Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-05-30

self entered, inclosed in gIistening oil
skins.
"Hyvaa pyvaa, highness." said the
captain. "Will you walk the deck be
fore breakfast"
"Good day to you," returned the
prince, ''and by your salutation take
you to be Finn"
81 am native of Abo," replied the
captain, land, as you say, Finn, but
differ from many of my countrymen,
as am a good Russian also"
well there are not too many good
Russians, and here is one who would
rather have heard that you were a
good Finn solely"
at is to prevent any mistake re
piled the captain almost roughly, "that
| mention l am good Russian"
Fright you are, captain, and as l am
a good Russian also perhaps good Rus
sian No. 1 can tell me to what part OF
the world he is conveying good Rus
sian No. 2. a man guiltless OF any
crime and unwilling at this moment to
take an enforced journey"
eve may both be good, but the day
is not. highness. 1t has been raining
during the. night and is still drizzling.
advise you to put on your overcoat."
Thanks, captain; will"
The captain in most friendly manner
took the overcoat from its hook, shook
it out and held it ready to embrace Its
owner. Lermontoff showed right arm,
then left, into the sleeves, hunched the
coat up into place and buttoned 1t at
the throat
Again. captain, my thanks. Lead
the way, and 1 will follow"
They emerged on deck into a dismal
gray morning. No land or craft OF any
kind was in sight. The horizon form
ed small, close circle round the ship.
Clouds hung low, running before the
wind and bringing intermittently little
dashes of rain that seemed still fur-
Their to compress the walls of horizon.
The sea was not what could be called
rough, but merely choppy and fretfui,
with short waves that would not have
troubled a larger craft. The steamer
proved to be a small, undistinguished,
dingy looking boat, more like a com
mercial tramp than government yes
sci. An officer, apparently the mate,
stood on the bridge, sinewy hands
grasping the rail, peerirg ahead into
the white mist that was almost a fog
The promenade deck afforded no great
scope for pedestrianism, but captain
and prisoner walked back and forth
over the restricted space, talking gent
ally together as If they were old
friends. Nevertheless there was GER
tain cautious guardedness in the cap
tain's speech-the wary craft Of an I'M
ready man who is in the presence OF
person more subtle than himself. The
bluff captain remembered he had been
caught mapping the night before when,
after refusing to tell the prince the oil
rection of the steamer, he had given
himself away by mentioning the gulf
of Finland. Lermontoff noticed this
reluctance to plunge into the abyss OF
free conversation, and so, instead OF
reassuring him he would ask no more
questions, he merely took upon his
own shoulders the burden of the talk
and related to the captain certain won
ders of London and New York.
The steward advanced respectfully to
! the captain and announced breakfast
ready, whereupon the two men follow
ed him into a saloon not much larger
than the stateroom Lermontoff had oc-
cupied the night before and not nearly
so comfortably furnished. A plenteous
breakfast was supplied, consisting
principally Of fish, steaming potatoes,
black bread and very strong tea. The
captain swallowed cup after cup of
this scalding beverage, and it seemed
to make him more and more genial, as
if it had been wine. Indeed, as time
went on he forgot that it was prison
er who sat before him, for quite limo
Gently he said to the steward who wait
ed on them:
"Have the poor devils below had any
thing to eat?'
"No orders, SIR replied the steward.
ooh, well, give them something
something hot. 1t may be their last
meal" then turning, he met the gaze Of
the prince, demanded roughly another
/ cup of tea, and explained:
"Three of the crew took too much
vodka in st. Petersburg yesterday"
! The prince nodded carelessly, as II
he believed, and offered his open Gig
arctic case to the captain, who shook
i his head.
81 smoke pipe he growled
The captain rose with his lighted
pipe, and together they went up on
deck again The prince saw nothing
more of the tall sentinel who had been
his guard the night before, so without
asking permission he took it for grant
ed that his movements, now they were
In the open sea, were unrestricted,
therefore he walked up and down the
deck smoking cigarettes. At the stroke
Of bell the captain mounted the
bridge and the mate came down.
Suddenly out Of the thickness ahead
doomed up great black British freight
Il