The Washington times., 1904-10-16
CHAPTER II-Continued.


his transportation 10 a less congenial
field.
While the Russian consul was permit
ted 20 return to St. Petersburg before
the blockade, BardOn was instructed 70
remain at the consulate and guard the
property OF his faJherland. AS me alone
knew the strategic method of talsi1ylng
church records, and, strangely enough
without actually faIsifyiug Them II was
devoutlv hoped in the Russian capital
that the Mahdi would succeed In razing
the city and the destruction of so over
clever young man be accomplished
If Khartoum fell BardOn would not be
spared This they knew. II he escaped
back TO Russia before the siege he would
be tried and sentenced to Siberia for de-
serting his post, Thus was it apparent
that Bard0n was q doomed man.
on the eVentful night OF the z5th OF
January Prince Bardoh was awakened
by the war cries OF the sheiks. the clash
of arms, and the din of massacre
through ali the slumbering city. Rising
calmly he made his way Dy secret
tsssaga to the rear OF the consulate,
which was hanked by a mission church
and its gardens,
Gaining the second edihce9 Bardon
passed along over many tomb slabs set
in the stone floor before the high affairs,
skin. ne uncovered. The space within
was empty, save the bundle of woman's
clothes which he had previously hidden
there
Hastily douuiug this disguise, Bardon
threw in his own clothes, then Crept
into the tomb and drew the slab over
him. Thus he felt himself In double Sc
curity.
III the rapacity Of the dervishes and
Fsrra ne
graves, where they had reason 10 be-
ueve the ValuabIes were hidden, even
then his feminine costume might save
him, since he knew well that only the
men would be killed, the women taken
captive and made slaves % the euirs.
soon was heard the roar OF triumph.
as The invaders gained the mission and
began the onslaught, numbering the
priests and taking the nuns captive
Even his own servants BardOn over
heard screaming out their implorings for
mercy under the torture of the lash
when commanded 10 tell the hiding
places of their masters vaIuabIes.
Enraged at not finding the enormous
loot which the Mahdi had promised
them. drunk on blood. and respecting
now neither human things nor divine.
into lhe mission church where the prince
was hidden they poured like a pestlIence,
H
breaking INFO empty closets and chests
containing vesJments and reiquaries,
shrieking, slashing. and singing with i'm
sane laughter the while. splitting upon
the holy things and rending them 70 bits
in the hope OF uncovering spoil
Finding nothing as yet, they pried up
one OF the tomb slabs. and the silver
service of the sacrament was discovered.
This was a signal Tor uncOvering all the
r-H
gun with the savagery Of ghouls and the
rapaciLy of starved hyeuas.
Poor BardOh heard the sc0undrels ap-
preaching his hiding place, and his heart
stood stil. Raising the slab above him
he peeped out and saw the mad horde
al their labor by tOrchHght unc0verlng
one after another with their axes and
bsyouets. the sleeping places Of the
dead.
To stay there meant certain death.
for the torches were flaming bright. and
although his beardIess face was some
what feminine In its deHcacy, IN such
a glare the disguise would have been
too apparent.
Removing the slab noiseIessly Bardoh
crept out and dashed through the chan
eel the shrieklng dervishes at his heels.
But he soon disappeared an the dark
ness.
Making his way by stealth back TO
the consulate. he saw it filled with the
fends who had slaughtered the attend
ants and were tearing down the very
walls for loot
To return there meant instant destruc-
tion. So there being a stone storehOuse
at hand with loft hlIed with straw.
thiLher BardOH CreDt uOiseIessIyi and
finding the way clear, gained th- attic
and craw-ed under a pile OF straw
But even this deserted building was
soon alive with the dervishes. and re-
cediuE into the depths Of the shelter,
BardOn awaited their onslaught.
Into the attic they poured, Ieaping
upon the straw pile, rammiug their
lances here and there through the unre-
Eisting c0Verlet. one OF the darts barely
grazing Bardons shoulder.
The poor prince thought his time had
come; and. with a prayer on MS lips,
he awaited the fatal stab. even weIcom-
ing II. hoping that H. might be speedy
and sure IA its awful work. But the
dervishes. having quite satisfied them
selves that there were neither refugees
nor spoil hidden there. retreated-aU
but two. who remained behind ln a state
OF exhaustion, throwing themselves. upon
the straw pile. while they wiped their
6renched blades.
don then listened made his blood freeze.
He knew that the palace and fortress
were taken. that Gordon was dead. and
his head dispatched 20 the Mahdi He
knew the ayfu extent OF the raDlne
the command OF mo quarter 10 the
Christian dogs" that had gone forth
from the khaIfahs-the order which
was running the streets with blood
DE realized that the city was IN the
possession Of the rebels: and that
whether ne escaped now or was later
driven from his hiding place by impend-
iuE starvation. the end would be the
same-death. nothing but death
And yet there IS always a CLEAN OF
hope tn the darkest heart at whatever
crisis Of human destiny. Bard0n felt
that he might win his way 10 freedom
bv strategy and he lived q hundred
years ia less than half as many mo-
meat= there, half smothered by the
painting derylshes who were seated al
most uDon him.