The Argosy, Vol. XIII No. 464 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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

VoL. XIII. No. 464. FRANK A. MUNSEY, PuBLisHEr, 185 EAST 238d STREET. Price Five Cents, ——| 4p aye NM = Wu, F Me = | Z if.2; VG i : My, fort wi, Myo" “NY «al “ 3 » oy Pall Meese aebeil ie COPYRIGHTED 1801, BY FRANK A, MUNBEY. NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1891. [This Story began in Number 460.] WITH COSSACK AND CONVICT, A TALE OF FAR SIBERIA. By WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDON, Author of “Under Africa,” “The Rajah's Fortress," Ete. CHAPTER XIV THE CZAR’S GOLD. “THE man was none other than Pierre Valbort, the one armed convict who had escaped so daringly from the Tomsk prison a few months before. Little wonder that Donald was surprised to find him learned from Leontef and Gross that they were ap- proaching. They made short work of General Tichimiroff and his party—who probably blundered into the ambush—and when the latter escaped they divided into two bands, one of which fled tnto the mountains with the young girl, while the other, knowing that General Tichimiroff would shortly return to the scene with the Cossacks and thus leave the prisoners without sufficient escort, made a detour through the forest and stormed the post station in the manner already shown. ‘This at least was the theory that presented itself to Donald's mind, and subsequent events proved here, a thousand miles from Tomsk! Why had he not fled toward Rus- sia, as was his stated intention? Valbort came forward with outstretched hand. “ Ah, my good fellow, we meet again," he ex- claimed. ‘But this time under happier cir- cumstances. You are one of us, I know, so come along and we will take care of you.” Donald made noreply, not knowing indeed what to say or how to regard this doubtful freedom that was offered him. But Valbort was in too much haste to wait or expect an answer. He passed on to join his companions, who were scattering among the panic stricken prisoners, and picking out—as Donald readily perceived —those among them who had been concerned in the plot which gave Valbort his liberty and caused the death of Lavroff. Two of Valbort's companions Donald recognized as Leontef and Gross, the men who had escaped on the previous day. Others were of the same stamp —all escaped convicts beyond a doubt. The unexpected affair threw Donald into a whirl of perplexity. His heart leaped at the thought of freedom, and yet even on such terms he felt reluc- tant to join this band of assassins. The conversa- tion overheard that night between the s/avos/a and one of the Cossacks gave him a clew to the situation, and he shrewdly guessed that the perpe- trators of these outrages were Valbort and his com- panions, who had formed themselves into a band and found a safe hiding place in the mountain fast- nesses near by. The assault on the post station was equally clear. These clever rascals must have been lying in wait for the exile party, having THE ONLY .APPARENT OCCUPANTS OF ‘THE PLACE WERE IWO ROUGH him to be right, with the single exception that the attack on the governor of Irkutsk was premedi- tated. ‘‘Come on now} We are ready to go Val- bort's harsh voice broke in on Donald's reflections and warned him that he must decide quickly what to do. There was really no choice. His lack of interest in the matter had already excited the suspicion of Valbort's comrades, and they regarded Donald with sullen, mistrustful glances. He knew far too much to be left behind. Donald hesitated briefly and then followed the party—now augmented by ten or twelve men—to- ward the gates. Many of the exiles pressed on their heels clamoring piteously to be taken along, but by Valhbort’s orders they were sternly driven back. In front of the gates lay the three men who had been shot. The one who was knocked down ” and stunned had come to his senses and crawled away. Valbort bent over the Cossacks for an instant, ‘They are not badly wounded," he said. ‘* With care they may recover.” ‘‘Poor Tolnar!” he added, stopping in front of the third man, ‘He is stone dead. Well, if we have lost one companion, we have gained eight— that should console us,” They pressed on, drawing the gates shut behind them, and then paused for a moment to listen. All was quiet, so they marched down the post road for a hundred yards or more, and then turned aside into the thick for- est on the left. Valbort led the way, with Leontef and Gross + close behind him, They were well armed and carried their weapons in readiness for instant use. Donald came next, and then the rest in sin- gle file. All night long they pushed on over the frozen snow crust, going deeper and deeper into the mountains and hear- ing no sounds of pursuit. When daylight came they stopped for a brief rest, and then the march was resumed, but with weary and lagging feet, for no food was to be had and the want of it made the men weak. We will leave Donald and his companions to pursue their journey through the Siberian forest, and take the reader for a brief time to the city of Irkutsk. The assault on Gene- eral Tichimiroff and the abduction of his daugh- ter was flashed over the wires within three hours of its occurrence, and the daring affair caused the greatest excitement in the social and military cir- cles of Irkutsk. On the evening of the following day Captain Andre Dagmar was summoned by special messen- ger to headquarters, and a few moments later he was galloping along the crowded Muscovaia—the main street of the city. He found Colonel Sude- kin alone in his gloomy apartment, sitting before a large flat table which was littered with papers and lighted by a pair of wax candles, ‘‘ Well,” said the colonel abruptly as Andre en- tered, ‘‘ you have heard the news of course.” “Yes,” replied Andre. ‘‘It is known from one end of the town to the other.” He halted respectfully in front of the table, won- dering vaguely if his urgent summons was con- nected with this affair. LOOKING MEN, conniclbooks.com