Part 21 (2/2)

When I had erabbed a ”killer” from the hand of a fellow I had shot pointblank, and laid about me with that I suppose Pendennis did the sa, there was no tiht I wonder he hadn't givenour oell, in spite of the treh whether it was five ave back a bit There was quite a heap of dead and wounded round about us; but I don't think Anne's father was hurt as yet, and I felt no pain, thoughlimp and useless, numbed by a blow fro as dripping down ht wrist

”What now?” I heard Pendennis say, in that brief lull in the pandeet to the door; we uard!”

We swung up our weapons, but before the rush could reach us, there was a crash close at hand; the door through which Anne and her guards had entered the chapel was thrown open, and a big uise So he had reached us at last!

He lance, for he shouted: ”Back; back for your lives! By the other door We are betrayed; the soldiers are here They are co this way Save yourselves!”

CHAPTER XXI

A FORLORN HOPE

They were a craven crew,--bold enough when arrayed in their nuirl, but terror-stricken at these fresh tidings

That was my opinion of them at the time, but perhaps it was unjust

Everyhad done so at the deliberate risk of his life and liberty Most of them had undoubtedly trah the storued and unstrung Also, the Russian--and especially the revolutionary Russian--is a queer psychological aam

Ordinarily as callous and stoical as a Chinaman in the infliction or endurance of death or torture, he is yet a bundle of high-strung nerves, and at any ive place to sheer hysteria

Therefore at the warning shout, panic seized theh the main door In less than a minute the place was clear of all but ourselves and the dead and wounded on the floor

Loris slammed the door, barred it, and strode back to us Pendennis was kneeling beside Anne, calling her by her na stupidly down at them I was faint and dizzy all at once, incapable for the moment of either speech or action

”Well done, ht I had failed you, eh? Coet out of this quickly They will return when they find it is a ruse Is she hurt?”

He pushed Pendennis aside unceremoniously, and lifted Anne in his arms, as easily as if she had been a child

I think sheconsciousness, for I heard hie, _petite_, thou shalt soon be safe”

”Who are you?” deuise was palpable and incongruous enough, now that he was speaking in his natural voice

”Her friend, as I presume you are; therefore follow if you would save her and yourself There is no time for talk!”

With Anne in his arms he made for the door by which he had entered, and Pendennis rushed after hi to hileah the doorway,--the last I was to see of Anne Pendennis forto beat back the horrible faintness that was overwhel me, and to follow the pain shot throughat my left arm, and I kne that it was broken The pain dispelled the faintness for the ti, but I made no attempt to rise Impossible to follow them now, or even if not impossible, I could be of no service; I should only haht Better stay here and die

I think I prayed that I ht yet reach safety Where had Anne's father sprung fro in the heart of the woods? How had heto this infernal society, as she did; that was it, of course What an abominable din this was in my head,--worse to bear than the pain of my wounds In my head? No, the noise was outside--shrieks and shouts, and the crackle of rifles I draggedposture and listened The Duke had said that his tale of the soldiers was aon outside Were the soldiers there, and had Loris unwittingly spoken the truth,--or had he himself betrayed the revolutionists as a last resource? Unanswerable questions, all of the round ly in ed without, though it see lah the gaps in the broken roof to enable me to see about me The place was like a shambles round the spot where we had taken our stand; there were five or six bodies, besides the president, whom I had shot at first It was his corpse I had stue in a way

I foundit would be before they would search the chapel, and if it would be worth while to try and get out by the door through which Loris had coet on ood I was as weak as an infant I discovered then that I was soaked with blood froh I felt no pain from them at the time; all the pain was concentrated inat the barred door, to which my back was turned, and aopen, and an officer sprang in, sword in hand, followed by a couple of soldiers with fixed bayonets