The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-04-13

pGct
MY cousin Olga"
That girl. She would no more dare
go down in those dungeons than She
would enter Il den of wild beasts. And
how could she learn that they We're
down there?'
"It is not quite a secret. Some of
the servants saw them brought in"
"Since the princess came the servants
have had enough to do without talking
about two prisoners of whom they
know nothing. Anyway, how could
Olga, who has spent but little time in
Russia and none near Graslov OF Perm,
ever hear of the Paulpoffs:" 9"
81 know not. But certain it is there
is q traitor here. This escape, il escape
it is, will cost us dear"
"If escape it is! 1t may not be an es-
cape after all! The chains are old and
rusty. Perhaps they have given way,
and the prisoners may be wandering
around the passages. l will send for
Itzig."
Neslerov was terribly disturbed. He
paced to and fro in the police office, and
his face did not regain it's color. He
was playing for high stake-the high
est stake-playing for his life-and the
game seemed lost.
Jansky sent for Itzig, and he came be-
fore them.
You went to sleep last nightr thun-
dered Jansky, whose theory was that
to obtain the truth from cuiprit you
must terrify him at the start.
Il swear did not, your excellencyv'
replied Izig, shivering in terror.
you lie! went in the guardroom,
and you We're asleep. l found there a
portion of a bottle of wine. Who gave
you that?''
81! A bottle of wine! never tasted
wine in my life. Brandy and vodka,
plenty, but wine-1 am too poor"
ooh, you did not buy this wine. Some
one at the fete gave it to you. Who
was it?"
II know not! swear / know not
who put the wine in my room!'
You are lying. A tray was also
there, with dishes. You had your feast
ard got drunk. Who brought the stuff
to you?"
II swear no one. II there was 8
feast, it was some one elses.'
How could any one else eat there
and you not know it?'
Itzg saw he was lost.
81 may have-perhaps slept mo
ment."
"a moment! You slept hours, ant
the prisoners you were guarding have
escaped"
"Impossiblev' gasped Itzig, almos
sinking through the floor.
Enough of thisw said Neslerov
"Itzig is here, and If he has permitted
the men to escape he can be punished
any time. We are wasting precious
moments. Let us get down to the dun
geons and find them"
Jansky took pistol, and 80 did Ne
slerov. They went to the guardroom
Jansky took the lantern and openet
the door and iron gate. He led tn
way, Neslerov and 1tzig following.
See? He has gone" said Jansky
pointing to the chains.
"Are you certain this is the room2'
Certain? AS am alive"
"Then for the other, and keep
watch. They are not armed, but re
member Paulpoffs strength. and tn
other is no pygmy."
Again Jansky led the way. He di'
cot tell Neslerov he had not been t
visit Vladimir. In his agitation a
finding the American gone he had as
sumed, Of course, that il one could es
cape both could. Reaching an obscur
sorner, toward which Denton had NO
chanced to 60 in his search, they foun
another stairway leading downward
This short flight brought them to
horrible place-more horrible than tn
one where Denton had been chained.
This was dungeon made cold an
damp by the water that stood tw
inches deep on the floor, and in whic
blind reptiles that had never seen an
brighter place crawled around in ii
Shiny ooZe. Long strings of rotte
moss hung from the walls. Here,
this noisome and terrible place, we
Vladimir, chained in the same mannt
as Denton had been.
II thought you said he had gone too
+ exclaimed Neslerov, Il flood of hol
and courage showing in his voice.
81 thought so. In my excitement
!, believed both had gone, but if one
here the other must be. We w!
search the dungeons"