AN EXPEDITION UP THE RIVER--ATTACK ON THE MAGAZINES--BURNING STOREHOUSES
AND VESSELS--HIGSON AND ARCHIE HAVE TO RUN FOR IT--PULL DOWN THE RIVER--
HIGSON AND TOM HAVE TO RECRUIT THE INNER MAN--RUSSIAN NIGHTINGALES--
HOSPITABLE RECEPTION--HIGSON SUCCUMBS TO BEAUTY--THE OLD TUTOR--PROVES
TO BE ONE OF GREEN'S FRIENDS--UNPLEASANT INTERRUPTION BY COSSACKS.
At early dawn the two boats, as had previously been arranged, shoved off
from the side of the _Tornado_, on the proposed expedition up the river,
for the purpose of destroying any Government stores or munitions of war
which could be discovered.
"It is lucky we didn't attempt to come in till we had silenced the
guns," observed Higson, pointing to the strong walls which frowned above
them, from which the guns had been removed.
The country on one side was level; on the other, hills, some of
considerable elevation, rose from the bank of the river, which twisted
and turned, forming several short reaches, and prevented those going up
from seeing to any considerable distance ahead.
"We must be prepared for anything that may happen," shouted Higson to
Green; "for what we know we may meet another steamer coming down to look
after her friends, or we may fall in with a troop of Cossacks or other
soldiers, who may give us a somewhat warm reception, if they suspect
what we are about."
"I suppose we shall board the steamer if she appears," said Green.
"Depend on that--and take her too," answered Higson; at which the men
laughed, as if they thought there was no doubt about the matter. The
boats pulled on, passing some pretty-looking country-houses, surrounded
by gardens, and backed by orchards or vineyards planted on the hillside.
"A good style of country this to live in," observed Higson to Archie; "I
always have my eye on pleasant spots, and amuse myself with the idea
that I shall some day come and settle down there, when I have had enough
of a sea-life. After knocking about for the best part of his days, a
fellow longs to find himself quietly settled on shore."
"But surely, Mr Higson, you wish to become post-captain, or an
admiral?" observed Archie.
"That is more than I ever shall be, youngster, unless I'm a yellow
admiral; indeed, I shall consider myself fortunate if I get made a
commander, and after serving a year or two am allowed to retire from the
service," said Higson. "Now, that is a place to which I should have no
objection," he continued, as, having opened a fresh reach, he pointed to
a house of greater pretensions than those they had before seen. "After
we have performed the work we have been sent on, when we come down we'll
look in there and request the inhabitants to provide us some dinner, for
I am very sharp set, as I daresay you are."
Of course Higson shouted to Green, telling him what he intended to do,
and, of course, the master and Tom very willingly agreed to his
proposal. "We have, however, first our work to do," observed Higson;
"to burn a few granaries and stacks of wheat, and as many vessels as we
can fall in with; that won't take us long, however, if we meet with no
opposition, and if we do we must fight, and get the matter over as soon
as possible. We must finish it, as Shakespeare says we should a
beefsteak."
"I don't think it's Shakespeare says that," observed Archie; "however,
there's no doubt that unless we can do it quickly, we may miss doing it
altogether, as those Cossack fellows who are in the neighbourhood will
be coming down and trying to cut us off."
"Well, as they can't charge into the river, they'll have a hard job to
do that," said Higson; "and when we land we must take care not to get
far from the boats. It is to be hoped that Commander Adair will keep
the garrison shut up in their fort, and so the people up the country,
not knowing what has happened, will be unprepared for us."
As they pulled along the officers in the two boats kept a bright
look-out on either bank, and, not having seen any horsemen, were in
hopes that they might come suddenly upon the place they wished to reach,
if no peasantry saw them; or, if they saw them, as they had no flag
flying, the peasantry might easily mistake them for Russians, as they
would scarcely suppose that two English boats would have ventured up so
far from the protection of their ships.
