6 SYNOPSIS. Prod "tick Hardy, a fashionable Boston society man, lost his wealth, was jilted I y a (firl anil sent by a friend to take charge of an American Trading Company store in Russia. On his journey through Japan he met Staple-ton Neville, sup pi Kedly an Knglishman. They agreed to go together to Russia. Because of sus picious circumstances they were several times molested by the Japanese. Ilardy was arrested and found upon his person were papers showing maps of Jap forts. Hardy was proven guiltless. On a train he met Aisome Sano, daughter of a Jap merchant. In Neville's shoes Jap found pictures of forts, proving him to be a Russian spy. Hardy departed for Rus sia on a steamer, which was wrecked shortly afterward. He was rescued by u Russian steamer. On reaching Vladi vostok he was well treated. He started for Siberia, meeting Princess Romanovna in the train. Hardy boarded a vessel for Amur. Hardy showed the princess his ixpertness as a ritle shot. The steamer was stranded. The princess and her maid were attacked by Chinese. Hardy lived their lives. The princess thanked Hardy for ids heroism. Manchurians fired upon the craft. Hardy slew their chief. Burning arrows were hurled upon the Pushkin's decks. An attempt was made to board the vessel. The attacking Chinese were repulsed. Romanoff sneered at Hardy's solicitude for the princess. Stanka. a messenger sent for help, was nailed to a cross on the shore. To put an end to the awful torture Hardy himself put Stanka out of his misery, taking his own life in his hands. Forest tires men aced the vessel. Hardy volunteered to go for help. Refused permission he Jumped overboard and started to swim with the princess' distress message. Ro manoff was angry at Hardy for his brave efforts to rescue the princess. He wooed her in his own savage way. He said Hardy had made love openly to a Jap anese girl. Help came and the princess was rescued. Hardy journeyed on a raft. Arriving at his destination he took charge of the trading company's busi ness. Hardy received a letter from a so cial leader in Boston nnd another from Aisome. Hardy took lessons in Russian of a Jew. thus connecting himself in a way with that race. Hardy received a letter from the princess, thanking him for his bravery. Hardy's teacher was in danger of death. He employed Wang as a servant. Hardy went to Moscow, where he was Invited to call upon the princess. He started for the palace home of Prin cess Rotnanovna. Hardy aroused unac countable jealousy of his Korean boy by announcing that he was going to call on the princess. He engaged a cabman who drove him to a large house on a poorly lighted street. After entering the house. Hardy discovered that It was a resort of nihilists who supposed he was Felix Hu iin, come to tell them of a powerful ex plosive he had discovered. The real Hulln arrived and denovinced Hardy as an im postor. The nihilists determined to kill Hardy In order to protect themselves. Finding an unloaded revolver in his over coat pocket, he pointed it at Hulin's bomb, which lay on the table, and swore to blow them all up together if they touched him. Holding the nihilists at bay. Hardy started to leave the room when the police were heard at the outer door, liulin threw his bomb, killing sev eral policemen, the nihilists fled and Ba ■■rucl' »"le Je A', s. "''lenly appeared and led Ilardy to the cellaii It/' said the eiar, "liumedl »Mv * My pi an di-- appeared While he is t'"ne >*" it.ay It II ua wt .' iwi Immmm <>| thii Ibwlmi liar d} and why you think he did nut a* Kt# IMi «t' jf it ♦ I * 141 A* If 4 I t C !»«• It ft t nit» n in U* tileon*** Mu(t< IftA tola own * uiASAlrjr, tftUv# It** u< rt U 'QAAi merce and retrieve his fortunes. My cousin first met him in Japan. This part of the story I have from Boris' own lips. Boris, being hard pressed by the police, put his telltale papers in Mr. Hardy's overcoat pocket and j tried to throw the guilt on hiin. The | plan did not succeed, and Boris suf fered many hardships, for which he unjustly blamed Mr. Hardy. I first inet him on the Amur river, where I was captured by Chinese brigands. He came to the rescue and saved me from a terrible fate. This still fur ther enraged my cousin, who loved me and was jealous of any one who served me in any way. He was very brave, was Boris, and would have saved me himself, but he was not there —which