barrels of the woodmen poured their contents into the mass of wolves.
The boys waited until the horses were fairly among them, and then they
fired.
A hideous chorus of yells arose, and the horses at full speed dashed
in upon the pack. Already a lane had been prepared for them, and,
trampling over dead and dying, they rushed through. In spite of the
execution done by the heavy charges of the midshipmen's double-barrel
guns, several wolves tried to spring into the sledge as it went past,
and one of them succeeded in leaping upon one of the horses. The
animal made a wild plunge, but in an instant one of the woodmen sprang
to the ground, and buried his long knife in the beast; then, as the
sledge swept on again, he caught at the side and clambered into the
car before the wolves, who had already turned in pursuit, could come
up to him.
The guns were quickly loaded again, and another volley poured into the
wolves. Then the coachman, knowing that one of the horses was hurt,
and both nearly mad with fright, let them have their heads, and the
sledge darted away at a pace which soon left the wolves far in the
rear. So rapid was the motion indeed, that the boys held on to the
sides, expecting every moment that the sledge would be dashed against
the trees which lined the road. The coachman, however, kept the horses
straight, and, quieting them down, again brought them to a standstill,
when the cloths were taken off their heads, and the journey to the
chateau completed at a steady pace.
"That's sharp work," Jack said, when the wolves had been fairly left
in the rear. "They call that wolf-hunting. I call it being hunted by
wolves. These are fine fellows; they were as cool as cucumbers."
"I've nearly broken my shoulder," Dick grumbled, "The gun with those
tremendous charges kicked like a horse. Well, it's fine fun anyhow,
but its rather too risky to be often repeated. If two or three of
those fellows had got hold of the horses' heads, they would all have
been upon us, and very short work they would have made of us if they
had."
"Ugh!" Jack said with a shudder. "What teeth they have! and what
mouths! It seemed like a sort of nightmare for a moment with those
great open mouths and shining teeth, as they leaped towards us, as we
rushed past. I hope I shan't dream about them."
"No fear of that," Dick said laughing. "The countess said that some
supper should be ready for us when we got back. I feel tremendously
peckish. After the night air, and plenty of hot tea and a good
tuck-in, we shall sleep without dreaming, I can venture to say."
The countess and her daughters had gone to bed long before the return
of the sportsmen. At breakfast next morning the boys attempted to
relate their adventures, but their vocabulary being wholly
insufficient, the coachman was sent for, and requested to give a full
account of the proceedings. This he did, and added on his own account
that the little lords had been as cool and collected as if they had
been wolf-hunting all their lives.
After breakfast, the letter-bag arrived, and the countess, having
opened her correspondence, said that her husband would return the next
day. Great as was the pleasure of the ladies, the boys hardly felt
enthusiastic over the news; they were so jolly as they were, that they
feared any change would be for the worse.
Next day the count arrived, and the boys soon felt that they had no
cause for apprehension. He greeted them with much cordiality, and told
them that he had heard from the countess that he had to thank them for
having made the time of his absence pass so cheerfully, and that she
had said she did not know how they would have got through the dull
time without them. The boys, after the manner of their kind, were bad
hands at compliment; but they managed to express in their best Russian
their thanks for the extreme kindness which they had received.
The days went on after the count's arrival much as they had done
before, except that the boys now took to horse exercise, accompanying
their host as he rode round his estate, and visited the various
villages upon it.
The houses in these villages astonished the boys. Built of mud, of one
story only and flat-roofed, they each occupied a large extent of
ground; for here whole families lived together. As the sons grew up
and married, instead of going into separate houses, and setting up
life on their own account, they brought their wives home, as did their
children when their turn came also to marry, so that under one roof
resided as many as four generations, counting some forty or fifty
souls altogether.
Each village had its headman, who settled all disputes, but against
whose decision, if it failed to give satisfaction, there was an appeal
to the master. The serfs worked, the count told the boys, without pay,
but they had so many days in each month when they cultivated the land
which was common to the village. They could, the count said, be sold,
but in point of fact never were sold except with the land.
"It's a bad system, and I wish that they were as free is your laborers
are in England."
"Of course our people cannot be sold," Jack said, "but after all
there's not so much difference in that respect, for if an estate
changes hands, they work for the new owner just as yours do."
"Yes, but your laborers cannot be killed or even flogged by their
masters with impunity."
"No, I should think not," Jack exclaimed. "We should have a revolution
in no time, if masters were to try that sort of thing."
"I fear that we shall have one too, some day," the count said, "unless
the serfs are emancipated. The people are terribly ignorant, but even
among them some sort of enlightenment is going on, and as they know
better they will refuse to live and to work as mere beasts of burden."
"Will they be better off, sir, than before?" Dick Hawtry asked. "I
have heard my father say that the negroes in the West Indian islands
are worse off than they were in the days when they were slaves. They
will not work except just enough to procure themselves means of
living, and they spend the rest of their lives lying about and
smoking."
"It would no doubt be the same thing here," the count said, "for a
time. The Russian peasant is naturally extremely ignorant and
extremely fond of 'vodka.' Probably at first he would be far worse off
than at present. He would be content to earn enough to live and to get
drunk upon, and wide tracts of land would remain untilled. But it is
of the future we must think; and who can doubt that in the future,
Russia, with a free people and free institutions, with her immense
resources and enormous population, must become the grandest empire on
earth?"
CHAPTER XIV.
