第 7 页

At this juncture the two missing officers burst into the room, and created fresh consternation by the tidings they brought. The troops in barracks had all been either shot down or captured, they reported, and the mutineers had seized the entire contents of the arsenal. In all probability the governor's house would be next attacked.

In the face of this alarming possibility the intention of saving some of the governor's valuables was at once abandoned. The front of the house was locked up, and after a cautious survey all passed out through the rear, and by way of the garden reached the narrow street which led to the commandant's residence. The shouts of the triumphant convicts could be heard in all directions, and a rattling noise showed that they were pressing into service the cannon that lined the main street. It might have been possible to escape from the town without discovery, but two things prevented the adoption of such a course. In the first place, the weather was too severe, and besides, it was the bounden duty of the officers to stick to their posts as long as possible. The Russian government would never have pardoned their wholesale desertion of Karsokov at such a time.

So their only hope lay in turning the commandant's house into a fortress and holding it against possible attacks. Very happily they arrived there without attracting observation, and were soon safely inside, much to the joy of the commandant's faithful servants, who had remained at their post in spite of all the commotion.

The house was a large one, though Captain Komaroff and his daughter were the sole occupants, his wife having been dead some years. It was built of heavy logs, and was two stories high, with an octagonal tower rising from the roof. The doors and window shutters were massive, and amply provided with bolts and bars. It had been constructed for purposes of defense years before, when Saghalien belonged to Japan, and fanatical attacks on foreign merchants and traders were of frequent occurrence.

The party that now took possession of it numbered twenty in all, and their hearts felt considerably lighter when Captain Komaroff opened the door of the arsenal room, and displayed stacks of rifles and cases of loaded cartridges. The men were soon armed, and then food and drink were passed around. After making sure that the fastenings of the doors and windows were all in place, Gogol and Ivor were called upon to relate more fully what had occurred at the mines, and their story was listened to with the deepest interest.

Meanwhile two of the Cossacks had been sent out to reconnoiter. They returned with alarming information. The convicts had shot down forty or fifty of the soldiers, and the rest were bound and locked up in the barrack hall, where the most desperate fighting had taken place. The mob were getting beyond the control of their leaders. Already they had destroyed the machinery in the mill and workshops, and now some were plundering the governor's house, helping themselves to his valuables and fine liquors, while others were rushing through the town, robbing the inhabitants and ravaging the shops.

Captain Komaroff ground his teeth with rage. "The gibbet will have a fine harvest when this thing is over," he exclaimed. "If the authority is given me I will hang every one of the scoundrels."

"Hang them if you wish, when the time comes," said the governor. "At present the tables are decidedly turned on us. Do you think we can hold out here long enough?"

"Yes," replied the commandant confidently, "I do the convicts won't meddle with us long if they encounter a vigorous resistance. They will turn all their energies to escaping, especially since they must know that three companies of troops are due now from Vladivostok."

"The convicts don't expect the ship here for a week," Ivor ventured, to say.

"Then they will find out their mistake before long," replied the commandant. "I am satisfied that we can hold out until the vessel arrives. It is even possible that we shall not be attacked at all. There are so many other places to plunder. I think some of us had better sleep while we have the opportunity," he added. "It is long after midnight. I will go up in the tower first, and see what the indications are."

Ivor requested permission to accompany him, and rather to his surprise it was granted. Half a dozen in all followed Captain Komaroff up the perpendicular ladder that led from the second floor to the tower. Here was a small apartment, barely large enough to hold them, from which opened eight square windows.

Little could be seen of the town save at those scattered localities where the street lamps reflected a feeble glare, but it became evident the moment the window sashes were raised, that something unusual was about to occur. No shooting, smashing of glass, or pounding on doors could be heard. The only sounds that broke the stillness were the deep, continuous roar of human voices, and the crunch of countless feet on the brittle snow. The relentless tread came nearer. The din of human throats grew louder. The mob was now at the intersection of the main street and the narrow thoroughfare on which the commandant's house faced. The black mass could be faintly seen as it wheeled around in tumultuous disorder.

