Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-08-01
CHAPTER XVII.

fHaen, as he thought he heard again the
mingled cries of devotion and maledic-
ton. At last he slept soundly and
awoke refreshed, but hungry. The
loaf lay beside him, and with his knife
he cut a slice from it, munching the
coarse bread with more Of relish than
he had thought possible when he first
saw saw 1t. Then he took out another Gig
arctic, struck a match, looked at his
watch n lit the cigarette. 1t was ten
MINUTES past 2. He wondered If q
hnNNgh4t had interviewed, but thought 1T
unlikely. He had landed very early in
the morning, and now it was after
noon. BE was fearfully thirsty, but
could not bring himself to drink from
mat stream of death. Once more he
heard the bolts shot back.
They are going to throw the poor
:Yretches into the sea-" he muttered.
Aut the yellow CLEAN of a lantern
Showed him it was his own door that
had been unlocked.
"You are to see the governor" said
the jailer grufly. "Come with me-"
Jack sprang to the floor Of his cell,
REFRESHING a cry of delight. Nothing
Ihe grim governor could do to him
would make his situation any worse,
and perhaps his persuasive powers up-
on that official might result in some
amel1orat1on Of his position. In any
case there was the brief respite of the
Interview, and he would gladly have
chummed with the devil himself to be
tree a few moments from this black
pit.
Although the outside door of the gov
errors room stood open, the room was
not as we'll illumined as it had been
before, for the u had now gone
round to the other side of the island.
OUT TO the prisoners aching eyes 1t
seemed a chamber of refulgence. The
same lamp was burning on the table,
giving forth an odor Of bad oil, but in
addition to this two candles were
lighted, which supplemented in some
slight measure the efforts of the lamp.
at the end of the table lay a number
OF documents under a paperweight,
arranged with the neat precision of a
m%ethod1cal man. The governor had
peer warming his hands over the bra
z1er, but ceased when Lermontoff was
brought up standing before him. He
lifted h paperweight, took from un-
der 1t the two letters which Lennon
tof had given to the steward on the
steamer and handed them to the pris-
oner. who thus received them back for
the second time.
Il wish to say, remarked the gov
ernor, with an air of bored Indifference
which was evidently quite genuine,
that If you make any further attempt
to communicate with the authorities
or with friends you will bring on your
self punishment which will be unpleas-
ant"
AS a subject of the czar l have the
right to appeal to him." said the prince.
1.-The appeal you have written here"
replied the governor, "would have
proved useless even if it had been de-
Hvered. The cza knows nothing of
the Trogzmondof, which is a strong
hold entirely under the control of the
grand dukes and of the navy. The
Trogzmondof never gives up a pris-
oner."
Then l am here for a lifetime?"
YES" rejoined the governor, with
fr1g1d calmness, land if you give me
no trouble you will save yourself some
inconvenience"
DO you speak French?" asked the
prince.
met"
"English?'
"Net."
"Italian?"
"Net."
"German"
"Da."
"Then," continued Lermontof in Ger
man, Il desire to say a few words to
you which 1 don't wish this jailer to
understand. I am Prince Ivan Ler-
monitor, a personal friend of the cars,
who, after all, is master Of the grand
dukes and the navy also. If you will
help to put me into communication
with him, I will guarantee that no
harm comes to you and, Furthermore,
will make you a rich man."
The governor slowly shook his head.
What you ask is impossible. Riches
are nothing to me. Bribery may do
much in other parts Of the empire, but
it is powerless in the Trogzmondof. I
shall die In the room adjoining this, as
my predecessor died. I am quite as
much a prisoner in the Trogzmondof
az Is your highness. No man who has
once set foot in this room either as
governor, employee or prisoner is al
lowed to see the mainland again, and
thus the secret has been well kept.
We have had many prisoners of equal
rank with your highness, friends Of
the car, too, I dare say, but they all
died on the rock and were buried in
the Baltic"
May I not be permitted to receive
certain supplies If I pay for them?
That is allowed in other prisons"
The governor shook his head.
II "a let You have q blanket" he
said, t.and pillow or a sheepskin IL
you find y cold at first, but my power