The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-06-04
ask with honor, proceed with his

bride to 81. Petersburg and be received
with great eclat by both p~otentate and
people whom he has mutually served
by his brilliant work.
Thus he muses.. smoking his cigar
meanwhile and taking life as COM
Portable as he can. 1t strikes him
that the vehicle is tossing about more
than is necessary, II the driver has
taken the direct road. and the baron
idly thrusts his head out Of the open
window.
The moon is concealed for the time,
being back Of some clouds, so that all
he can make out is that The neichhor-
hcNd does not seem familiar. Just
then there is a grand lurch; n side
Of the shigram drops into a small cav
ity in the street, ard the baron comes
very near being tossed out. He has
the breath somewhat shaken from his
body by the sudden conclusion. TIL.
vehicle comes to a sudden stand. This
makes the baron furious; he has a
violent temper that occasionally
flashes into hot heat when things do
not so to please him.
@Kito." he roars, shaking the door.
"Sahib, 1 am here" nswers a voice.
ooh, you are! Unfasten this door! |
cannot make It slide" snaps the baron.
"Sahib. it opens this way" Where
upon the baron steps out upon the
street.
where arc we" he demands, look
Ing around at the dimly seen houses,
with their strange fronts. Il do no.
recognize the place. This is not the
road from the hotel to my rooms-the
road we travelled over in going. SPEAK
Kito."
ut is not, sahib," meekly replies the
humble driver, who stands close ty
him.
How does this come, miserable
dog?" demands the Russian, half
tempted to chastise the wretch who
has led him into this pickle.
1T is my fault. 1 thought to take
a short cut to your rooms. The moon
betrayed ne. l saw not this hole.
Thank Allah 1t is no worse" replies
the other. c~ndeavorins apparently to
conciliatc him; but the enraged Rus
sian grows warmer every minute.
No worse!' You fool, unless we
can lift the wheel out Of the hole, l
may have to walk-all. through your
stupidity! Do you know, I've a mind
to teach you a lesson such as the sc,fs
in Russia learned long ago."
With that, the baron. blind with
passion, leaped owe to the vehicle and
snatches the whip.
1t is a wicked looking instrument OF
torture, especially in the hand of one
who knows how to handle such a
thing; and the baron, 10 doubt, has
had experience among sledge dogs dur
ing his Journeys in the frozen wastes
Of Siberia to be able to pluck a piece
C flesh from a certain spot on an ami
NAL. An adept with such a whip can
a~nnihilate a horse-hy that has lodged
upon the back Of the leader, and, al
though the report sounds like the dis
charge Of a pistol, the animal has not
been eve touched.
1t can be set down as certain, there
fore, that the person familiar with a
whip has no desire to feel such ar IL
sfrument of torture laid upon his back
or legs. Kito raises his hand in pro
test.
"Sahib. forbear! 1t would not be
well for you to strike me-" he says
calmly.
The moon has appeared again. 1t
shows q singular sp%ectacle-the shig.
ram partly turned over the angry BAR
on, whip In hand. and the splendid
figure Of his Hindoo driver standing
there In an attitude Of FEARLESS warn
inc, his right arm raised as If to keep
the Russian from going too far.
Perhaps the baron had seen the
knout laid upon wretched humanity so
often In his native land that his first
inclination is to use a whip upon one
for whom he has conceived a sudden
anger, not counting the consequences.
That may do when applied to the de-
based serfs of Russia, but 1t will not
be endured in this land, where proud
blood flows through the veins Of even
the meanest of the people.
The baron does not know what ne
invites. He sees the action Of his driV-
er. and instead of moderating his zeal.
1t enrages him still more
"You scoundrel! Dare to threaten
me a Russian nobleman! Take that
Even as he speaks he gives the crue'
whip a sudden momentum. The lash
cuts the air and comes with a tremen'
dous snap against the limbs OF the
Hindoo driver.
He simply gives an exclamation, al