The Price He Paid — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

174 ASSESSOR WINTERFELD'S PAMPHLET. know my scruples, and I do not disguise from you that, in case of any difficulty arising, I shall leave the responsibility of this step with you.” “T hold myself answerable, solely and entirely. This rebellious city of R—— must be reduced to submission, be the cost what it may. It is now more than ever incumbent on meto uphold my authority. It must not be thought for a moment that the mischievous blow which has been directed against me has had power to slacken my rein.” “What blow?” asked the colonel. “You have not heard the latest news from the capital?” “No; as you are aware, I have only been back in town a few hours.” Raven rose, and paced rapidly up and down the room. When he returned and stood before the colonel, his agitation could be read in his features, in spite of all his efforts to keep it down. “T recommend you, then, to read Assessor Win- terfeld’s PARE DISts he said, in atone which was meant to be only sarcastic, but which vibrated with fierce anger. “He feels himself appointed to de- nounce me to the country at large as a despot who regards neither law nor justice, who has become a scourge,a pestilential source of harm,to the province committed to his charge. A long list of crimes is therein imputed to me; abuse of power, arbitrary action, illegal violence, and all the usual catch- words. It really is worth while to read the precious composition, if only to marvel at the presumption with which one of the youngest and lowliest of my subalterns ventures to arraign his chief. So far, only a chosen few have cognizance of this brochure; to-morrow, the whole town will ring with it.” “But why do you take it so quietly?” exclaimed the colonel. “These things do not spring upina day, of themseives. You must have prepared for it—have had news of what was coming?” “Oh, yes; the news reached me yesterday eve- ning, just about the time that the book was being hawked about the streets of the capital, and when many copies of it were on their way hither. The Eomichboo <S (E(0)