"I have met you before, I think, Herr Professor," Vasilovich at length
remarked. "And your card says that you have important business with me.
What can I do for you?"
"You can do a great deal for me, Count," answered von Schalckenberg,
composedly. "But first of all," he continued, "I have a little thing
here that I wish to show you; you are a connoisseur in such things, and
it will interest you."
So saying, the professor slipped his hand into his pocket, and produced
a pistol, made apparently of polished silver, but really of aethereum.
He held it by the barrel and offered it to the Count, remarking--
"There, Count, that is a simple enough weapon, to all appearance, is it
not? Kindly examine it, and see if you can discover anything remarkable
about it."
A sudden look of terrified anxiety leapt into Vasilovich's eyes as the
professor produced the handsome little weapon; but the placid manner of
the latter as he tendered the pistol for examination seemed to reassure
him, and grasping the butt, he looked at it intently.
"Is the pistol an invention of yours which you wish the Russian
Government to adopt?" he demanded, as he turned the weapon about in his
hand, eyeing it curiously.
"That is as it may be," answered von Schalckenberg. "At present,
knowing you to be, perhaps, as good a judge as any man in Russia of such
tools, I merely wish to obtain your unbiassed opinion of its merits."
"Its merits?" demanded Vasilovich, impatiently. "What _are_ its merits?
I see nothing peculiar about it excepting this cylinder from which the
barrel projects. Is that a magazine?"
"It is," answered the professor; "it accommodates twenty cartridges.
But that is not the most extraordinary thing about it. Can you discover
the method of firing the weapon?"
"No," answered Vasilovich, "I cannot. I was about to ask you as to
that."
"It is perfectly simple. Permit me," remarked the professor, in the
easiest and most matter-of-fact tone imaginable. And, so saying, he
took the pistol from Vasilovich's unresisting hand.
"There are still two other peculiarities connected with this weapon,"
remarked von Schalckenberg; "namely, the marvellous rapidity with which
it can be fired, and the fact that it is absolutely noiseless when
discharged. Please observe, Count. You see those two decanters upon
the table? Kindly fix your eyes upon their stoppers."
The decanters referred to were standing upon the table, some twelve
paces distant from von Schalckenberg, and some eight feet apart, where
they had been carelessly placed by the servant before leaving the count
to the solitary enjoyment of his tobacco and vodki. As the professor
spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and levelled the pistol with
lightning quickness first at one decanter and then at the other. There
was a sharp _clink-clink_, and the tops of the smashed stoppers fell
upon the table all but simultaneously.
Vasilovich looked astounded. He stared first at the decanters, then at
von Schalckenberg, then back again at the decanters.
"Did you break those stoppers by firing at them with that pistol?" he at
length demanded, in a tone of mingled apprehension and rage.
"Certainly," answered the professor, placidly. "Did you not see me do
it, or was I rather too quick for you? Shall I do the trick again?
Just watch the _necks_ of the decanters this time--"
"Stop!" shouted Vasilovich, springing from his chair in a paroxysm of
fury. "How dare you, you scoundrel! What do you mean by coming here
and destroying my property in this insolent way, eh?" And he reached
towards a hand-bell that stood near him on the table.
"Sit down, and keep your hand from that bell," retorted von
Schalckenberg, sternly, levelling the pistol, quick as light, at the
count's head. "Utter a sound above a whisper, or move so much as an
eyelid, and I will riddle your worthless brain with bullets. My little
exhibition just now was simply intended to convey to you, in a
thoroughly practical manner, some idea of the capabilities of this
weapon of mine. I have fired two shots from it, and there are
consequently eighteen left; furthermore, I have another weapon of the
same kind in my other pocket, fully loaded. I have, therefore,
thirty-eight shots at my disposal, and, if I please, I can kill you so
silently that no one shall be any the wiser. And I will do it, too,
without a moment's hesitation, if you refuse to give me the information
I require. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, I understand you," answered Vasilovich, slowly and reluctantly, as
his fascinated gaze peered down the barrel of the pistol with which von
Schalckenberg relentlessly continued to cover him. "What is it you
want?"
