THE "EAGLES"

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 205, 4 November 1909, Page 4

THE "EAGLES"

By r.w r. rru„rn.\r:T.

a se:;satio?:.u r cf LOVE AMD ADVE?!T n nE.

as fa asf a

TAUT 20. The lirnl itity I sp nt more or less in a catni state. The se-reind day 1 might ju»l «tH will have Ix-ii in my phi cell for all lh<" difference it made. 1 ttottkl elrarly have liked lo tirrak the furniture l« pie-pes ami to turn the l<pgs of my into weapon# with *h(ch to break down (he door. If it had not Iwn for a foreboding that the tnloncl would carry out his wi.winn shortly. and rflifl my reIfiiAf. I think I shonlel have att<-mp-tvil stiiiic such im|*ossibiiity. Ah it i- .* * «tv tem|>cst of anguir h surt;- - t in toy brnin All the excite-iii.-iir i«i n»y aelvvntures. hail now jins--.ml ui.-r. and I wan left with tin* one iviUi/at i«>n that Ihe womn-i I lo\vd hntrtl ihc sight of m«« : if fart, if d*»irrininctl i;«»t lo give herself to Prince* Mirski. she had no intention e»f 'wing (he wife of UnlrTt fJascoigne One* moment I was cursing her. the next I was |>raving f«>r her safe*ly, and wondering what had happened nKf.r I had ."lipped off the Jdeigh that night into the snow and left tv-r fitting Ith-rc like the very incarnation of contempt and sce»rn. T«ti • day* wen? I»y like tl- •». The (mirih day of my confinement I thought I should never get through. Ilotir after hour went l»y ami there came to me the first <iign"i of inei|»irnt mania. I leegaii to Mi.s|»ri my friends. I l»'gan lo mwiutl ail Tony's sjiiipnlhy «a<i the r.-siilt of hi* own iii'i.-r:?'!. thol he had only tellertrd Ftura's ese'ape in nreler that he might make tii-ar t«» her he»w mean and «onfempiiiohs n thing T was. and win her for himself. I l» gan te» wr in V«>n (irnhaun's and in Flora's altitude toward* me since the beginning e»f my od%enlure n well sr-heoie using ine* for th»'ir Mtn purjHJjws. ami lh«n Hinging iik aside*. In fa* - 1. I was fast l»e Eiimiri!; lo {hoik llittl Imili I kinrw was dishotioiimMe or ju'lf-wl.-ing. wh«*n I heard vninn outside mv oil do«»r ami the rattle of a key in lh»' lock. I paused in my walk. looking al the door. Sudih-nly it was rtimg open and thr«s* ward rs arut'd with revolvers bade* lll'' come oriS. I olw>ed with a of relief. Anything was a change from the monotony of that room. Somehow I notired Ihrti tin- itirn's attitude t«>w»rds me h».l chnns'fl. They did not treot m«" with the same polite-n«-ss which had di tingoishefl I heir « »ndtu-1 sim'e the c«*lonH's remarks to the chief of the |tolic»-. In fact, the* bur It el in- rather limn marched n«e down a long |>n.vaj,'e outside, and one fellow mnltered certain words which. tho»ig r i I was unable to grasp tie ir ni"rtfi:rg. 1 clearly grasp. *d. by I li.' way Ihey V i*r«* utfernl. were hostile. A feeling of foP'bo.Eiiisr e-am" over me. My message had misenrri. I. I was not to l«* relen* •I. Instead I was again to he treated as n common criminal. I enteretl the room to which I hey took me. The first sight of lie- p-e»-j»f:- sitting there s*.iii'*d tee emphasize the*" lean* that hitd -sprung up in my heart ; for there, sitting o» lhe etui of tt long table. mas Prince Mir»U. with a l»andage h:s li-.nl : i*r his side Wl»s no less « |>erson than th"" coiinle-y-t. This man a|»peared Id weihl |»ower in every depart uifnt. As I enter* d tie* rooru both looked op «t me. but I avoided tin* counl»s»"j» gnze and Icinkeil slriisuhl nl 'he prince, in wh«»s»« eyes was written clear!* and distinctly, a merciless halr»fl. "Ilow do tmi «10. Prince Mirski?'' I snt«l. with an uli'Vlnlioii of nonrttalenre which. I conf«"ss I wns far (roll) (»vli|lg. "Silence. prisoner ! If jmi speak without Ix'ing 10. «e shall ha*e you gagged." II is the only thing. I'rince Mirv.kt. tEiaf will prevent me from savwhat I wi*h t«» say." I rvpliitl. • ~r »o»i must rememlicr Ihnl you nr.* not bull*tng a woman now. but a man." his?i ' " snid Prince Mir- ?.!,», springing lo his f«*'l. his i-h't-Ks with ang-r. "lie is a dang i."is eriminnl-" The warders olneyed. not t»w> gently nnd all the lime the countess never said a word. "Countess, this is no scene for you. I think It would lie advisible for vph to withdraw."'