certainly was not Mr. Hardy's fault. On the Amur we were again attacked by brigands, and Mr. llardy, as well as my cousin, fought like a brave man. In my house in Moscow my cousin, who was of a vio lent nature, insulted the American by offering him money, and, when Mr. Hardy indignantly refused and knocked his check-book out of his hand, struck him in the face. A duel was fought, at which Mr. Hardy, at my request, spared my cousin's life, though he was himself severely wounded. He has wonderful skill with the pistol, and he shot a cuff button from my cousin's sleeve, which he sent me as proof that lie had com plied with my request. My cousin was boastful of having wounded Mr. Hardy, and I gave him the cuff but ton and told him its story. He became transported with rage and swore that he would not rest till he had rid the earth of this man. He conceived it his duty to avenge the outraged honor of the Romanoff family, as he ex pressed it. He thought he must kill this man for other reasons," —here the princess halted and blushed. "Goon," said the czar, kindly and much interested, "this is a most re markable story! In it this Mr. Hardy appears as a hero!" "Sire, in Mr. Hardy's employ was a young Korean boy whose devotion to his master surpassed anything I have ever before heard of. It was more like that of a woman for the man she loves when a woman really loves. This boy—l am ashamed to tell it, sire but now your majesty will understand why I have wished to confide in you alone—this boy heard my cousin plot ting to kill Mr. Hardy. Your majesty will understand that my cousin was no longer a sane man; that rage and —and—jealousy, perhaps, had ren dered him for the moment irrespon sible. The boy, fearing for his mas ter's safety and believing that a Kus sian nobleman had the power to do anything he wished, stole into my cousin's compartment at night and killed him." "Wonderful! wonderful!" said the czar in a musing tone; "and are you sure of all this?" "Absolutely. I give you my word as a HomanofT princess that it is true." "And the b"y reque. ting tfiat the Imperial gov ernment use it.s Influence to get him a clt-an towel in the hotel there, with having worn an oven out similar to the one found in the nihilists' den on the t \ cuing of the explosion of the Krent hman's famous pill Further more, he had fought a duel with the I'rlnre Itomnnoff, In which he had been wounded Thl« let fur nix bed Hut motive for his alleged crime, which, coupled with his SUN picious record, left little room, in the Itu.- xlim olfli iai mind, for doubt of his guilt. Most of these points bud al ready !<• • uvoverwd by the story told by the prlncfsa. "AH for th« overcoat.'* she remarked. "If he continued tu wear It be could not have left It, and your majesty would uoa dint over, It your majesty would stop for some tlnte Incognito la Vladivostok, that the power of the imperial government Is by no means belittled when it Is a»ked to use Its iitjlueiieu lu the procuring of a clean tow. The emperor aro*e and juressed bis hand to his brow * < though be were fcltffi-filig With h< ul|i». i<« I.nil- I'atb. r." said Itom.iuovna tills Until »itv»d ley life, lu 1 honor There «r» l> «tur> • tu lie > •«» wbi> h if It Is li led, do not rcAe. t tr*dß uu iiny dead (outlni 1111 m tlrsut utf !.»' Mr Hard) he fievd, and CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1910. / K ' / _g,« i Kon Al / Pp A J 1/ Ki il\ "Rise, Daughter," Said the Czar Kindly. the report given out that the police have secret proof of his innocence, but are on the track of the real cul prit"—and she sank again on her knees. "Rise, daughter," said the czar kind ly. "We have already decided on this course. It's a relief to know that he is innocent, the American ambassa dor is so troublesome. Pypine, see that this is done. Tell the proper au thorities that it is our will." CHAPTER XLII. Gray Ghosts. That part of Siberia which lies east of the great inland sea, Lake Baikal, and west of the mighty Amur, which here turns abruptly and bends north ward, Is known as trans-Baikalia. The Stanovoi range of mountains, contin uing to the south, divides It nearly in halves, forming a watershed that feeds the lake on one side and the Amur and its tributaries on the other. I The trans-Siberian railway, the great artery through which the blood of Russia flowed uninterruptedly from