"I want the _truth_ as to the present whereabouts of Colonel
Sziszkinski. I know all about his imprisonment, at your instigation, in
the fortress of Peter and Paul. Is he there still?" demanded the
professor. "Consider before answering," he continued, "and remember
that I want the _truth_. I shall not trust to your statements, I shall
verify them through other sources of information; and I caution you to
be very careful indeed in what you say, because if you dare to lie to
me, or to withhold from me the smallest scrap of information, or to
deceive me in any way, you will simply be pronouncing your own
death-sentence."
"There is no need to caution me so elaborately," retorted the count. "I
have no objection to giving you the information you require, and I give
it the more readily that it will not be of the slightest use to you.
You are a friend of Sziszkinski's, I presume, and your anxiety to
ascertain his present whereabouts leads me to suppose that you may have
planned some mad scheme to effect his rescue. If so, it will perhaps be
a disappointment to you to learn that he left Odessa this afternoon, as
a convict, bound to Sakhalien, on board the convict-steamer _Ludwig
Gadd_, from which ship, and from the officials in charge of her, no
human power can now deliver him."
"Have you any proof of the truth of what you say?" demanded von
Schalckenberg, still keeping his pistol levelled at the count's head.
"Yes," answered Vasilovich, with a ring of triumph in his voice; "I
received a telegram this afternoon from Odessa, informing me of the
departure of the _Ludwig Gadd_, with Sziszkinski on board."
"Is that telegram still in your possession?" inquired von Schalckenberg.
"Certainly it is," answered Vasilovich; "it is in my breast pocket.
Would you like to see it?"
"Yes," replied the professor, "I should. Produce it, if you please.
But," he continued, warningly, "be very careful what you are about; bear
in mind that I am covering you, and I warn you that if I detect the
slightest appearance of haste in your movements, or if you produce
anything except the telegram from your pocket, I shall shoot you,
without a particle of compunction."
The count, keeping a wary eye upon von Schalckenberg, proceeded, with
much care and deliberation, to feel in his pocket for the telegram,
which he presently produced, in its envelope, and placed upon the table
before him.
"Are you sure that is it?" demanded von Schalckenberg.
"Quite certain," responded Vasilovich.
"Then, have the goodness to take it out of the envelope and spread it
open on the table," commanded the professor.
Without a word, Vasilovich did as he was ordered.
"Now," resumed the professor, "rise from your chair, turn your back to
me, and march slowly forward until you are against the wall. March!"
"Confound you!" exclaimed Vasilovich, his eyes gleaming with fury, "you
will not give me a chance!" And he rose, obedient to von
Schalckenberg's command, faced about, and moved forward to the wall, the
professor following him until the telegram was within his reach, when he
stretched out his hand, took possession of the document and, still
watching his prisoner out of the corner of his eye, read as follows, in
Russian--
"Convict-steamer _Ludwig Gadd_ just sailed for Sakhalien with
Sziszkinski safe on board.
"Tchernigov."
The message was dated that same day, and timed as having been despatched
from Odessa at four-forty.
"Thank you; that will do," remarked von Schalckenberg, as he thrust the
paper into his pocket. "Now," he continued, "I want you to take a walk
with me in the park. We shall pass out through the principal entrance
of the chateau. But I wish to warn you again to be extremely careful,
for I assure you that your life hangs by a hair, and if I see that there
is even a possibility of anything going wrong I shall shoot you at once,
taking my chance with your servants afterwards. So, in the event of our
encountering any of your domestics on our way out, you will instantly
order them to retire. Now, sir, have the goodness to lead the way."
And, as the professor spoke, he laid upon the table a document setting
forth the fact that Count Vasilovich had been "removed," as a punishment
for the many crimes of which he had been guilty.
