The Iola register., 1902-07-04

behind. When prisoners goods are or
dered to be destroyed, they have hab-
1t of turning up again, as you are
aware. And mine would prove me an
American"
"You are not Russlan; know that"
responded Kevski. "Is your name real |
ly Scrgius BilowskiT
at is not. My name, nay friend, is
Darrell. am an American
Kcvsld seemed to be impressed.
"Americal All! That is the placer
he said. "Thcy have no prisons there"
ooh, hold on now! They do have |
prisons. We are not all angels" said
Darrell. "And prisons are necessary |
in every land. But in America one
must commit n crime to be sent TO
prison"
81 know, know" said Kevski, eager
to display his knowledge Of the distant
land of freedom. "My cousin, Andrea
Kevski, is there. He wrote me a letter
once. He is now n merchant and his
children go to school. He sits every
Sunday in church, and no inspector
Of police searches his house in his ab-
sence. 1t is a great country, that Amer
ica."
at is, indeed" said Darrell. "I wish
II could know where | am. l think
Stavropol would be treated to sensa-
ton"
"Hushl My cousin says that In Amer
lea your people treat our people with
friendship. He says that 1t is a great
country. where railroads go every day,
that many of our people have large
farms, and the taxes are so light that
they can save money. Is 1t sof'
II think so. / know that there are
many Russian villages in our great
west"
80. That is what my cousin called
it, hut l know little of these things.
Could get TO American"
well, If ii was really an object and
l got out OF here, think you might
reach America"
Kevski seemed to think that the con-
versation had gone far enough in this
direction. He suddenly asked to see
the musical instrument, which he ex-
amined with childish wonder, making
a laughable attempt to extort tone
from il. Then he returned II and has
tily left the cell. That evening Oar
rell had much better supper than
usual. On subsequent occasions the
conversation was resumed, and mt last
Kevsbi was led to definite statement
regarding the possibilities of escape.
at can be done" he said "The Off
GERS of the prisoner trains do not care
for persons. They convey only names.
You are Sergius Bilowsk. There are
in Grcdskov men who have liveC in the
north and whose friends are near the
Urals. one can be found to take your
name and place"
Every good. That gets him to 81.
IBERIA. But what about me?'
you and l must find a way to get
to America"
"We'l find it," replied Darrell;
"have no fear"
The days now passed less miserably.
Kevski proved to be n youth of intel
| ligence, and the hours spent in telling
him about America shortened the pris-
on days for Darrell.
"Soon we shall be away from here"
said Kevski one day when a month
had been spent in the Gredskov pris-
on. "Orders have come to form a
prison train for Siberia
Are there many to go"
"Yes, many. You see, there is war
In the Caucasus since you came to
Gredskov The Circassians have risen"
"a revolt" said Darrell. "Who
leads it2"
"a mysterious prince called Motman
Khan. No one knows who he is. But
he holds all the Circassians in his pow
er Prince Kilziar, the traitor, is one
of the leaders also"
"Kilzlar!" said Darrell.
He fell to studying. What might this
new turn of events mean to him? With
the mysterious Motman Khan he had
nothing to do, but Kilziar he would
have given much TO see, for undoubted-
ly Nera's fate must in some way be
connected with this revolt of the Cir
cassians. lie even cherished the hope
that she might have escaped the snarcs
of the Getchilofls ana have joined the
revolutionists in the field. That, in
deed, would be bad enough, for the
power of the Russian government
could not be overthrown, and the fate
of the leaders of such n revolt would
surely be death. He had now a triple
reason to desire freedom and he pray
ed heaven that Kevski had planned
well. The man had become reticent
and had begun to show traces Of anxi-
ETY..
"The Clrcassians are coming" he
said one day. "a small force that was
sent from Stavropol to meet them has
been cut to pieces. Motman Khan, the
victorious prince, is on his way to
Gredskov. There are here about 300
Circassians accused of one crime or
another, all to be sent to Siberia Mot
man Khan is coming to reduce the city