The San Francisco call., 1904-04-24
CHAPTER xXvI.
A NEW DEJNEFF.

AT the Iegdt1On plaza 1OunQ DeJneH
striding up and down in the dark con-
suming black cigar 1 needed nothing
more to make me sure that something
was wrong.
When 1 came up he stopped quickly
in his tracks. While he was growing
out some Russian oaths with his usual
zest, could see that he was not the
same gruff old Dejneff. There were so
many things 1 wanted to ask him that
/ was at loss which to ask first, and
yet I did not forget that there was one
question which 1 must not permit him
to ask me: did not want him to men
tion Dulcine.
"Oranoff is here?" l seized his coat
sleeve as l spoke the words. He took
the cigar out of his mouth and nodded
dumbly. The grizzled warrior, always
ready before with an oath or gruff
laugh, only nodded, now, to this the
most serious question 1 ever asked
man.
Lights were moving up and down in
the legation, but the Kings wing was
dark as the night, and l wondered how
it was that Whang-Su was not meeting
his Cabinet as of yore.
The whole place seemed unnatural. 1
shook myself and repeated the question
to Dejneff, and now he found his voice:
"Oranoff, or his ghost" The mans
breath left him with those four words.
But soon he found it and continued:
I'VE were coming in from the imperial
mausoleum after dusk. a few Cossacks
and myself, and near the great bell we
ran into q street fight. The crowd
scattered as we dashed up, and there
on the ground lay Colonel Oranoff. We
brought him to the legation. For a
time he was unconscious, and when at
last he came around he did not know
where he was, and attempted to get
out of his bed and go away; the Co.'S
sacks pulled him back, and he lies
there now like tiger. 1 am afraid he
has been hurt on the head, and it has
struck in"
Dejneff spoke like child, and it was
plain that he was all knocked up.
1 was pushing on toward the lega-
ton door as we talked, dragging Del
neff with me. / feared that 1 could not
see Oranoff. We had reached the great
door now, and felt sure that Dejneff
had not told me all the truth.
Come, old man. / said, taking him
sternly by the lapel of his great coat;
what's upe How did Oranoff come to
Keinning, and how was he hurt?" 1
could not go on until l knew more.
Damn me II know, Martyr; go see
for yourself"
I dragged him into my room. 1 did
not know whether 1 wanted to go to
Oranoff yet or not. While PAX was
getting the brandy and soda, we sat
looking at each other in silence,
though Dejneff swung himself around
and around in his chair every half
minute with deep sigh.
AS we waited. the interior of that
room brought back a score of painful
memories Here I had conceived and
carried into execution this reckless ira
vesty which, for all / knew now, was
to cost sevef4&- of us our lives. 1 re-
membered what Oranoff had once said
about peace costing the Car the lives
OF his best; If Oranoff had been perma-
nsntly injured, good life had surely
been wrecked in Quelparte to avert u
war with Japan! Even the pictures on
which / had hung some of those silk
garments were still askew, and the
chair stood before the fireplace just
where 1t had stood when ] told Dulcine
that story of Lynx Island. AS
thought of Dulcine I shuddered-for
fear Dejneff would speak of her! What
could they think of her absence with
Colonel Oranoff In such a condition?
But might 1t not be that even this was
fortunate? tried to think it was.
The liquor did something toward
making men of US again-being good
for all poisons. Dejneff was quite him
self, and my presence seemed to give
his confidence.
This protectorate business has been
going all against the grain," he said at
last, with a nod toward the Kings
wing of the legation. I remembered
that 1t was dark. ITS set the people
against us, which explains this attack
on Oranoff."
! was thinking it was Tuen's revenge.
HAS the King heard Of it?" asked.
mo, the King has left"
/ started.
What do you mean. Dejneff?"
"Oh. the people thought we had him
here, and had put the screws on him
to pull through this protectorate, and
the Cabinet made him clear out for the
new palace
HE has gone already"
HE went tonight; we couldn't keep
him, and we didn't want him either"
So here was the end of my plan to
see the King tonight; in fact,
doubted whether I could ever see him
alone now, hedged in as he probably