The river rather narrowed as they proceeded, and they observed that the
banks were fringed with wide belts of rushes, so that, should they have
to run the gauntlet between foes on either bank, by keeping in the
centre they should be a good distance from both of them. This was
satisfactory; for the bravest of men do not find it pleasant to be shot
at without the chance of getting at their enemies. Still Higson hoped
that they should be able to accomplish their object, and make their
escape again without loss. At length, having rounded a point over which
the masts of several vessels were visible, they saw before them several
long, high buildings, with a line of stacks in front of them, and a
collection of, apparently, private houses and cottages beyond, while in
front were between twenty and thirty vessels moored to the shore, and
lying so closely together that by setting fire to two or three the rest
must inevitably be burnt.
Without stopping the two boats pulled on, keeping close together, so
that Higson could give his directions to Green. He ordered him to pull
up alongside the farthermost vessels, and to board and set them on fire
as quickly as possible; which beneficent work being accomplished, he was
to come back and join him on the shore in front of the storehouses and
stacks. It could scarcely be supposed that so much property would be
left without protection; still no soldiers had been seen, and Higson
hoped that they might accomplish their object before any could come down
to oppose them.
"The truth is, I suspect," he observed to Archie, "the Russians have
depended on their fort at the mouth of the river, and it did not occur
to them that an enemy could force his way past it. The steamers may
have been lying much nearer the entrance than this, and had not time to
communicate with the village before they came down to attack us; the
chances are that the people on the banks, who saw them go down, fancy
that they sent us long ago to the bottom, and have no idea that we have
taken their fort."
"They must have heard, however, the sound of the vessel blowing up,"
observed Archie.
"If they did, they may have thought it was one of ours," answered
Higson, who had made up his mind that all was to go smoothly. The boats
soon got up to the place, when Green pulled away to perform his part of
the undertaking; while Higson steered for the shore. As he did so, a
rattling fire of musketry was opened on him from behind a small fort, or
earthwork, which he had hitherto not perceived. Probably the Russians
had only just then discovered that the approaching boats belonged to
their enemies. Not a man, however, was hit, though several bullets
struck the boat; and the next instant she was alongside the wharf.
Higson, springing on shore, followed by Archie and most of his crew, two
only remaining to take care of the boat, made a dash at the earthwork;
from which the defenders, if so they could be called, rushed out as
their assailants leaped in.
"Don't follow them, lads," cried Higson; "small-arm men, just pepper
them and prevent them coming back. And now we'll fire the storehouses."
The men had been provided with matches and torches, and more quickly
than it can be described they threw their burning brands into the open
windows of the storehouses, which the instant after were in a blaze from
one end to the other. They then with equal rapidity lighting the huge
stacks close to the water's edge, they also were soon blazing away, with
a fury which would have defied all the attempts of the Russians, had any
appeared, to save them. As the wind blew on the shore, the dense
volumes of smoke which were driven in the faces of those on the other
side completely concealed the perpetrators of the deed from their sight.
Green and Tom had, in the meantime, not been idle. A slight opposition
only was made by the crew of the first vessel they boarded; finding it
useless to defend her, they made their escape across the intervening
craft to the shore. The English then set fire in succession to all
those on the outside, the flames from which quickly caught the masts and
rigging of the rest; and before the master's boat rejoined Higson's,
every vessel was blazing away with a fury which secured the destruction
of the whole. Higson, believing that the work was done, ordered Green
to follow him down the river; he, however, had only just got clear of
the line of burning stacks, when he perceived that another storehouse
standing a little farther back than the others had not as yet been set
on fire.
"We must not leave the work unfinished," he exclaimed. "Come, Archie,
you and I and Tim Nolan will soon do the job;" and, springing on shore
with a torch which he had just lighted, followed by Archie and Tim, each
with a musket as well as a torch, he made his way towards the
storehouse. As the party ran on they caught sight of several people in
the distance, and Archie thought he saw some horsemen with long lances;
but they believed that they could reach the building, and get back to
the boat, long before the latter could be down upon them. As they
arrived at the storehouse, they found that the door was closed, and that
the windows were too high to enable them to throw in their torches. A
piece of timber lay near at hand.
"We must make a battering-ram of this," cried Higson; "here, Gordon, you
and Tim lay hold of it on one side, and I'll take the other, and we'll
soon knock in the door."
The first blow failed in its intended effect. "Now, lads, heave with a
will," cried Higson, and the door gave way.