The excited cries of the leaders rang distinctly above the general tumult.

"Kill the commandant!" yelled one ruffian, "and the governor too. We'll find them both in the same nest."

Others chimed in with savage shouts of: "Revenge! Revenge! Kill Colonel Riskin! Kill Captain Komaroff! Remember our wrongs!"

Inflamed with passion and drink the mob quickened their speed, and suddenly their bearded faces and gleaming rifle barrels appeared in a ray of light that shone from a lamp only fifty yards up the street.

Captain Komaroff was perfectly cool as he dropped the window sashes into place. "It is time to go down," he said quietly. "We will show these dogs that all Karsokov is not in their possession yet."

They descended to the lower floor without undue haste, and broke the news to the others. The shouting of the convicts now came distinctly through the solid walls of the house. They were almost before the door.

The women were badly terrified, but the commandant's daughter, who seemed to have considerable influence over them, succeeded in quieting their fears, and they were taken to a rear room where they would be less exposed to danger.

The sixteen men on whom the defense of the house rested were resolute and determined fellows. Not one coward was among them. For Ivor and Gogol there existed a double incentive to fight well. Each had the same hope in his heart, that if he came out of the struggle alive he would be rewarded by an investigation into the false charge that had doomed him to penal servitude. The governor and the commandant had shown plainly that they were grateful to the convicts for what they had done.

Another resolve lurked deep in Ivor's heart — a resolve to defend Sonia Komaroff with his heart's blood if necessary. He felt a strange sense of exultation in the fact that the fair young girl was near him, and might have need of him before the night was over. He shut his eyes to the future.

Briefly and plainly Captain Komaroff instructed his men in the line of defense he had mapped out. He personally saw to it that each rifle was in good condition, and that plenty of ammunition was within easy reach. Then succeeded a brief interval of waiting. The narrow street without was blocked by the noisy mob. The leaders were evidently trying to make themselves heard, but amid the confusion their efforts were in vain. For the same reason it was impossible for Captain Komaroff to warn the convicts what they might expect if they persisted in their purpose. The warning would have been useless, however, as the commandant knew well.

Suddenly a violent assault was commenced on the door and the shutters. This was kept up for two or three moments, and then, seeing the futility of their efforts, the ruffians desisted. The next move was equally harmless. Hundreds of rifles were fired, and the bullets imbedded themselves deeply in the massive timbers. The leaden rain fell for sortie timey and finally subsided to a few straggling shots.

There was a lull in the storm, but it only portended greater activity to come. Above the yelling of the mob a crashing noise was heard, and then, with a steady crunch, a heavy mass was dragged across the frozen street.

"Remember your instructions men," said Captain Komaroff. "We shall have hot work on our hands in a moment or two. The scoundrels have torn away the pillars from the Greek chapel, and are going to use them for battering rams. The walls will hardly stand against them."

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CHAPTER VII

The commandant's prediction was verified almost as the words left his lips. The heavy beam hammered the shutters unceasingly, and the timbers, stout though they were, began to creak and tremble. The mob roared triumphantly, and pressed close to the building.

Crash! In fell the shutter, carrying sash and splintered panes with it, and through the gaping orifice a momentary glimpse was had of the savage horde who filled the narrow street from house to house.

Captain Komaroff's voice rang clearly through the room. "Fire, men!"

Sixteen rifles poured their deadly contents through the broken shutter, and ere the stunning reverberations had ceased cries of rage and of mortal agony rose on the night air.

Dead and dying lay heaped in front of the house as a second volley was quickly delivered with terrible effect.

The convicts fell back before the leaden rain, and the defenders took advantage of this to roll a massive oaken sideboard against the broken window. A couch and a table still further strengthened the barricade, and the men intrenched themselves behind it just as the enemy turned their rifles on the window. Hundreds of shots were fired, and more than one bullet found its way through the cracks, and buried itself in the opposite wall. A Cossack who imprudently tried to cross the room was shot in the head, and died instantly. There was no time to waste sorrow over this occurrence. The body was quickly carried to a fear apartment and covered with a sheet.