"He*nlly ? " sold Ihe roiinlrss. for tie* first time looking up from the taM«*. "Yon think so ? Hememlier. princ *. I have a certain interest in tins nii.sir. and I possess on nulhorH> etpml in your own in the malt«"r. I have already I old you I hoi your or rest of Ihe prisoner 1» contrary to trie express wishes of his Imjierial Majesty." "I have already told ye»u. counters, that I never allow a woman to interfere in my business, ami if it is hi*. Imperial Maj»"»ty"s wish that this prisoner—<»f whom he has no kn«»wl. ds-t —j.hnll be released, his Majesty will certainly send me an order to tfTdff

Yon are- playing a dangerous prince.'* ■ i>h. I know your interest in this man. connless. but I rrgrvt that for ..no* the interests of society deem it ii c'ssary that a decent community -.hall be protected from criminals. I s.-iise me interfering in your love iiUntrs."

The countess flushed crimson. "Prince Mirski," she sold, speaking In gasps, "you forget yourself." •"Perhnjis. madam will now see that It is advisable for her to leave me to continue my duties. Otherwise"— "Otherwise ? "■ said the countess, haughtily. "Otherwise " with his hand on the l»ell—"I shall have you removed, cetuntess." The deior suddenly opened, ami two men appeared In answer to hissummons. Prince Mirski turned to the countess. "Countess, you will. 1 am sure, avoid a scene." The countess rn»«* to her feet. Ii •he had had a dagger in her hau<i

. n j :. • r.rv it would h»vr ; - at'-c r iiii|tfir.!ed on ;i u.isnan's \ priiee." .shi- : aid »!owI Hut 1 warn ><» i again :,.i» -,f any harm eomes to this prion- r >on will l»e answerable for it.'" "Mntlam, I shall do my duty, said I'rince Mirski. ninking a mock how. "I wish t'ou goo«l day." He stood aside for the countess to pass the two. men still standing by the door, which hail lieen left open. ''The countww had got about halfway down the room when there were steps heard outside. They came nearer, they stopi* d at the doorway, the door was flung open and two figures apprord. I looked round. One I recognized as Colonel Potemkin ; the other was a short Utile figurt*. muHlid in a heavy overcoat that wo« clow? drawn about his face, inorc than half hiding it. "What dot's litis Intrusion mean? said Prince Mirski. staring with anger at the two figures. '-What righ! hove you to come here? " He turned to the warders. "Turn these men out."

