Show IC MIM clr az t ole C A ga 7 00 he suddenly whipped the pistol from his pocket SYNOPSIS frederick hardy a fashionable boston ocleta society inan sost lost his wealth was J jilted cited b by ekar a girl and bent by a friend to lake take chaiffe ue of an american trading camp Corn pany wt attore re in russia on hla his journey through throng I 1 man japan ho he met stapleton neville supposedly mi ai a i englishman they agreed to rn CD to wether to It Ilus sla because of sus bus circumstances they were several molested by the japanese hardy was a arrested and found upon his person were pipers papers showing maps of jap torta forts hardy was proven guiltless on oil a train he met alseme sano daughter of a jap merchant in nevilles shoes jap found pictures I 1 tures of forem proving him to be ba a russian ac assian spy hardy departed tor for R ruama u s Is on an a steamer wl which I 1 ich was wreck wrecked w 1 dortly af afterward berwar d he le was rescued by a russian a n 8 teamer steamer on reaching cladi he was well treated lie ile started for siberia meeting princess Rom anoyna on the train hardy boarded board ert a ve vessel for amur hardy showed sv NIB hla expertness pertness er BS ao a rifle ride shot the steamer was waa a stranded tr the princess and hf cpr r maid were attacked by chinese hardy aved their lives liven the th princess thanked hardy for his heroism Manchuria Manchur lans nR fired upon the craft hardy slew their chief burning arrows were hurled upon the Push kins decks an attempt was made to board the veel the attacking chinese were repulsed It romanoff omanoff sneered at t hardys solicitude for the princess beanka a messenger sent for help was nal nailed tied to across a cross on an the shore T to 0 put an end to the awful torture hardy 1 himself put S estinka ank out it of his misery taking ilia his own life I 1 in 11 his hands forest fires menaced the vessel hardy volunteered to to KO go for help refused permission he witted jumped um overboard started to owl swarn m with the e princess distress message it romanoff oth was angry at hardy for his bravo brave efforts to rescue the princess if he wooed her 1 in his own savage way lie he said raid hardy ho had d made love openly to a japanese girl help camo came and the princess was rescued hardy journeyed on a raft arriving at his destination he took charge of 0 the trading company companas comp anys s business hardy flardy received a letter from a social leader in boston and another from alseme hardy took lessons in itus of a jew thus connecting himself in a way with that race hardy received a etter ietter I from the trin princess e ess thanking him tor for his bravery hardys lar dys teacher was in bariger of death ile he employed wang as a servant hardy went to moscow Alo scow where he was invited to call upon the princess ile he started for the palace home of princess Itoman ovna hardy flardy aroused unaccountable jealousy of his him korean boy tv bv announcing that he he was going to call on MI the princess ha engaged a cabman who drove him to a large house on a art poorly lighted street after entering the h house harily dise discovered that it was a resort of nihilists nihilisms lists who supposed lie he was wag felix hulln hulin come coma to tell them of a powerful explosive p pIos lve he had discovered the real hulln arrived and denounced hardy as an impostor r the nihilists nihilisms lists determined to kill hardy y in order to protect themselves CHAPTER continued at this moment the committee rp entered the room it had transacted its grisly business with dispatch acted as spokesman mr chairman and brethren he announced we have decided that the roost most practical method Is to bind the prisoner and drive an awl into the base of his brain wo we have with us ua here a shoemaker who can do the business scientifically then in the early hours of the morning when the street Is deserted we can throw him into brother ivans cab drive him to some lonely spot on the banks of the and drop him into the water the committee already appointed will act in this matter said Bl elinski in a businesslike tone with the addition of brother ivan who Is a strong roan mail and the shoemaker ivan and tile the shoemaker arose and the five men turned toward tardy lardy who during the absence of tai alc tlc c committee 0 m had find beet staring at the me mca merlc meric spot of light on the table gentleman Gentle manill he cried backing to the wall and speaking with an inspiration born of despair and tho the immediate presence of a horrible death hear mo me for one word the suddenness of his appeal caused hla his appointed executioners execution ers to halt while every face in tho the audience turned toward him in wonderment no 0 man la Is ever executed without being allowed a last word a farewell even vie uie law which you say Is an invention of tyrants permits that surely as you say that you are killing me in the interest of humanity you cannot be unjust and savage all I 1 ask is one word before I 1 die a parting message perhaps to be given to my friends speak then commanded ski but be brief as we have weighty matters to discuss do not waste your breath in pleading for mercy 1 I was going to visit the princess I 1 ovna said hardy pale as death but speaking distinctly not b because because