THE Gunmaker of Moscow, OR VALDIMIR THE MONK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 32, 7 February 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE Gunmaker of Moscow, OR VALDIMIR THE MONK.

_ TALE OF THE KM PI RE UNDER

PETER THE GREAT.

By SYLVANUS COBB, Jr., Author of "Orion, the Gold Beater,' "Karmel, the Scout," Etc.

CHAPTER XV,

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE DUKE'S BATH.

Rukic Nevel could keep no account of bime. Darkness, and darkness alone, dwelb with him in his prison house—darkness so utter that the only effect of opening the eyes was the nervous reality of the motion. In facb, 'twas lighter with the eyes closed than with them opened, for when tightly closed there were peculiar fantastic shapes floating in the imagination, and even this was a relief; and then there was a sort of kaleidoscopic succession of colours when the lids were bighbly pressed, bhab seemed grateful to the nerves, and gave variety to the mind. But when the eyes were open only a cold, impenetrable blackness was present, within which there were no shapes —no forms —save the one form of utter chaos.

Ruric felt sure he bad been there four days, and at times ib appeared longer than that. Food and drink had been brought to him thrice, and he was now without bobh. His strength had nob yeb lefb him, though there were pains in his limbs, and a chilling sensation about the heart. He had broken the rope from his arms on the firsb day of his confinement ; and ho had hoped to overcome the man who brought him food and drink, and thus make his escape ; but no human being had yeb come into him. His food had been passed in through a small wicket.

' And this is the end of life !' he murmured to himself as he paced slowly to and fro across the dungeon. ' Thus end all the hopes of youth, and here the prayers of a lifetime musb close in one last hope—one hope of heaven when earth has passed away ! My mother, no farewell can reach thee from the lips of thy son. Ho will lie down in the dark slumber of death, and thou shalt nob know his resting-place! And thou, loved one—oh, thou fondly cherished, wildly worshipped being, thy smiles can shine no more for me! Oh, Rosalind, would bhab I could see thee but once—thab once more I could press thee to my bosom,and bid thee remember me when lam gone. Had I never seen thee I might nob be hore now ! And yet, oh God, for life itself, I would not wipe away thejwribten story of thab holy love from my heart!'

Tho thought of Rosalind came heavy upon him. All else he could give up in a higher hope than that of earth; but for her he held a strange fear. She would be another's. 'And must it be so ?' he continued, after some minutes of painful reflection. 'Alas ! she will be nothing to me hereafter. My mother will know her son, but Rosalind will know another. And yet—she may carry the old love with her always. She may never forget it. Oh, could I but once—'

He stopped suddenly.for he heard a footfall in the low passage close by the dunseon. He listened, and he heard more. There were several feet—and soon he heard voices. He moved back to the extremity of bhe vault and listened. The feet stopped, and the sound of grating iron, like the drawing of a bolt, was heard. Soon afterwards the door was opened, and the light from a lantern flashed into bhe place. For a few moments the prisoner was blind by the sudden transition, but by degrees he overcame the difficulty and was able to look up. The firsb objecb upon which his eyes fell wasbhehumpbackedpriesb, Savotano. There were four others behind him, but Ruric noted them nob yeb. Ha saw before him the man whom he believed to be the instrument of his sufferings, and wibh one bound he reached him and felled him to the floor. ' Hold !' cried one of the others—one who held the lantern—'we have come to conduct thee oub from here.' «Ah ! Say ye so ?' ' Most) surely we have.' ' Then stand aside and let me go.' ' Jdst as you say. The doors are open, and you may go. You may follow us, or you may go in advance.' ' Then lead on,' returned Ruric, ' and I will follow.'