Colonel Poleinkin motione«l to the men to stand still. They svimil half inclined to olmy his orders. Hul looking round the room from where I stood I seemed to lie watching a» a sort of disinterested sjK-ctator. a drama ui»on the stage. I saw that the countess leaned against the wall, and thai the colour had gone from her cheeks. "I am here liecauso 1 wish to l»c here. Prince Mirski." said the voire from under the cloak. "Ind-ed?" said I'rince Mirski. ' stampi: e with irritation. "I have I not the' pleasure of your acquainj tance. and I regard it as a gross imj |«*riinence on your part, colonel, : and on your part, whoever you may I lie. to intrude yourself Into business | with which you have no concern." i "Indeed " said ihe same voice i again, in accents so cold nnd biting j that I thought the prince would ! nave an apoli-ctie fit. j Almost with a scream he turned to Ihe two men whom he had summoned to remove the counless. "Turn these men out ! "• rhev closed Up. j -"Stand off," said Ihe rolonel. i "Stand back." said tin* same voice f rom under the cloak. "I command it." The warders seeiiK-d too [ierplexed lo know what to do. As f»»r Prince Mirski he came tearing down the room in a fury of rage. "Who the devil are you to give orders here? I will have you arrested, lieave this room at once, or I will amnion assistance to have you turned out." "Your orders ore nothing to m«\" replied the same voice. "Hy what right do you command ? " "Who are you to dare to speak to me like that ?" replied the prince ; and he stretched out. his hand to tear away the hood of the clouk but when his hand had almost touched it the hood was flung back by the little man. Almost thunderstruck the two warders step|ied back. White with terror Prince Mirski look two steps back until his hand gras(»ed the table for support. "The Czar ! :* he involuntarilygasped. A great Joy leapt into my heart. "King that bell," said the Czar to Ihe prince. Trembling, the prince rang the bell. Four warders api*eared. "Have these two men locked up until I give orders for their release." lie pointed to the two warders who hnd attempted to lay hands upon him. "You." „he said, turning to Prince Mirski. "I will deal with you presently." lie strode up the room—a squat figure. I admit, but with that studied dignity which conies. 1 suppose from years of practice. lie sot down on to a chair, nnd then, for Ihe firsi time lie looked up at me. nnd I saw a look of pain cross his face. He rested his forehead with one hand on the table and seemed lost in thought. Then he looked up at the colonel ami .summoned him to his side, and there was a look, of pain in his face. "That man —who is he ? " he said, pointing to me. The colonel lient down to tell him my name. A sense of relief came over hitn. And when I looked at him I noticed thnt there were tears in his eyes. "Mr. (Jascoigne—yes, how could I forget ? Affairs of State have crowded so heavily upon me that the obligation I ant under to you, Mr. Cascoigne—which we need not mention." he added, significantly—"had tfuile escaped my memory." Then ho motioned me to come to his side. I stood up still handcuffed, the thrro warders remainang like impassive images when I left them. He heltl out his hand for me to kiss. I sank on one knee, but with my hands handcuffed as thev were I rould hardly keep my balance. *'J am sorry, your Majesty, "but my hands are at present handcuffed." The Czar sprang to his feet in a very fury of rage. H«' ordered the handcuffs to lie .removed, nnd placed the three* warders under arrest. I then went through the <xdeal of kissing the Imperial hand. It was hot and nervous, like that of a hysterical child. The ceilonel bent over and whls|ieri*d something in his Maj.-sty's ear. "Ah. yes, 1 have a packet for you, Mr. Oascoigne. and it is my gn*at regret that you should have suffered as I understand you have suffere'd : but those responsible " —he seemed tei forget thnt he himself was responsible in the first place—"shall Ih? pun* ished." lie turned to Mirski. "It is my will," he said, "that within twenty-four hours you leave here for Archangel, outside the boundaries of which you shall not go for five years. After that you return to your estates." With this last order all the energy seemed to have left him. He sank back In his chair lost in a reverie, while we stood there minute after minute. Then sudiknly hj«» ros«; to hiu feet. He bowed distantly to ni«\ and, without noticing anybody else in the room strode out. Toltowed by 'he colonel. I followed, stepping' as < on the 'o* l '>' s

determined In po out under the aegis :,i In!!-..'-.' -i: 1 . .•> i..\ : :n) :! ing further should prevent mo from reaching the Hritish Kmbassy. Outside was a squadron of cavalry •»f the Imperial Guard. The Czar jot into liis earring'*. Iho colonel mounted his horse, with a friendly salute to myself, and then tVe corrgi; moved ofT. and I was standing outside the prison with my packet of passports in my hand, the loss of tvbich had cost mc so much.\

CHAI'TKH XXIV

The sense of frwdoni was (luiighl•'ul. the meath-r sense. also, of having sot the better of my enemies—especially Prince Mirski —added to the ioymsness of my release. I determined lo go back to my hotel, have a crash ami a shave and a change of ;lothes, Ihnt I was badly in need of, ind then make my long-post potv-d »isit to th2 Hritish Kmbassy. I'orsunatoly I had still another day to -mi before I was officially duo. so that the intervention of the Czar seemed likely not only to have saved me from imprisonment, but r.lso from finning my professional career. I naili'.l a droshky, and ■ tolling the man when* to drive, jum|Md in.

