Show A he suddenly whipped the pistol from his pocket SYNOPSIS frederick hardy a fashionable noton ocleta y man I 1 n io hla his wealth was waa jilted y girl r 1 a and d sent lent by B friend to talc take marge r ot t an ali Amo rican trading company y r tor 0 in eurala on his hid journey through japan spun he met stapleton neville buy un adly da all Engli englishman hinn they agreed to P together to rusala because of sunan u circumstances they were several tin molested by the japanese hardy waa a arrested and found uvon upon hla his der deron berbon on wp pipers papers showing capi map of jap forts ort nardy flardy was waa provin proven BU lItie s on a train he h met sano bano daughter of 0 a jap in crr chant erchant in nevilles neville shoes hoes jap found vertume picture of forts fort boving him to be b a kuanlun in spy hardy clr y de departed arted for or fa ruiea ed ahia on a steamer tF amer which was wa wrecked wreck rr shortly tl y lf afterward ter ward lie he WB wan rescued by ia a rawlan u 1 m 11 1 ln I 1 Bt teamer eamer on reaching bladl ot he was well tr treated abed lie he started for or siberia iberia m birg Prin princess coss Koman Roman ovna ovna tn on th the Is train hardy boarded a f or r amur I 1 tardy hardy showed shined tho the arinee s ht alii expertness expert nesB nes ins ad a shot hot th aldamer t mer woe was stranded the princess ans an and her 1 biard I lid were attacked attack pd by Chin chiave ve harda davd avd their ln live th the orine thanked barfly ary for his Fol sm Manc manchurian Manchur hurlan lana alred upon the crat craft hardy slow lw their chief burning arrows were here hurled upon the Push kins decks decha an attempt WAS made to board the vessal the attack attacking ina chin 6 wore Roma anee sneered red at hardys hardy solicitude for or the th princess princea beanka a meB mea Benser mencer ent bent tor for alp wan rl wiled nailed to a cross crons on tb the I 1 N h hore e to put an I 1 end ad to t tho he awful torture bridy harily put stanka out of hla his miery taking faking his own life in him hands forest fires men aceil d the vessel vensel hardy volunteered 0 o go o for help elp d permission lie be lum 0 jumped ped overboard and started to swim with i the princess prince distress message ilowit majorr was waa angry it at hardy for hit his brave to resme tie the princess he wooed ht her in hla him own savage war way he mid bald hardy had made love lose open openly r to a jap ineski girl karl help came camo and the princess was reached hardy journeyed on a raft arriving at his destination he took charge charce of the trading comp company anys bu at n ars hardy a letter from a so 0 ocla clo leader in amton and another from altoner Alto nir hardy took I 1 leroni ons tn in russian of a jew thus thua connecting himself in a way with that rice race hardy received recel veil a letter from the tha 1 9 thanking mm him ter r his hl bry bribery br ivery r frand teacher was in va nger anger ot of death ile he employed d wane an fe a a servant burvant hardy went to moscow where r ie was wa invited to call upon the prin princea cesi he started for or the enlace home ot or prin me ea Roman ovna hardy abou arou argued ed un countable jealousy of 0 me hla norean korean boy by announcing that h he was waa going to call on an the lh princess he a cabman who drove ame him to a large hou house e on a poorly d atre ot aft atter r entering the hauae lighte t hardy erd y dis discovered that it was waa a resort of who sed he ha was wa felix itu tin come to tell them of ft a powerful explosive he had discovered dla covered the tha real hulln arrived and denounced hardy a as ion an im tor the tha nihilisms nihilists lists determined to kill vo hardy ady r in order to protect themselves thera elve CHAPTER continued at this moment the committee reentered the to roarn it had transacted its grisly business with dispatch acted BS as spokesman hesman mr chairman and brethren ho he announced we w have decided that the tha most practical method Is to bind the prisoner and drive an awl into the base of hla his brain we have with us here a shoemaker who can do the tha business scientifically then in the early hours of the tee morning when tho the treet street Is deserted we can throw him into brother ivans cab drive him to some lonely spot on the banks of 0 tile the joshva vii and drop him into the water the committee already appointed will act in this matter said in a businesslike torie tone with the addition of at brother ivan who Is a strong man and the shoemaker ivan and the shoemaker arose and the five men turned toward hardy who during the tha absence ot of the earn committee had been staring blaring at the mesmeric spot of light on the table Gentl emaril he cried backing to the wall and speaking with an inspiration born of 0 despair and the immediate presence ot of a horrible death hear me for one word the suddenness of his appeal caused his appointed executioners execution ers to halt balt