THE FOUR ALDER TREES.
I was up very early on the morning of the Czar's visit. We had a
parade at 6.30 to receive final instructions; and as I walked to the
barracks I was in high spirits, buoyant, self-confident, and
alert--much as I had felt on the morning of my duel with Devinsky. I
could not have been in better tone.
The morning air was very fresh and clear and the sunlight fell
everywhere upon flags, decorations, triumphal arches, and the rest of
the festal preparations for the great holiday to which work people were
busy putting the final touches.
Everybody seemed in the highest spirits. Laughter and jest and a
pleasant interchange of greetings rang on the air on all sides of me;
and the whole city seemed to be already wreathed in smiles.
My brother officers came straggling up after I had reached the ground,
and more than one of them shewed abundant signs of the previous night's
carouse; looking as though a couple more hours' sleep were sadly
wanted. Headaches abounded among them, and more than one regarded me
with a sort of comical envy because I was not dull-eyed, pale, nor
unrested. They took it for granted that I had drunk as deeply as they,
and set down my steady head as one more proof of my prowess. Some men
can always see something of a hero in the man who can drink heavily and
yet shew no signs of his dissipation.
When the Colonel came and we fell in, there was a disappointment for
me. My new plan was based on the correctness of the Nihilist
information--that I should have the command of the troops guarding the
section of the line where were four alder trees; and I reckoned
confidently upon hearing from the Colonel of the alteration in the
original plans.
But no announcement of the sort was made. On the contrary, as soon as
the troops had fallen in, the arrangements which had been announced on
the previous day were repeated; and I found that instead of being told
off to take charge of the railway to the north of the city, I had to
pass the whole day in guarding the Western Gate and the road for some
distance on either side of it. I was ordered to parade my men at eight
o'clock and to march straight to the place of guard.
I went home to breakfast, disappointed and disgusted. I didn't care a
jot about missing the sightseeing, but I was angry that the plan on
which I had now set my heart had failed; and that instead of being able
to strike a vigorous blow for my own freedom I should have to pass the
hours dawdling about doing nothing more than a sort of police work in
keeping order among a crowd of gaping, staring, gawky, country yokels.
I was in an exceedingly ill temper therefore when I returned to the
parade ground to start on my most unwelcome and unpalatable task.
But I found the whole place in complete confusion and uproar, and the
first words I heard were that the whole plan of the day's work had been
altered; that the troops had been changed and interchanged in a most
perplexing manner; that regiments and companies and even odd files of
men had been mixed up in the greatest apparent confusion; and that not
one of the original commands remained unaltered.
I hurried to the Colonel for my orders, and found him cursing volubly
and with tremendous energy at the infinite confusion the alterations
had caused. But he found me my orders readily--he was a splendid
disciplinarian--and when I read them I marvelled indeed at the
extraordinary exactness with which the Nihilists had been able to
anticipate matters.
My command was changed to the guarding of the three mile stretch of
line outside the Vsatesk station, commencing a thousand yards to the
north of that point. I was to train out at once; post my men at 25
yards distance; and allow no one to approach the line for two hours
before the coming of the Imperial train, and until half an hour after
it had passed; the time of its passing being given confidentially as
2.45--two hours later than had been originally fixed for the actual
arrival in Moscow. More than that, the men under my command were not
to be drawn solely from my own regiment, but from no less than three
others, all specified, who were to meet me at the station.
As I read these instructions I saw in them the influence of someone who
must be both near to the Throne and intimately acquainted with the
whole Nihilist plot. The object of classing together under one command
men taken suddenly from different regiments was a master-stroke of
treachery for this particular work. Apparently it prevented any
collusion among any disaffected regiments, but in reality it opened the
way for the five assassins to get into the ranks without the least
suspicion; while the meeting at the railway station, probably urged as
a necessity to save time at the moment when the plans had been all
changed, must have been in fact designed solely for the purpose of the
plot.
