The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-04-21

j had been hrst conducted. All was
silent, and as we crept along on tiptoe
! felt the girls grip on my arm, a grip
that told me that she placed her faith in
me as her deliverer.
/ own that IL was q rash and head
strong act, for even beyond the lake how
could we ever hope to penetrate those
interminable inhospitable forests, so far
from any hiding-place. Yet i felt 1t my
duty to attempt the rescue. And be-
sides, had not her marvellous beauty en-.
meshed me! had / not felt by some un.
accountable intuition at the first mo-
ment we had met that our lives were
linked in the futurei She chung to me
as though fearful of discovery, as we
went forward in silence along that dark,
low corridor where l knew the strong
door in the tower opened upon the lake.
Once in the boat, and we could row back
to where the horses awaited us, and then
away. The woman had not arrested our
progress or raised an alarm, after all.
Once 1 had mistrusted her, but I now
saw that her heart was really filed with
pity for the poor girl now at my side.
Without sound we crept forward
until within a few yards from that un.
locked door where the boat awaited us
below, when, of a sudden, the uncertain
light OF the lantern fell upon something
that shone and deep voice cried out OF
the darkness in Russian
"Haltl or I fre!"
And, startled, we found ourselves look.
ing down the muzzle of loaded carbine.
A huge sentry stood with his back to
the secret exit, his dark eyes shining be-
meath his peaked cap, as he held his
weapon to his shoulder within six feet
of us.
The big, bearded fellow demanded
fiercely who was.
My heart sank within me. had acted
recklessly, and had fallen into the hands
of his Excellency, the Baron Xavier
Oberg, the unscrupulous Governor-Gen-
eral--fallen into trap which, IL seemed
had been very cleverly prepared for me.
was q prisoner in the terrible fort
ress whence no single person save the
guards had ever been known to emerge
the Bastile of "The Stranger OF Fin
land!"
saw was iOSC. -.
The muzzle Of the sentry's carbine was
within two feet of my chest.
Speak" cried the fellow. "Who are
your
AT a glance ! took in the peril Of the
situation, and without seconds hest
tation made dive for the man beneath
his weapon. He lowered it, but IL was
too late, for l gripped him around the
waist, rendering his gun useless. It
was the work OF an instant, for knew
that to close with him was my only
chance.
Yet IL the boat was not in waiting be-
low that closed door, II my Finn driver
was not there in readiness, then I was
lost. The unfortunate girl whom I was
there to rescue drew back in fright
against the wall for q single instant,
then, seeing that ! had closed with the
hulking fellow, she sprang forward, and
with both hands seized the gun and at
tempted to wrest 1t from him. His fn-
gers had lost the trigger, and he was
trying to regain it to fire and 80 raise
the alarm. I saw this, and with an old
trick learned at Uppingham / tripped
him, 30 that he staggered and nearly
fell.
An oath escaped him, yet in that mo-
ment Elma succeeded in twisting the
gun from his sinewy hands, which now
held with strength begotten Of knowl.
edge of my imminent peril. My whole
future, as well as hers, depended upon
my success in that desperate encounter.
He was huge and powerful, with a
strength far exceeding my own, yet had
been reckoned good wrestler at Tipping
ham, and now my knowledge of that
most ancient form of combat held me in
good stead.
The man shouted for help, his deep,
hoarse voice sounding along the stone