Page:Ossendowski - From President to Prison.djvu/86

74 "The omens were very bad," he continued. "I tried fortune-telling with stones and found that they pointed to three deaths. Two have already gone—Kazik and Rikoff. &hellip;"

"Kazik is not dead," I interrupted, for at this time he was still alive and was in the sanitorium in Russia.

"He will die," the old man whispered with conviction. "I consulted the omens for him and the answer was that he will die."

"What is it then? Are you afraid for yourself?"

He thought for a moment and answered in a low voice:

"Certainly I am afraid, because death can strike everyone. We are in an alien, strange land, and our Cossacks cannot defend us, for they are too few. Yet I have not come here to ask you to release me, sir, since this could be done by the technical assistants. &hellip;"

Again I noticed the expression of trouble in his face.

"Then what is it you want?" I asked with a little impatience.

"I came to warn you, sir, for I read from the stones that a danger will soon threaten you. Perhaps, sir, you are to be this third one, unless you choose to leave here in time."

"Thank you for your warning and your advice," I answered, as I shook hands with him.

I learned on the following day that he had already left and, not seeing him around as a reminder, I soon forgot all about his warning and continued in my regular way of life.

Just about this time I ordered my car moved out to a new branch of our railway and took along with me Lisvienko, two Cossacks and the soldier-porter. I was returning from an inspection of the track and some new