Part 7 (1/2)

”Good!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the spy, as he tore open the envelope. ”I was not mistaken, after all! He was waiting until the flags.h.i.+p came into the Downs to deliver it.”

The envelope contained a letter accompanied by a chart of the South Coast, upon which were certain marks at intervals in red with minute directions, as well as a copy of the code of secret signals in which some slight alterations had lately been made.

”What fortune!” cried the Count gleefully, after reading the note.

”Their plans and the secret of their signals, too, are now ours! The Emba.s.sy were correct in their surmise. With these the French and Russian s.h.i.+ps will be able to act swiftly, and sweep the British from the sea.

Now for London as quickly as possible, for the information will be absolutely invaluable.”

Without a final glance at the corpse, huddled up in its chair, he put on his hat, and stealing noiselessly from the house, set out in the moonlight to walk swiftly by way of Great Mongeham and Waldershare to Shepherd's Well station, whence he could get by train to London.

The immense importance of these secret doc.u.ments he had not overrated.

Their possession would enable the Russian s.h.i.+ps to decipher many of the hitherto mysterious British signals.

The spy had accomplished his mission!

CHAPTER XI.

THE Ma.s.sACRE AT EASTBOURNE.

Hourly the most alarming reports were being received at the War Office, and at newspaper offices throughout the country, of the rapidly-increasing forces of the invaders, who were still landing in enormous numbers. Vague rumours were also afloat of desperate encounters at sea between our Coastguard Squadron that had returned and the French and Russian ironclads.

Nothing definite, however, was known. News travelled slowly, and was always unreliable.

Mobilisation was being hurried forward with all possible speed.

Nevertheless, so sudden had been the descent of the enemy, that Eastbourne, Newhaven, and Seaford had already fallen into their hands.

Into the half-wrecked town of Eastbourne regiment after regiment of Russian infantry had been poured by the transports _Samojed_ and _Artelscik_, while two regiments of dragoons, one of Cossacks, and many machine-gun sections had also been landed, in addition to a quant.i.ty of French infantry from the other vessels. The streets of the usually clean, well-ordered town were strewn with the debris of fallen houses and shops that had been wrecked by Russian sh.e.l.ls. The Queen's Hotel at Splash Point, with its tiers of verandahs and central spire, stood out a great gaunt blackened ruin.

Along Terminus Road the grey-coated hordes of the Great White Tsar looted the shops, and showed no quarter to those who fell into their hands. The Grand Hotel, the Burlington, the Cavendish, and others, were quickly transformed into barracks, as well as the half-ruined Town Hall, and the Floral Hall at Devons.h.i.+re Park.

Robbery, outrage, and murder ran riot in the town, which only a few days before had been a fas.h.i.+onable health resort, crowded by aristocratic idlers. Hundreds of unoffending persons had been killed by the merciless fire from the enemy's battles.h.i.+ps, and hundreds more were being shot down in the streets for attempting a feeble resistance. The inhabitants, surrounded on all sides by the enemy, were powerless.

The huge guns of the _Pamyat Azova_, the _Imperator Nicolai I._, the _Pjotr Velikij_, the _Krejser_, the _Najezdnik_, and others, had belched forth their death-dealing missiles with an effect that was appalling.

The thunder of cannon had ceased, but was now succeeded by the sharp cracking of Russian rifles, as those who, desperately guarding their homes and their loved ones, and making a stand against the invaders, were shot down like dogs. A crowd of townspeople collected in the open s.p.a.ce outside the railway station, prepared to bar the advance of the Russians towards the Old Town and Upperton. Alas! it was a forlorn hope for an unarmed mob to attempt any such resistance.

A Russian officer suddenly shouted a word of command that brought a company of infantry to the halt, facing the crowd. Another word and a hundred rifles were discharged. Again and again they flashed, and the volley was repeated until the streets were covered with dead and dying, and the few who were not struck turned and fled, leaving the invaders to advance unopposed.

Horrible were the deeds committed that night. English homes were desecrated, ruined, and burned. Babes were murdered before the eyes of their parents, many being impaled by gleaming Russian bayonets; fathers were shot down in the presence of their wives and children, and sons were treated in a similar manner.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LANDING OF RUSSIANS, AND Ma.s.sACRE IN TERMINUS ROAD, EASTBOURNE.]

The ma.s.sacre was frightful. Ruin and desolation were on every hand.

The soldiers of the Tsar, savage and inhuman, showed no mercy to the weak and unprotected. They jeered and laughed at piteous appeal, and with fiendish brutality enjoyed the destruction which everywhere they wrought.