He who was secretly behind all this was no ordinary man. That was
clear. And I saw that in pitting my wits against his, seeing that he
already had the Imperial ear, I should have to be wary indeed, if I
wished to avoid a fall. But I did not shirk the contest: and now that
I knew I was really to have the chance, I clenched my teeth in
desperate resolve.
After incalculable trouble and much irritating delay, I got together
the small company that came from my own regiment and marched them to
the railway station. I halted them and looked round for the
detachments that were to join me. I posted my men in a place that
would lend itself well to the Nihilists joining them. The three
detachments of men reported soon after my arrival, each in charge of a
sergeant; and when I had ascertained the train by which we were to
travel--a matter of no small difficulty in the indescribable confusion
that prevailed, I moved the whole two hundred to the platforms.
I had seen nothing of the Nihilists, so far, and this caused me some
surprise. But on the platforms the order of the ranks could not be
maintained and when about half of my command were entrained, I was
addressed by one of a file of five men who reported that he and his
comrades had been told off to accompany me; and he produced written
instructions to that effect.
I glanced at the order and saw that it was sufficiently in form to
enable me to take the men with me, and while pretending to study the
paper I looked searchingly at each of the men. They were a daredevil
set, in all truth, but they stood in their uniforms with as much
military air as the average Russian rankers.
I assumed an air of great vexation, and rapping out an oath, loud
enough for all about me to hear, I called up the sergeant of my own
regiment and telling him the men had been sent to join me, and cursing
them and everybody in general for the interruption, told him to find
places in the train for them. In this way everything went smoothly,
and we were soon gliding out of Moscow for the short run, while I sat
back alone in the first-class compartment which I had had reserved for
myself.
I had still some slight preparations to make, and wished to be alone to
think. First I examined my arms carefully. I looked to every chamber
of my revolver. Each bullet might mean a life before the day was three
hours older. Next, I looked to my sword. It was the same that had
seen me through my trouble with Devinsky and I knew it as a man learns
to know the feel of his walking stick. Lastly, I had a long deadly
looking dagger; the sheath fastened to the right hip of my trousers
where it could be drawn with the greatest ease. As a final reserve I
had in a small secret pocket a couple of pills--poison enough to kill
half a dozen men. I meant to make a quick end of things if they went
wrong with me.
Satisfied that everything was in order, I lay back and mapped out again
the exact disposition of the men in my charge: and the precise course I
meant to take at the critical moment. I was still occupied in this
when the train drew up at the little station, Vsatesk; and in less than
half an hour later, I had reached my section and begun to post my men
and was looking about me for the four alder trees and the exact spot
where I had been warned to take my post.
Knowing what I did about the Nihilist intentions, it was obviously
unnecessary to pay much heed to any part of the line except that where
I knew the "accident" would happen. So I sent out a couple of
sergeants to dispose the men on that part of the line which lay to the
north of the four trees.
These were easily found, and I carried out to the letter the Nihilist
instructions to post the five men who were to kill the Czar,
immediately to the right, or south, of the line formed by the three
trees as described to me.
I did this for the simple reason that it was my cue to deceive everyone
right up to the last moment. Had I altered the disposition of these
men they would have known that I meant treachery to them and to the
cause; and what the consequences would have been it was impossible to
foresee. As it was they took their places with a grim readiness, and a
significant glance that spoke to me eloquently.
As soon as all the troops were placed I took my own position and,
girding up my patience to wait for the coming of the Imperial train and
with it my opportunity, I scanned every inch of the line for some
evidence of the Nihilists' preparations. I could not detect a sign of
any change in the road or of any preparation of any kind. The track
was not very well laid, and in several spots it bore signs of recent
repairs; but beyond that there was nothing. This fact may have helped
to conceal the work of the Nihilists, of course; but although I knew
almost the very spot where it had been carried out, I could detect
nothing.
The suspense was trying indeed; and while I was waiting, it was natural
enough, perhaps, that my imagination should be chiefly busy in
suggesting many reasons why I was almost bound to fail in my desperate
venture.
