Part 29 (1/2)

Sandy's figure seerew shrill and wild It was too ed in a torrent of blasphemy such as I believe had never before passed his lips

'I'm blessed if I'll listen to this God-darned stuff It isn't delicate You get busy, Major, and puinning to see what had happened Sandy was a enius-as much as anybody I ever struck-but he had the defects of such high-strung, fanciful souls He would take more than mortal risks, and you couldn't scare hiet cross-eyed, let him find himself in soht go stark crazy The woman, who roused in ination and stir in hi response And then came bitter and morbid repentance, and the last desperation

It was no time to mince matters 'Sandy, you old fool,' I cried, 'be thankful you have friends to keep you fro the fool You saved h this show I' the outfit now, and for all your confounded prophetic oing to reveal yourself to your people, and still less are you going to cut your throat Greene the murder of his ministers, and et clear away, and inside of a e'll be having tea with the Grand Duke Nicholas'

I wasn't bluffing Puzzled as I was about ways and means I had still the blind belief that we should win out And as I spoke two legs dangled through the trap and a dusty and blinking Peter descended in our midst

I took the maps from him and spread them on the table

'First, you ht Hussin took us for a walk over the roofs of Erzeruot into Stued his staff er-point of the whole defence Once the Russians get that fort, Kara Gubek, they've turned the ot; Stumm knows it can; for these two adjacent hills are not heldIt looks a mad enterprise on paper, but Stuh The question is: Will the Russians guess that? I say no, not unless soot to get that inforh to the to flicker up again He studied theto have a try for it He thinks there's a sporting chance of his getting through the lines If he does-if he gets this oose is cooked In three days the Cossacks will be in the streets of Erzerulanced at Peter 'We're hard-bitten fellows and can face the truth I think the chances against success are about five to one'

'Two to one,' said Peter modestly 'Not worse than that I don't think you're fair to ht figure and the gentle, resolute face, and I changed ed if I think there are any odds,' I said 'With anybody else it would want a miracle, but with Peter I believe the chances are level'

'Two to one,' Peter persisted 'If it was evens I wouldn't be interested'

'Let o, and can pass as a Turk, and I'h For God's sake, dick, let o'

'Not you You're wanted here If you disappear the whole show's busted too soon, and the three of us left behind will be strung up beforeto escape, but it will be in coot to blow the whole Greenh that the bits of it will never coainFirst, tell me how many of your felloill stick by you? I mean the Companions'

'The whole half-dozen They are very worried already about what has happened She made me sound them in her presence, and they were quite ready to accept me as Greenmantle's successor But they have their suspicions about what happened at the villa, and they've no love for the woh hell if I bade them, but they would rather it was ht,' I cried 'It is the one thing I've been doubtful about Now observe thischalk The Russians are round it in a broad half-moon That means that all the west, south-west, and north-west is open and undefended by trench lines There are flanks far away to the north and south in the hills which can be turned, and once we get round a flank there's nothing between us and our friendsI've figured out our road,' and I traced it on the et over that pass unobserved we're bound to strike a Russian coluh road, but I fancy we've all ridden as bad in our ti we must have, and that's horses Can we and your six ruffians slip off in the darkness on the best beasts in this townshi+p? If you can e that, we'll do the trick'

Sandy sat down and pondered Thank heaven, he was thinking now of action and not of his own conscience

'It must be done,' he said at last, 'but it won't be easy Hussin's a great fellow, but as you knoell, dick, horses right up at the battle-front are not easy to coot some kind of infernal fast to observe, and the next day that woive Hussin tiain for a bit, and then he said: 'I believe the best tiht, the eve of the Revelation She's bound to leave ht-o,' I said 'It won't bein this cold sepulchre; but wein a hurry Besides, if Peter wins through, the Turk will be a busy man by the day after tomorrow'

The key turned in the door and Hussin stole in like a shade It was the signal for Sandy to leave

'You fellows have given ot a plan now, and I can set ripped his hand 'Good luck You're the bravest man I've ever met, and I've seen a few' Then he turned abruptly and went out, followed by an exhortation from Blenkiron to 'Get busy about the quadrupeds'

Then we set about equipping Peter for his crusade It was a siet-up, with his thick fur-collared greatcoat, was not unlike the ordinary Turkish officer seen in a di for a Turk, or indeed of giving anybody the chance of seeing him, and he was more concerned to fit in with the landscape So he stripped off the greatcoat and pulled a grey sweater of mine over his jacket, and put on his head a woollen helmet of the saot his route by heart, and as once fixed in that mind stuck like wax; but I made him take Stu difficulty, I saould be getting to the Russians without getting shot, assu he passed the Turkish trenches He could only hope that he would strike solish or German Twice he ascended to the roof and came back cheerful, for there was proht in our supper, and Peter made up a parcel of food Blenkiron and I had both save hiood child who is going off to bed It was toodown his face he announced that, if we all ca to fit him into the softest berth that money could buy I don't think he was understood, for old Peter's eyes had now the faraway absorption of the hunter who has found gas and a pair of very shabby boots vanished through the trap, and suddenly I felt utterly lonely and desperately sad The guns were beginning to roar again in the east, and in the intervals ca storm