Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-25
XXI (continued.)

/, XXI (Continued.)
For ten, twenty seconds, for half a
minute, the men stood, grasping their
weapons, their muscles rigid, in var
ioas attitudes of men about to rush
Unto the fight; and then the general
conquered. Several dropped their
rifles gathering to the deck, and Gov
cred their faces with their hands, Sob
bling. Some fell on their knees and
prayed, while others, with pale faces
ana set teeth, resumed the tasks on
which they had been engaged.
The Chinese. having finished what
they had to do; retired into the cover
Of the woods, leaving that awful thing
there ID the light.
Hardy turned away, his teeth chat.
tering sick, giddy with horror. His,
eyes Tell on the Princess Romanovna,
e white d s ghost, wringing her hands
and staring at the awful object.
On, why does not the Virgin help
him? Why Is not miracle perform
cdr" she whispered hoarsely. Lis
ten my friends" she cried, grasping
Hardy by the arm convulsively
could you not shoot so far? Could
you not put him out of his misery?"
This is no place for you" said
Hardy, come away. Come inside"
x will 60 apd pray for him." she
mufmured. letting the American lead
her toward the cabin door. II have
q sAcred icon with me. will promise
the Virgin half my fortune II she will
save hiIn!"
Hardy returned to the deck On
the Siberian side the fire was spread
!, Ing with great rapidity, and vast
patch Of many acres was blazing on
the slope Of the hills toward the river.
He tried to stand and watch, but felt
bis eyes irresistibly pulled toward the
thing which he knew was on the other
bank. Strive as he would to look
away, he felt his neck twisting, and
his head would move about SO that his
eyes would fall on the crucifix on the
form Of the wretched Stenka AS the
moments passed, the Americans men
tai torture grew. When would another
troop OF Cossacks pass along the mill
tary road? He listened and looked. It
seemed to him that he could have
heard the pounding Of their horses
hoofs ten miles away.
Nothing! nothing! and in the
meantime Stenka was suffering that
hideous agony. He would be hours,
perhaps days, dying, and Hardy knew
that he should not be able to endure
It.. He looked again, wiping from his
eyes the smoke that was now becom-
Ing acrid enough to string them. The
water had fallen SO that the sand-bars
~
kin and the Manchurian shNre, while
aitS rippleds thinly and transparently
over others Between the outer edge
OF the sand-bar and the bank there
was stretcn Of deep water, but its
width was not great
And now an idea occurred to Hardy
the application Of desperate RENE
dy for d desperate case. He had UNI
derstood nothing Of the words that
had passed between the captain and
the screw, though there was no pos.
sibility Of mistaking their import
Why should he not again take adj
vantage Of his ignorance of Russian
and act on his own initiative? While
the generals back was turned, Hardy
walked to the prov and dropped over
the side upon q bit Of hard sand.
Then, rifle in hand, he ran straight
toward the Manchurian shore, plash-
inE through the shallow water, that
flew about him in spray. Men
shouted after him from the Pushkin.
He paid no attention, but ran on, his
eyes fixed on the cross and the bur-
4 den that it bore. Once he stepped
into channel where the water was
Y up to his armpits and running so
; swiftly that it nearly swept him from
his feet. but he struggled through and
dashed on again.
A dozen or more Chinese came ont
Of the forest and regarded him in
wonder. Then, raising rifles, they
took deliberate aim anu commenced
to shoot, the bullet striking about
him In the water One, that hit several
rods ahead of him, Skipped" like q
cfild's pebble and passed close to
him. And still Hardy ran on, his
eyes fixed on the man on the cross.
(. He could see the features now, but
could not recognize them, they were
so distorted with agony. The head
was moving slowly from eide to side.
~ CHAPTER XXI
The number of Chinese who emery
ed from the forest was surprising.
There must have been hundred Of
them, at least twenty of whom were
mounted. There could be no further
doubt as to their purpose in thus
torturing Stenka, openly and in full
sight Of the Pushkin. They hoped
that his comrades, maddened by the
sight, would rush to his aid immed-
lately, or would fall into the trap
later, believing that the Chinese had
gone away and left him there to suf-
1 fer. So great was their establishment
tRow, when they realized that only
one person was coming to Stenka's
rescue, that they censed shooting and
stood staring in wonder. And still
Hardy ran on, across the wide and
shallow river, his eyes fixed on that
spectacle Of agony At last he stop
/ ped, for the time had come for him to
do. the thing he must do. He could
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