The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-31
Thursday, May 81, 1906.

q j
man.
.sHave you ever been in Stock
No, excellency.''
Or in any Of the German ports?''
No, excellency'
DO you know where we are max
ing for now9'
mo, excellency'
-: - Nor Nor oy when we shall reach our des-
No, excellency''
You have some prisoners aboard?''
= Three drunken sailors, excellency.'
7 s, that's what the captain said.
But 1t it meant death for q sailor to
would speedily stop.
This is q government steamer, ex.
cellency, and If sailor here disobeys
orders he is guilty of mutiny. On a
merchant vessel they would merely put
him. in irons. "
few gold pieces?" r~ 500
. Excellency has been very generous
to me already" was the non commit
tai reply of the steward, whose eyes
nevertheless twinkled at the mention
of gold
letters which you are. to try to get de-
lVered when you return to St. Peters
burg" Fss..s % -~
Yes, excellency" ..s--a' :~~. H.
You will do your bestg" reg. 80
* Yes, @e,<cellency. - = \ So =,
"Well, if you succeed, III make
your fortune when [ IN released" SO
THANK you, excellency.' - -
That night at dinner the captain
opened bottle Of vodka, and con-
versed genially on many topics, without
touching upon the particular subject of
liberty. He partook sparingly Of the
stimulant, and, to Lermontoff's disap-
pointment, it did not in the least loosen
his tongue, and thus, still ignorant Of
his fate, the prince turned in for the
second night aboard the steamer.
When he awoke next morning he
found the engines had stopped, and, as
the vessel was motionless, surmised it
had reached harbor. He heard the in
termittent chuck-chuek of pony en-
CINE, and the screech Of an imperfectly
oiled crane, and guessed that cargo was
being put ashore. :. =:
Chow he said to himself, eff my
former sentinel is at the. door they are
going to take me to prison. If he is
absent, am to be set free.'
He jumped up, threw back the bolt,
opened the door. There was no one
there. In a very few minutes he was
on deck, and found that the steamer
was lying in the lee of a huge rock,
which reminded him of Mont, st.
Michel in Normandy, except that it was
about half again as high, and three
times as long, and that there were no
buildings Of ySkind upon it, nor, in
deed, the least sign Of human habita-
ton. s'~a - Z,
The morning was fine; in the east the
sun had just risen, and was flooding
the grim rock with a rosy light. Ex
cept this rock, no trace of land was
visible as far as the eye could see.
sailing boat with two masts, but pro-
vided also with tholepins, and sweeps
for rowing. The sails were furled, and
she had evidently been bEpught to the
steamer side by means of the oars.
Into this craft the crane was lowering
boxes, bags and what-not, which three
or four men were slowing away. The
l. shipment, and the captain, standing
with his back against the deckhouse,
was handing one by=one certain papers,
which Lermontof took to be bills Of
lading, to a young man who signed in
a book for each he received. When this
transaction was completed, the young
man saluted the captain, and descended
over the ship s side to the sailboat.
"Good morning, captain. At an
Choir, I see,'' said Lermontoff.
:" No, not at anchor Merely lying
here. The sea is too deep, and affords
no anchorage at this point.
"Where are all these goods going9'
The captain nodded his head at the
rock, and Lermontof gazed at it again,
running his eyes from top to bottom
without seeing any vestige of civiliza-
ton.
tThen you lie to the lee of this rock,
and the small boat takes the supplies
ashore7'' III. +
stExactly," said the captain.
stThe settlement, i take it, is on the
other side. What is ia ighthouse9"
.stThere's no Lighthouse, - said the
captain.
s.Sort of coastguard, then7"
eyes, in a way. They keep a look
out And now, highness, I see your
overcoat is on your back. Have you
left anything in your room9''
The prince laughed.
'<No, captain, I forgot to bring a