Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-03-22
CHAPTER TX

i.
whose eyes had already become red and
Infamed.
"Hush!" said Podatehkine. take
care"'
':Why?" asked Nicholss. in a hoarse
whisper.
Because all may not be yet as you
wish 1t, and in Russia sometimes the
tongue hays the shoulders and cuts off
the head"
True" said the hitherto taciturn Step
MAX, who was carefully feeling the keen
edge of his Ratchet, las the Tartars have
It, when you have spoken the word, It
rules over you; while it is yet unspoken,
you rule over it. But it seems to me-
Michail Podatchkine, that you have tax
en- great deal of trouble, and wasted
much time in the matter of this dispatch
As you passed through the forest togeth-
er, why did you not give him good prod
In the back with your lancer
Because, if wound is found on him,
folks might say he had been murdered; ;
and he must not bear a scar"
And neither shall you, friend Po-
datchkine," said Paulovitch with cruel
grin.
growled the corporal, with yawn and
shudder. Il have no desire to travel
with the next caravan TO Siberia, with
one side OF my head and face shaved.
and an iron rosary some FIVE pounds in
weight, on my wrists"
Fear not-you will never see Sibe-
ria"
Then you have made all sure about
Ivanovitch BalgonieY' said Podatchkine,
whose utterance was becoming somewhat
inarticulate.
''Ay, sure enough; the cups-the cup,
mean-was drugged with those black ber-
ries which grow in the forest hereabout;
the same stuff used by fine ladies 10
whiten their hands"
But why the cup and not the cor
dialY'
For this reason; 1 might have been
constrained to drink with him; and /
had no desire to fall, like some one else,
into a trap of my own batting"
Podatchkine, on whom the powerful
soporifc with which his cup had been
arugged-the sleepy nightshade-had
been rapidly taking effect, and whose
small cunning eyes had been opening and
shutting alternately, while a numbness
stole with a WEAKNESS over all his fac
ulties seemed suddenly to grasp at the
terrible meaning of the speaker. He
gave a start-he essayed to rouse him
self and shout, but in doing So toppled
off his stool, and sank on the clay floor
In a profound slumber.
AT last" said the halfbree admin
istering a kick to the PROSTATE figure:
"at last he has gone to sleep; now to
make sure Nat he shall never waken
more. All. the Asiatic! he was just get
ting suspicious at the end"
There are two coins in his pockets"
said the Stepniak, after investigating the
garments of the snoring Podatchkine,
who was now breathing heavily through
his red snub nose, which, between his
scrubhy beard and his shock hair. was
almost the only feature of his face that
was visible.
Leave the coins where you found
them" said Nicholas
''Wherefore?" asked the Stekniak,
with surprise.
1T will seem all the more honest in
thee, my good Stepniak, when you take
the body-bodies, L should say-to the
nearest military post. You have but to
say you found them dead in the forest"
And the wet clothingY
Dew or rain-what a head you
haver'
'True-true; ahl what a man you are,
Nicholas Paulovitch. so full of bright
thoughts! That idea would never have
occurred to me-"
Nor the other either. Quick now; we
have not moment to losep'
They extinguished the pine torch, and
tying the corporars hands securely with
a cord, carried him forth to the draw
well before the cottage. Then they sub
stituted that worthy warriors heels for
the bucket which was usually appended
to the rope. and permitting the winch to
revolve softly and gently, lowered him
down. snorting and gasping in his unnat-
ural slumber, head foremost, into the
deep, dark water belowl
The Stepniak turned the iron handle
of the windlass, while the gypsy guided
the rope with its heavy burden. He was
deliberately lowered down until his heels
remained above water, as the two
wretches could see by the starlight when
stopping and peering into the darkness
below.
The snorting had ceased now. The
dying corporal was heard to struggle
with his hands, as if he sought to free
them from the cords; few bubbles filed
with air rose to the surface and burst.
This continued for a minute, during
which all was silent everywhere, save the
half-suppressed breathing of the two
assassins, and the dreary sound of the
night wind as il shook the dark branches
of the giant pines that lowered in solemn
gloom around them.
Nicholas Pauloyitch listened intently,
and kept his eyes fixed on the cottage
where their other victim lay, as he doubt
ed not. sunk in what was intended. to be
his last sleep.
Anon. all became still-deathly still
in the depths of the dark well; the rope
ceased to vibrate, and the bubbles came
no more.
Let us leave him here for a few min
utes. and now for the captain and his
dispatchi By the time that we return
the corporal will be as stiff as il he stood
for sale in the frozen market on the fete
OF ST. Nicholas said the gypsy, with
one of his diabolical grins. while the
Stepniak. with a smile OF satisfaction
that showed his huge yellow teeth,
smoothed down TO his eyebrows the thick.
coarse black hair that grew from the
apex OF his conical caput
They now re-entered the cottage. and
again lighted the torch. All remained just
as they had left il: the pitcher. the
wooden bowls. the two cups. and The
empty bottle were on the table, and the
planters. with the debris of their rustic
supper; but the superstitious gypsy felt
species OF shudder come over him. for
when the torch fiared up in the night
wind and cast strange shadows on the |
dingy aud discolored walls OF the log
hut. II seemed 10 his diseased magma /
ton, for a moment. as il the outline OF 4
the drowned corporal still occupied the /
stool on which he had been seated.
Come" said he huSkily. the dis 1
patch.-snd then for the other9'
They listened intently. and placed the /
faddar against the tnaD door An -.