ONE SWORD AGAINST FIVE.
The result of Boris's reflections was that he became suspicious and
unhappy. He felt that his position was a delicate and difficult one,
and that it would be impossible for him to maintain it under present
conditions. Putting two and two together, he had concluded that there
was something existing in the minds of his brother officers to which
he was no party, and which he feared--though he hesitated to believe
it--might be treason against his beloved master. If this should prove
to be the case, he reflected, what course ought he to pursue? Should
he inform the Tsar, and thus be the means of terrible trouble to the
regiment of which he was a member, or allow matters to take their
course in the hope that either his suspicions would prove unfounded, or
that his companions might shortly see the iniquity of their ways, and
return to full loyalty, as behoved true officers of the Tsar? After
all, it was merely a suspicion; all that talk about big dogs and little
dogs might be the purest nonsense. What right had he to take serious
action upon so feeble a suspicion? Boris finally decided that he would
do nothing rash and ill-considered; for the generous Tsar would be the
first to laugh at him for jumping at ill-based conclusions, and Boris
was very sensitive to derision, especially at Peter's mouth.
Very soon after the discussion on canine iniquity recorded above, Boris
had the decision as to his duty in these trying circumstances taken
out of his hands by the workings of destiny. Sitting over his dinner
at the restaurant patronized by the officers of the Streltsi, he found
himself listening in spite of himself to the conversation of a group
of his companions dining at a table close to his own. The vodka had
flowed pretty freely, it appeared, and tongues were growing looser and
slipping the leash which restraint and discretion usually put upon
them in the presence of Boris. The major, Platonof, was the noisiest
speaker--he of the dog story; and Boris several times recognized his
somewhat strident voice raised above that of his fellows, who, however,
generally hushed him down before his words became distinctly audible.
Once Boris overheard his own name spoken by one of the younger
officers, whereupon the major said aloud,--
"What! simple Boris--our Bear-hunter? Why, he's a capital fellow is our
Boris--he's one of us--we needn't be afraid of Boris.--Need we, Boris?"
he continued, looking tipsily over his shoulder at the hunter. "You'll
fight for the lord of Russia, won't you, Boris, in case of need?"
"I'll fight for the Tsar with my last drop of blood, if that's what you
mean," said Boris, flushing.
"Say the Tsar that should be--the friend of the church and of the
priests--in fact, the lord of Russia!" continued Platonof.
"Certainly the lord of Russia," said Boris, "but why the Tsar that
'should be'?"
"Because," hiccoughed the major solemnly, "while Peter remains upon the
throne, the lord of Russia reigns only in our hearts. When the Streltsi
have ousted the big dog from the little dog's kennel--Peter being the
big dog--and given the little dog back his bone--that's Ivan--then--"
Platonof never finished that sentence. Boris had sprung to his feet,
and drawing his sword, dashed from the major's hand the tumbler which
he tipsily waved before his face as he spoke these significant words.
The vodka which the glass contained bespattered half the company as
they, too, rose excitedly to their feet.
"Traitors!" cried Boris, "so this is the meaning of your whisperings
and secrecy; and but for yonder drunken fool I might have remained in
ignorance of your treachery. Out with your swords and defend yourselves
if you are men. I am on Peter's side!"
The party consisted of the major and four others. All drew their
swords, including Platonof, who was somewhat unsteady, though
partly sobered by the turn events had taken. The rest were pale and
determined, for they realized the fact that the tipsy major had plunged
them into a serious dilemma. Either they must kill this favourite of
the Tsar, and incur Peter's wrath on that account, or else he must
be allowed to escape alive, but with the certainty that all he had
heard would be repeated for Peter's private benefit. And then--well,
the young Tsar's character was already sufficiently understood by his
subjects to leave no doubt in the minds of these Streltsi officers that
he would make a terrible example of them. Under the circumstances there
was practically no choice for them: it was Boris's life or theirs;
Boris must not leave the room alive.
One of the younger officers sprang to the door and locked it, placing
the key in his pocket. Meanwhile Boris had crossed swords with
Platonof, but finding that the major was too unsteady to make a fight
of it, he pushed him out of the way. Platonof tumbled over the table,
dragging the glasses and bottles with him. This was fortunate for
Boris, for it placed the table between himself and his adversaries, and
prevented overcrowding.
Then the four men fiercely attacked the one, hacking savagely but
unscientifically at him, each retreating as he thrust back. Boris had
the advantage of a long reach, and before many blows had been exchanged
he had put one of his assailants _hors de combat_ with a straight
thrust which penetrated his sword-arm. Boris knew, as yet, little
swordsmanship, but he had a good natural idea of thrusting straight
and quickly, acquired in his bear-hunting days. He had, besides, the
advantages of great strength and agility, in both of which qualities
he far excelled any of the five men opposed to him, of whom but three
were now left to carry on the battle. These three now separated, one
presently advancing from either side, while the third endeavoured
to get behind him in order to take him in the rear. Boris backed
towards the wall, hoping to frustrate his intention, while the others
pressed him hard in the endeavour to entice him to follow one of them
up. But Boris, waiting until his third assailant was well behind him,
suddenly swept round with so terrible a backhander that the unfortunate
officer's arm was cut through and half of his body besides. The man
dropped where he stood and never moved again.
Then Boris made so savage an attack upon his two remaining opponents
that they fled, and were pursued by him twice round the room, fighting
as they ran, until Boris, tripping over the sleeping major, fell
among the bottles and glasses. During the moment or two which expired
before the redoubtable bear-hunter could recover his footing, the two
fugitive heroes succeeded in opening the door and escaping, but not
before Boris, seizing a heavy wooden stool from the floor, hurled it
after them with so true an aim that it struck the hindmost between the
shoulders, sending him head first downstairs, to the great injury of
his front teeth and the bridge of his nose.
