Boy Nihilist, Page 3

beckoned him approach nearer. "What did you say?" he asked,in a lower key.

  "Simply what I said, sir; and to finish the business between us, allowme to deliver you this letter," said he, presenting to him, feelingsomewhat aggrieved on account of the arrogant manner in which he wasreceived both by the prince and his attendants.

  The prince took the letter, and Barnwell was about to retire.

  "Wait!" said the Prince, severely.

  "My mission is fulfilled, sir."

  "Wait until we see whether it is or not," replied the haughtyaristocrat, and he proceeded to open the letter.

  Whatever it contained, it suddenly made a change in facial expression ofthe prince, who glanced from it to Barnwell.

  "Do you know this Paul Zobriskie?" he asked, earnestly.

  "No. I never met him until I saw him on the steamer, and he asked me todeliver this letter to you," said he.

  "Are you sure of that?"

  "I am."

  "And know nothing about him?"

  "Nothing further than hearing of him as a socialistic agitator."

  "And you know nothing of the contents of this letter?"

  "Nothing whatever. He told me nothing further than that it wasimportant, and that I must give it to no one but you."

  "What are you?"

  "A simple American citizen, sir."

  "Do you belong to any secret society?"

  "No, sir."

  The prince regarded him a moment, and then turned to read more of theletter, wondering at the same time why Zobriskie should have trustedsuch a fatal document to any but a tried and trusted Nihilist.

  The conclusion he arrived at was that there was treachery somewhere, orthat there was a possibility of such a contingency, and to guard himselfhe resolved to put the unsuspecting stranger under arrest.

  Without a word further, he touched a bell, and in an instant threegendarmes presented themselves.

  "This man is a prisoner; remove him to the castle for furtherdisposition," said he.

  Young Barnwell started in surprise. What did it mean?

  The officers approached him, when he turned to the prince.

  "What is the meaning of this, sir?" he demanded indignantly.

  "State prisoners are not always allowed to know State reasons."

  "But I am no State prisoner; I am an American citizen, and I demand toknow why I am arrested."

  "You may learn in time."

  "I will appeal to the American Minister, to the Czar of Russia even."

  "No, you will not. Away with him!" said the prince, determined above allthings that he should make no such an appeal or have a chance to do so.

  "Do you really mean this outrage?"

  "Call it what you like, but wait and see," he replied, waving him away.

  The officers knew nothing but duty, and in spite of young Barnwell'sprotests and struggles, he was overpowered and dragged away in thedirection of the Bastile.

  Tobasco followed closely after them. What he had seen and heardconfirmed his suspicions that the prince was a traitor, and that he hadordered Barnwell's arrest through fear.

  As for Barnwell, he, of course, saw that it was an outrage of thedeepest dye, and he had no idea of submitting to it.

  His American blood was up, and, knowing his own great strength, hewatched his opportunity as the guards led him from the prince's quarterstowards the Bastile. He suddenly wrenched himself away, and knocked oneof them sprawling upon the courtyard flags.

  Quick as thought almost, he sent another of them toppling against thewall of a building.

  A third was on the point of firing at him with his musket, when Tobascodealt him a stinging blow from behind, that sent him sprawling on top ofhis comrades.

  "Quick, young man! Escape by the gate yonder, and fly to the Americanminister for protection," said Tobasco; and without waiting for anexplanation he fled, and in an instant more was on the street, whileTobasco quickly secreted himself in a deep doorway, for his work was notdone yet.

  Recovering from their stunned condition, the gendarmes raised an alarmin the courtyard, which quickly brought out the prince's followers, andeven the prince himself rushed from his room into the courtyard, toascertain the cause of the alarm.

  Flitting like a shadow almost, Tobasco ran from his hiding-place intothe office that the prince had hurriedly left; and seeing the paper andenvelope lying upon his table, hastily secured it and again returned tohis hiding-place.

