The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-07-28
CHAPTER XVI.

4 GOES uOtuIuk III tuc Va
Most men either laugh or weep, but some
there are who remain grave.
Matthew Mark ,Easton was not
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 Payloski and his
three compatriots, for he knew well
enough that he himself was but means
70 the end IL 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 PavSoski was the first to ar
rive. Immaculate. cold, and self-contain-
I'd as usual his oId-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
ss 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 dra wn round the fire.
Then the informal proceedings COM
menced Matthew Mark Easton was a
tri1e more restless than usual; his mo-
bile features alternated between grave
n,A l. &c Il pVa
never still.
Gentlemen" he said, I'VE have done
. vast deal of talking, and now at last
nome 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 meth
cd 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
4uHisCAS III lIUHuOu. Dut CdSc VI par
tial failure, it is quite understood thai
the others go on. Mr.. Tyars undertakes
10 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
Yansk, where we have a good friend On
the 10th of July he sails thence to COM
piete 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
not exceeding fifteen persons"
The three men turned their dull eyes
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 Easton. 1.-THE dis
tances are enormous but we have endeay-
ored to equalize them as much as posi-
Die. The. meeting point has been fixed
with view to this. 1t is the southern
most anchorage obtainable east of Cape
Ohelyuskln. though it is far within the
Arctic Circle. We have. succeeded. | sur
mise, In keeping our scheme completely
secret. No one knows of it except our
selves: not even the Nihilist party in
London. We must remember that we are
hr1f
gagged upon private enterprise. We
have friends who have been unjuStly ex-
iied, many OF them without a tral-upon
mere suspicion. We are attempting to
rescue those friends: that is ALL"
Yes" echoed the stout man. speaking
Tor the first time, that is all. | seek
my daughter
And L my sister," said one.
And | my brother" said another.
1T u.s." added Payloski, slowly, "a wife
with me-"
Tyars and Grace said nothing. They
had not quite thought it out. and were
unprepared with a reason Fastop was
more at ease now. He consulted a little
notebook hitherto concealed in his we;s+-
coat pocket.
Il have endeavored." he continued
without taking his eyes from the nocket.
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
hitter through to Siberia by prearranred
channels. In case of the death or impris-
onment OF our agent in ST. Petershure
che same communications would he kent
open We have each a substitute and
the arrangements are so simple that these
substitutes will have no difficulty in car
rying them out. need scarcely fell Won
that heavy brides have been sent to The
rlsnt, quarters in Siberia-high official
quarters"
The stout man grunted in a knowing
way. and signi6ed by a little nod of the
nead that no further interruption need
be feared.
In Russia" continued Easton. turning
tne pages OF his notebook. I'VE all know
tnat 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
VINO 50 out to- Siberia to organize the
escape OF the prisoners and exiles. sur
mise that it il unnecessary to point out
tnat these parts cannot be doubled. There