I 1 am an aristocrat for I 1 come from america the most democratic country on earth I 1 was invited to visit her because I 1 saved her life on the amur through my skill with the pistol sly my skill which has made me famous in my native land enabled me to kill two chinese who were attempting to abduct her it is second nature to me I 1 shoot with absolute precision had I 1 my weapon here I 1 could pick off in succession from where I 1 stand the buttons on mr coat what Is that to us asked the chairman you are talking to gain time give us your parting message and we will try to get it to those for whom it Is intended 1 I could hit proceeded hardy that explosive ball yonder the invention tin of mons aan hulln and blow you all to atoms and by god I 1 it if any one here stirs or attempts to lay hands on me ill do if it with these words worda he suddenly whipped the pistol from hla his pocket and leaning forward aimed at the ball CHAPTER in the name of the caarl the nihilisms nihilists lists were thrown into panic by this sudden u ddn move on the orrt of hardy for the moment lie he was in control of the situation though he was well aware that lie he could not remain sefor so for long the american backed to the door still aiming at the ball passed through it after some little nervous fumbling for the knob closed it behind him and started to run rapidly across the empty room in which lie he now found himself not without however making an effort to lock the door which was impossible as there was no key on the outside and no bolt A savage uproar broke loose in the room which he had bad just quitted the aund d of men struggling curses flouts h ute and ere he had traversed halt half the distance of the hall the door be hind him flew open and a half a dozen doze nihilists nihilisms lists were vomited forth several of them were armed and pointing pistols at hardy they shrieked drop that revolver or we scoott you cannot escape at this moment the hall door was thrown open and a man rubbed to hardys side it was mordecal mordecai the jew with his red eyes his bushy busby red whiskers his big hook book nose mr hardy lI ardyl ho he cried my dear dupill and he sprang between tho the american and tho the pistols that were pointed at the lat batters body stop brothers he shrieked what madness Is this what Is this man mail accused of I 1 know him ile he Is a friend alend I 1 will vouch tor for him on my life I 1 will defend him it if you kill him you must kill me too ile he Is a friend of aristocrats explained Di elinski stepping forward he entered here by mistake he says but it Is 18 possible that he to Is a spy at any rate he knows our secret ho he has overheard our plans and lie he will betray us lie he must die and at this moment a loud hammering was heard on the outer or street door silence gasped Di elinski in a whisper a whisper nevertheless that could be heard more distinctly in tho the sudden silence than a shout what la Is that As if in answer to his question the door opening into the hall lew flew wide and the old woman looked in disheveled and pale moaning as she crossed herself rapidly the police the police again that thundering on tile the door sounded bounded through the house and a stern voice could bo be heard commanding open in the name of the czar hardy was forgotten the czar their archenemy was at the gates of their fortress and his name was a word of terror the nihilists nihilisms lists flew past the american on tip toe into tho the hall several of them jostling and almost knocking him over in their eagerness to escape J come coma with met me whispered js J ruch who had regained his feet 1 I v q must not be found hero here and mcp s ing hardy irardy by the arm li he e also jump jumped d for cor the open doar door hardy made no resistance and was soon running down the long hall with the others led by the jew they came to a narrow light flight of stairs leading to the cellar and down this they crowded scrambling and fighting some of them losing their footing and rolling to the bottom A loud crash arrested hardys attention he was standing in the darkness but at the farther end of the hall was a hanging lamp turned low and by the light of this ho he could see the door fly in splinters and the officers of the law pour in throw your bomb brother throw your bomb said Bl elinski and hulln leaping like a cat into the mid die of the passage hurled the sphere down the hall with an oath there was a muffled report not loud and much jingling of glass the light went out but by the momentary flash of the explosive hardy could see several policemen pitch forward on their faces come come away said mordecal and hardy scurried down the cellar steps with the jew hardy buys an overcoat they were in utter darkness now above could be heard a hoarse uproar faint and confused cont used shouts and sound bounds of heavy boots on the flooring here in the cellar the shuffling feet of the escaping nihilists nihilisms lists the bump or rattle of an all occasional obstruction kicked or run against muttered oaths mordecal cal still holding hardy by the arm pulled him rapidly across the ho cella until they stumbled against the feet of men crawling on their hands and knees the american pit pitched ched forward on the back of one of t these h ese who kicked him savagely savage