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4
He left the big thoroughfares and dived into little side streets winch
had devious and tortuous windings.
The wind blew into their faces and daslieti the snow at them in il
reckless fashion which is a specialty of Boreas, the king of tiie north
ind.
At length they arrived at No. 10 River street. All was quiet as
death.
The people living in the vicinity had shut themselves in from tiie iii-
clement weather.
They were enjoying themselves over the stove, eating sausages and
dried beef, which they washed down with had beer anti worse vodka.
Tohaccu of the strongest kind was always in request.
“ Here we are, sir!” excliiiiiietl Nicholai iii a whisper.
" is this the house where the secret meetings are held among the
Niliilistsf" asked Jack.
“The same.”
“ lltive they been here long?"
“only for a few weeks. It is impossible to stay in any place more
than a month or two. The police get wind of us and we are ctirtetl
away to Siberia; but if they capture twenty men, forty, young aiitl
oltl, spring up in their place."
“ Do you think Niliilisis will he lastitig?" asked Jack eagerly, for he
wanteti to know the whole truth.
" Not successful for n time, but it is a smouldering lire. 'i‘ht- timbers
are always kindled. It only requires a breath of ivind to fun it into
flame."
“ Anti then--s
“ ’l‘lit>,rt-, will he an eiiti to the great Russian Empire, which will be-
come litisstick or republican."
“ llttiv long will tlitit trike?"
“I give it to the end of the century, not much loiiger," suitl
Ninliolni.
llti lriiocked at the door.
It was a ])t’CilllZil‘ rap. Onoktwo. ()iiti-twaetliree.
Not iiiasoiiic, but one lllVt’.lll.(’tl by the Nihilists as their own lwfiilltll"
sigiial.
‘This was rt>spondetl to from within.
The door was optaiit-,d ciiutioiisly ahoiit two inches and ii voice
“aiiiil(‘."
1’ossihly this hail Sfliiil‘ I'l’lt‘i‘tlllCi‘ to aiiiircliy.
The I'(‘9[H)li.N‘0 froin oiitsitle was poetical.
“ Sli:tItt‘spe:ii'ol"
The lillli‘l' girirtl sziitl “ liiixl”
This Piltlfltl tht- ct-rniiioiiy, a.nti the
V.'1‘[’t‘. alltiwetl to tvntcr.
The hall was only dimly liihted.
’i‘iit-y W:lllx't’ll :i(‘ross, ll'ilVt‘l‘SUll ii long p:is<:i:ti, anti :il last t‘iinit- to :i
large exteii.-it>ii ioiiii, in which lilteirn men W6‘l‘&' stntit-ti, ."llli>lxlllL[ aittl
talking i>:i;(erl)'.
.li<:iieivitch wna llll‘ lltlitlvi‘, (Hill he was sealed in a lil‘.(lt ('lIlill' on a
dais :i.t Lll(‘,1'll(l0llllt’llilll.
'l'lit- iTh‘,illilt‘l‘?l of this .<l'(‘.l‘i‘l soviet)‘ were L'l'(llilH‘ll artiiititl illt‘ rtioiii.
All wore long hlacl; gown.-I anti inasli-t til the satiiti cnltir.
’l'iit: lamps were turnetl hail tiowii, pi'iitliit-iii; ti tiiiii, rt-ligitiiis sort
oi liglit.
Vt-ry gzliostly aiitl hltititi CIlI‘>llItlL‘;‘ was ill" wholu C()llCi‘l'Il.
Niclitilai an-i Yoiiiig Jack took two vnctiiit .<o:iis.
An :itll’ll(l:lllL liantletl thetzi iirohe each, anti a mask, which tlioy
llll (Hi.
The olitiirmnii grasped a gavel atiti l(il0('.lit‘d tlireta tithes for order.
i-Ivt>r)0iit- pziiti atit-iiiion.
lint before the ])I‘l)CHP(llllgS cotiitl begin a noise was lioartl down-
stairs.
The front door was being beaten in.
Axes ivere used.
Fitiroo cries anti oaths arosi-i.
The next inoiiieiit there was ti rush, anti the hall of the Nihilists was
full of police.
Tlioy were in unloriii tiiitl armed to tho teeth.
At their ht-ntl was irrosk.
" >'iirrtiiitlni‘l" lit: cried.
oi the C'I.:ir!"
Jack jumped tip anti iaceti liitii btiltlly.
