Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-02-03

and consigned tenderly to the water,
to float on and on in tireless but
vain pursuit of those other corpses,
some of which he himself had sent on
their long, sad journey to the sea-.
Hardy saluted the princess gravely,
and would have passed her by, but
she detained him.
Have you noticed" she asked,
that the forests are on fire." He
looked. 1t was true. A dense cloud
of smoke was rolling up from be-
hind a long ridge that ran parallel
with the river, but no flame could be
seen as yet. Half an hour later the
wind shifted and blew directly from
the fire, bringing the acrid smell of
smoke to the nostrils of the people
quarantined on the Pushkin. The fire
columns were evidently advancing up
the hill, for Don trees began to burst
into flame here and there along it's
crest.
And now the Manchurians appeared
again, on their own side of the river,
as before. They could be plainly seen,
as the distance was in reality not
great, and their dark forms stood out
distinctly against the strip of white
sand that stretched between the
woods and the river. They were ma
king preparations of some kind. The
general brought his field-glass and
studied them carefully. There was
no doubt that they were digging a
hole, but for what purpose, it was i'm.
possible to tell.
The Chinese did not leave their in.
tentions long in doubt, for they
brought a huge cross out from the
shadows Of the forest, and a strug-
Cling prisoner, whom they cast down
on the earth and proceeded to nail to
the cross The general turned to
Hardy with white, drawn face.
"Stenka!" he groaned.
Yes, there was no doubt Of it. The
unfortunate Pugacheff had been cap
tured and was now being crucifled in
plain sight of his comrades. The eff
feet upon the latter, as soon as they
comprehended, was indescribable.
They seized their rifles, they shook
impotent fists at the shore and
screamed imprecations at those fiends,
engaged there in their horrid work.
One of the crew, mounting a coil of
rope, addressed a few impassioned
remarks to his brethren, crying:
Come on, brothers, let us save poor
| Stenka or die with him.
Every member of the little band
shouted:
1--WE will save him or die with
him!"-and in a moment more all
would have been over the rail, had
not the old general drawn his revolt
yer and leaped before them, crying in
a voice Of thunder:
"Stop! The first man who attempts
to leave the boat | will shoot through
the head!"-and SO great was their
habitual respect for authority, that
they paused and regarded him in
dumb amazement.
What, my children" he said,
would We fall into a Chinese trap?
Those flends there are crucifying poor
Stenka that we should lose our wits
and plunge into the water, when they
will kill us one by one. We must be
brave! 1t is harder to stand here and
watch a comrade in torture than to
die with him. Do you suppose that II
there were the least chance Of saving
him I would hold you back? Is there
here any man who will accuse me Of
cowardice? No! If you go, 1t isl who
should lead you. But | tell you we
could do nothing for poor Stenka, and
that we should all be killed. Let us
rather pray for divine help and that
the Virgin will relieve his suiferings
The time will surely come, in Gods
good providence, for your revenge
and | promise that you shall feed \
fat.f'
Even as he spoke. the cross was
heaved on high, and Stenka doomed