The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-05-03
CONTINUED J


THANK heaven I have cultivated his
acquaintance during this siege" re-
piled Darrell.
The conference was held In a tent
pitched on hillside midway between
the lines. The rain had recommended,
and a rivulet could be heard running
under the rough floor OF boards. Upon
entering. Darrell had seen first the tall
figure OF General Lyof Panin, the Rus
sian commander. He must have been
a man of fine presence at his best, but
now his v,sage was grotesquely red
dened with fever and his eyes had al
most the look Of madness. BY his side
stood Ivan Getchlkoff, the man whom
Darrell had hoped TO see. Yet he was
greatly surprised 10 note from the first
formalities that Getchikon was the
ranking officer present aside from Ia
min. His uniform showed that he had
been advanced another grade In the
short time since Darrell had seen him
In Gredskov, probably because he was
the son OF his distinguished father
rather than for his own merits. Yet
there should have been many who
would rank him In so considerable an
army. Doubtless the hill fever ac-
counted for their absence, and Darrell
remembered Korna's saying that the
disease Frustrated men past forty.
The conference opened with plain
statement from General Panin. He
showed good knowledge of the CON
dition Of the besieged, especially in the
matter Of food supply, and he pointed
out with an old soldiers precision the
ultimate fall OF the garrison.
Your battle is lost" he said. 1T Is
wise for you to make terms. speak
with the full authority OF my gov
eminent when | say that peace Is the
principal aim sought. The mildness or
the former car In dealing with the
revolt that was quelled in sc should be
known 10 you all. The same policy
VIII be pursued today II hostilities are
at once suspended. There Is no cray-
ing for revenge II full submission Is
made. We demand the delivery OF the
following prisoners, who have been
leaders In this insane undertaking"
Here he read n list beginning with
Prince Kilzlar and ending with the
person styling himself hoffman Khan.
The others were officers directly asso-
clnted with the prince, and Durham
himself was not one Of them, TO his
own great surprise. Judging from the
list, the purpose of Russia was to Sc
cure men who had held military com.
missions In her service at the time of
the uprising. as Durham had not. The
net was spread for traitorous soldiers.
Upon the surrender of these persons
Panin continued. with the arms ano
armament of the force, general pa
role would be granted, and the troops
would be permitted to return TO theiI
homes. supplies and means of protec
ton during the journey being guar
anteed.
The terms were surprisingly liberal
but they were absolutely Impossible
under the circumstances. The imm'
nifty granted Durham was In itself
sufficient reason why ne could give 4
favorable response. He replied In
calm tone, saying that the nature
the proposal was unexpected 20 hin
that ID order to secure considerable
there must be n guarantee that q
khan. Prince Kilziar and the othe
named would bo treated as prisone
OF war, but even SO he could give ]
hope that surrender would be mad
lie was proceeding toward certain su
gestions Of his own when suddenly,
the surprise OF everybody, Gener
PanIn interrupted him and burst In
n violent harangue, denounclng Kill
and his associates In unmeasured teri
and with ea!thets that seemed Gu