The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-05-21

Poe got 1t at last -
the captain turned on the bridge and
seemed for moment uncertain what
to do with his prisoner. A number of
men were leaning over the bulwarks of
the British ship, and it would have
been quite possible for the person on
one boat to give message to those on
the other. The prince, understanding
the captains quandary, looked up at
him and smiled, but made no attempt
to take advantage of his predicament
Some one on board the English ship
shouted and futtered a handkerchief,
whereupon the prince waved his Gig
arctic in the air, and the big boat dis
/ appeared in the thickness of the east.
LermontOff walked the deck, think
ing very seriously about his situation
and wondering where thy intended to
! take him. If he were to be put in
/ prison, it must be in some place Of de-
/ tention on the coast of Finland, which
/ seemed strange, because he understood
that the fortresses there were already
/ filed with dissatisfied inhabitants of
| that disaffected land. His first impress
! sion had been that Punishment was in
tended, and he had expected to be
! landed at some Swedish or German
port, but a chance remark made by
the captain at breakfast inclined him
to believe that there were other pris-
oners on board not quite SO favorably
treated as himself But why should
he be sent out of Russia proper or even
removed from st. Petersburg, which,
he was we'll aware, suffered from no
lack Of jails? The continued voyage
of the steamer through an open sea
again aroused the hope that Stock
holm was the objective point If they
landed him there, it merely meant
little temporary inconvenience, and,
once ashore, he hoped to concoct a
telegram so apparently innocent that
it would win through to his friend and
give Drummond at least the knowledge
of his abiding place. The thought Of
Drummond aroused all his old fear
that the Englishman was to be the real
victim, and this enforced voyage was
merely convenient method of getting
himself out Of the way.
After lunch a dismal drizzle set in
that presently increased to steady
downpour which drove Lermontoff to
his cabin, and, that room being unpro-
vided with either window or electric
light the prince struck a match to one
of the candles newly placed on the
washstand. He pushed the electric
button summoning the steward and,
giving him some money, asked if there
was such a thing as piece of stone on
board, carried as ballast or for any
other purpose. The steward said he
would inquire and finally returned
with a sharpening stone used for the
knives in the galley. Boiling his door,
Lermontof began an experiment and
at once forgot he was a prisoner. He
filed the wash basin with water and.
opening one of the glass stoppered bot
ties, took out with the point of his
knife a most minute portion Of the sub
stance within, which be dissolved in
the water with no apparent effect
Standing the milestone up on end, he
filed the glass syringe and directed a
fine, vaporous spray against the stone
1t dissolved before his eyes as sand
castle on the shore dissolves at the
touch Of an incoming tide
by St Peter of Russia" be cried
i've got it at last! I must write tc
Katherine about this
Summoning the steward again tc
take away this fluid and bring him ar
other pailful of fresh water. Lennon
tOff endeavored to extract some infor
nation from the deferential young
man.
Have you ever been in Stockholm 2
mo, excefency."
"Or in any Of the German portsf"
mo, excellency."
''Do you know where we are making
for nowY
mo, excellency."
''Nor when we shall reach our desti
nation?"
mo, excellency."
You have some prisoners aboardT'
Three drunken sailors, excellency."
"Yes, that's what the captain said
But if it meant death for a sailor t
be drunk the commerce of the worlt
would speedily stop"
This is a government steamer, ex
: celIency, and if a sailor here disobey
orders he is guilty Of mutiny. On
merchant vessel they would merel.
l put him in irons
7 see. Now, do you want to earn
: few gold piecesr
j "Excellency has been very genercu
I to me already" was the noncommitta
: reply of the steward, whose eyes ney
e ertheleSs twinkled at the mention Q
: gold
e We'll. here's enough to make jiI
e gle in your pocket, and here are tw
e letters which you are TO try to get dt
livered when you return to St. Peter:
d burg"
Yes, exeellency.''
q ..x-.,,, LII A., r-.,,.r. l,.,ct .,