The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-05-24
Continued from yesterdny.)

what you ask Is impossible. Riches
are nothing to me. Bribery may do
much in other parts Of the empire, but
1t is powerless in the TrogZmondof. l
shall die in the room adjoining this, as
my predecessor died. | am quite as
much a prisoner in the Trogzmondon
as 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 we'll 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 not be permitted to receive
certain supplies IL I pay for them?
That is allowed in other prisons"
The governor shook his head.
II can let you have q blanket" he
said, "and a pillow or a sheepskin if
you find it cold at first, but my power
here is very limited, and, as tell you,
the officers have little more comfort
than the prisoners"
"Oh, I don't care anything about
comfort" protested Lermontoff. "What
l want is some scientific apparatus.
am a student of science. have moth
ing to do with politics and have never
been implicated in any plot. Some
one In authority has made a stupid
mistake, ard so I am here. This mis-
take / am quite certain will be dis
covered and remedied. hold no
malice and will say nothing OF the
place once I am free. 1t is no busi-
ness OF mine. But / do not wish to
have the Intervening time wasted. I
should like to buy some electrical ma
chinery and materials, for which l am
willing to pay any price that is asked"
do you understand electricity"
questioned the governor, and for the
first time his impassive face showed
glimmer Of interest.
do I understand electricity? Why,
for over year / have been chief cleo
trician on warship."
Perhaps then" said the governor.
relapsinS into Russian again, you can
tell me what is wrong with our dyna-
mo here IN the rock. After repeated
requisition they sent machinery for
lighting our 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 half,
but I am still using oil lamps and
candles. We wired the place without
difficulty" He held up the candle and
showed, depending from the ceiling, q
chandelier of electric lamps which
Lermontoff had not hitherto noticed
various brackets and one or two stand
lamps in a corner, with green silk GOV.
cred wire attached.
MAY l see your dynamo" asked
Lermontof.
The governor, with one final warm
ing Of his hands, took up candle, told
the jailer to remove the shade from
the lamp and bring it. led the way
along a 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 power?'
"Oh, it gives power enough" sale
the governor.
Lets see how you turn on the
stream"
work, and the dynamo began to hum
sound which to the educated ear O
Lermontofr told him several things.
That's all right, governor; turn /
Off This is a somewhat old fashioned
dynamo. but it ought to give you al
the light you can use. You must be
natural born electrician, or you neve
could have got this machinery work
ing as well as it does"
The dull eyes of the governor gloves
for one brief moment, then resumed
their customary expression of sadden
ed tiredneSs.
Now" said Jack, throwing of hi
coat, ST want a wrench, screwdrivel
hammer and a pair Of pinchers if yo
have got them"
There is the tool chest" said th
. governor and Jack found all he need
ed. Bidding the governor hold the car
die here, there and elsewhere and OF
dering the jailer about as if he wer
an apprentice. Jack set energetically
work, and for half an hour no on
spoke.
Turn on that water again."
commanded.
The governor did so. and the ms
chine whirred with quite a differeI
note. Half dozen electric lamps i
the room flooded the place with da;
cling white glow.
There you are" cried Jack, rubin
the oil of his hands on Q piece {
coarse sacking. ''Now. Tommy, pJ
these things back in the tool chest" b
said to the jailer. Then to the governor
Lets see how things look in the bi
room"
The passage was lit. and the go