The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-02-19
NOTED FRENCH AUTHOR.

in the loins and striking at him as he
lay on the ground. The subaltern
struck his face blow that might have
blinded him. Feodor hit the officer in
the head with his fist and called, Didn't
you hear what l said?' The officer fell
under the blow and Feodor himself car
ried him to the sleigh and laid him with
the dead men. Then he took charge Of
the soldiers and led them to the bar
racks. l followed, as a sort of after
guard. We returned to the palace an
hour later. 1t was quite dark by then,
and almost at the entrance to the pal
ace we were shot at by group of
revolutionares who passed swiftly in
two sleighs and disappeared In the
darkness so fast that they could not be
overtaken. I had a ball in my toque.
The general had not been touched this
time either but our furs were ruined
by the blood of the dead soldiers which
they had forgotten to clean out of the
sleigh. That was the first attempt,
which meant little enough, after all.
because it was fighting in the open.
1t was some days later that they COM
mence1 to try assassination"
At this moment Ermoai brought in
four bottles of champagne and Thad-
deus struck lightly on the piano.
QdIShlyf ihdudtiitf lhC sCNohu az
tempt" said Rouletabille, who was TAX
ing hasty notes on his cuff, never ceas-
ing, meanwhile, to watch the convivial
group and listening with both ears wide
open to Matrena-
.The second happened still in Mos
COW. We had had jolly dinner be-
cause we thought that at last the good
old days were back and good citizens
could live in peace; and Boris had tried
out the guZla singing songs of the Orel
country to please me; he is so fine and
sympathetic Natacha had gone some
where or other The sleigh was waiting
at the door and we went out and got in.
Almost instantly there was a fearful
noise, and we were thrown out into the
snow, both the general and me. There
remained no trace of sleigh or coach
man; the two horses were disembow-
eled, two magnificent piebald horses,
my dear young monsieur, that the gen.
eral was so attached to. AS to Feodor,
he had that serious wound in his right
leg; the calf was shattered. ] simply
had my shoulder wrenched, practically
nothing The bomb had been placed
under the seat of the unhappy coach
man, whose hat alone we found, In
pool of blood. From that attack the
general lay two months in bed In the
second month they arrested two serv-
ants who were caught one night on the
landing leading to the upper floor,
where they had no business, and after
that l sent at once for our old domesticS
in Orel to come and serve us. 1t was
discovered that these detected servants
were in touch with the revolutionaries,
so they were hanged The Emperor ap-
opinted provisional governor, and now
that the general was better we decided
on a convalescence for him in the midi
of France. We took train for st.
Petersburg, but the journey started
high fever in my husband and reopened
the wound in his calf. The doctors
ordered absolute rest and so we settled
here in the datcha des lies. Since then,
not a day has passed without the gen.
eral receiving an anonymous letter tell
ing him that nothing can save him from
the revenge of the revolutionar1es. He
is brave and only smiles over them, but
for me, ! know well that so long as we
are in Russia we have not moments
security. So l watch him every minute
and let no one approach him except
his intimate friends and us of the FAM
ily l have brought an old gniagnia
who watched me grow up, Ermolai. and
the Orel servants In the meantime,
two months later. the third attempt
suddenly occurred 1t is certainly Of
them all the most frightening, because
it is so mysterious, mystery that has
not yet, alas, been solved"
But Athanase Georgevitch had told a
good story" which raised so much hub
bub that nothing else could be heard
Feodor Feodorovitch was so amused
that he had tears in his eyes.
ITO Be Contnued)