Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-03
CHAPTER XVI.

AdtL thew MARK I<dSLOl was uOL d
strong man. The last meeting of the
| association he was pleased to call Guy
Fawkes' was looked forward to by him
with positive dread He did not hold
himself responsible for Pavloski and his
three compatriots, for he knew well
| enough that ne himself was but means
10 the end. If these four Russians had
not met with him, they would still have
gone TO Siberia; for they were branded,
their souls were scared by the hot iron
the thrice-heated iron of unquenchable
vengeance.
Sergius Pavloski was the first to ar
! rive. Immaculate, cold. and self-contain-
ed as usual his old-fashioned dress clothes
scrupulously brushed, his large amethyst
shirt studs brightly polished. There was
steady glitter in his unpleasantly veil
ed eyes, but his manners were always
suave and courtly.
"Ah, Smith, cried Easton "punctual
as usual. We business men know its
value, eh?-especially at meal times"
When the guests were assembled, Eas-
ton led the way to another room, where
| dinner was served. The usual silence up
On the subject of their meeting was OBJ
served until the meal was over, and all
chairs were drawn round the fire.
Then the informal proceedings COM
| menced. Matthew Mark Easton was a
trife more restless than usual: his mo-
bile features alterrated between grave
aud gay, While his dancing eyes were
never still.
Gentlemen" he said, I'VE have done
vast deal of talking. and now at last
some of US are going into action. Each
one of you knows his part, and each one
OF you, OF course, will do his best. The
three gentlemen who leave tonight for
Siberia take absolutely nothing with
them except a little money. There are
no maps, no letters, no instructions. moth
ing that an enemy can get hold of. We
have, however, taken measures to supply
them with money at various stages of the
journey. We have also completed a meth
Oh OF communication, by means of which
the safe progress of the travellers can
from time to time be reported to st. Pc
tersburg, and subsequently. to the head
quarters in London. But in case of par
tlal failure, it is quite understood that
the others go on. Mr.. Tyars undertakes
TO get his ship round Cape Chelyuskin,
and to wait for you at the meeting place
arranged, namely, the wasternmost mouth
OF the river Yana, not far from Gust
1ansk, where we have good friend. On
the 10th of July he sails thence to COM
plete the northeast passage. and reach
the coast of Alaska. That date. gentle
men, is fixed. If no one comes to meet
him, he goes on alone, but he hopes to
see you all three, and each with a party
exceeding fiftnao
The three men turned their dull ewes
toward the two Englishmen seated side
by side. Unconsciously the seven men
assembled had grouped themselves in or
der. The stout Russian and Easton were
seated side by side with their backs to
the table, and on their left were placed
the three young Russians, while on the
right the two sailors sat side by side-a
big man and a small one-the lesser and
the greater power.
Of course" went on Eastor. .'the dis
tances are enormous. but we have endeav-
ored to equalize them as much as posi-
ble The meeting point has been fixed
with view to this. 1t is the southern
most anchorage obtainable east of Cape
Chelyuskin, though it is far within the
Arctic Circle. We have succeeded. I SIP
mise, in keeping our scheme COMPLETELY
secret. No one knows of it exceDt orr
selves; not even the Nihilist party in
London. We must remember that we are
not Nlhlllsts, but merely seven men en-
gagged upon a private enterprise. We
have friends who have been uniustly ex-
lied, many of them without a trial-1pon
mere suspicion. We are ATTEMPTING TO
rescue those friends: that is ALL"
Yes" echoed the stout man, speaking
for the first time, that is all. | seek
my daughter"
And | my sister" said one.
And | my brother" said another.
1t IS, added Pavloski, slowly, "a wife
with me-
Tyars and Grace said nothing. They
had not quite thought it out. and were
unprepaced with a reason. Easton was
more al ease now. He consulted a little
notebook hitherto concealed in his waist
coat pocket.
Il have endeavored," he continued
without taking his eyes from the pocket
book. Ito make every department indie
pendent as far as possible. For instance.
my own death would in no wise affect the
expedition. The money and information
would, after such an event, continue TO
filter through to Siberia by prearranged
channels. In case of the death or impris-
onment of our agent in St Petersburg.
the same communications would be kent
open. We have each a substitute and
the arrangements are so simple that these
substitutes will hEre no difficulty in "a =
rying them out. l need scarcely fell Won
that heavy brides have been sent TO the
| right quarters in Siberia-high official
quarters"
Iha stout man grunted in a knowing
way, and signifed by a little nod of the
head that DO further interruption need
be feared
In Russia" continued Easton, turning
| the pages of his notebook. I'VE all know
that every official has his price. The
only difficulty lies in the discovery of that
price. The only parts that have not been
doubled are those of the three gentlemen
who so out TO Siberia to organize the
escape OF the prisoners and exiles. | sur
mise that 1t is unnecessary to point out
that these parts cannot be doubled. There
are not three other such men to be found.
As to our ship. she was built. above and
below, under the personal supervision of
=
and Lieut.. Grace we have two sailors emf
! nenty calculated to bear the strain that
will be put upon them. Humanity speak
ing, they may be trusted to do all that
man can do 10 get the Argo around Cape
Chelyuskin to the rendezvous by the da.e
named. This is our last meeting in Lon
don. Some Of US may see each other
! again. l trust to God we shall. l trust
that He who knows no nationalities will
! bring five of you together again next sum
mer''
There was a pause. Matthew Mark
Easton turned the pages of his notebook
in vague, aimless way. Then in that
same position, without looking around. he
spoke in a low tone of voice
Gentlemen" he said, my report a.
finished"
CHAPTER XVII
On the evening of the Admirals' Club
dinner. early in December, Helen had
been IN the habit of dining at the Win
Al+bo,,rb