'As you say.' Thus speaking, the man assisted the priest to his feet, and led him out from the cell. In a few moments more the others wenb oub also, and Ruric prepared bo follow. He heard bhe priesb cursing, bub he nobiced bhab one of the others led him off. The youth stepped forth into the passage, bub he did nob place the fullest confidence in what he bad heard. He reached the foot of the stairs, and the others were nearly up. He started to follow them, and had nearly gained the top, when a quick, lightning-like shadow flibbed before him. He would have sbarbed back, bub 'bwas too late. There came a blow upon his head, and with a dull, crushing sensation he sank down. He realised thab he was turned over, and thab a rope was being lashed aboub his arms. Bub the prisoner had nob been fully sbunned. He reburned bo consciousness as bhey lifted him to his feet, and his firsb impulse was to try and force his bonds asunder, but bhis he could nob do. He gazed up now, and found only two men with him, and bbey wore masks upon their faces. They were sbout, powerful men, and their very bearing was murderous, and his heart sank within him. 'Come,' said one of them. 'You'll go with us. We won't force ye if you'll walk.' * But where ?' asked bhe youth. * What mean you?' ♦ You'll see when you get there. Bub there's no time to waste ; so come.'^ What could the prisoner do ? His hands were firmly bound behind him, and his great strength availed not a bit. He knew that he could nob resist, so he simply bowed his head in token of submission, and prepared to follow his conductors. But they left him not to follow at will. They took him by either arm, and thus led him away. He remembered the room into which he had been first conducted on the evening of his capture, but he was not detained there. From here a long corridor led off to where a wing of the building had been partly torn away, and they soon came to a large circular apartment, in the centre of which was a deep basin where, in years gone by, people had been wont to bathe. The walls looked grim and ragged by the feeble rays of the lantern, and the chill wind came moaning through the cracks and crevices in the decaying maapnry.

' There,' spoke one of the guides, as he set hi 3 lantern upon the top of a broken column ; 'we will stop here.' The words were spoken in a sorb of hushed, unmerciful tone, and Ruric felb them strike fearfully upon him. He gazed upon the man who had spoken, and he saw that he was preparing to throw off his pelisse, which he had thus far worn. As soon as this was off, he moved to whore his companion stood and commenced whispering.

Could Ruric mistake longer? What reason, bub one, could there have been for bringing him to such a place? To the left, where the basin bad once emptied itself, there was a dark, deep, cave-like place, at tho mouth of which a heap ot rubbish had collected. Whab a place in which to hide a dead body ! So thought Ruric. Bub he was startled from the dark reverie by a darker reality. One of the men had taken a club—a long, heavy bludgeon which the youth had nob before seen—and was jusb balancing it in one hand while he spat upon the other. ' You will nob murder me here in cold blood ?' übtered Ruric, starting back. The stoub ruffian clutched bhe club in both hands, but made no verbal answer.

' Speak ! For God's sake answer me !' the prisoner exclaimed, starting back another pace. 'Do you mean to murder me ?' ' Why,' answered the man with tho club, in a cool, off-handed manner, ' since you are so anxious to know, I'll tell you—You will die within a minute !'

' And will you take the life of one who never harmed you ? Hold ! If money be your objecb—'

'Stop,' interrupted the villain. 'You can't argue us out of ib in bhat way. You've got to die, and the sooner you go the sooner you'll get over it, You won't suffer a bib if you don'b go bo kicking up a fuss. There now—if you hadn'b bothered me 'twould have been all over by this time.'

Oh ! what would Ruric have given ab thab moment for bhe use of one of his arms ? Bub bhab was beyond praying for. Yeb he had his feeb. He said nothing more, bub he allowed bhe man to come within a few yards of him, and then ho prepared for the only means of defence he had. The huge club was raised, and at that moment Ruric saw that the other man also had a club. He knew then that they had been concealed thei'6 until now.

'Hark !' uttered the second villain, jusb as his companion had raised his club. ' Whab noise is bhab ?'

'I suppose bhey're coming to see if we've finished the job,' returned the other ; 'and, by the saints ! we ought to have done it ere this. Bub they shall find ib done!' The ponderous club waa raised again, and with a quick, decbive movement the man advanced. Ruric made a movemenb of the body as bhough he would bow his head for the stroke- Every nerve and muscle of his frame was »et for the trial, and for the instant his heart stood still; Quick as thought his body bent—his right knee was brought almost to his chiri—and then, with all the force he could command, he planted his foot in bhe pit of bhe assassin's sbomach. The effecb was electrical. The wretch bent like a broken sbick, and sank down wibhoub a single sign of life.

The second man übtered an oath and sprang forward with uplifted club, but Ruric easily dodged the blow, and then, as tho thought for tho farst time flashed upon his mind, he darted to where the lantern stood, and overturned it. He had noticed an open passage close at hand, which seemed to lead to some sort of dressingroom, and, guided by his memory alone, for ib was now dark as Erobus bhere, be glided swiftly inbo ib. When he knocked over bhe lantern he had upset column and all, and just as he reached the passage he heard ft heavy fall, and he knew that his enemy had stumbled over the fallen column. He heard the curses, loud and deep, which dropped from the lips of the baffled man as he picked himself up, and in a moment more he was edified by a conversation between the two, for villain number one had revived though the tone of his voice plainly indicated that he had a severe pain still lingering with him. 'Michael! Michael!' groaned number one ; and as he spoke Ruric could hear him scrambling up on his feet. ' Hi, Orel,' reburned number two. * Have ye dropped him?' 'No !' cried Michael, with a curse which we do nob transcribe. 'He's a perfect devil!' ' But where's the lantern ?

