o find out what this mystery
is."

"But how can they hold me?"

"By the right of might; just as they hold me. Once in their clutches,
there is no escape. Even were you known to be innocent of any crime, it
would make no difference. The innocent and the guilty are treated alike
in Russia. There is no liberty--no justice in the land. But the time
will come when the Nihilists will shake the tyranny out of the empire
with dynamite!" said he, fiercely.

"Silence, slaves!" cried a rough voice near by, and the next instant the
burly form of a keeper stood between them. "Nineteen, you have already
made trouble enough. You must have the knout," and unlocking the door of
his cell, he seized him by the hair of the head and dragged him out and
down through the corridor.

Two minutes later the blood was almost curdled in Barnwell's veins by
the shrieking of that same poor wretch, undergoing punishment.

But he was not brought back to his cell, and what became of him Barnwell
never knew.

His thoughts, however, were soon turned from the wretched stranger to
himself, and to wondering what his own fate would be.

One thing he felt certain of, and that was that Prince Mastowix would
never assist him in regaining his liberty.

The letter he had so accommodatingly brought from New York undoubtedly
contained something of great importance, but why he should suffer on
account of it he could not see.

Could he but make his case known to the American minister, he would
undoubtely be given his liberty, but this he could not do, and it was
the prince who prevented him.

He had resolved that the young American should be sent to Siberia, even
knowing that he was guilty of no wrong; and even Tobasco, with all the
proofs of the prince's perfidy in his possession, paid no attention to
Barnwell, although he knew him to be simply a victim. Liberty or life
was nothing to him so long as he could make a point with the prefect of
police and secure unsuspected game. Such is the Russian sense of right
and justice.

Day after day dragged its slow length along, and all the while Prince
Mastowix was in a dreadful state of uncertainty. No trace had been found
of the missing paper; and after preferring a charge of assault against
William Barnwell, who was described as a spy of the Nihilists, a form of
trial was gone through with, as with others who were not allowed to be
present, and a verdict rendered up against him, condemning him to
Siberia duri