Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-07-18

"Nor when we shall reach our desti.
nationY
"No, excellency."
"You have some prisoners aboard?"
"Three drunken sailors, e%xcellency."
Yes, that's what the captain said.
But If it meant death for a sailor to
be drunk the commerce of the world
would speedily STOP"
"This Is a government steamer, ex.
cellency, and If a sailor here disobeys
orders he is guilty of mutiny. On q
merchant vessel they would merely
put him in irons"
II see. Now, do you want to carr &
few gold pieces"
"E1cellency has been very generous
to me already" was the noncommittal
reply Of the steward, whose eyes nev.
ertheless twinkled at the mention of
gold.
"Well, here's enough to make a jim
gle in your pocket, and here are two
letters which you are to try to get de-
livered when you return to st. Peters
burg"
eyes, e%xcellency."
"You will do your best2"
eyes, excellency."
"Well. If you succeed I'll make your
fortune when I'm released"
"Thank you, e%xcellency."
That night at dinner the captain
opened a bottle of vodka and conversed
genially on many topics without touch
ing upon the particular subject Of lib
erty. He partook sparingly Of the
stimulant, and, to Lermontof's disap-
pointment, it did not in the least loosen
his tongue, and thus, still ignorant of
his fate, the prince turned in for the
second night aboard the steamer.
When he awoke next morning lie
found the engines had stopped and, as
the vessel vas motionless, surmised it
had reached harbor. He heard the in
termittent chuck-chuck Of a pony ell
CINE and the screech of an imperfectly
oiled crane and guessed that cargo
vas being put ashore.
"Now," he said to himself, eff my
former sentinel is at the door they are
going to take me to prison. If he is
absent, I am to be set Free"
He jumped up, threw back the bolt,
opened the door. There was no one
there. In a very few minutes he was
on deck and found that the steamer
vas lying in the lee Of a huge rock,
which reminded him of Mont st.
Michel in Normandy, except that it
was about half again as high and three
times as long and that there were NO
buildings Of any kind upon 1t, nor, in
deed, the least sign of human habita-
ton.
The morning was fine. In the east
the sun had just risen and was flood
ing the grim rock with a rosy light.
Except this rock no trace Of land
was visible as far as the eye could see.
Alongside the steamer was moored q
sailing boat with two masts, but pro-
vided also with thole pins and sweeps
for rowing. The sails were furled,
and she had evidently been brought to
the steamers side by means of the
oars. Into this craft the crane was
lowering boxes, bags and whatnot,
which three or four men were stow
ing away. The mate was superintend.
ing this transshipment, and the cap.
tain, standing with his back against
the deckhouse, was handing n by one
certain papers, which Lermontoff took
to be bills of lading, to a young man
who signed in a book for each he re.
ceived. When this transaction was
completed, the young man saluted the
captain and descended over the ships
side Of the sailboat.
"Good morning, captain. At anchor
I see." said Lermontof.
"No, not at anchor. Merely lying
here. The sea is too deep and affords
no anchorage at this point"
"Where are all these goods going?"
The captain nodded his head at the
rock, and Lermontof gazed at it again
running his eyes from top to bottom
without seeing any vestige of civiliZa
ton.
"Then you lie to the lee of this rock
and the small boat takes the supple.
ashore?"
Exactly" said the captain.
"The settlement, 1 take it, is on the
other side. What is tia lighthouse?'
'There's no lighthouse" said the cap
tain.
"Sort of coastguard, then|
! eyes, in a way. They keep a look
out. And now. highness. l see you