Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-26
CHAPTER XVI.
Cell Number Nine.

Lermontor to a seat beside him All the
forward part of the boat, and. indeed, the
space well back toward the stern, was piled
with boxes and bags.
What is this place called?' asked the
prince. but the young steersman did not
reply.
Tying the boat to iron rings at the small
landing where the steps began, three of the
men shipped their oars Each threw bag
over his shoulder, walked up half a dozen
steps and waited The clerk mationed Ler-
montof to follow, he stepped on the
shelf of rock and looked upward at the
rugged stairway cut between the main
island and an outstanding perpendicular
ledge of rock. The steps were so narrow
that the procession had to move up in In
dian file; three men with bags, then the
prince and the clerk followed by three more
men with boxes. Lermontoff counted 237
steps, which brought him to an elevated
platform, projecting from a doorway cut in
the living rock. but shielded from all sight
of the sea. The eastern sun shone through
this doorway, hut did not illumine sufficient
~ the large room whose walls ceiling and
floor We're of solid stone. At the farther
end a man In uniform sat behind a long
table on which burned an oil lamp with
a green shade. At his right hand stood a
broad. round braZier containing glowing
Goals after the oriental fashion, and the
officer was holding his two hands over it
and rubbing them together The ROOM
nevertheless. struck chill as a cellar, and
LermOntoff heard a constant smothered
roar OF water.
The clerk, stepping forward and saluting,
presented TO the governor seated there the
papers and envelopes given him by the cap
tain. The officer selected a blue sheet of
paper and scrutinized it for a moment under
the lamp
Where are the others?"
1--WE have landed first the supplies, gov
ernor; then the boat will return for the
others.
The governor nodded, and struck a bell
with his open palm. There entered a big
man with bunch of keys at his belt fol-
lowed by another who carried a lighted
lantern.
Number nine" said the governor to the
gaoers.
asked Lermontoh.
The governor gave utterance to a sound
that was more like the grunt of pig than
the ejaculation of a man. He did not
answer. but looked up at the questioner
and the latter saw that his face, gaunt
almost as that OF a living skeleton, was
pallid putty.
Number nine" he repeated whereupon
the gaoler and the man with the lantern
put hand each on Lermontoffs shout
ders, and marched him away. They walked
together down long passage, the swaying
lantern casting It's yellow rays on the iron
bolts of door after door until at last the
gaoler stopped. threw back six bolts IN
serted key, unlocked the door and pushed
IL ponderously open. The lantern showed 1t
10 be built like the door of q safe but I'M
Ike that of a safe it opened inward AS
soon as the door came ajar Lermontoff
heard the sound of flowing water and
when the three entered he noticed a
rapid little stream sparkling in the rays
or the lantern at the further end of the
cell. He saw shelf of rock and a stone
bench before it The gaoler placed his
on lprlrl los
up the lantern.
gaoler. ''io
Well my son, judging from the unap-
peuzins look of II, 1 think IT will last me
much longer" ~
The gaoler made no reply, but he and the
man with the lantern retired drawing the
a 400. heaViiy after them. Lermontoff heard
me Dolts thrust into place, and the turn OF
the key; then silence fell, all but the bah
bins OF the water. He stood still in the
center OF the cell, his hands thrust deem in
me tIe Poehets OF his overcoat, and in spite of
this heavy garment he shivered little
Jack, my boy he muttered This is q
new deal as they say in the west 7 can
! fd sl man going crazy here if it wasn't
ior that stream l never knew what darL
ness meant before. Well LET'S find out ~
size of our kingdom" ~
lie CROPPED for the wall. and stumbling
%e5lHst The stone bench. whose existence he
ma! forgotten, pitched head forward 70 ,t,a
tapie. and sent the four-dav InaT roIIfp,, 30
the moor. He made Intellectual CRASH at
lei the loaf, fearing it might fan into The
81 esHi ana be lost to him. but he cnuId
not Hnd IT, and row his designs for yoaas
Nrlng the cell gave place tn tho Sesiro of
HhGlnS that loaf. lie got down on his hapds
ana knees, and felt the stone floor ipcb h,,
- - 10. Ha-l an noun as he estimated the
t'iht, OUT never once did he touch the broad
HOW helpless a man is in the darx after
an ne muttered to himself Il must do
~ - s.shatiCaIy beginning at the edge
On All touTs he reached the margin of tba
fituiet and felt his way along the hrtnl<
IN ms mead struck the opposite wall He
tuIHtd round, took up a position that he
$780, y" as thIee feet nearer the door, and
as"4u IfaFerSed the room. becoming so
eager IN the search that he forgot for the
moment the horror of his situation lust as
"HeH engaged IN chemical experiment
everything else vanished from his mind ana
thus after several journeys back and fortb
he was again reminded OF the existence OF
the stone bench by butting against il when
ne Knew ne was sun several feet from the
wall Rubbing his head, he muttered some
untaVorable phrases regarding the immoy-
able bench, then crawled round IL twice
ana resumed his TRAVERSE excursions AT
IdSt he reacher the wall that held the door
ana now with breathleSs eagerness rubbed
MS shoulder against Ii till he came to tha
opposite corner. He knew he had touched
with knees and hands practically every
no bread.
Now. that's a disaster" cried he. get
ing up on his feet and stretching himself
SUI a man doesn't starve in four DAYS
We cast my bread on the waters II has
evidently gone down the stream. Now
what 70 hinder a man escaping by means
or thar watercourse? Still IL he did what
would De the use? He'd float out into the
Baltic sea, and II able to swim aronnd
the rock would merely be Compelled TO
Knock AT the front door and beg admission
again No, by Jove, there's the boat but
they probably guard it night and dav and
a man in the water would have no chance
against one in the boat Perhaps tbere's
graungs between the cells
or course. there's bound 10 be No one would
leave the bed of a stream clear for any
one 10 navigate. Prisoners would visit each
other in their cells and that's not allowed
In any respectable prison. wonder II
there's any one next door on either side OF
me. An iron grid won't keep out the sound
II try" and going again to the margin of
the watercourse. he shouted several times
as loudly as he could. but only a sepulchral
echo, as If from vault. replied to HIM
Il imagine the adjoining cells are empty
No enjoyable companionship to be expected
here L wonder II they've got the other
poor devils up from the steamer yet. I'll
sit down on the bench and listen.''
He could have found the bench and shelf
almost Immediately by cropping round the
wall, but he determined to exercise his sense