A SUSPECTED HOUSEHOLD
Cheerful though their hosts were, the midshipmen could see that a
cloud of anxiety hung over them. To be "suspected" in Russia is
equivalent to being condemned. Secret police spies in the very bosom
of the household may be sending denunciations. The man who meets you
and shakes hands with you in the street may have reported on your
conduct. The letters you write are opened, those you should receive
stopped in the post. At any moment the agent of the authorities may
appear and conduct you to a prison which you may leave only for the
long journey to Siberia.
Count Preskoff did not think that matters had yet reached this point.
He was in disgrace at court, and had enemies who would injure him to
the utmost with the emperor, but he believed that no steps would be
taken until Count Smerskoff had received his final refusal of
Katinka's hand. He had already once proposed for it, but would not
consider the answer which her father then gave him as final.
"I cannot accept your refusal, count," he had said. "The marriage
would be for the advantage of all parties concerned. My family is, as
you are aware, not without influence at court, and they would, were I
the husband of your daughter, do all in their power to incline the
emperor favorably towards you; while, were I rejected, they would
probably view your refusal to accept my offers as a slight to the
family, and resent it accordingly. I cannot but think that when you
have given the matter calm consideration, you will see the advantages
which such an alliance would offer. I shall therefore do myself the
honor to renew my proposals at some future date."
This conversation took place in the beginning of December; Count
Preskoff had shortly afterwards left for his estates in the north, and
he felt sure that upon his return the subject would be renewed, and
that upon his announcement of his continued determination to refuse
his daughter's hand to this pressing suitor, the latter would use
every means in his power to ruin him, and that the cloud which had so
long threatened would burst over his head.
From Olga, who, being about his own age, a little under sixteen, was
his special chum in the family, Jack gathered a general idea of the
situation. Olga was an adept at pantomimic action, and a natural
mimic; hence, although he could only understand a word here and there,
he obtained an accurate idea of the conversation between her father
and the governor, and of her father's calm manner, and the gestures
and intonations of apparent friendship but veiled menace. By putting
her ears to a keyhole and hiding behind a curtain, she expressed the
possibility of there being a spy in the very household, who would
listen to the unguarded talk of her father and report it to the
governor. Jack determined that he would watch every movement of the
domestics, and especially observe if he could detect any sign of an
understanding between one of them and the governor.
It was some four or five days after the count had returned that Count
Smerskoff rode up to the door. Orders had already been given that if
he arrived he should be shown to the count's private study. The
midshipmen saw him riding up, and, according to the plan they had
agreed upon, one stood near the entrance to observe whether any sign
of recognition passed between him and any of the servants gathered
upon the steps to receive him, the other took his place in the hall.
The interview was not a long one.
"I am come, Count Preskoff," the governor said, "to renew my request
for the hand of your daughter. I trust that upon consideration you
will have thought it better to overlook the objections you preferred
to my suit."
"Upon the contrary," the count said calmly, "I have thought the matter
over in every light, and am more convinced even than before that such
a marriage would not conduce to the happiness of my daughter. She
herself is wholly repugnant to it, and even were it otherwise, I
should myself most strongly object."
"On what grounds, count?" the officer said angrily. "Noble as your
family is, my own is fully equal to it."
"That I am perfectly willing to allow, sir, and will frankly own that
my objection is a purely personal one. The incidents of your past
career are notorious. You have killed two men in duels, which, in both
cases, you forced upon them. You have been involved in gambling
transactions of such a description that it needed all the influence of
your family to save you from public disgrace. To such a man it is
impossible that I could intrust my daughter."
Count Smerskoff rose to his feet, bursting with passion.
"Since you know my reputation, count, it would have been wiser to
abstain from insulting me. You shall hear from me before night."
"It is useless your sending your second to me," the count said calmly,
"for I absolutely refuse to meet you. I shall publish my refusal, and
state that the grounds upon which I base it are that you are a
notorious ruffian; but that if you can find any man of honor to take
up your quarrel, I shall be prepared to meet him."
"I will force you to it," the soldier said, burning with passion. "I
will publicly insult you. I will strike you," and he drew a step
nearer.
"You will do so at your peril," the count said, drawing a pistol from
his pocket. "I know your method, sir, and am prepared for it. If you
lay a finger upon me, if you insult me in public, I will shoot you
dead where you stand, and take the consequences."
"You shall repent this," Count Smerskoff exclaimed. "There are lives
worse than death, and you shall have cause to remember your words of
to-day," and turning round he strode from the room.
Jack was still lounging in the hall as he passed out. One of the
servants had also remained there, and when the governor was seen
striding down the staircase, the man hastened to open the door. Jack
saw the officer pause for a moment, "At eight to-night at the cross
roads," he said, and passed out, and flinging himself upon his horse,
rode off. Among the Russian words learned by the midshipmen were all
words connected with roads. They had been specially desirous of asking
questions which might enable them to find their way across country,
and every word which would be likely to be included in a direction as
to route had been learned. This was the more easy, as on their march
there had been but few objects of interest to attract their attention.
The expressions therefore "the road to the right," "the road to the
left," "the turning by the wood or stream," "the cross roads," and
other similar expressions had been learned by heart. Jack's quick
ears, consequently, gathered the purport of the brief order.
"I have found the spy," he said triumphantly, when he joined his
comrade outside. "Come for a stroll, Dick. I don't want to be seen
talking here."
When well away from the house, Jack repeated the words he had