Alexandrov to Vladivostok and Fort Arthur, pierces these mountains at an advantageous point, and, pass ing through Stryetensk, breaks into Manchuria. On a river in trans Baikalia that runs for many miles parallel with this mighty ant trail, a sledge was flying eastward, drawn by three horses, all abreast. The river was frozen to the very heart and snows, drifting i over it, had swept and polished its surface till it was smooth jas glass. Wrapped in furs and his i head shrouded in a thick cap, the i driver sat on the forward Beat, partly protected by the high curving dash, and managed the linen. On a low seat , behind him were a man and a woman. II also wrapped deep in robes of fur, > while a third woman sat silent in the bottom of the sledge. Somewhere behind them the rails had spread and the road had glveu out • and the trains were halted while re i pairs were made. There Frederick Court I and Hardy. lon iiis way to Stryetensk. had over taken the princess, hastening to the • front, undergoing all hardships. '-n > tirely forgi tful of -elf. that she might employ her strength, her fortune uud I her high courage and example in the | relief of her wounded and suffering .' countrymen. I i She greeted Ilardy with frank frt> ndllliess, eiplaltu d her mission ; and told him thai he had arrived Just II in time to help her carry out u plan • of hers i i 'We can take down the > rlvt r,' she said "to |'< trovska Xav>»d, i hh*r» I hate no doubt shall be I able to cat< han outgoing train I ohoiild hav Started before, but was • j deterred by the 'act that—lhat in ! fact, t was afraid Now. with my gal lant U! Amur, I shall i hate nu hesitation Ingoing Will you . I coute with us with my maid and i j tue *" r he r«(ilN-4 gravely, "| will tigo 1 aiu overwhelmed by my good fortune. It was too groat an honor to be hoped for —that I should ever be of service to your highness again." The mere presence of this woman transformed him from the merchant into the courtier and polished gentle man. "You forget," she said, while the ghost of one of her merry smiles light ed up her beautiful features, "that such things are to be said in French." The maid, Hardy scarcely noticed. She came out at the last moment, her head covered with a fur hood that al most entirely obscured her face, and took her place In the bottom of the sledge. There were long desolate stretches of snow, with here and there a house, the roof covered with snow, nestling among the white hills. They passed occasional patches of forest, the limbs etched very black and distinct against the background of snow. They had left the town about two o'clock and it was half-past three now. "There must be a farm-house some where near," observed Hardy, "if your I highness feels cold. I saw a large dog running among the trees a moment ago." Just then the driver pointed with the whip toward the woods and crossed himself. The princess also made the sign of the cross, and said quietly: "Those are wolves! May the holy Virgin protect us!" Two large, gray animals with bushy talis, that wero dogs and yet not dogs, were seen Hitting among the trees. Their tongues hung out of their mouths, and as they glanced from time to time at the sledge and its oc cupanti, their teeth could be plainly seen. "Have no fear," said Hardy, "they are so few they will not dare to at tack." At that moment a third Joined the I two ami ran with thein. They ran easily, tutting along as lightly as I thistle down driven by the wind The ' driver arose In his seat and cracked | : his whip over the horses' heads. "lie careful, Ivan," said the prin cess, "do not tire them out. ilow lar J 1 It IN yet to I'etrovska?" "Twenty versts," he replied, "we should make It tn something over an hour. If the horses hold out It was near here over a year ago that Kami er (logo! was drugged from Ills sledge by wolves and devoured 1 had no' heard ol many being seen this year The Virgin defend us'" I'or at this moment tine of (lie anl main emitted a long, mournful howl the most dismal and terrible sound in t nature "I leg of your highness not to h< i t'ommeiti •'! Hardy, but she laid her I hand on his mm, and niiUpvM J I.INI N' Kar In Ihi deptim nt ib« forest an . answering howl waa heard, Un« an other, tnth«r away, and atlll others both up slid down the rltm tine uf tbe wolves, Hitting wlung >. ih« bank, llfturt uy his volt e, tu be in