The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-02-12
CHAPTER Xxx1v.
SEARCHING FOR THE COUNT.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
SEARCHING FOR THE COUNT.
1t was a simple enough matter in
reality. These good fellows had tracked
Andre back to our house He had en-
tered by my bedroom window from the
yard, using ladder, under cover of
the darkness They had done the same,
climbing in noiselessly in the nick of
time. One Of them was wounded in the
arm, the only successful shot of the
| four
As for Andre. be raved and bias
| phemed, struggling like a maniac. l
was obliged to assist the police in secur-
ing him, and in the scuff1e he aimed
several vicious kicks and blows at me,
together with much vile language. l
carry the marks of one of his "hacks'
to this day. However, he was caught,
and may say in this place, for we
have now finished, personally, with the
consummate scoundrel that this time
the police did not blunder, but sent
him away to places from which there
/ is no return. | believe he is now at
! Sakhalin or thereabout
Early the following morning l re-
| ceived a message from the chancellery
of the gradonachalnik, which is the
official title of the chief of police The
messenger requested that would con-
! vey myself as quickly as possible to the
/ head Office.
l went this time without much
anxiety of heart, for ] knew well
enough that even without the fulfill
ment of his farcical condition of identi-
fcation by scar, the chief would now
no longer withhold his consent to fa
theirs release, for, Andre caught and the
students tale verified, no sane man,
| gradonachalnik OF commoner could
any longer pretend to disbelieve in the
blunder which had been committed.
! | was not therefore prepared for an
other check yet. so closely had fate
woven the net around my poor fathers
liberty was destined to experience
new disappointment.
The chief received me very civilly
and began by congratulating me upon
Andres capture and thanking me for
my share in effecting it. I had had
narrow escape, he said; the delinquent
had fred point blank at me-was it not
so2
Certainly, excellence. 7" said, land
kicked me very violently on the shins
besides. Not quite the line of conduct
one would expect father to pursue to-
ward an obedient and dutiful son.
The chief grinned slightly
II concede the point, he said.
"There has been a mistake, though,
owing to the circumstances, pardon
able one. You shall have your father
back, unless destiny should have been
too strong for us-an event should
deeply deplore.
r. "What do you mean, excellencef" l
said, my heart sinking to my boots.
"have you news-bad news7"
"Read this. said the chief, handing
me telegram from l forget what re-
mote place in Siberia. "All may be
well with him, but there is some doubt.
as you will see +"
l snatched the telegram and read
these words Convict Kornilof never
reached here; reported detained Spask;
severe illness; probably died since; no
later advice received.
Ny head swan, my legs seemed to
collapse: sank into chair. Was this
to be the end of all our labor and suf
ferings? Ny dear father dead in the very
hour Of our victory? Oh, it was too
grimly cruel Of destiny. could not be-
lieve it. could notl
"Come, come. there is no need to
despair, said the chief. ''He is, likely
enough, making long recovery. They
would not send him forward till he
was strong enough to travel without
risk-the convict guard corps are not
inhuman monsters, as the foreign news
papers are SO fcnd of describing them
Your father is probably still too weak
to travel most fortunate circum-
stance, as it happens, for you will now
have but few hundreds of miles to
journey, in order to be at his side. in
stead Of as many thousands. Come play
the man. and-if you are wise-take
the first train for Spask. You will
probably find your father there. f"
"Telegraph first, if you will" |
said. 81 cannot stand the suspense.
The chief kindly did as | requested
He sent message to the little convict
station at Spask, inquiring whether
Kornilof was still detained there
/ l went for aafgall by the Neva s
banks while III rew,ssage went forward
and until tnthousiy should arrive. |
could u smasion and talk about it all
withaS Teportatio,rofsky. My heart
w a ~, WHO feil8t be alcne-like the
S sSs 5the othe this. that prefers
dds s ~ And why in order to suffer
'ae Ssg6o rubles II
re- 3. iracyf Ityhole length of the
Iwhv p -, and those who have
fg will know how far
m.