Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-06-21
Prisoners and Captives
-=@=@-
By II. S. MERRIMAN

must be worse than being In a Siberia
: prison ones self"
1t Is easy to set down the words, bu
' to render the slight twang, the wonder
full power of expressing pathos that la
hidden in this mans tongue, Is task be
! yond any pen. Tyars stopped him wit
quick gesture Of the head, as IL to init
mate that all this was no news to him.
why" he asked, curtly, 'are yo'
showering all this upon me? Do yo,
think that l am the sort of fellow to turf
back?"
"Oh, no" answered Easton In an alter
ed tone. Then he turned in his chai
and. unlocking a drawer In the pedesta
of his writing table, he drew forth sew
eral leather-bound books, which he sci
upon the table in front Of him. "Oh
no." he said, turning the pages. "Only
you seemed to be Of opinion just now that
the pastime of staying at home and pull
ing strings had it's advantages"
$50 it has," was the cool reply: 'but
that in no way alters the case as far as
l am concerned"
Then l apologize" said Easton, rails
ing his eyes without moving his head. II
thought, perhaps-well never mind! !"
What do you think?"
II had a sort of notion that some other
interest had sprung up-that you were
getting sick Of all this long preparation"
''And wished to back out?" suggested
Tyars in his high-bred Indifference.
AS he spoke he looked up and their
eyes met. A strong contrast-these two
pairs of eyes. The one, large. placid; the
other quick, keen and restless. Although
Eastons gaze did not lower or finch, his
eyes were not still =; they seemed to search
from corner to corner of the large glance
that met his own.
II am afraid" he said ignoring the
question, that I am getting trife skep-
tical. l have had more than one dis
appointment. Our doctor-Philippi. you
know-has been appointed sanitary in
spector of the town of Lille, or something
equally exciting. He has intimated that
while fully sympathizing with our noble
scheme, he can only help us now with his
purse and his prayers. l do not imagine
that his purse will assist you materially
to steer through the ice on dark night
in the Sea of Kara"
ut comes, no doubt" said Tyars, half
apologizing for the French doctors
treachery, from his failure to realize
the whole thing. The nation took up the
que ston of the slave trade without a
moments hesita ton, and that was one
upon which there were undoubtedly argu-
ments upon both sides of equal weight.
We are not sure now that the compare
lively small proportion Of the human race
victimized by the slave trade has really
benefited. The state Of Russia and her
system of government Is a disgrace to
the whole world-yet the whole world
closes its eyes to the fact. The Siberian
exiles, In my estimation, call for more
sympathy than those thick skinned, dense
Drained negroes"
Easton said nothing. His father had
been a slave owner, but he fact was
unknown to Tyars, and he did not think
it necessary to mention 1t. Had the slave
trade never been suppressed, Matthew
Mark Easton would have been one of the
richest men in America. As it was, he
sat daily in this little Office in the city
Of London conducting-to all outward
appearances-a small and struggling COM
mission agents business. 1t was some
what characteristic Of the man and his
that Claud Tyars should be al
lowed to remain In ignorance of these
matters.
Easton now turned to the leather-bound
books, and the two men sat far into the
day discussing questions strictly technical
and strictly confined to the fitting out of
the small vessel lying in the London dock
for an expedition to the Arctic seas.
Even in the discussion of these details
each man retained his characteristic man
ner of treating outward things. Easton
was irresponsible, gay and light, while |
beneath the airy touch there lurked' a |
truer, firmer grasp of detail than Is pos
,essed by the majority of men. His |
1ueer little face was never quite grave,
even while speaking of the most serious
matters. His manner was, throughout,
suggestive, of the forced attention of a
;choolboy, ready to be led aside at the
slightest interruption, while the relation !
If hard facts and the detailing of long
statistics ran from his glib tongue with
,ut the least sign of effort.