turn answered by a sporadic chorus from the forest. There were now six wolves in sight, drifting out and in among the trees like gray ghosts. Soon one of these tripped lightly through the snow down the river bank and trotted along after the sledge on the ice, like a faithful dog. "They show no signs of attacking," said Hardy. "They are famished," said the prin cess, "but they are as patient as death, and as intelligent as humans. They are too few yet." A second and a third joined the two on the river, while the pack on the bank steadily grew, and noiselessly, save for an occasional call into the deeps for help. The maid sat motionless, without looking up or stirring. Ilardy lifted a rifle from the bot tom of the sledge. "I could kill one of them now," he said, "and perhaps that would scare them away." "It is not time yet, my friend," re plied the princess. "I shall tell you. I am a Russian and I know when to shoot. You must not waste a single shot. Nothing would scare them away," she added. The isvoschik was using all his strength to keep his horses from ex hausting themselves in one wild dash. Snorting with fear, they were tearing down the long ribbon of ice at ter rific speed. CHAPTER XLIII. The Gift of Aisome. Not more than ten minutes in all could have elapsed since the appear ance of the first wolf, and they had already gathered in terrifying num bers. "How far is it yet to Petrovska?" asked Hardy. "About 20 versts," replied the man, "we can make It in an hour if the horses hold out." "But this is the same answer that he gave before!" said Hardy. "He means that it is a long way," explained the princess. "Twenty versts —about 20 versts! I fear the horses a not run so far!" "Bu* ae wolves?" asked Hardy; "will ey not also tire?" "They are very hungry," replied the princess; "they could run for ever!" At this moment the entire pack wheeled as if at a word of command, and drifted obliquely down on the ice. Some ran beside the sledge, a couple of rods away, while those in the rear came up closer. Though the mad dened horses were going at their ut most speed, their hoofs making a con fused and incredibly rapid clatter on the ice, the fierce, wild dogs simply drifted, drifted along, without the least seeming effort. The pack was evidently nearly complete now, though an occasional gray form would flit out from among the trees, stand and look with lifted head, and then join the chase with a long, easy lope. The little maid, crouched in the bot tom of the sledge and bundled in furs still remained motionless, speechless, as though paralyzed with terror. The princess sat erect, looking straight ahead, the seal of a sublime courage set on her pale, noble brow. The blood of the Komanoff did not fear to die. She turned to the man at her side and smiled sweetly—more sweet ly than he had ever seen woman smile before. "Forgive mo, my friend," she said, "for bringing you into this fearful danger." "I thank God," cried Hardy, "that I am here and nowhere else!" His voice rang out with sudden fer vor. with a sob of Joy. "Thank you, my friend,' said the princess simply. "May I shoot now?" asked Ilardy. Several of the wolves were close to one of the horses, and were look ing up at the animal's throat. This was the horse that was running free; he was crowded against the other two ' of the teum in his terror "Not yet, not quite yet." replied the prineesa, "they become maddened when they smell blood " A moment later u wolf darted sud denly in and leaped ut the throat of the horse, which reared, snorted with | terror, uiid then bounded ahead with ; a sudden burst of incredible speed Ilardy uroite, ami leaning against th« driver s seat, took quick aim and flreU at this particular wolf, the one that had begun the atta< kin earn i est. Me fell kleklllg Mild Writhing on th" !«**• and Instantly the entire pack huddled above and about him snarling, snapping, scrambling, tear ! in? an Indiscriminate mass uf fur ; and fury, teeth ami hunger "There are II ahota in the maga i *lne. and live lu tbe revolver," said j Ilardy, who saw a ray uf hope in this act tun of the wolves "With care, they should la»t us to I'eirovitka How I tar is It yet to |*etruvska, Ivan * ' tie I shouted "About 39 versts," replied Ivan, "we should reach It In •" H«tii!y gfsiM e«l behind Th« atrug gllllg, StlMSiKiy 111.45S »!