The Washington bee., 1911-08-26
Sacrifice
By ANDREW c. EWING.

a uau S1IkluS OppOS1Le NE give SlSu
Of relief. Still, he continued to look
out the window, as he had been doing,
apparently dreading to see something
or some one. The train moved out
with accelerating motion, and the fast
er it rolled the more relieved looked
my fellow passenger.
Suddenly l heard him give a smOth
cred cry, and, following the direction
Of his eyes. saw a man running like
a deer to catch the train. The pas
senger put his head out the window
to see the end of the race, drew it in
and gasped:
MY GOdp'
did he catch the train?' 1 asked.
HE jumped on to the footboard of
the last car"
"My friend" 1 said. I judge that
you are political refugee"
why do you think that?" said the
man, stiffening up.
''The man who ran to catch The
train is a government official. His
object is to arrest you"
''Who are your
''An American"
"Ah! Americans are our friends.
[ will tell you That man, as you say,
will arrest me, and I shall be sent to
Siberia. Help me-"
"How can do thatP'
"We are not unlike-the same height,
both light hair and beard. both wear
glasses. Give me your travelling coat
and your golf cap and put on these
Russian clothes. When the train stops
an officer will come here to arrest me-
But by that time it will be night. I
shall pretend to be asleep in my cor
ner with the collar Of your coat pulled
up about my face and your cap down
over my eyes. You say, with a grOan
OF despair, I am caught at last, but
While they are removing you 1 shall
watch for an opportunity to get away
before they discover their mistake"
When the scheme was first proposed
/ 10 me l had not the remOtest idea Of
/ perpetrating it. But since it was an
hour before the train stopped he had
/ that time to persuade me. 1 should
| have yielded, but I was not sure that
I would not suffer q long term OF i'm
prisOnment for interfering In the
mans capture Before we had reach
ed the station he had promised If
would take his place to see that the
! American minister was made aware
Of the matter, and as the train slowed
down, not being able to resist his pa
thetic appeals, l adopted his plan.
/ All happened as he lad predicted
AS soon as the train stopped the coach
door was thrown open and a Lantern
thrust into the compartment. True tC
my promise. l cried out in Russian
81 am caught at last, but l will not
live to go to the minesw
1 was jerked out of the coach anC
hurried away. What became Of the
political" | did not know. l was
taken into the station, given a closer
inspection and the deception discover
ed. By the next train l was takeT
back to st, Petersburg and thrown
into prison.
The next morning l asked for writ
ing materials. which were given me
and wrote a note to the American min
lister, stating that l was an American
citizen in Russian prison and askin:
his assistance The day passed and
heard nothing. A week. a month, wen
by. 1 gave up hope and cursed my
self for a fool.
One morning a young man came {
see me, saying that he was from tn
embassy / asked him why he had beel
so long in taking cOgniZance of m,
note. He replied that no note had beel
received, but the very next day afte
my arrest the minister had been in
formed Of all that had happened. II
had since been trying to get the gov
ernment to take the matter up. | ha
been twice moved from one prison {
another. and each time the embasS
had been informed Of my removal. L
short, my note TO the minister had no
been delivered, but some one had bee
keeping watch over me and infOrmin
the minister of my condition.
+ After another months hard work tn
embassy succeeded in securing my re
lease on condition that I leave tn
country Immediately. l was escOrte
over the line. wondering the Will
whether l had been a fool or q fin
fellow. | had no sooner got beyont
the border than a man stepped up t
me and said, 4 am to take you to tn
count"
Thanks, no. / don't want 70 g
to any count. I've had enough or thi
business"
But he persuaded me and took me t
q house where I was received by-th'
man whom [ had helped to escape. Id
rushed forward and gave me beal
hug and kissed me on both cheeks
When his transports had subsided h'
said:
81 kept my promise. The government
tried to lose you, but my friends pre-
vented. After you left me / got out
Of the car and escaped. I have beer
here ever since. l am a noble, rich
and half my fortune is yours
mo" I said. 1T feels 50 good tC
have made one sacrifcial act that you
can't pay me for doing it."
Rut I found it impossible to get rid