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But that terrible face, those bony fingers, which seemed to penetrate my neck like eagle's claws!" and involuntarily he placed his hand upon his neck, as if he really expected to find lacerations there, showing that he was greatly frightened. "Barnwell, go and see how Batavsky does," he added. "I will, sir." "And hurry to let me know."
"I am amply repaid by being able to do someone a kindness. But my mission has not yet begun. I have a trust to keep of which I have not yet spoken. You, of course, know of Batavsky?" "I have heard of him, but he worked and was exiled before my time almost at least, before I began to work."
The dead emperor had been borne tenderly to the palace, and all Russia was in tears, either of joy or sorrow. The officers read an inscription on the plate they had found. It was graven deep and clear in pure Russian. It read: "The spirit of Peter Batavsky, raging for revenge, calls for the Czar, the son of his murderer! Long live the Russian people!"
He is rational enough at times to do so if he happens to take to you; if not, he will not notice you at all." "It is a strange situation, but as I am anxious to learn the Russian language, why, I will take almost any chance to do it, and to oblige you, doctor." And with this understanding Barnwell went to the cell of old Peter Batavsky.
And even then he dreamed wild, exciting dreams, occasioned, of course, by the events of the day before. But in one of them he thought he saw Batavsky, and he smiled upon him, and while uttering no word, encouraged him by his looks to persevere. With this he awoke, and the thread of the dream ran through his mind again. "This will never do," said he, calling his servant to light a candle.
Finally the chamber was emptied, and Barnwell could but think of the toil and risk in transporting so much gold to such a far-off place. It seemed to him almost as marvelous as that it had remained there all those years without being recovered. But Batavsky was no ordinary man, and undoubtedly knew exactly what he was doing. Ulrich's face was a study.
But another warning came, as if to show him that even those who guarded him needed guards for themselves, when one day the prefect of police was killed on the steps of his official residence, and no clew of the assassin could be found, although lying near his body was found a paper with the simple name of Batavsky written upon it in Russian.
Then the Czar began to question who this Batavsky was, and it was finally ascertained that an influential man by that name had been transported to Siberia by the Emperor Nicholas for engaging in a revolution in fact, that he was one of the first Nihilists of Russia, and was supposed to be enormously rich.
Without losing a moment he hastened back to the old man with a cup of brandy. "Here, sir, take some of this, and it will make you feel better," said he, raising his head tenderly, so as to enable him to do so. Batavsky allowed him to place the cup to his lips, and he drank several swallows of the strong liquor, after which he lay down again. "Thank you, my son." "Do you feel better, sir?"
"Peter Batavsky has been here over thirty years sent here for conspiracy against Czar Nicholas. He has worked in the mines until within the last fifteen months, since which time he has gone mad, and the governor ordered him here." "Taking lessons of a madman!" "Well, I am not certain he will give you any at all.
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