while every face in the audience turned toward him in wonderment no man to la ear executed without being allowed a last word a farewell even the law which you say Is ie an invention of tyrants permits that surely as you say that you are killing mo 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 alt then commanded bielin ski kl auf be brief as we have weighty matters to discuss do not waste your breath in pleading tor for mercy 1 I was going to visit the princess Itoman ovna said hardy pale as death but speaking distinctly not 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 ray my skill with the pistol my aly skill which has made me famous lu 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 alad I 1 my weapon here I 1 could pick off in succession from where I 1 stand the buttons on mr air coat what Is a that to us asked the chairman you are talking to gala gain time give us your parting message and we will try to get it to those for whom w born it is intended 1 I could hit proceeded hardy that explosive ball yonder the invention of 0 mons alons and blow you all to atoms and by god I 1 it if any one here stirs or attempts to lay hands bands on me ill do it with these words worda he suddenly whipped the pistol from his pocket and leaning forward aimed at the bull ball CHAPTER in the name of the caarl the nihilists nihilisms lists were thrown into panic by this sudden move on the part of hardy kor for the moment he was in control of the situation though he was well aware that he be could not remain so for long the american backed to the door still alining 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 he now found himself vot cot without however low 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 ho he had just quitted the sound of men struggling curses shouts and ere he be had bad traversed halt half the tha distance of the hall ball the door bo be hind him flew open and a halt half a dozen nihilists nihilisms lists were vomited forth several of 0 them were armed and pointing painting pistols at hardy they shrieked drop that revolver or we WB scoott you cannot escape at this moment the hall door was thrown open and a roan man rushed to Ij hardys ardys side it was mordecal the jew with his alg red eyes his hie bushy red whiskers hla his big hook book nose I 1 mr flar hardy dyll 1 he be cried my dear pupil and ho he sprang between the american and the pistols that were pointed at the lattore lat tors body stop brot brothers berB stop he shrieked what madness la Is this what la is this man accused of I 1 know him ile he la is a friend I 1 will vouch for or him on my life I 1 will defend him it you kill him you must kill roe me too ile he Is a friend of aristocrats explained felinski 13 forward he be entered here by mistake he says saya but it la Is possible that he Is a spy at any rate he knows our secret he has overheard a our ur plant plans and be will betray us ile he must midst die and at this moment a loud hammering was heard on the outer or street door silence gasped in a whisper a whisper nevertheless that could be heard more distinctly in the sudden silence than a shout about what Is tha tf As if in answer to his hie question lon the door op opening erling into the hall flow flew wide and t the he old woman looked in disheveled and pale moaning as she crossed herself rapidly the police the pol police icel again that thundering on the door sounded through the house and a stern voice could be beard commanding open in a the name of the czarf hardy was forgotten the czar their archenemy was at the gates of their fortress and his name was a word of terror tho nihilists nihilisms lists flew past t the he american america n on t tip 1 p toe into the hall several of them jostling and almost almast knocking him over in their eagerness er ess to escape come with met whispered baruch who had regained his feet you must not be found hero here and setz ing hardy by the arm he be also jumped for the open 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 flight of stairs leading to the cellar and down this they crowded scrambling and fighting some of thorn them losing their tooting footing and rolling to the bottom A loud crash arrested Il hardys ardys attention ile he was standing in the darkness but at the tha farther end of the hall ball was a hanging banging tamp lamp turned low and by the light of this he could see the door fly in splinters and the officers of the law pour in throw your bomb brother throw your bomb said bald Blell aski and hulln leaping like a cat into the middle middie 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 cash of the explosive hardy could see several policemen pitch forward on their faces come come away said gald BIor Alor decal and hardy scurried down the dark cellar steps with the jew CHAPTER hardy buys an overcoat they were in utter darkness now above could be heard a hoarse uproar faint and confused shouts and sounds 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 