Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1920-02-05
CHAPTER xxx.
Tho Prisoners at Setchevo.

man B gtlCK AS the Oiu CneVAueI Ielt
his way from the bare vaulted room
in which scanty supper had been
served to them; and At of despond-
ency coming upon him, more bitter
than ordinary, he buried his face In
his hands and uttered his heart-strick-
en- complaint aloud.
What are they all doing, then
why has Chesny broken his promise.
Good God. Arthur, have we no friends
at all? Is there no one who has in
terested himself in our story? can't
believe 1t. 1t isn't the English way.
They must find out sooner or later.
It can't be for all time"
Arthur whose arm and shoulder
were bound up in a garment that
might have been a Moorish bernouse.
smoked his pipe quietly and did not
for little while know what to say.
Bitterly as he had paid for that which
he called little trot to the Balkans"
the English spirit forbade the utter
ance Of any reproach, or even word
that his friend might take amiss.
my people never trouble about
well. You see, I've only a couple OF
uncles and maiden aunt to go into
Mysteries; and my lawyers won't ad-
vertise while they can bank my divi-
dends. It's different with you, Gavin.
III bet your people were on the scent
long ago; and that's to say nothing
about Evelyn. OF course, she has not
halI hnr
when she's in love with man; and
sometimes she can be eloquent when
she is not, Oh, yes, I'll go nap on
Evelyn all the time. She must know
that we shouldn't stay in this cursed
country for three months If we had
the train fare to get out. OF course,
she'll cry out about it-and if she
cries loudly enough the Government
will act Not that believe much in
Governments-they generally weigh
in when the corpse is buried"
Gavin smiled but did not raise his
head. A fire of logs burned in the
crate before them and filled the room
with a haze Of heavy smoke; the tap
ping of mans stick had ceased, and
tho house was without sounds and
void. In the hills above them a wild
wind secured the clefts and sent
whirling clouds of snow to cover all
living things below. The torrent be-
meath the drawbridge had become a
monstrous scala OF icy steps, ladder
with glistening rungs which none but
the eagle dared.
three montt.-is 1t really three
months?" Gavin exclaimed in tone
Of unspeakable weariness; three
months in this awful den. Three
months listening to that blind devil
and his insults. God, l would never
have believed that a man could go
through SO much and. live. And you,
Arthur-not a word from you since
the beginning. That's what hits me.
II you'll only speak out and tell me
what ought to hear, 1t would be easi-
er."
Arthur laughed and stopped to
light his pipe by the fire again.
whats the good of talking. A
pal asks you to come and you go. Is
1t his fault II a wheel comes of the
coach? Let me have five minutes
alone with that blind scoundrel and
I'll be eloquent enough. Otherwise I
intend to make myself as comfortable
as I can under the circumstances.
There's no fun in boxing scimitars-
as we both of us have discovered"
They had discovered 1t, indeed.
From the first day of their captivity
in the mountains, insult, foul, oft-re-
peated, revolving insult had been their
daily punishment. Coarse food, filthy
rooms these they could
have suffered; but the blind mans
tongue, the lash Of the whip his ser.
wants welded, might have driven brav.
er men to that last resource which
faith in God alone can question or deny
The very wound which Arthur Ken.
yon made light of had been the nrst
fruits of their English temper. A
gypsy had lashed him across the
shoulder with riding whip and he
had answered with an English left
straight and unerring. But the blow
had scarcely been struck before q
wild horde filled the room, its knives
unsheathed. murder in its eyes-and
from murder the terrible voice Of the
blind man alone withheld 1t. So the
two comrades spoke of fighting scimi
tars. that was no Jest at all.
you are a friend In thousand,
Gavin exclaimed as one who spoke
from his very heart. "I'm not going
to thank you, Arthur. What Is the
good Of words between you and me-
Here we are, worse than dead, by
God and not ray Of light
not a speck anywhere. How will i
end? How can 1t end? You heart
him tell me this morning that EvelyI
will marry his rascally son in tel
days time. Well. tonight I'm JUS
In that humor which Says 1t may b
true, he may have tired her out, liet
to her, promised her God knows what
my liberty perhaps and her father
happiness afterwards. It might b,
that. Arthur. / try to put 1t fairly
and yet must say that 1t might b.