The Ordway new era., 1905-10-20
CHAPTER XIII.
Sentenced TO Siberia

When the startling Cohmduus
Surrender. traitors, in the name OF
the Czar," fell upon the ears OF the
inmates of the Nihiiist rendezvous,
IL was ms n death Knell. and had the
surprise been less instantaneous than
IL was. the conspirators would have
made desperate resistance. For
they well knew, that captured as they
were, red,handed with all the eyi.
dCncG OF their guilt. that their doom
was sealed. and that from that mo.
mout their days-perhaps even their
very hourS-wcre numbered.
II was too late TO attempt escape
by the unseen doors that formed part
Of the apparently solid walls. for a
dozen rifles covered them, and the
soldiers. with fingers on the triggers,
were only waiting the order 10 fire.
So the prisouers-sOmc In defiance.
some In sullen resignation. some In
hopeless despair. stood stIll: while In
] obedience 20 the command OF the Of
/ ECcT. half n dozen soldiers speedily
/ descended and with drawn rcvolyors
/ pointed at the heads OF the Conspira.
! tors ordered them 10 throw up their
! hands. Five minutes later, the cap
| tured. men and women alike. were in
irons. and were seated In silence
waiting the arrival Of the prison vans
tC bear them away.
Under the direction Of the officers.
a search was then made of the prem
ises. The bombs. tho wires. and the
battery left no doubt as To the pur.
pose Of the prisoners; nor was there
wanting still further proof OF their
| guilt. For kirshkin, weak from loss
OF blood, and paralyzcd by terror.
crawled on his knees To the officer
and begging for his life offered to
betray his companions. Without com.
mitting himself to promise anything.
the officer induced Kirshkin to pro.
coed. and the fear-striCken wretch re-
yealed the hidden chambers ON the
other side Of the wall. Here were
/ found papers revealing the ramIfca.
/ lions OF the conspiracy and fmpllcat.
ing thousands of Nihilists throughout
! the empire.
Among all the prisoners there we're
| none who felt their fearful position
more than did Ivan and Alexis. Olga
and Ida. With blanched faces they
locked into each other'p eyes. only
to receive in return a sigh of hone.
less despair. Alexis. at the first mo.
ment, had drawn the hood of his
sreatcoat over his head. and Olga had
similarly concealed her features with
the cape of her mantle But these
precautions were needless at the
time, for when roughly ordered to
show their faces neither of them
were recognized by the officer or by
any of his men. They Judged nv
Alexis uniform. and by the rich and
elegant dress OF Olga. that their pris.
onersl were persons Of no mean sta.
ton; but, since 1t was known that
Nihilists were to be found in all
ranks OF society, the only feeling of
me soldiers was one of qualification
that they had evidently caught some
great hsh in the net destined for
small fry. Their reward. they felt
sure, would be all the greater,
In Few hurried words Ivan begged
olga, who was almost fainting 10
keep up her courage: that some
means would be found to effec, her
release: but his words produced little
comfort to the stricken girl who
with her hands clasped in unsnaa,,
able anguish, sat gazing at her hus.
band with n look of hopeless despair
1t was not of herself that Olga
thought lvan's fate; her fathers
frief; her mothers deadly anger: the
bIow to the prospects of Nicholas
all these, as the result of her arrest
flashed in turn through her distracted
mind.
Alexis sat, his hands claspeh in
those of Ida, a prey to the most con.
flicting emotions. He realizea at
once That no explanation, however
trne' could save him from the fate
which he felt certain awaited him.
degradation from his high rank. so.
ciaI ostracism. exile. perhaps death
itself--all these he felt were the m.
evitable result of his capture at su,,a
time and In such place. For
Alexis had been one of the first to
be searched and in the breast of his
coat had been found VANS cigar case
with the Red Rouble therein, He
felt that this one fact had sealed his
tate. and with such fortitude as he
could command he resigned himself
to the inevitable, and awaited the
1eXt move of the soldiers.
The vans arrived 1t length. and
nnder the escort of three troops of
Cossacks. the prisoners having been
gunGled IT. the march began TO Tho
great prison Of petropavlosk.
WA and Olga. Alexis and Ida.
ironed 20 each other, were evidently
tire grand rr,ze in tho eycs OF the
, soltisrs and rol.cc. for The van In
which they were ordered to take their
Piece rad ono entire troop az an ~
ccrt. Following carnc the ether vc.
hicies laden With Irisonerg. and last
s ~ Eroc4ssion came FL tho pars.
4I4fI.