The Washington times., 1903-03-15
CHAPTER XIV.
AN AUDACIOUS LETTER.

"Sudekin. l can't endure this much
longer. I shall 20 mad. You who are
childless do not know what it is TO lose
an only daughter-and in such horri-
BILE manner, 1 would rather she were
dead than in the hands OF those &C
cursed rufhans- On. varia, Ny poor
Var4a,"
The speaker was General TichimiroI.
the governor of Irkutsk. He was pacing
up and down the floor OF the little post
station on the Angara-the same which
had witnessed the attack Of the con-
victs and the seizure OF the Cars gold
Near the fireplace sat Colonel Sude-
kin. the starosta, and Cossack officer.
all moody and detected.
The suffering OF the past ten days had
committed terrible ravages on General
Tichimirof
HIS stalwart frame was thinner. his
face white and haggard. his eyes suDken.
and his expression full OF hopeless de-
spair. For days he had not slept, and
but little food had passed his lips.
He continued to pace the floor ner-
vously. cIasping and unclasping his
hands. Though his limbs tottered IN
der his weight he persistently refused
to sit down. His only relief was in con-
slant motion.
Il can't endure this strain much
longer" he groaned- 1t is killing me.
Sudekin; killing me by inches. The
Ccssaeks have occurred the country for
a radius of forty miles. and yet they
have found nOthing-not a trace. Each
day the situation grows more hopeless.
BY this time my poor child must be dead
or worse than dead. God help those
f=nds when they fall into my power.
as some day they must. I will grind
the life out of them by ceaseless labor
in the mines. I'll hang them up by the
thumbs and gloat over their fortunes.
II ! dared I'd burn them alive. Sudekin.
I'd surpass the horrors OF the InqUisi-
ton, and make them think they were
living in the days of Ivan the Terrible"
His face grew purple with rage and
the violence OF his emotions choked
him.
lie walked Up and down in silence.
grinding his teeth and glaring at his
companions so ferociously that they
There is still hope Sudekin ven
tured TO say. when the governor had
become slightly calmer. The very
daring of these scoundrels will surely
prove their ruin To think that they
have carried off a million and half
Of rubles in gold. and the cars pri-
waite property at that, 1t is incredi-
bic, What will they do next? And
poor Dagmar, What fate can have
befanen him? He was a brave lad.
but he committed a grave error in
orGering his men of 10 ToImar. He
should have suspected some trickery
after these recent outrages. IT is bet
ter perhaps that he is dead. II liv-
ing. disgrace and punishment; would
be his"
There is strange feature con
nsctcd with this affair said tho COS
sack officer. Il mean the stranger
VINO intercepted Us that night and
whom I brought back mounted be
hind me. After The fight he disap-
peared and has not yet turned up 1t
Is my belief that he was oae OF this
gang of robbers
.'Verv likely" reioined Sudekin. in an
absent manner. Very likely!"
He lit a cigar and gazed mOodily into
the fire. and the Cossaek, taking the hint.
did the same.
The governor continued TO pace the
room. and the starosta. who was terribly
afraid OF him. crept unseen into a cor
ner and went 20 sleep on the floor.
Three whole DAYS had gone by since
the night Of Andres disappearance. For
two Of these days the snowstorm had
ragged until the ground was covered many
feet deep.