THE "BASKOL" 66 OR ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR OW or never! It's the only NR chance of my life. It may not be exactly the right path to pursue, but ah, the luring glory at its end! The coming into possession of her sanctifies every means. That all is fair in love and war' is not disputed by even the wisest of men. In fine, there is no time for me to reflect and moralize. The smallest fraction of time is of great moment and may be decisive. I must-I must carry out my plan, come what may!" Thus soliloquized Gdalya Brunoff, and off he hastened to the cemetery. Woe to innocence, purity, and coyness when a government, rotten to the core, corrupt and despotic, a government the officials of which, themselves defiling law and order, shielding themselves behind fire and brimstone, ever ready to annihilate its citizens in order to bask unmolested in vice and lust and dive undisturbed into the abyss of debauchery, when believing themselves in danger, march ahead with icons in hand and incite and lead ignorant, fanatic, superstitious, and prejudiced mobs against the masses, who, intimidated into stupification through oppression, are awakened from their lethargy by too unbearable stings, and are trying to shake off the shackles which keep them in bondage. Like bees seeking the sweetest of flowers do then the vodka infuriated bands delight in devastating and destroying all that is most beautiful and are in ecstasy when wading in the blood of innocent sucklings, of noble women and of inoffensive and helpless hoary. When after the Russo-Japanese war |