Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-28
CHAPTER III.
The Assembly of the brotherhood.

existence OF which | had until then
peen unaware, / could not but marvel
at the firm step with which he led
lhe way, at the indomitable will which
sustained this man whom, but q short
time before, [ believed had scarce an
nour to live. A number OF are latuus
hn1cn HShted up the maze thrDuSh
which We passed seemed only to maNn
ats Wtndings more beWildering. At
length, turning down a passage
broader than the rest, Nankovich
drew aside curtain, and as he dill
50 / could hardly repress a cry OF
horror for at my very feet yawued Il
6lack abyss along the verge u which
lay our onward road. Above our
heads lowered Il dome the tremendous
arch of which was lost i'm darkness.
at our feet Law the yaWnine gu f
0lack and terrible. our path lay in
darkness dinly llumned by a light
which seemed to come from beyond
some buttress of the cliff which over
hung the narrow ledge along which
We passed.
Apparently taking no heed of the
dangers of the way. Nankovich led
on with 4 sire step until, upon turn
hlg corner of the cliff, the light Of
IN arc lamp dazzled our eyes with its
brightness: and there before US iut-
ting out over the fathomless abyss
like an island of light in the darkness.
was platform Of rock Whercon, above
The yaWning gulf sat the Assembly
ot the Brotherhood. Facing them Nas
q colossal figure carved from the solid
granite, srotesque, gigantic, mon
strous, gazing upon the strange aud
terrible scene like i demon god OF a
forgotten age, with something in its
rudely carVen features Of the inscrut-
able expression Of the sphinx. BE
tween its knees was a scat Of stone.
,,if far.yz ia t1,ssay 1.,ar
seats of which only one was vacant,
that one which should have been oc-
cupied by BarcheVsky. Ranged in a
semicircle in front of the granite idol,
the brotherhood seemed like an as
sembly of demons gathered to do
homage to an internal god. Facing
The Semicirce stood Barchevsky be-
tween his guards.
Advancing TO the seat between the
IDOLS knees. Vankoylch motioned to
mo to stand beside him, and as |
gazed upon the stern faces before me
my heart sank; in them l saw no
hope of mercy,
''Dion Repnin,' said Vankovich,
prefer your charge against the pris-
oner."
Repnin rose from his place upon the
chiefs right hand and was about to
speak whom Barcheysky raised his
manacled hands.
There is no need of an accuser,' he
said, so why prolong the farce|
Then, turaing to the semicircle, he
went on: Men of the brotherhood,
you see before you a confessed traitor
There is no need for Repnin, Co
dunoff, Bentinck, Bartucci to play
out their comedy of accusation. by
almost all among you | am pre1udged,
foredoonAal; to them ! scorn TO make
any plea of justification, and | VIII
not involve in my fate, by appealing
10 them, the handful of brave men
who abhor the treason OF my ac-
cusers, ten times blacker than my
own"
A low, menacing murmur ran
through the assembly, and Dion Rep
nin's eyes met mine and smiled in
triumph.
Andrei Barchevsky turned to Van
lSovich. you hear," he said quietly.
"Put the question"
The chief, with ashen face, rose from
his seat between the knees OF the idol.
"Brothers," he said hoarsely, you
have heard the accused. You know
the law of the brotherhood. What is
your verdict?'
The shout that answered him rolled
in thunder beneath the mighty dome
and was echoed from the abyss as If
by demon voices: Death! Death toi
the traitor
IL any there were AIO dlItiipbCo W
protest, their voices were drowned by
that vengeful shout.
Scarce knowing what | did. | at
tempted to spring forward to Barch-
eyskys side, but Nankovich seized
my arm with a grip SO tremendous
that I was like a child in his grasp.
Are you mad?" he whispered hoarse-
ly. Not even ! could save him, and
YOU would only share his fate But
YOU I can save; You must live for
Theodora's sake. Think what her fate
win be II you, too. are condemned
and be still"
What happened in the next few mo-
ments I scarce realized until 1t was
over.
The two guards advanced to seize
1sarchevsky, but shackled as he was,
he flung them off. what" he cried,
"think you that Barchevsky will need
10 be dragged to the brink of the
Black Gulf? BY heaven, no! Strike
off the fetters from my hands and I
will show the real traitors yonder how
a true man dies!"
In an instant ensued a scene of wild
confusion, some, even among those
who had shouted loudest for death.
crying out to strike off the fetters
and let him die like man; others,
and among them the voice of Dion
Repnin Numbered the 1oudest, shout
ing: "No, no, Let him be dragged
shackled to the brink of the Back
Gulf! Let the traitor die the death OF
dogi"
Suddenly, in the midst of the ter
rible scene Bogdan Nankoyich strobe
forward. He flung aside those who
sought to oppose him as il they had
been children. Dion Repnin sought TO
bar his way, but the dying lion would
not be denied Back back, you
bloodhounds!" he Numbered. "Ha
traitor, do you dare?" Repnin was
flung aside. and the chief had reached
Barchevsky. Selling the letters in his
tremendous grip he broke them as If
they had been tinsel instead OF tenn
pered steel. Now let him go. he
gaid, towering like a titan amid the
throng, "and the man who lays hand
upon him as he goes to his death my
own hands shall fling into the abyss!'
Between the ranks of stern-taceu
men who gave back to let him pass
Barchevsky strode to the brink OF the
Black Gulf One moment he paused
there one moment waved MS mana
to me standing horror-stricken beside
the idol, and then leaped down to
death.
(To be Continued)