  It did not take Prince Mastowix but a moment to find out that the youngAmerican had escaped from his guard, and he was wild with rage.

  "After him, laggards! What are you standing here for? Retake him, orI'll have every rascal of you knouted!" he roared.

  But this exhibition on his part only made the confusion greater for amoment.

  Finally, without any attempt at order, a rush was made by servants andsoldiers for the gate to join in the pursuit.

  Tobasco, looking more like a peasant servant than anything else, mingledin the rush, shouting the loudest of any of them in urging the pursuit,and in this way, escaped from the palace without exciting the leastsuspicion.

  Once free from the palace-gate, young Barnwell had no idea whatever ofthe best way to go, but being determined to escape at all hazards, heshot off to the right and ran like a deer.

  But he had only time to gain a block or so ahead before the mob ofsoldiers and retainers rushed out and caught sight of him.

  Then the pace was quickened. Barnwell glanced over his shoulder, and sawthem coming after in the shape of a howling mob, and he plunged onwardat still greater speed, going he knew not where, nor caring either, solong as he got away, and could find direction to the American Minister'sresidence.

  He asked several as he ran for direction, but no one seemed tounderstand his language, and the mob at his heels, augmented by thepolice and citizens, was growing larger and larger every moment.

  But still he kept the lead, and paid no attention to several shots firedafter him.

  He was a stranger in the city, and not knowing which way to go, wasfinally captured, roughly taken in charge, and handcuffed.

  In the meantime, Tobasco made his escape complete, but stopped to seethe soldiers drag the young American back to the prison to which tyrannyhad consigned him.

  The excitement among the populace ran high, and rumor had it that theauthorities had captured an important Nihilist official; and this, ofcourse, roused that numerous and much-dreaded body of secret destroyersto learn, if possible, through their agents, all the particulars of thecase.

  William Barnwell was thrown into a dark and loathsome dungeon, fromwhence the body of many a poor prisoner had been borne after death,produced by torture and starvation.

  "Curses on my luck!" he muttered, after collecting his thoughts for amoment. "It must be that I have been betrayed by that Paul Zobriskieinto the hands of the Russian authorities. But what could have been hismotive, when I was an innocent stranger, and only did what I did toaccommodate him? What will be the result if I cannot communicate withthe American Minister? I am evidently taken for a Nihilist, and goodnessonly knows what the end of it all will be. Am I destined to die in thishorrible place, without having a chance to communicate with my friends?The thought is dreadful! It must not, shall not be; but--stay. What hasbeen the fate of other good men who have fallen into the hands of thisdespotic government? That fate may be mine, and I sent to Siberiawithout even a trial. Oh, the thought will drive me mad!" he cried, andbowed his head, as he sat there on the filthy straw of his unlighteddungeon.

  CHAPTER III.

  A FRIGHTENED AND ENRAGED RASCAL.

  When Prince Mastowix returned to his room from ordering the guard topursue and recapture William Barnwell, the first thing he did was toseek for the paper he had left upon his table when the alarm of escaperang out so startlingly in the courtyard, the very paper that the youngAmerican had placed in his hands only a few moments before, and whichTobasco, the secret spy of the government, had secured during thecon
fusion incidental to Barnwell's escape, and in which he had acted afriendly part.

  He started and looked wildly around. Then he felt in his pockets to seeif he had not placed it there in his excitement. Then he looked hastilyinto several drawers where he possibly might have placed it in themoment of hurry, and even upon the floor, where it might have fallen.

  But nowhere could he find it, and his excitement grew until it wasalmost uncontrollable.

  Where was that fatal document?

  Again and again he went through his pockets and drawers, but all to nopurpose--the paper could not be found.

  He struck a bell savagely, and a clerk came hastily from an inner room.

  "Huon, has any person from your room been in here within the last fewminutes?"

  "No, Excellency, no one," replied the clerk.

  "Are you certain of that?"

  "I am, for I am seated by the door, and I never allow