Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-03-17
CHAPTER XXI
Hardy Buys an overcoat.

They were in utter darkness now.
Above could be heard a hoarse uproar,
faint and confused, shouts and sounds
of heavy boots on the flooring; here
in the cellar, the shutting feet of the
escaping nihilists, the bump or rattle
of an occasional obstruction kicked or
run against, muttered oaths. Morde-
cal, still holding Hardy by the arm,
pulled him rapidly acros the cellar
until they stumbled against the feet
of men crawling on their hands and
knees. The American pitched for
ward on the back of one of these,
who kicked him ~savagely and swore
a foul oath under his breath.
Get down." whispered Mordecai,
and crawl, crawl with met"
They passed through IN opening in
the wall, so low that it brought the
American fiat on his stomach, and
still scratched his back. That it was
barely wide enough for two at a time
was evident from the fact that,
though he had crowded close to Nor
decai, the wall scraped his right side.
They were through in a trice and still
in utter darkness. The sound of
scufiing feet again could be heard
| the sound of nihilists fleeing.
"The fools!" muttered Mordecai,
they forgot to put back the stone"
1t was evident from his grunts and
a scratching sound that he was strug-
Cling with some heavy object.
There" he muttered at last, "it is
flush now, and just in time! Listen,
my dear pupil, do you not hear them?
They are in the cellar. Put your ear
against the wall"
Hardy did as was requested, and he
could indeed hear faint sounds on the
other side of the wall.
Where are we now" he asked.
we are in the cellar Of the ad
4 joining house, belonging to a member
Of the Order. The brothers have es
capped by an underground passage
by an old forgotten sewer. But it viii
not be safe for you to follow them
They will have recovered their wits
by this time and some of them will liz
in wait for you and kill you, feeling
sure that you will tell what you have
seen and heard"
Hardy's eyes were becoming accus
toned to the darkness, and in the dis
lance he could see a slit Of dim gra,
light. He felt his way to it, striking
a barrel and hitting his head agains
a hanging shelf on the way. BY tn
sense of touch he assured himsel
that he had arrived at the cellar wiz
dow, boarded up, and that the slit O
: gray light came through an imperfec
joining. The door must be somewher
near. With his fingers against tn
wall, he took several steps to the lei
without finding it; then he returne
to the right, made the same exper
ment, and his efforts we're rewarde
; with success.
. Mordecai was at his side.
e What are you going to do?" aske
4 the Jew.
Il am going to walk boldly out
r this door, replied Hardy. THE 9,
9 plosion will have drawn the Who'll
g neighborhood to the front Of th
house, on the Other street, and / sha
not be noticed. If / am, | a explai
how / came here, and how / escapes
II am going to chance it, and til
quicker I go the better'--and h
pushed back the heavy bolt which h
had found by this time. "Good-b,
my friend, and thank you. / suppos
[; you will reioin your brethren. Yc
have saved my life and shall new,
forget it. For your sake, | will Sc
9 nothing about what I have seen al
heard this night. The nest is broke
up for the present and the police
a. not seem to need my aid"
ri The American walked q couple
squares. then turned sharply to Il