“ it not, what Limit?” llf‘ demaiitletl.
" l)oatli!" l"i-‘lilltlll lrrosk.
Jack raisetl his hand, in which was a pistol.
Irrosk was too quick tor him.
With a blow from the tint oi his sword. ho knocireti him senseless on
the Iioor
The Nihilists 8iii‘i'4’litlt‘i‘(‘(l tiiiietly.
trrtisk and the police were Ii]fiSl.t’.i'S of the situation.
n
two L‘..lllt‘.ltllil(‘3 for zitlniissioii
“ Give in to the law and obey the orders
(‘llAl"l‘iCil. II.
THE ARRF.>‘T or vtit"t't; .V,tI‘l( ir Till“ . 'r iii-zi-,ri.Vt; oi" Tiit-1 itt-;.<t'i'i-1
],.,i;,;;-‘V,-,>H[”,],l, 5['](]‘]LlxI ii "iii i'tii'.I‘.itlt>x '10 still-LILIA.
Tiiic Nilzilist iotlgo was lull.
All the liil‘illllI‘l‘i4 were It-‘Sl‘illl)lt‘tl in coiiclavt‘.
Tlio iirticet-tliiigs 0p(‘.nl‘ti willi iirtiyt-i‘ lo the iiiosi high.
Aliltongli llI1‘i'WlHllt‘<l tor a Ilt‘iV form of ;:ovt-riiiiitint, they wore
strictly religlniia,
in tact, tht-ir C“l‘l‘lll0tlli“1 corrtisptintletl to a great (‘,Xl(‘!il with those
oi liitlges oi lt‘l‘.l‘. anti iJCCi’1I'tI'ti iiiasoiis.
YOUNG JACK HARKAWAY IN THE WILDS OF SIBERIA.
5
In their black cloaks and masks they looked very grim and awe-iii-
spii'in<.:.
Before the president on a table was a large open hottle, and near
that a death's head and cros.<boiies.
Over his lieatl wore a. couple of swords, crossed,
The gas lights in the room were half down.
A dim religious kind oi light pervailetl ilie large li:ill.
Jack, who sat by the side of his guide, Nicliolai, was deeply im-
pressed.
He felt that these men were in earnest.
They had a purpose it) life.
This was to overthrow the tnoiiarchy and establish a republic in
Riis>i.i.
if they could not get it republic they wzinteti .'tll[0l]Olil)‘.
K9lll‘t’S8l)l.2lll"e governiiieiit lintl lwvll tl&‘Illt‘tl tlivni too long,
Tiiese noble and ll‘89‘llt’lll'Leii patriots were Wlllill,‘.( to sncritice ev-
erything for the good of their beloved country and coiintrymen.
It was a hard battle to llf.”llL.
let in spite of gigantic tiiiliculties they hopetl to be able to succeed
in the long run.
l“I‘lt‘llllS,V relations near and dear, had been transported to the wilds
of Siberia.
The chiitices were that they woultl never be seen again by those
who loved them.
Lift: was short in the penal sit-rvitiide of llltl tar l-Iiisi.
looti aiitl the cliiiiaie did not ltill Ultl C0ll‘i'lCLr! the hard labor in
mines diil.
it was short work with the yttniiL'.
What was it with the iiiititlln-aged anti the old!
’l'iiey fell like leaves in the tall Wlltlil iliti aiitiinin winds blow hard
niiti cold.
The master of the Lotlgo oilereti up a prayer tor the lilierntioii oi
the [)t3(l1llGll‘ilill a giilliiig, t)li]Il‘(v‘.>'.-lH‘L‘ rule. >'c:irct-ly had he lllll.7lll3(l
than a hzitteriiitv at the ttnor llhgfilll.
livtiry Niiiil ‘l siarletl in his lt’t‘l..
’l'lit-.ro was no ptissihlv Illl‘:ili.< til l‘F(‘1i]H".
'l'ht-y wort‘ stirpri.-tt>tl it)‘ it e .<iit'i‘t't police.
That was 1‘VI‘i'yUllt"ri opiiiitiii.
The next minute the tltltll‘ was liaiigutl titiwn aiitl lllt‘
lil.
itt-vtilvtiius “'I'l'(‘. in 'iiH‘ll' liiitids; no l‘l‘.‘llr'l1il‘(‘t‘ was inaiiu, tiiitl the
wlitilt- party “'t‘l'l‘ ciipliiiwl.
ullhclk l ightitl at this iiiritlviit.