ay and swore a foul oath under tinder his breath get down whispered mordecal mordecai and crawl crawl with me they passed through an opening in the wall wal so low that it brought the american flat on his stomach and still scratched his back that it was barely wide enough for two at a time was evident from the fact that though he be had crowded close to mordecal the wall scraped his bis right sid they were through in a and stil in utter darkness tho the sound vf ff scuffling feet again could be heard the sound of nihilists nihilisms lists fleeing the fools muttered mordecal mordecai they forgot to put back tho the stone it was evident from his grunts and a scratching sound that he was struggling with some heavy object there he muttered at last it Is flush bush now and just in aimel listen my dear pupil do you not hear them they are in the cellar put your car against the wall hardy did as was requested and lie he could indeed hear bear faint sounds bounds un on the other side ot of the wall where are we now he asked we are in the cellar of tile the adjoining house belonging to a member of i the order the brothers bar ees ca by an underground passage by br an old forgotten sewer but it will not be safe for you to follow them they will have recovered their wits by this time and some of them will lie ile in wait for you and kill you fooling feeling sure that you will tell what you have seen and heard hardys eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness and in the tha distance he could see a slit silt of dim gray light lie ile felt his way to it striking a barrel and hitting his head against a hanging shelf on the tha way by the sense of touch ho he assured himself that he had arrived at the collar cellar window boarded up and that the slit silt of gray light came through an imperfect joining the door must be somewhere near with hla his fingers against the wall he took several steps to the left without finding it then he returned to the right made the same experiment and his efforts were rewarded with success mordecal at his side what are you going to do asked the jew 1 I am going to walk boldly out of this door replied hardy tho the explosion will have drawn the whole neighborhood to the front of the house on the other street and I 1 shall not bo be noticed if I 1 am I 1 can explain how I 1 came here and how I 1 escaped I 1 am going to chance it and the quicker I 1 go the better and lie he pushed back the heavy bolt which lie he had found by this time goodby good by my friend and thank you I 1 suppose you will rejoin rt your brethren you have saved my life and I 1 shall never forget it for your sake I 1 will say nothing about what I 1 have seen and heard this night the nest is 13 broken up for the present and tho the pollee police 10 lo do not seem to need my aid the american walked a couple of squares then turned sharply to the right and gained the main street ile ho was safe now and he hailed a passing cab ordered the to take him to the Slav lansky bazar As he stood on the walk waiting for the vehicle clo to draw up he felt chilly and ills lit s excitement cit ement having subsided somewhat nide a discovery that gave him a h lock and filled him with a feeling of uneasiness that was destined to possess him for many days to come ile he had left his overcoat behind somewhere in that den of nihilists nihilisms lists ile he got into the cab and its as it tore through the streets the wheels slue squeaking aking in the snow he sat there shivering his chin in his hand racking his brain to remember if possible whether there was anything in the pockets a letter cards a cigar case that might betray tho the identity of tho owner to save his life he could not settle this point in his mind it was lato late when he reached the hotel and just as the gray light of dawn began to sift in through the curtains he fell into a sound bound slumber it was fully ten when lie he went out into hla his office and sent for his 1118 coffee As he was drinking it wang entered in great excitement with a newspaper look at this cried the boy the police raided a den of nihilists nihilisms lists last night and the latter threw a bomb killing hilling four of the officers and wound ing six others it was the io clety known as the enemies of russia made up of di disaffected ted russians poles finns even jews all who late hate this accursed governa government n t 11 hardy gla glanced need at the boy marvel man cling much at the revelation of hate in that ingenuous word accursed 1 why are you an enemy of russia ho asked oh for no particular reason faltered tb tho boy turning pale 1 I per b hips apa I 1 am not and the nihilists nihilisms lists nil all disappeared ds appeared as though the earth had swallowed them up not a thing was left to prove the identity of a member except one costly fur lined overcoat which proves that this society numbers among its members some of the e wealthier classes perhaps of the ati nobility 0 b 1 it Y I 1 tell you and wang evang struck the paper with his right hand in its his e excitement X c I 1 teme n t that th this IS c country 0 un try Is a house divided against itself leave it alone and it will work out its own destruction and salvation tho the boys eyes were flashing now and his cheeks were so aflame with excitement that the sear scar |