Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21

I O

furs and felt boots. Their tacturn guards gave no
further information; but CARING ham cried elatedly
''Ths implies a Perhaps we shall be back
in civilization within few hours"
His father was no less eager but their joy was
somewhat damped when they blindfolded
again and led forth from their mysterious prison
without any more knowledge of their whereabouts
than when they entered it many days earlier.
Their hands were tied again; but otherwise they
were tended carefully and permitted to sit in the
sleigh to which their guardians conducted them.
Then they were driven rapidly for two hours,
which seemed to be three times as long under the
conditions. Finally, unbound and freed from the
sackng, they found themselves standing in the
reception-hall of the Dukhof Monastery, while sew
eral of the monks offering them cordial, If
uninteligib1e, greeting In reality, they had been
driven round and round the spacious garden of the
convent; but of that vital fact they were utterly
in ignorance just then. .
They were offered refreshments, but their main
anxiety for news, which, in the absence of an
interpreter, not forthcoming. Lord Valletort,
however, made discovery.
"This wine is the that given by
friends the enemy he said after sampling the
beverage set before him.
II suppose it is a local vintage" said his
carelessly. Birmingham was racking his brains to
find easy Russian equivalents for questions he
wished to put to the hospitabe monks.
At last he managed to make of them under
stand.
w
When the Prince sends his Cossacks.'
So they only awaiting escort That
satisfactory in itself They must consume their
impotence until some external hustle in the court
yard heralded the arrival of the troops. 1t there
fore a remarkable fact that the first indication
of any event likely to disturb the solemn stiffness
of the monastery seemed to create extraordinary
panic among the stalwart monks who tended them
A bell began to peal rregularly, as though it was
being jerked with frenzied haste This caused
some excitement; but pandemonium reigned when
a rushed in and yelled something of which
Carlingham could make nothing. All around the
great hall were hung arms, mostly intended for the
chase, as these orthodox monks could kill bear and
wolves with the best of Russian sportsmen. Every
man, except one or two graybeards, seized spear
sword gun and ran forth into the courtyard.
terrific fight took place in the gateway, several vol
leys were fired outside and within few minutes
it became evident that force of besiegers
had made good their footing inside the outer wall
Even amid the anxiety of the turmoil, heightened
it was by their complete ignorance of the
of the quarrel Carlngham commented to his father
the amazing number of monks who appeared
During their first visit and now prior to the
pected attack, they had not than forty
of the so-called recuses. But before the external
fight had been in progress many seconds gray-robed
figures darted from innumerabe doors and passages,
and when the Englishmen looked out they could see
at least couple of hundred eccesiastcs offering
most vigorous and unclercal resistance to a dense
mob of assaants
This battle make-beieve affair. Men
fell dead or crawed away broken1y. The struggle
a series of single combats rather than the opera
tons of organized forces. Owing to the thickness
and strength of the garments worn by both parties
individual dueists gave and took the desperate