, 1904-07-20

H1IAtN HlOOo NaitihS
ed. but Orskoff paid little heed TO nm,
Put the prisoners in irons, he saiu
to a subaltern.
"But irons won't unlock my lips,
said Harvey.
81 will find a way to unlock your
lips. If | cannot find Koura on that
island in the morning. l will hang you
by your thumbs till you tell the truth
But | am anxious to tell it now. You
won't listen"
Orskoff waved his hands, and Har'
yey was dragged away.
The gunboat remained. and as soon
as it was sufficiently light in the morn
ing Orskoff took n squad and returned
to the island. He examined every foot
of the place and returned to h gun
boat chagrined and angry.
Bring up that Americana he CON-
manded. Harvey was hustled TO the
deck.
Lieutenant Nevisky. attend" said
Orskoef. Now, stealer of women, l
will give you one more chance to tell
the truth. If you do not, your thumbs
will be torn out. Your life depends
upon your answers. Tell where you
have hidden Koura. Your punishment
will be worse than death If you do not.
Koura was to have been my Wife
you said something like that before,
but that she was to be your wife is
news to me. For my part, ! am willing
to tell you where she is"
81 have searched the island. l an
convinced that Koura is not there"
81 could have told you that and saw
ed you trouble and time. Koura is get
ting farther away every minute. You
will never find her."
You fiend, | will have your life!'
howled the captain as he sprang to his
feet.
you do seem inclined that way, but
before you take it, reflect. Just show
a little common sense, if you have any.
If you kill me, how do you expect to
find K%oura?"
but you say you do not know where
she is"
81 said nothing of the kind. l said
| did know where she was. But l did
not take her there. Take off these con
founded irons, treat me like a man,
and l will tell you what l know"
Remove the irons," said the cap
tain. The lieutenant unlocked them.
Come with me alone" said Harvey.
Surprised, Orskoff beckoned to Ne
visky, who turned and walked away
Beware" said Orskoff, 'how you
trife with me-"
81 am not trifing with you. I am
the only man who can help you find
your Koura, and it happens that l have
as ardent a reason to want to find her
as you"
"You-you love herr'
81 don't even know her, but one /
love is with her"
"Then you did take her awayY
mo, l did not. l know nothing about
Koura-that is, except where she is
this moment. But, before l tell, you
must first tell me how you traced me
to the island"
Orskoff made a gesture of impa-
tience.
"Koura had been living with her I'M
Gle in Tifis. l saw her every day,
and if l was not on duty l spent the
evening at the house. One night l was
on duty and did not go. l stopped to
see her the next morning, and her IN
Gle, who IA beside himself with ter
ror, told me she had gone out the night
before and had not returned. l knew
she had been stolen, and, as hat was
the morning you escaped from prison,
l knew you had taken her. l searched
the river and learned that Charka's
hayboat had gone down toward the
Caspian. 1t was said that a man and
woman, the woman disguised as q
man, had gone with Charka. | reached
the coast as soon as possible, but
could not overtake you. The launch
had gone before l made the discovery,
or all this would not have happened.
On the gunboat | cruised everywhere,
using the searchlight at night. Last
night we discovered the hayboat and
at once went TO the island"
"I was ON Charka's boat" said Har,
vey, land if you had used any reason
ing powers you would have known
that it could not have been Koura who
was with me. You say you were told
that the woman with me was disguised
as a man. Now. how could l get Koura
in such a disguise? When a woman
DISCUSSES herself, it is for a purpose.
koura was stolen; she did not go of her
own accord, as did Alma"
"You speak of Alma Jurnieff, niece
of the colonel"
"Yes. She assisted me to escape, and,