We hail gone. 1 suppose, about n lur.-lred yards when 1 became aware jf a closed carriage that was following us. At first it was mere languid ;iiriositv that made mc turn back in my seat, but suddenly it came to mc :hal the carriage really was following my vehicle. In order lo test it I jrdered the driver to drive down certain streets which led out of the direct route to my hotel. The coachlion behind immediately whipped up lis horses and followed. So used sad 1 become during these last jventful weeks to imprisonment that, 'earful lest something should again ntorvene to prevent my fulfilling my engagement at the Kmbassy, I told .he coachman to whip his horses up to a gallop. The coachman behind lid the'same. Hut my attention »vas soon distracted from this episode by the scone; in the street through which we. were driving. Here it was evident that something if a very unusual sort was going on. All the |»oople were walS.ing or hurrying in one direction, just as a crowd .-ollerts in I-AMido" when they catch <ight of throe policemen's helmets logei her. It soon b'cami' clear that the crowd was converging into one of the squares. My driwr had to slow his horses lown. the crowd was In-coming so thick that it was impossible to pro•«H»d at anything more than a walking pace and the man li!:nself, looking round at me with many grunts .Hid grumbles. protested that this was no place for a respectable lawabiding citizen, or words to that effect . Hesitating whether to turn round and drive back or remain and s;*e it through. I noticed a sudden sensation of mingled reverence and anticipation among the crowd. AH eyes were turned in one direction, and from that direction, walking as though he were a man inspired, was a younglooking priest. whos-.> form and features were strangely familiar to me. I tried hard to recall them, and I knew that they were in some way associated with one of the most eventful periods of my life. Where had I seen that earnest face and those Dright, soulful eyes? As the man ?ame towards my carriage and the (N-ople in looks rather than words resent**! the presence of my droshky bloeking the path, it suddenly occurred to me. This was the man in the railway carriage, the constitutional agitator the man of peace whom the Agent-Provocateur had vainly endeavoured to incite to crime. „ That fateful ami fatal spirit of interference with other people's affairs which is my evil genius in life, onco more took possession of mc. Just as I had got myself into this jungle af difficulties by allowing myself to be lured into that ridiculous society In Paris, so I determined without a moment's thought to follow this incident to the end. Jumping out of the droshky, I threw the driver a coin which about doubted his legal fare, and advised nim to clear out of the way. I noticed for the first time now that the jther carriage was in a similar predicament lo my own, and by a strange coincidence both driver and occupant had apparently come lo the same conclusion as ourselves. The driver was at this moment engineering his horse towards a side street, ami just as they wore disappearing round the corner a female figure triplied lightly out on lo the yavement. II was hardly a suitable place for a lady, I thought, and still in a meddling mood, I would have pushed my way towards her to advise her to return to her carriage, but the crowd had become so thick on the appearance of the priest that I simply had to yield to the pressure and was carried along In the very thick of tho congregationWhatever might be my ultimate fate. I was in no immediate danger from my newly-found neighbours. They were all quiet, unarmed people, tramping along with docile hope as of children going in a body to ask a favour at the hands of some lord or master. The scene almost carried me back to the days of "Harvest Homes." when the workpeople on my father's estate used to come to the old Hall with requests for the oldfashioned privileges which the governor always granted then as a matter of course, but insisted on their seeking in the old feudal fashion. As I was borne along, I overheard scraps of their conversation, and I gathered what their mission was. In their despair these confiding peasantwere going to lay their troubles before the "Little Father." Town life had not killed their rural simplicity; they lielieved if they could only meet the Czar and tell him how they suffered, all would be well with them. This was no revolutionary mob. They were obviously the outcome oi that society, to which Von Grahaun and my cousin Tony had directed their efforts. But T was to ihink. as we tramp-d 'hroii-h thestreets, that, the tim-s w-r- ma before very many minm. s v. n< :. a little more of Tony's tire a: m a 1 ' less of Von Graham: r " > cialism would b'-'t.-r ' •"•••a.sion. 1-' id.-n'l;- ?-ar hud been realiz- ••!. T;; n • organiza' ion had ■■■■". t>»-ci into action J -l-sr* - To Sv Cont:: ■:-d.