Then Boris endeavoured to arouse Platonof, to bid him see to his
wounded friends, but found this impossible. Moreover, he discovered
on looking up that the young officer first wounded had taken the
opportunity, during Boris's preoccupation with the tipsy major, to
escape through the open door. As for the fifth man, Boris soon found
that he would need no help from the major or any one else. He therefore
administered a final kick to the snoring form of Platonof, and quitted
the apartment which had witnessed so exciting a struggle for life.
Then only did Boris discover that he had not come through the fierce
fight scathless. His hand was bleeding from a gash over the knuckles,
and a pain just above the knee, and a rent in his kaftan, plainly
indicated that he had received a second wound more or less severe. He
was able to walk home, however, to the palace in the Kremlin, and to
attend to his duties about the person of the Tsar. But there the keen
glance of Peter detected at once the cut over the fingers, and this
discovery was instantly followed by a demand for an explanation.
Boris had firmly resolved that even at the Tsar's bidding he would
never reveal the names of his assailants, or say more than was
absolutely necessary as to the treasonable words which he had
overheard. When therefore the Tsar inquired what was the matter with
his hand, Boris blushed and stammered, and said that he had hurt it.
"That much I see already," said Peter. "I see also that this is a sword
cut, and that you have a rent in your kaftan. You have been fighting,
my Bear-eater, but not with a bear this time, nor yet with a wolf,
except it be a human one. Come, who is it? Don't be afraid, man--are we
not sworn brothers?"
"It is true, your Majesty, I have fought," said poor Boris, and stopped.
"And pray with whom," Peter insisted, "and with what results? Come,
Boris, this is interesting, and you shall tell me all about it ere we
sleep to-night. I desire it. Have you killed a man? Speak up; I shall
not mind if the cause is good."
"I have killed a man, your Majesty," Boris stammered, "and the cause is
good. The man was an officer; he is dead, and therefore I may tell his
name--Zouboff, the Streltsi Captain, of my regiment."
"Oho! Zouboff killed--and the cause good!" said the Tsar, looking
grave. "And the others of his company--Platonof, Katkoff, Zaitzoff,
Shurin--what of them? Those five are never apart. Fear nothing, tell
me all. I have watched them, and guessed their disaffection."
Boris was thunderstruck at the Tsar's knowledge, but he was not
startled into committing himself.
"There were others, your Majesty, who took his part; but I entreat you
not to bid me name them, nor to insist upon the cause of our quarrel.
It was but certain drunken nonsense to which I objected. I entreat your
Majesty to press me no further."
Peter strode up and down the apartment looking his blackest. For a
moment or two it seemed as though the storm would burst; then his eye
fell once more upon wounded Boris, and his brow cleared.
"And the rest," he asked kindly, "are they wounded too?"
"Some are wounded; one was too drunk to fight," Boris replied, his
cheek flushing with martial ardour as he recalled the circumstances of
the late encounter.
"Ho, ho!" laughed the Tsar; "would I had been there to see, my valiant
Bear-eater. Now I will tell you what happened before the fight, and you
shall narrate to me, without mentioning names, how the fight itself was
conducted; that is a fair compromise. First, then, one of them--perhaps
Zouboff, who is dead, or drunken Platonof, who deserves to be--made a
remark about one Peter Alexeyevitch Romanof which our Boris disapproved
of--no matter what he said. Then up strode Boris. 'Sir,' he said, 'you
are a liar!' or words to that effect, perhaps striking the speaker with
his hand or with the back of his sword. Then out flew all the swords,
five traitor swords against one honest and loyal one, and then--well,
then comes your part of the story; so put off that melancholy
expression and speak up. I love to hear of a good fight."
Boris laughed in spite of himself, for the Tsar's acuteness delighted
him and comforted him also; for, he reflected, his puny enemies could
surely never triumph over this mighty, all-seeing, all-knowing young
demi-god, his master. Therefore Boris made no further difficulty about
the matter, but did as Peter bade him, and told the story of his fight
in detail, naming no names.
Peter heard the tale with alternate rage and delight.
"Very good, my Bear-hunter," he said, when the recital was ended;
"excellently good. You have done well, and for reward I shall take no
notice of the individuals concerned. But for your personal intercession
they should have hung in chains to-morrow morning from the four corners
of their own barracks. I know their names, though you have not
mentioned them. Now, good-night, Captain Bear-Eater--you are captain
from to-morrow's date--and thank you."
Boris threw himself at the Tsar's feet in gratitude for the magnanimity
with which he had consented to forego his just wrath against these
traitors--he could have kissed those feet in his joy and in the
intensity of his relief--for he felt that though he would have no
compunction in slaying these men in fair fight, he could never have
forgiven himself had he as informer been the means of bringing them to
a disgraceful end upon the gibbet.
"But grant me one more favour, your Majesty," he pleaded. "I will not
ask another until I shall have earned the right to do so; but grant me
this one I entreat you: send our regiment far away from Moscow; send it
to any distant garrison town, but do not let it remain here."
"And why not, my Bear-eater?" asked the Tsar, amused at the earnestness
of the appeal.
"Your Majesty knows why not," said Boris; "when a bough is rotten who
would lean upon it?"
"When a bough is rotten," repeated the Tsar, looking grave, "it is best
cut down and burned. But I will think upon your request--perhaps you
are right--though, my Bear-eater, you too would go with them in that
case, which would be regrettable. Meanwhile you take care of your own
skin, for the Streltsi officers hold together. Keep that good sword
loose when you approach the dark corners of the city. I will think of
what you have said. Good-night!"