there is something very
wrong with the earth. A careful exam
ination will disclose it.
II sea- plot to blow up the cars
train. But how is Andre concerned
""There are several concerned. but
Andre is the head and chief of the
affair. The man to ask for on the spot
is one Krolok, but he is a desperate sort
of character. and it would be as well
to be very careful. The ground is I'M
dermined from the cabin to the very
rails; all is finished, and the web waits
for the fly. On Friday. unless he should
be warned beforehand, the victim will
buzz unsuspectingly into it, and, piff,
where is the car? There; that is my
secret. If the police will not believe
that Andre is Andre and not Count
Landrinof when You shall have present.
ed them with their car. alive and safe,
in order to prove the fact, why, then.
they are past praying for. and there is
no more to be said"
"How is the responsibility for the
conspiracy to be brought home to him?'
said Borofsky, thinking aloud rather
than asking the question.
"Seize Krolok-let the police seize
Krolokl They will soon find out who
are his accomplices; they have a way
of extracting information from their
prisoners which. it is said. is irresisti.
ble."
"Well. / think I may say that You
have done your best, Mr.. Student, to
Justify your release and perhaps some
reward. l will now discuss matters
with my friends, and you shall hear the
result as soon az possible.
"For the love Of heaven, be CAREFUL
cried the student. II repeat that if
Andre were to learn that I am here and
in communication with you he would
murder me on the spot and then disap.
pear. This would be fatal for your pur-
pose, remember, for the police will as.
suredly never return you your Count
Landrinof unless you have another to
give them in his place. If he were to
murder me. be would disappear. I tell
you
"We must hope for the best, both
for you and for ourselves" said Borof.
sky. 1--WE shall be careful, Of course.
It was while Borofsky was repeating
to Percy and myself the details Of his
conversation with the student that a
summons came for him from our other
guest, Andre.
Borofsky was in the habit Of visiting
Andre, so that the m was moth.
ing unusual, but he prepared to obey
it, nevertheless. with some little trepi.
dalton tonight. .
"He will be agitated about the pris.
taf's visiti' he said. "Probahly hen
insist upon knowing why we visited
the pristaf and where we got our in.
formation from"
"Gad,"I exclaimed, 'that's true.
What shall you say, Borofsky?'
"That depends upon what he says"
said Borofsky. II must be discreet and
give nothing and no n away; that is
the main thing"
"He won't be violent, will he p sug.
gested Percy. Hadn't yen better
pocket a revolver before entering the
lions den, BorofskyY
:'He wouldn't be such a fool as that.
It would be a suicidal thing to do. His
policy will now be, you see, to disap.
pear suddenly while he rouses in us no
suspicion Of his intentions. He does not
know that we know that the pristaf
was here today. remember"
swell, be careful, Borofsky T. said
l, warningly, ''for the fellows temper
is dangerous Don't forget the Serpen-
tinel'
Borofsky smiled a wan smile. 1t was
not a pleasant recollection for him.
81 think he'll be mild enough to-
night!' he said.
But only half an hour later Door Bo.