The glitter of deadly hate in Vasilovich's eyes as he faced round and
began to move, in obedience to von Schalckenberg's order, warned the
latter to be on his guard; but the professor was not the man to be taken
unawares in the prosecution of such an adventure as he had now
undertaken, and no doubt Vasilovich saw it, for he led the way so
circumspectly as to show plainly that he fully appreciated the imminent
peril of his situation. Fortunately for both, perhaps, no one was
encountered, either in the house or in the courtyard, as the pair made
their way toward the park; and a whispered reminder from von
Schalckenberg proved sufficiently effectual to carry them safely past
the gate-keeper's room. Once clear of this point, the rest was easy,
and a few minutes later, as the pair passed a clump of laurels, Mildmay
stepped forward from his place of concealment and stationed himself on
the other side of the prisoner remarking cheerfully--
"So you have captured your man, eh, Professor? Had you any trouble with
him? I was beginning to feel a trifle anxious about you."
Thereupon the professor proceeded to relate briefly his experiences at
the chateau, thus beguiling the way until the curiously assorted trio
reached the _Flying Fish_, at the vast bulk of which Vasilovich stared
in stupefied amazement. His captors, however, afforded him but scant
time for indulgence in surprise or conjecture, conveying him forthwith
to the tank chamber, wherein they securely locked him, taking the
additional precaution of placing his hands and feet in fetters and
attaching him thereby to a ring-bolt, thus rendering it absolutely
impossible for him to do the slightest mischief. Having made everything
secure, they hastily changed their attire and joined the rest of the
party in the drawing-room, preparatory to sitting down to dinner.
The chief topic of conversation at the dinner-table that night had,
naturally, more or less direct reference to the professor's capture of
the tyrant, Vasilovich, and everybody was keenly anxious to learn from
von Schalckenberg the full details of the feat. There was nothing for
it, therefore, but for the hero of the adventure to describe the
incident _in extenso_. When the relation came to an end Colonel
Lethbridge remarked--
"Well, all I can say, Professor, is that it was an exceedingly plucky
thing to attempt, and you appear to have carried it through with the
most admirable nerve and _sangfroid_. Were you not afraid that the
fellow would raise an alarm and bring all his retainers about you, like
a nest of hornets? Had he done so, you would have been a lost man!"
"No doubt," assented von Schalckenberg, imperturbably. "And of course I
had to take the risk of his doing so. But I succeeded in thoroughly
convincing him that any attempt of that kind, however successful it
might be, would not help him in the least, because I should shoot him
dead at the first indication of such an intention, and long before
assistance could possibly arrive. And, as I had anticipated, his regard
for his own life was sufficient to deter him from throwing it away for
the sake of the very doubtful posthumous gratification of knowing that
he had placed mine in jeopardy. In a word, he was simply too great a
coward to risk so much for the sake of mere revenge."
"Well," observed Mildmay, "it was as magnificent an exhibition of
`bluff' as I have ever heard of. You have been completely successful
thus far, Professor; and now, the most difficult part of your scheme
being accomplished, I see no reason whatever why we should not be
equally successful in the other part; in which event," turning to
Feodorovna, "I shall hope to have the pleasure of witnessing your
reunion with your father to-morrow."
"Oh, Captain--oh, Sir Reginald!" she exclaimed, the tears starting to
her eyes, "if you can but compass that I will for ever bless and pray
for you all!" And, springing to her feet, the poor girl retreated
precipitately to her cabin to conceal her emotion.
"The next question that arises," remarked Sir Reginald, discreetly
ignoring the young lady's hurried retreat, "is: At what time ought we to
start in pursuit of the convict-ship?"
He seemed to address this question to the professor, who shrugged his
shoulders expressively as he replied--
"That is for our friend Mildmay to say; he will know better than any of
the rest of us what will be the most favourable hour at which to
overtake her."