occasional obstruction kicked or run against muttered oaths mordecal still holding hardy by the arm dulled him rapidly across the cellar until they stumbled against the feet of men crawling on their hands and knees the american pitched forward on an the back of one of these who kicked him savagely and swore a foul oath under his breath get down whispered mordecal and crawl crawl with met me they passed through an opening in the wall 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 had bad crowded close cloe to mordecal the wall scraped his right side aide they were through in it a trice and still in utter darkness the sound of scuffling feet again could be heard beard the sound of nihilists nihilisms lists flerl fing ng the fools muttered mordecal they forgot to put back the stone it was evident brorn his grunts and a sound bound that he be was struggling with some heavy object there he be muttered at last it Is flush now and just in time listen my dear pupil do you not hear bear them they are in the cellar put your ear against the wall hardy did as was requested and he could indeed hear bear faint sounds bounds on the other side of the wall where are wo we now he be asked wo we are in the cellar of tile the ad joining house belonging to a member of tho the order the tco brothers have bar aa s by an underground pas passage sagi by ui la old forgotten dut but it will not be ba safe for you to follow them they will mill havo have recovered their dinits willits by this time find and some omo of them will lie in walt for or you ou and kill hill you feeling sure sura that you will tell what you have seen been tind and heard Il hardy ardYs a eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness and in the distance he be could see aee a slit silt of dim gray light ile he felt ills his way to it striking a barrel and hitting hla his head against a hanging shelf on the way dy by the sense of touch he assured bimbela that tant lie had arrived at tho the cellar window boarded up and that the slit allt 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 ba returned to to the right made the tha same game experiment and his efforts were rewarded with success mordecal was at his hide aide what are you going to do dot asked the jew 1 I wui am going to walk boldly out of this door replied hardy the explosion will have drawn the whole neighborhood to the front of the house on oil tile the other street and I 1 shall not be noticed it I 1 am I 1 can explain how I 1 came here and how I 1 escaped I 1 an am going to chance it and the quicker I 1 go the better and he pushed back the heavy bolt which lie had found by this time goodby good by my friend and thank you ou I 1 suppose you will rejoin your brethren you have saved my life and I 1 shall never naver forget it for your salie sake I 1 will say nothing about what I 1 have seen and heard beard this night the nest la is broken up for the present arid and the police do not teem seem to need my aid the american walked a couple of squares squar tB then turned sharply to the right and gained the main street ile he was safe gate now and he be hailed a passing cab ordered the to take lake him to the Slav lansky bazar As an he stood blood on the walk waiting tor for the vehicle to draw up ho be felt chilly and his excitement cit ement having subsided somewhat he made a discovery that gave him ft a shock aback and filled him with a feeling of uneasiness that was destined to possess him for many days to come lie H bad left his hie overcoat behind somewhere in that den of nihilists nihilisms lists lie got into the cab and as it tore through the streets the wheels wheela squeaking in the snow he sat there shivering his bis chin in his hand racking tits his brain to remember it if possible whether there was anything in tile tha pockets poc hots a letter cards a cigar case that might betray the tha identity of the owner to save his life he could not settle this point in his bis mind it was late when he be reached the hotel and just as the gray light of dawn began to sift in through the curtains be fell into a sound slumber it was fully ten when he went out into hla his office and sent for his coffee As he was drinking it wang entered in great excitement with it a newspaper aller look at this I 1 cried the boy the police raided a den of nihilists nihilisms lists last night and the latter throw a bomb killing four of 0 tile the officers and wound ing six others it was the society known as aa the Ener enemies nies of russia made mada up of disaffected Kus slana poles finns even jews all who ha hate te this accursed government hardy glanced gl faced at the boy i marveling much at the revelation of hate in that ingenuous word accursed why are you an enemy ot at hussla he naked asked oh for no particular reason faltered the boy turning ale 1 I perhaps I 1 am not and the nihilisms nihilists lists all disappeared as though the earth had swallowed them hem up not |