Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27

side of the road with groan and an OATH Il am
hurt! 1t is my leg-my ankle. l cannot standi
he said desparingly.
AS the lightning fared again, saw his face for a
moment plastered with black mud and furious with
pain and chagrin. | CROPPED my way across to him,
hauled him out of the ditch and felt his limbs to try
and ascertain the extent of his injury 1t might have
feared at first; but he had badly sprained ankle
Bind it hard with your handkerchief" he said,
between his set teeth. We must get out Of this into
the wood. They will return directly
His grit splendid; for he never uttered
sound, though his foot must have hurt him badly
l helped him up. Supporting him as well as could
the darkness and thankful for every flash that gave
us light, an instant at time and less dazzling
though more dangerous, here under the canopy OF
pine branches than yonder in the open road
Even if M1shka had not been famed, progress
must have been slow, for the underground
thick; STILL he managed to get along somehow lean
ing and dragging himself forward by grasping
each slender pine trunk that he lurched against.
He sank down at length, utterly exhausted and
in the pause that followed, above the sound of
labored breathing and the ceaseess patter of the
rain the pines, | heard the jangle of the cavalry
patrol returning along the road. Had Ivan euded
outdistanced them? Were they taking him back
with them, prisoner or worst of all, had they
shot him? The sounds passed-how close we still
were to the road-and gradually died away,
He has escaped, thanks be to Cod" Mishka
said in a hoarse whisper.
How do you know that?'
IF they had overtaken him, they would have
found the droshky empty and would have sought
Well, what now? How far are we from the
ing Pa place srs+. moro o. Loco W. should " hssn
there by this time Come, let get on Have you
the pocket lamp? We it now. 1t will help
little, and shall strike track before long.
The lamp little fashlight torch had slipped
into my pocket at the last moment and showed to
Mishka when was changing my clothes. 1t served
us well now for the lightning flashes were less fire.
quent the worst of the storm
SUPPOSE we must have gone about half vers
fcoxy Tho hird 0f o\ hon, 11r,d he
track he had mentioned, rough and one.
trodden out by the foresters and my spirits at
Here Mishka stumbled and fell again. 1t is
less. can go no farther and am only hindrance.
But you-what will you dor"
I'm going on Ill find the place somehow.
a clearing; it is long way ahead. Cross that
your right, and, if your lamp holds, the storm
marks such the foresters make. There is another
track there. Follow it till you challenged; and
the rest will be easy: God be with you'll!
We gripped hands and parted. guessed
should not meet again in this world though we might
in the next-and that pretty soon!
pushed on rapidly, The track though narrow
was good enough, and only had to flash my torch
occasionally was afraid of the battery giving out
which as fact it did before emerged in the clear
ing Mishka had mentioned. But the light better
now, for the storm had passed. and in this northern
latitude there is no real night in summer. only the
daylight SICK, Won Eckhardt would say. Out in
the clearing l could quite distance. The air
felt fresh and pleasant and the patch Of sky
head was an exquisite topaz tint. | stood to draw
breath, and for moment the sheer splendor Of the
night the solemn silence, held me spelbound with
some strange emotion in which awe and JOY were
mingled. Yes, joy! For although had lost my two
good comrades, and was undertaking alone task
that could scarcely have been accomplished by three
desperate men, my heart was light had little hope
of saving Anne as reckon salvation in this
poor earth life but could and would die with and
for her, and together hand in hand we should pass
to the fuller, freer life beyond where the mystery
that encompassed her and had separated would
vanish.