The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-11-13

W NOAAAE . Is
Il understand you commanded these
villagers to kill me-" he said, standing
at the side of the bed and looking cold
ly and sternly at his victim. II Just
wanted to say before they kill me-
which they certainly will do if you in
sist-that in that case you would prob
ably die here for lack of proper care"
You cannot help me - you would
not" answered Neslerov
THAT is for you to say. l am not
murderer. had no desire to kill you
You attacked me, and defended N.Y.
self. I am going back to Tomsk, pro-
vided your savage villagers don't kill
me, and I merely came to ask if you
would be pleased to CO." g..
"How?" he asked
''In the same car you came thus far
in.''
"But how? There is no train due for
days.
II will take you to Tomsk if you
promise never again to modest Mr..
Gordon or his daughter.'
II promise" said Neslerov II will
order the villagers to permit you to
60"
Denton then went to the car and ex-
ahmed it. He discovered where a
flaw in the iron had weakened the
couplings.
He was followed at q short distance
~ several young men, among whom
fas the boy who had run to tell him
that a woman was being roughly
handled by Neslerov, and who had
taken his horse to shelter. He ordered
the boy to bring the horse. Mounting,
he was soon out Of sight. He did not
| go far, however. He rode along the
track until he reached siding a short
distance from the bridge, where there
was an old construction engine.
Denton examined the old hulk It
was fit only for drawing one or two
cars. Denton carried water from the
river and filed the boiler and built
fire of wood.
Soon after the villagers were sur
prised to see wheezy, rickety old en-
CINE coming slowly, with a prodigious
noise, into view. Denton's horse had
no difficulty in keeping up with it. 81
The old engine was coupled to the
car, and then Denton went for
Frances.
1.-THE train is ready" he said.
EThe train! What tramp
'oThe train that is to carry you to the
Obi, where you will join your father"
"But there is no trainv
There is a train, and as the steam
is up and the track clear l suggest
haste. Your father is probably anx-
ious."
She went with him. At the sight Of
the engine she understood.
"You are wonderful-you are doing
this for me!' she said.
Eyes, but Neslerov will be a passen-
ger.''
"And you?"
Engineer, conductor, guard-all."
He took her to the car and made her
comfortable.
Neslerov was carried to the car by
the villagers. The backs Of two seats
were turned down, bed was made for
him, and he lay there quiet and SEEM
ingly content.
"Of course, know that you are seri-
ously wounded,' said Denton to him,
land the possibility Of your doing any
mischief is small, but I want to tell
you before we start that if catch you
at any tricks I will kill you as would
a dog"
Neslerov nodded, and Denton went
on the engine.
1t was an exciting start, though the
audience was small. The villagers
stared, then laughed as the little old
engine pulled and screeched and scrap
ed as it got under way.
But it had man in charge of it who
was accustomed to overcoming difficult
ties. And the way he made it groan
and work would have made glad the
heart Of the man who had abandoned
it on the siding six months before.
In the car was silence. Neslerov
was too weak to talk; Frances would
not talk to him If he wished. She re-
NAMED at her end Of the car, save to
go in mercy to him, and offer him wa
ter at intervals. At such times he
would look up at her with an earnest
inscrutab BILE expression on his face. She
would not speak, nor he.
Suddenly at a siding toward which
he had been aiming Denton turned the
engine to the right and brought the lit
tie train to standstill. They had been
on the road sixteen hours and had tray
eled 21O miles.
Frances and Neslerov both looked up
as the train stopped and saw the grimy
engineer enter the car.
"There is village near here" be
said, land just beyond this siding there
is a small signal box. l have just Wis.,
tied it, and there is train coming this
way from Tomsk. Undoubtedly, as
there is no regular train due, this is a
searching party out after Frances Cor
don. Now, 1 have no wish to start an
international controversy. What story
shall we tell"
''Tell the TRUTH" said Frances. 1T