Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-07-25

- eight men aboard. Six grasped
the oars, and the young clerk who had
signed the documents given to him by
the captain took the rudder, motioning
LermoItoff to a seat beside him. All
the forward part of the boat and in
deed the space we'll back toward the
stern was piled with boxes and bags.
"What is this place called?" asked
the prince, but the young steersman
did not reply.
Tying the boat to iron rings at the
small landing where the steps began,
three Of the men shipped their oars.
Each threw a bag over his shoulder,
walked up half a dozen steps and wait
ed. The clerk motioned Lermontof to
follow, so he stepped on the shelf Of
rock and looked upward at the rugged
stairway cut between the main island
and an outstanding perpendicular ledge
Of rock. The steps were so narrow
that the procession had to move up in
Indian fle-three men with bags, then
the prince and the clerk, followed by
three more men with boxes. Lennon
toff counted 237 steIH which brought
him to an elevated platform projecting
from a doorway cut in the living rock,
but shielded from all sight of the sea.
The eastern SUI shone through this
doorway, but did not illumine sufi-
GENTLY the large room whose walls,
ceiling and floor were of solid stone.
At the farther end a man in uni
form sat behind a long table on which
burned an Oil lamp with a green shade.
At his right hand stood a broad, round
brazier containing glowing Goals, after
the oriental fashion, and the officer
was holding his two hands over it and
rubbing them together. The room
nevertheless struck chill as a cellar,
and Lermontoff heard a constant
smothered roar of water.
The clerk, stepping forward and sa-
iuting, presented to the governor seat
ed there the papers and envelopes CIV
en- him by the captain. The officer Sc
lected a blue sheet of paper and scru-
tinized it for a moment under the
lamp.
"Where are the others?"
1--WE have landed first the supplies,
governor, then the boat will return for
the Others"
The governor nodded and struck a
bell with his open palm. There enter
ed a big man with a bunch of keys at
his belt, followed by another, who car
ried a lighted lantern.
mo. O." said the governor to the
jailer.
err" asked Lermontoff.
The governor gave utterance to a
sound that was more like the grunt Of
a pig than the ejaculation of a man.
He did not answer, but looked up at
the questioner, and the latter saw that
his face, gaunt almost as that of a
living skeleton, was pallid as putty.
"No. g." he repeated, whereupon the
jailer and the mar with the lantern
put a hand each on Lermontof's Shout
ders and marched him away. They
walked together down a long passage,
the swaying lantern casting it's yellow
rays on the iron bolts of door after
door until ut last the jailer stopped,
threw back six bolts, inserted a key,
unlocked the door and pushed it pom
derously open. The lantern showed it
to be built like the door of a safe; but,
unlike that of a safe, it opened inward.
AS soon as the door came ajar Ler-
montoff heard the sound of flowing
water, and when the three entered he
noticed a rapid little stream sparkling
in the rays of the lantern at the fur
Their end of the cell. He saw a shelf
of rock and a stone bench before it.
The jailer placed his hands on a black
loaf, while the other held up the Ian
tern.
"That will last you four days." said
the jailer.
"Well, my son, judging from the I'M
appetizing look of it, I think it will
last me much longer"
The jailer made no reply, but he and
the man with the lantern retired, draw
ing the door heavily after them. Ler-
monitor heard the bolts thrust into
place and the turn of the key. Then
silence fell, all but the babbling Of the
water. he stood still in the center Of
the cell. his hands thrust deep In the
pockets Of his overcoat, and, In spite Of
this heavy garment, he shivered a little.
Jack, my boy" he muttered, athis
is a new deal. rs they say in the west.
I can imagine a man going crazy here
If 1t wasn't. for that stream. I
knew what darkness mean before.
Well, let's find out the size of our king
DOM"
He CROPPED for the wall and, Stun
bling against the stone bench, whose
existence he had forgotten, pitched
head forward to the table and lent the
four day loaf rolling on the door. He
made an Intellectual grasp after the
Loaf, fearing IT might fall into the
stream and be lost to him, but he
could not find It. and now his designs