"He put it out.' ' But you ought to haye knocked him down, you clown.'

' So had you.' «Me ? Why—he kicked me over.' * W e ll_he dodged by me and kicked over the lantern.' * But where is he now ?' •He's gone. Hark! Ha, I guess they've caught him. Don't you hear ?' * Yes—they've caught somebody.' * And of course it's him. He went that way. Let's go and find—' He did nob finish the sentence, for at that moment a voice came up in thunder tones ; and it said : ' Ruric ! Ruric !'

' Good God !' gasped villain number one, ' What is that ?' « Ruric ! Ruric !'

' By the living gods ! thab is not from any of our men !' uttered tho second villain. ' Ha ! they are coming this way.' ' Where shall we flee ?' cried Michael.

4 There is bub one place,' reburned Orel. ' Here, iv the little drawing-room. Come — let's find it. Oh, curses on that gunmaker's head ! If he be not the very devil, then he's a bound partner of his. Have you found the entrance, Michael? •No. It's near you somewhere; Cant you—Ha ! In J in !' At that moment the glare of a flaming torch flashed through the gloom of the place, and the two villains stood revealed. A dozen stoub men, all well armed, appeared in the only passage by which they could make escape, for to have fled into the drawing-room of which they had spoken would avail them nothing. ' Ho, villains!' shouted Valdimir the monk, raising his flaming torch high above his head with his left hand, while in his righb he waved a heavy sword, ' Where is Ruric Nevel ?' • Here ! here !' cried our hero, starting forward into the larger room. 'What! Safe ?—alive ?—well ?' uttered Valdimir. 'Ay—my noblest of friends. But, oh, cast off this accursed bond from my arms. It eats into the flesh.' The rope was quickly taken off, and then the youth embraced the deliverer. No questions were asked there. Only a few sincere thanks were uttered, and then attention was turned to the two villains who yet stood trembling near them. They had not attempted an escape, for the way was blocked up. They were quickly secured, and then the party turned away from the place ; and as they went Ruric gave the monk an account of the manner in which he had been entrapped, and of the events which had transpired since. ' Merciful Heavens !' ejaculated Valdimir, as Ruric closed his account of the manner in which he had overcome the two men who had thought to murder him. 'It was a narrow escape.' • But I might not have escaped without your coming,' the youth said, 'for they would surely have found me. With my hands lashed behind me as they were I could not have escaped.' ' True—true,' returned Valdimir thoughbfully; 'It was a narrow chance. But it is over now.'

' And how gained you the knowledge of my whereabouts ?' asked Ruric. * I'll explain ib to you when we have time. Bub did I undersband you to say bhab the humpbacked priest was there V