I did not know in which train the Emperor would travel. I knew of
course that there would be first the pilot engine; there would also be
the baggage train; probably also a special train for the suite and
servants; and the Imperial train. But this might be first, second, or
third of the three. I had not been told as to this. So far as my
Nihilist work was concerned, it was not necessary that I should know
it. That work began when the train had left the line; and I had been
posted near where that must happen. I concluded therefore, that I had
not been trusted with a single jot more of information than it was
deemed necessary for me to have.
I should have to depend upon the Nihilists who were to move the lever
being accurately informed on this point. But this troubled me. If the
worst happened, of course the "accident" must take place and the train
be sent off the line, and I must use my opportunity then. What I
wished to do was to stop the train in which the Emperor would travel;
but if I did not know which that was, I might easily make an ugly
blunder that would expose me to danger from the Nihilists and not only
do me no good with the Court, but mark me out as an object for ridicule
and suspicion.
This uncertainty did not present itself to disturb me until I was
actually on the line waiting for the coming of the trains, and face to
face with the necessity for action.
The point where I stood was about a mile and a half to the north of the
station and the line was so dead straight, that it could be watched for
five or six miles farther north, and I should thus have ample notice of
the approach of the trains. It was a very clear day moreover; and as
my sight was exceedingly keen and good, I knew I should be able to
catch the earliest glimpse of the trains whose passing meant so much to
me.
I managed to get the whole of the company under my command posted more
than two hours before the Emperor was timed to pass; and after I had
made a show of inspecting those who were guarding that part of the
section which I knew to be outside the sphere of danger, I did the work
very thoroughly with those who were in that part where the grim,
hazardous drama was to be played.
I had been careful to keep the men of my own regiment close to me and
on both sides of the five Nihilist spies; and I was glad to see that
many of them were among my staunchest admirers. They would have
followed me to death without a word; and the sergeant, whose name was
Grostef, the most athletic fellow in the ranks, was my sworn champion,
on the ground that I was the only man in the regiment who could outrun,
and outjump him, and beat him with any weapon he liked to pick. I
believe the fellow loved me for my strength and skill.
The time dragged a bit for the patient fellows on guard who were not
near enough to exchange a word without the sergeants being pretty sure
to hear it; and the eyes of all soon began to be cast longingly
northward in impatient desire to catch a glimpse of the trains. Almost
the only men who shewed no signs of feeling were the five to whom the
coming of the train meant, as they knew and were content to know, the
coming of death also. They stood like stone figures: impassive,
immovable and stern: the type of men to whom death in the cause of duty
is welcome.
An hour before the time, I took up my position finally exactly in the
line of the three alder trees, and resolved not to move again nor to
have my attention drawn away from the rails until the work was over;
and I only lifted my eyes now and then from the track to send a sharp,
quick glance along the line to see if the train were yet in sight.
The first intimation I had that the trains were getting near came from
the opposite direction. Between us and the Vsatesk station about half
a mile distant, was a signal box, and the light wind which was blowing
from the south carried to my ears the sharp smack of the signal arm as
it fell from the danger point, and signalled the line all clear.
I knew then it was a matter of minutes. My pulse began to quicken up
slightly; and my scrutiny of the track and rails increased in
intentness. But the minutes dragged on and the announced time came and
passed. I knew of the Czar's passion for punctuality, and after this
delay had lasted some time I began to think a genuine accident must
have caused it. In this weary suspense, a quarter of an hour, half an
hour, three quarters passed, and my watch shewed 3.30, and still not a
sign of even the pilot engine was visible.
Then a tiny black speck in the far straight distance, topped by a small
white steam cloud told me the pilot engine was coming at last; and in
the swift glances spared from my scrutiny of the rails, I saw it grow
larger and blacker as it covered the intervening space, until it
thundered up, and crashed and lumbered by us and began to fade in the
opposite direction disappearing round the slight curve which was
between us and Vsatesk station.
What the interval would be between the pilot engine and the first
train, and what that first train would be, I did not know. The
intervals always differed; sometimes five minutes, sometimes ten,
sometimes as much as twenty minutes were allowed to elapse. But the
interval was nothing compared with the question--which train would
follow. On that might turn the whole result of the affair.