■ »Hj| little ion the Ice, but already sewal ue ui bars uf tkw I'Si a had left It aud were taking up the chase again. He stood watching them as they catne on in a line, leaving the carcass one by one. In legs than five minutes they were all back by the sledge again, and the low sun was shining on a white pile of bones, that could be distinctly seen, far back on the river. "It doesn't take long," muttered Ilardy, "if it must come." Then he thought of the princess, shuddered and breathed a prayer. And still the horses ran on and on; the sledge was light and they were winged with terror. Again and again, Hardy shot —shot as never before, and seldom missed. The fire of bat tle was in his veins, that fierce and deadly mastery of self that exalts a bravo man when he both hunts and Is hunted. "Have courage," he cried, "we shall reach Petrovska yet!" But now the chase took on a new and more dangerous feature. When a wolf was killed, not all of the pack dropped behind to devour him. One, more bold than the others, sprang up at the back of the sledge as if to leap in, and Hardy, firing into the open mouth, fairly blew the fierce creature's head off. The flash and ex plosion for a moment terrified the fol lowing pack and caused it to drop back. He turned and aimed at an ani mal that was snapping at one of tha horses, but, when he pulled the trig ger, no report ensued. His face blanched as he dropped the weapon, and drew his revolver. The shots in the magazine of the rifle were all ex hausted! In this moment's delay a wolf succeeded in fastening its fangs in the horse's flank, and hung there, snarling. The unfortunate steed leaped forward with such violence that the traces parted, and instantly all the wolves were tearing at him, pulling him down. "God have mercy! God have mer cy!" she groaned. "Have courage," cried Hardy, "he will soon be out of his agony, and I think his death has saved our lives." The two remaining horses did not seem to notice the loss of their com panion, as the sledge glided easily over the smooth ice. They still ran nobly on, though they were reeking ■With steam. The sledge came to a bend in the river, and for a moment its occupants lost sight of the wolves. "Perhaps they have given up the chase," said Hardy; "perhaps, too, they are satisfied with the horse." But the princess shook her head. "They will never give over the chase," she said, and, at that moment, a gray form flitted around the bend in the river; two, three, half a dozen, and soon 20 or 30 of the pack were again about the sledge, leaping at it and at the horses with sharp, short yelps and snarls, their red tongues lolling, their jaws flecked with blood and foam. "There! there!" cried the isvoschik, pointing down the river with the handle of his whip. "Petrovska! Petrovska! Bless the Virgin!" The rays of the setting sun fell full on the dome of a Greek church, but it was a conspicuous object and far away. A wolf was hanging to the neck of one of the horses. Him Hardy shot, and, leaning over the curved dash, discharged his weapon into the body of another that was clinging to the other horse. "Klizabetha," he said, turning to the princess, his faco white but glorified, | "that is the last shot. If tb re wera but one more, we might rear Petrov ! ska. Here, with Death for witness, | I tell you that I love yo In the presence of Death, there ' no rank, 1 there are no princesses, no uerchants. | 1 love you, dear." She arose and threw herself on hi* breast. Kor a long minute they stood thus, clasped in each other's arms. Up to lip. forgetful even of death itself. The wolves came on again. They ran snarling up to the rear of the | sledge, for the last attack. Then the little maid, seated on thn floor, arose from her bundle of furs , and tore the hood from her head. The rays of the setting sun were shining | in h<e again one long, last look!" Ilardy raised Ills head "Alsonie! Wang!" he gasped in wonder and could say no more "farewell, my beloved'" and her ' vtilo! soundi d like the voice of a i priestess, chanting, "I give you to her and to liapiHUi'itt I, who have loved you ih< tie u!" and she leap**i| anions the wut%e» A path beuti'ii in thw si tew ltd up the rii r bunk. Into the outskirts of . IVtxn Ha, and up this tln« tired Itoi i|u»lie mate With t« us »t iiiuug down his cheeks, llarty "l ,|1 ' in the sii dge, holding tits •we King priiio ** in ui* arms I rut: KNU