The fusillade now ceased, and the convicts attempted to batter down the barricade. They soon desisted, however, for Captain Komaroff ordered his men to fire through the crevices, and the shots did deadly execution among those who were driving the pillars. A brief lull ensued, which was employed to good advantage by bringing heavy articles of furniture from the other rooms. It was certain that they would be needed in a short time.

The convicts next turned their attention to another window, and began a furious attack on the shutters with their battering rams. They seemed bent on keeping up the siege in spite of the terrible losses they had sustained. Their leaders were quite in accord with them, and at times the voices of Rustem and Schmidt could be distinguished as they gave commands or urged their followers on. A thirst for revenge rather than a desire for escape was now the motive that actuated the convicts.

The window was soon forced in, and the results were precisely the same as before. A desperate rifle fire drove the enemy back with great loss of life, and the gap was quickly barricaded with heavy articles of furniture, and doors that had been removed from their hinges.

The governor and the commandant were elated by the success of the defense and this hopeful feeling was shared by the others. More furniture was brought down from the upper floor of the house, and a strong barricade was wisely built against the heavy oaken door which opened on the street. The attack how centered here, and the tumult outside became perfectly deafening. Every stroke of the battering ram was greeted with hoarse yells, and rifles cracked intermittently. The besiegers were getting by far the worst of it, however, for a steady fire through the chinks of the barricaded windows laid many a ruffian low.

It may seem strange that during all this time no attention had been paid to the rear of the house. The truth of the matter was, however, that Captain Komaroff had but little fear on this score. The house abutted on a small garden which was inclosed by a ten foot stone wall. At the base of the wall, on three sides, was a shallow ditch, now partially choked with snow and ice. Surrounding houses and gardens made the place difficult of approach, and Captain Komaroff was therefore justified in thinking that such formidable obstacles would deter the convicts from making an attack on the rear. But the captain underrated the desperate nature of the foes with whom he had to deal.

The apartment in which the women had been placed for safety opened on the garden. Just when the assault on the front of the house had reached the point above described, Sonia Komaroff heard crunching footsteps on the snow, and then the handle of the door was tried. An instant later a soft rap echoed on the panels

The women were terribly alarmed, and declared that some of the enemy were outside. But Sonia was of a different mind. If any of the convicts were in the garden it was extremely unlikely that they would make known their presence in this way.

Going close to the door she called resolutely, "Who is there?

"For God's sake let me in," came the distinct and immediate answer from the other side of the door. " I am Corporal Stanislov. I have narrowly escaped with my life, and am badly wounded."

Corporal Stanislov was one of the officers who superintended the shoe-making department of the prison workshops. It was quite natural that he should have escaped and come to the rear of the commandant's house.

"Wait a moment," cried Sonia, and with nimble fingers she hastily undid the holts and bars of the door. Fatal mistake! Before she could lay hands on the latch the door was pushed inward by a gigantic ruffian wearing the gray convict uniform, and a score of savage faces appeared behind him.

"The commandant's daughter! Here's luck!" cried the burly leader, who was none other than Schmidt. "Come on, comrades. One bold rush and the house will be ours."

He seized the terrified girl roughly, and with one piercing scream she fainted in his arms. The three other women fortunately had sufficient presence of mind to rush into the next room, and their shrill cries reached the hearing of those who were defending the house, and apprised them of the terrible truth. The foes in the street were forgotten, and the entire party dashed to the rear, to cope with this new danger.

The attack from the garden had been devised by the German convict Schmidt, and to aid him in the undertaking he had chosen a score of men on whom he knew he could rely. With ladders procured from the prison they scaled the walls, and what Schmidt had counted on from the first was verified — that the women would be in one of the rear rooms, and could be induced by stratagem to open the door. For the rest Schmidt proposed to rush into the house, protected by the tumult going on in the street, and shoot down the defenders — whose numbers he considerably underestimated — before they could recover from the shock of surprise. But this latter part of the plan miscarried. It was frustrated, in fact, by the three-women, who upset and extinguished the candle that was burning in the rear room, as they fled forward.