' He came to my dungeon with the rest, and 'twas he that I knocked down. Have you not found him V 'No ; we have seen nothing of him. We found two men in the hall and that was all.' The place was searched all through for the priest, but he could not be found, and when Valdimir was assured that the arch villain had made his escape he prepared to leave tho building. The prisoners—four of them—were led out firsb, and taken away by the monk's followers. When Ruric reached the streeb bhe stars were all oub, and the cool, frosty air struck gratefully upon his brow. He turned towards his mysterious.companion, and under the grateful impluse of the moment he stopped. He raised his hands towards heaven—uttered one fervent genbence of thanksgiving to God—and then moved on again. CHAPTER XVI. THWARTED, BUT NOT SUBDUED. It was long after midnight, and yeb the widow Nevel had nob sought her bed. She was now pacing to and fro across her kitchen, and the boy Paul sat nodding in his chair. Suddenly the woman stopped.and Paul started up. ' Do you think thab message was a false one ?' she asked, looking the boy in the face. 'I don'b knovv,' he reburned. 'If he came from the black monk, as he said he did, then I think he spoke the truth.' ' Oh, they would not have deceived me.' 'No, my mistress, I am sure they would not.' ' Bub ib is very labe.' ' Hark ! There are bells.' The widow heard bhem, and wibh a wildly fluttering hearb she sank into a chair. 'Thoy have stopped in front of the house,' uttered Paul, whose ears were bent. ' Go—go—open—' Paul started. The widow heard the door opened, and she heard voices in the hall. In a moment more the inner door was opened, and she looked up. She saw a manly form—she heard the magic word - Mother— trembling upon the air. With one low cry of joy she started to her feeb, and in bhe nexb moment she was clasped to tha bosom of her son. ' Did I not tell you I'd bring him back to you ?' cried Valdimir, rubbing his hands with joy. ' Oh, God bless you, sir !' the widow murmured, gazing through her tears into the monk's face. 'So, so,' returned the strange man. • The blessing of an honest soul is reward enough for one night, so I'll take myself off for the present.' ' No, no !' cried Ruric. * You'll remain here till morning.' But the monk could nob be prevailed upon so to do. He had business to attend to, and he could not stop, and he hurried away as quickly as possible to avoid tho thanks that were showered upon him. After Valdimir was gone, Ruric sat down and related to his mother all that had occurred since that day on which he left her to go and see the count. She trembled fearfully as he related the diabolical attempts that had been made upon him ; and when he had concluded, she sab for a few moments like one in a painful trance. ' And do you think,' she said at length, while a cold shudder ran through her frame, 'that the Duke of Tula was the cause of all this ?' , ' I am sure of ib, my mother.' ' Then you are not safe yet.' ' But I shall see the Emperor.' ' I have seen him, my son.' ' Ah—and what said he ?' ' Why—he said if we could find oub who had done you harm he would punish them. Then I asked him—suppose it was a duke ; and he said in that case he should have to look into matter. Oh, I fear he would not dare to punish the powerful Olga.' ' Perhaps not; but yet, my mother, I will give him credit for bebter bhings. Yeb,' bhe youth conbinued, in a sad bone, ' there is one for whom I care more than self, and who is now within the wicked duke's power. Oh, she is his beyond any power of the Emperor !' 'Not absolutely beyond his power, is she?' the mother asked. ' Why—of course Peter has the power to set aside any wardship, bub 'twould nob be policy for him bo inberfere in the domestic affairs of his powerful nobles. I feel sure that his heart would bid him interfere ; bub his judgmenb would oppose it. You have seen Rosalind ?' 'Yes.' 'And was she unhappy when she knew that I was missing ?' ' Ah, Ruric !' returned the mother, with a kindling eye, ' you do not know how that noble girl loves you. Oh, her hearb was almosb broken when she knew bhab evil had befallen you !' The widow had ib in her mind to tell of the scene which had transpired upon the duke's coming into the maiden's presence when sho was there, but she thought a second bime ere she spoke; and she bhen concluded nob bo speak of it at presenb, for she knew 'twould only serve to give her son additional pain, without bestowing any benefit.

' By heavens !' uttered Ruric, ab the end of a troubled reverie, and at the same time clasping his hands vehemently together; ' was ever man surrounded by impenetrable mystery before ! This monk is surely a good man. He has served me well, and I am sure he would serve me more if opportunity offered. But who is he ? Have you found out anything concerning him ?' ' I have not, my son.' * But is it nob strange ?' 'It is.' And so they conversed until their drooping lids would no longer remain apart, and then, having first rendered up their thanks bo God, and asked His help for bhe future, they retired to their respective places of rest. Ruric had strange dreams* and for the life of him he could not tell whether they were good or bad. Once he dreamed that he was a duke himself, and that he had a wife whose face he had never seen. She would not raise her veil until the ceremony was performed. Then Bhe removed the obstruction, and Ruric started on beholding the face of Valdimir the monk ! And then Valdimir seemed to say : * All this I have done for thee. Do you like ib ?' And Ruric dared not objecb because Valdimir had done so much for him.

And now, while Ruric awakes from his dreams and wonders what they meant, let us look in and see what is going on in the ducal palace. It was early morning, and the Duke of Tula was once more in his own private apartment. He had nob slepb well, for he, too, had had dreams, and they were troublesome ones. They hung about him even now, and they filled his mind wibh dark and gloomy forebodings. He paced to and fro across the apartment, sometimes stopping and bowing his head, and then starting up again with new clouds upon his brow. Thus he walked and pondered until he was aroused by a stealthy footfall close by the door. He stopped and listened. He knew the step. 'Twas the one he bad been waiting for. He moved to the door and opened it, and the humpbacked priest, Savotano, entered the apartment.

'By St. Paul, Savotano, I feared you would never come,' the duke uttered, as his workman closed the doors behind him.

' I would have come sooner, if I could, my lord ; bub even now it is early morning. The sun is hardly above the city walls.' .

' Well—it is early, I know; but I have nob slepb well.'

' I have nob slept ab all, my lord.' •No. Savobano, you look worn and weary. Bub you have been ab work.'