All the men had now straightened up, and even the five on my right
shewed signs of being interested. I saw them looking up with stealthy,
longing, deadly fixedness for the coming of their prey.
But on the line itself there was no sign of change.
I had understood that at some point the rails would be shifted so as to
throw the train off the line. But search as closely as I would, I
could not detect the least sign of any preparation for this. The
uncertainty which this circumstance caused added to my excitement and
the suspense became doubly trying. It quickened up to a climax when I
saw once again in the distance the growing black speck with the white
crown, that told me the second train was at hand.
I kept my eyes glued to the rails and my ears strained to catch the
first notification either by sight or sound that the trap had been
laid. Without such a sign, I dared not do anything.
Yet nothing happened; and the black speck in the distance developed
into a distinct shape, and increased quickly in size, and a slight hum
came vibrating along the rails. The hum grew into the sound of muffled
drums; then swelled to a heavy threatening rumble; and rapidly climaxed
to a crashing, rattling, reverberating roar, as the clattering clanging
jolting baggage train lurched heavily by, and roared away southward.
It passed safely every point on the line; and the old question which
would be next recurred with greater strain than before, and drummed
itself in on my brain like a sharp throbbing shoot of pain.
When for the third time the little warning speck in the distance told
me that either the Czar or his suite must now be coming, my excitement
waxed well nigh out of control; my hand stole on to the hilt of my
sword and loosened it in the scabbard, my fingers played on the stock
of my revolver, and my eyes never for an instant left the rails, but
ran up and down them with swift eager searching glances, hungry for a
sign.
As the distance between me and the on-coming train lessened, the
tension increased and my sense of baffled impotence, when I detected no
sign anywhere on the rails, was staggering. By a great effort only
could I prevent myself from doing something to stop the approach of the
train and my eagerness was multiplied infinitely when, in a glance
which I could not keep from straying to the murderous gang on my right,
I saw them one and all making ready stealthily for their deadly work.
But no sign on the track gave me my cue for action, and I could only
wait, full of my resolve to do all that had to be done should this be
the train to be thrown off the line.
It came thundering up and passed me without my being able to take a
step of any sort. Like the other it passed along the whole section of
the line in safety, though I saw, with an astonishment that for the
moment bewildered me, that the Imperial saloon was the central carriage.
Obviously the Czar had passed in safety. And I jumped instantly to the
conclusion that for some reason the mechanism, which was to have
derailed the train, had failed to act.
But an incident which occurred almost as soon as the train had passed,
shewed me the falseness of this conclusion.
I was still staring fixedly at the track, when at a point that was
exactly opposite me, and thus in a direct line with the three alder
trees, I saw the two rails swing aside from the track, just enough to
turn a train off the rails that was travelling over the place. There
was scarcely a click of sound: and, after a moment they swung back as
silently into position.
I read the whole thing in a moment.
The operator knew that the moment had come for action and wished to
make quite sure that the mechanism was in due order. The sight
increased infinitely the oppressive weight and strain of the suspense.
I knew now that the Czar was in the third train, and that the Imperial
carriage had been sent on with the second as a ruse.
I knew too, that the supreme hour of my struggle was at hand, in all
grim reality.
I could now relieve my eyes from the straining task of watching the
track, and I looked about me. The five men to my right were also on
the alert. They had not been misled by the ruse of the empty court
carriage, and were waiting in deadly readiness to strike the blow which
they had come out to deal.
Then I turned my eyes northward along the straight level track, and
just as I did so I caught in the distance the first glimpse of the
third train, in which I knew, as certainly as if I could already see
him, that the Czar was travelling.
As the train loomed nearer and the moment for action approached, my
spirits rose also. Uncertainty was at an end. A few minutes would
decide whether I was to live or die.
I braced myself for the biggest effort of my life.
I was like a man whose nostrils expand as they breathe in the scent of
deadly fight.