Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-08-01
BY ROBERT BARR,
tie omcers nave little more comfort
than the prisoners"
Aukbor Of


ooh, I don't care anything about
comfort" protested Lermontoff. "What
I want is some scientific apparatus. 1
am a student of science. I have moth
ing to do with politics and have never
been implicated in any plot. Some
one in authority has made q stupid
mistake, and so I am here. This mis-
take l am quite certain will be dis
covered and remedied. I hold no
malice and will say nothing of the
place once | am free. 1t is no bust
hess of mine. But I do not wish to
have the intervening time wasted. I
should like to buy some electrical ma
chinery and materials, for which I am
willing to pay any price that is asked"
"Do you understand electricity?,
questioned the governor, and for the
first time his impressive face showed a
glimmer of interest.
do 1 understand electricity? Why,
for over a year 1 have been chief cleo
trician on a warship."
perhaps them" said the governor,
relapsing into Russian again, "you can
ell me what Is wrong with our dyna-
mo here In the rock. After repeated
acquisition they sent machinery for
lighting u Offices and passages with
electricity. They apparently did not
care to send an electrician to the
Trogzmondoff, but forwarded instead
some books Of instruction. l have been
working at it for two years and a half,
but I an still using oil lamps and
candles. We wired the place without
difficulty" He held up the candle and
showed, depending from the ceiling, u
chandelier Of electric lamps which
Lermontoff had not hitherto noticed,
various brackets and one or two stand
lamps in a corner, with green silk COW
cred wire attached.
MAY I see your dynamo?" asked
Lermontoff.
The governor, with one final warm
Ing of his hands, took up a candle, told
the jailer to remove the shade from
the lamp and bring 1t, led the way
along q passage and then into q room
where the prisoner, on first entering,
had heard the roar of water.
whats this you have, a turbine?
Does it give you any powerY"
ooh, it gives power enough" said
the governor.
Lets see how you turn on the
stream"
The governor set the turbine at
work, and the dynamo began to hum,
d sound which to the educated a Of
"That's all right, governor; turn it
off. This is a somewhat old fashioned
dynamo, but it ought to give you all
the light you can use. You must be a
natural born electrician, or you never
could have got this machinery work
Ing as well as it does"
The dull eyes of the governor glowed
for one brief moment, then resumed
their customary expression Of sadden-
ed tiredness.
"Now," said Jack, throwing off his
coat, II want a wrench, screwdriver.
hammer and a pair of pinchers if you
have got them"
"Here is the tool chest,'' said the
governor, and Jack found all he need
ed. Bidding the governor hold the can
die here, there and elsewhere and Or
dering the jailer about as if he were
IN apprentice, Jack set theoretically to
work, and for half an hour no one
spoke.
"Turn on that water again." he
commanded.
The governor did so, and the ma
chine whirred with quite a different
note. Half q dozen electric lamps in
the room flooded the place with a daz-
cling white glow.
"There you are" cried Jack, rubbing
the oil off his hands on a piece of
coarse sacking. sNow, Tommy, put
these things back in the tool chest" he
said to the jailer. Then to the governor:
"Let's see how things look in the big
ROOM"
The passage was lit, and the gov
ernor's room showed every mark on
wall, ceiling and floor.
ri told you, governor" said Jack
with a laugh, chat 1 didn't know why
I was sent here, but now I understand.
Providence took pity on you and or
dered me to strike a light"
At that moment the jailer entered
with his jingling keys, and the enthu-
slastic expression faded from the gov
ernor's face, leaving 1t once more cold
ly impassive. but he spoke in German
instead of Russian
II am very much indebted to your
highness, and 1t grieves me that our
relationship remains unchanged"
sob. that's all right cried Lennon
toff breezily. 'If 1t is within your
power to allow me to come and give
you some lessons In electricity and the
care Of dynamos. I shall be very glad
to do So"
To this offer the governor made no
reply, but he went on still In German:
81 shall transfer you to cell No. I,
which is not only more comfortable,
but the water there is pure. Did you
say you spoke. Englishy"
Eyes; quite as well as / do Russian"
The governor continued, with, never
theless. a little hesitation: son the re-