The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-07-08

you might go mad, in which case we
shouldn't bother TO kill you. In fact,
if YOU 90 mad, we shall not be dis
pleased"
Once again he smiled genially.
"AS | said before, in a house like
this, YOU can never tell. :"
The iTtimidated rabbit, breathing
heavily, was staring at Hugh fascin-
ated ann after a moment Hugh turned
10 him with a courteous bow.
"Ladd'e," he remarked, you've been
eating onions. Do you mind detecting
the blast in the opposite direction?"
His cain. imperturbability seemed to
madden darlington.
You wait" he snarled thickly you
wait till I've finished with you. You
won't be so id humorous then. :"
Hugh regarded the speaker languid-
~.
Your %supposition is more than prob
able" he remarked. in a bored voice.
II shall be too intent on getting into
Il Turkish bath 60 remove the contain
ination TO think Of laughing"
Slowly Lakington sank back in his
chair, Il hard, merciless smile on his
lips; and for a moment or two there
was silence in the Dol 1t "a broken
by the unkempt man on the sofa, who,
without warning, exploded unexpected
~.
"A truce t 0 all this fooling," he
burst forth in a deep rumble; Il CON
feSS | do not understand it. Are we
assembled here tonight, comrades, to
listen TO private Quarrels and stupid
TALK"
\ murmu Of approval came from
the others, and the speaker stood up
waving his arms.
II know not what this young man
has done: | care less. In Russia such
tritleS matter not. He has the appear
ance Of a bourgeois, therefore he must
die. Did WI not kill thousands-aye,
tens of thousands Of his kidney, before
we obtained the great freedom? Are
we not going TO do the same in this
aCcursed country: Kill him now
throw him in a corner and let us pro-
| ceed."
He sat down, amidst a murmur of
approval, in which Hugh joined heart
lily.
Splendid" he murmured. "a mag
nificent peroration. Am l right, sir,
in assuming that you are what is vul-
carly known as a Bolshevist?"
Tho flIrnn,I hiS Sy,nl-nn oxo.
glowing with the burning fires of fanat-
icism, on Drummond.
II an one Of those who are fighting
for the freedom of the world" he cried
harshly, for the right to live Of the
proletariat." He flung out his arms
wildly. 1T is freedom; it is the dawn
Of the new age"
Hugh looked at him with genuine
curiosity it was the first time he had
actually met n Of these wild vision
aries in the flesh. And her the curl
osity was succeeded by a very definite
amazement: what had Peterson to do
with such as he?
For the moment his own deadly risk
was forgotten q growing excitement
filled his mind. Could 1T be possible
that here, at last, was the real object
Of the gang; could it be possible that
Peterson was organizing a deliberate
plot to try and BOlsheviZe England?
He looked up TO find Peterson regard
ing him with a faint smile.
1T is a little difficult to understand,
isn't it, Captain Drummond? ?" he said,
carefully Ticking the ash off his cigar
II told you you'd find yourself in deep
water" Then he resumed the cOntem-
platiOn of the papers in front Of him.
Hugh half closed his eyes, while a
general buzz of conversation broke out
round the table.
Fragments Of conversation struck his
ears from time to time. The intimi-
dated rabbit, with the light of battle
in his watery eye, was declaiming on
the glories of wOrkmen's councils; q
bullet-headed man was shouting an in
spring battle cry about no starvation
wages and work for all.
Can it be possible" thought Hugh,
grimly, that such as these have the
power to control big destinies?" And
then, because he had some experience
of what one unbalanced brain, whose
owner could talk. was capable of
achieving; because he knew something
about mob psychology, his half con-
temptuous amusement changed to q
bitter fOreboding.
You FOOL" he cried suddenly to
the Russian and everyone ceased talk
ing. you poor ID boob! You-and
your new earth! In Petrograd today
bread is two pounds four shillings a
pound tea, fifteen pounds a pound. Do
you call that freedom?" He gave a
contemptuous laugh.
Toe surprised to speak, the Rus
sian sat staring at him and 1t was
Peterson who broke the silence with
his suave voice.
Your distress, l am glad to say,
is not likely to be one Of long dura-
tion," he remarked. in fact, the time
has come for you to retire for the
night, my young friend"
He stood UP smiling then he walked
A. l,I h,Iipl Hob o,l uo-r