' Ay—l have.' 'And you have come to tell me the re« ; suit of that work. Does it move you so to do such work ? I thought you were used to it.' The priest gazed into his master's face, but he did not speak. ' Bah !' uttered Olga, contemptuously. What is the killing of a man? But tell me, —did you conceal the body so that no one will find it?' It was some moments before Savotana spoke. His frame trembled and his hands worked nervously together. But at length he said, in a hesitating tone : 'He is not dead, my lord.' 'Not dead yet? But you promised me he should be.' ' I know—but we could not do it.' ' Bah ! I gave ye credit for more firmness. Not kill a man ? What is there so terrible in that ?' ' You misunderstood me, my Jord. We did all we could towards killing him, but ha escaped us.' ' Hold '.' cried the duke, starting forward and grasping the priest by the shoulder. ' You do nob mean thab Ruric Nevel has escaped you ?' 'He has, my lord.' ' But not entirely ! You do nob mean that ho has fairly gone from oub your hands?' •He has, my lord. But listen—' 'Listen, thou bungler. By the saints, what story can ye tell to make that smooth and reasonable? You had him in your power and you should have kept him.' ' But, my lord, the devil himself is working for that man. We wenb lasb night ba kill bhe fellow, and I waibed all of two hours for Totma and Viska, but the rascals did nob come, and I engaged obhers.' ' And did they prove treacherous V cried Olga, in sudden passion. ' No, my lord —they did their best, but they were interrupted by thab accursed black monk, who came backed by some dozen men.' ' What! Do you mean that Valdimir came there V ' Yes.' ,: And with a band of armed men ?' 'Yes.' 'Then, by the gods, there's treachery somewhere.' •I know not what bo think, my lord,' reburned Savotano, in an uneasy, perplexed bone. ' The only men who aro absent are Lesko Totma and Frederic Viska ; and they are surely our best men.' ' But you see plainly thab bhere musfr have been breachery !' exclaimed the duke, passionately. * Oh, how I would like to know the man ! And did this monk carry off the gunmaker ?' 'He did. And he captured four of om men. I escaped without being seen.' ' That is fortunate—' ' I mean thab the monk did not see me, nor did any of his followers ; but the gunmaker saw me.' 'And do you think he mistrusted you had any hand in the matter of his imprisonment ?' ' 1 should judge so,' returned the priest, with a peculiar twinge of vengeance abouf the lips. * The villain knocked me down.' ♦Ha!' ' Aye—the moment he saw me.' 'Bub do you bhink he knows anything about ib ?' ' No. Ido nob think he does. He can only suspect.' ' Then we'll be prepared for him if your own men are to be depended upon. Bub leave that to me. I'll fix that matter with the Emperor. I'll gee him this very day, and be sure he shall have a story thab car desbroy all evidence which these fellows can hatch up.' ' But I must flee, my lord.' ' Not yet, Savotano. I must have yout help within a very short time. By the true God I swear that the Countess Rosalind Valdai shall be my wife within the present week. I'll place the seal of fact upon that matter at once. Fear not, for I know my influence over bhe Emperor will 3hield you from all harm. Why, Peter would sooner lose his right hand than lose me.' 'Then most surely I will remain, my lord, for I much wish to perform thab ceremony for you. Bub who is this black monk —bhis Valdimir ?' The duke started across the floor, and for some momenbs he continued pacing to and fro. When he stopped he brought his hands together with an energetic movement, and looking the priest sternly in the face, he said : ' Let that monk be who he may ; whether man or devil, God or saint, I'll destroy him ! I have the power and I'll use it. As Warden of the city I have the power to arrest him on suspicion of conspiracy. I'll do ib ! Where is he now V ' I know not.' ' Never mind, I'll to the Emperor first. I'll study my plan, and ere the sun sets ib shall be carried out. By heavens, I'll be baffled thus no more. I could have wished that this gunmaker had been quietly out of the way, for then all would have been clear and plain, and I should not have feared the trouble of his clamouring about my ears. But let him go. I would nob give much for bhe life he has left. I'll dispose of him soon. But that monk—by heaven! he dies at once, and without consultation with the Emperor, for I can swear he is a conspirator.' ' Good !' ejaculated the priest. And thus the business was arranged fo_ the present. Passion helped the duke wondrously in his conclusions ; and the wish was made into the power, Bub even before the priest left, bhe stout nobleman began to -hat he had a very little more power. In fact, as he came to reason he began to doubt; but he gave up nob one idea of bhe plan he had formed for the vengeance his soul so madly craved. '7- be Continued.)