“P was only a Visittii‘, and
him.
lii ilil.< holitif lit- was L'rti:iily ii'il“lillx4‘ll.
llt- saw the ltli'I:‘ til li‘i‘ti>lt in full tiiiiltiitii.
of ii plot.
llatl llt'lI1‘t’ll lt‘ll iiitoa trap‘?
lilUUlx1‘llllU‘ll,1lll(llll‘lll71ll’l3‘llll( within him.
,llit'lit>lvitt'li anti his Ci>llit’(lt‘ atws wt-rti lll:ill:lClt“il
llllil‘(lii‘v‘l to tilt‘ iIIl'il‘r'<:l.
This was the siroiig st iirisoii in Si. l‘n?oi'sliiii‘g.
it was hnilt on ilit- hank of the l'lVt‘i‘ Nevti, anti lrtiWllPtl on the dark
l'lVl’r iii a gliitiiiiy lllillilll’l‘.
Klan)‘ an aching ll1‘ili'l :iiitl wastetl lititly did that l‘Xlf‘llSlVA‘ fortress
it the had
‘.118
iirtlivo rnslied
llltti)',(lll iiiitli.n: C0lllil liappen to
'l't.i< usivti him the idea
l01t‘llii‘i‘ and
. holtl.
All the ]V!'lSt)llili‘3 lintl l)l‘t'll tiikt-ii away t‘XCl‘lll Young Jncl. Hark-
itw:i)'.
lie was held by two police
Mt-ii,iit'k.
l‘riiit-.- Ktllil(‘:'lx'l, tll'i’FS(‘tl in the i]llll0l'lil at an OIllCl‘i' of lll(‘lttlpm'1ul
giiartl, t-iitt-reil.
lie atlvaiiceti to the Mill til the rtioiii where the presitlvnt liatl sat.
Taking the chair he l)E‘Cl(l?ll0‘tl in ll'l‘1>:'l(.
" liriiig up the prisoner,“ he said.
“ is it your highness‘ pltiasure to try him lit>rt=‘."‘ asked Irrosk.
“Ytis," was thti reply, “ anti seiiieiicu him, too. The tiiliers we
know well. 'i'ht>y have been iiiitler stipervisitiii l'tvr sonie time. Tlils
young man in a stranger, and must g.:lvt> an account of himself-good,
bad or iiitliilereiit."
Young Jack was niarclietl up to the desk.
Ptiliceiiieii, arint-ti to the teeth. sitiotl on t‘.’l(‘li side of liiiri.
A st-rgeant with a tirawii swortl took tip a position l)eI.ind him.
lrrosk zissiimetl the role of !l(‘Cli:1i‘I‘.
As for Nit-liolai, he was nowlinr-= to he St‘t‘ll.
The wretched spy and traitor liiitl vanished when the raid was
made.
liis dirty work was done.
lie hatl ll0llilll;,f1ilOi‘t‘ lode with this ir.’lf,'J‘ll)' in real lift‘, and knew
thzit the reward of his perlitly was sure.
“ Your n:iinn‘.’" dl‘ill:llltlI’Il lllt‘ C‘tli‘[ of police, l’rince Konit-ski, in a
harsh, stniiy, ill(‘(‘ll:llll(‘i1ll<llIt‘tviVtil(‘P.
.tl:lioii;:h a iitihleinaii, lit‘ w: i poliot-iiian, every inch of lziiii.
“.l:l(‘lx' litirliiiway. litiiitltiii, l'.ilj;lZliltl'<t1 Ilri;isli suhiet'.i," was the
answer.
" Wliero is rtiiir passptii t?"
“ At my hotel ‘the .<iitiiiv:iloil'. it was vised by tho British ambas-
satlor at t‘oiisiaiitiiitiplti, anti l was :illowt>tl to cross the trtintit-r."
“‘Vl‘llilV1‘()IllX your word i<‘rllI1ll."
“ It you do not lit-lit-vu iiiti," l‘l‘llll[‘il Jack, iiitligiiantly, “ send to
the htitt-i (or my lrit-ii is, Mr. Mule niitl Sir. llairy tiirtlwoiid."
" i shall act as I plt-ast- tihont that."
" Have 1 not a right to ilt‘iliiliiil that such a thing should he done?"
otlicors as it he was a ct-ininon