Picking up their torches, as well as their muskets, which they had put
down to handle the battering-ram, they sprang in; and Higson, running to
the farther end, ignited some woodwork and a pile of sacks; while Tim,
leaping up a ladder, left his torch burning on the upper floor. In a
few seconds Higson came back, and, throwing Archie's torch as far as he
could into the building, they all rushed out again. As they were making
their way as fast as their legs could carry them to the boat, Archie,
turning his head over his right shoulder, saw the horsemen he had before
observed galloping at full speed towards them.
"Here come the Cossacks, Mr Higson," he shouted out. "Run, Mr Higson,
run, while Tim and I keep them at bay."
Higson, having grown somewhat stout, was not as active as formerly; and
Archie knew that he and Tim could soon overtake him. Higson, aware of
this, did as he was advised, while he shouted out to the rest of the
people in the boat to cover the two who remained behind.
"Oh, Mr Green, Archie and the man with him will be cut off if we don't
pull in and help them," cried Tom, who, just as the boat got clear of
the smoke, caught sight of the Cossacks.
Green on this pulled to the shore, and part of the two boats' crews
landing, just as the Cossacks got within twenty yards of Archie and Tim,
they opened fire, which emptied two of their saddles, and made the rest
of the troop wheel quickly round; while Archie and Tim, having also
fired their muskets, took to their heels and soon joined their
shipmates.
"Give way, my lads," cried Higson, as he once more took his seat; "we've
done the work effectually, and there's no use stopping to get fired at
as we pull down the river."
The dense volume of smoke which rose up from the bank of the river
completely concealed the Cossacks, and of course prevented them from
seeing the boats, which they possibly might have supposed were still
lying off the place, ready to commit other mischief. Higson had
received orders, however, on no account to injure private property, and
he could only hope that the flames had not reached the buildings he had
seen beyond the storehouses. Just as they got a little way beyond the
point there came the thundering sound of an explosion.
"That must be a magazine blown up," observed Tom.
"Perhaps one of the vessels has powder on board," said Green; "I think I
caught sight of some spars through the smoke, but they may have been
fragments of timber."
Just then there came another explosion as loud as the first, and
scarcely had its echoes died away among the hills on the left when a
third occurred.
"No doubt about it now," said Green; "some of the vessels we set on fire
must have been laden with powder."
"I hope no unfortunate people were on board them. A pretty considerable
amount of mischief we have done this morning," said Tom; "but I suppose
it was our duty, so we mustn't think too much about it."
"Of course it was," answered Green; "if people will go to war, they must
take the consequences."
"But perhaps the people didn't want to go to war," said Tom; "it was all
their Emperor's doing."
"Then they ought not to live under such an Emperor," said Green.
"How can they help themselves?" asked Tom; "I daresay, if they had been
asked they would have preferred remaining at peace."
"I confess that I don't feel any animosity against them; I would much
rather be fighting the French; but they, by a sort of hocus-pocus, are
our allies," remarked Green. "In reality we are not making war on the
Russian people; we are expressly ordered not to injure any of their
property; our business is only to destroy Government stores."
"Well, that's some comfort," said Tom, "though it may not always be easy
to distinguish one from the other."
This conversation took place as the boats were pulling away, as hard as
the men could lay their backs to the oars, down the river. As yet they
had seen no Cossacks or foot-soldiers on either bank; possibly they
might have remained to try to put out the fire, or the nature of the
ground on the left bank, on which the stores were situated, prevented
them from making rapid progress over it. As the boats had come up,
Green had observed an extensive marsh with a wide stream, which, unless
there was a bridge over it, would have alone proved an effectual barrier
to the progress of cavalry. To the right, on which the houses had been
seen, were high and picturesque hills, some rising almost directly out
of the water, with fertile valleys, groves, orchards, and vineyards.
Had any number of armed men been in the neighbourhood, they might
greatly have annoyed the boats as they went down. The tide, however,
was with them, and they made rapid progress.
They could still see a cloud of smoke collected over the stores and
vessels they had set on fire, which convinced them that any attempt
which might have been made by the soldiers to extinguish the flames must
have proved unsuccessful. They were pulling along, as has been said, at
a rapid rate, when, in order to take the shortest course, they kept
close round a wooded point on the right bank, the current, which was
very strong, helping them along. Scarcely had they rounded the point
when both boats struck with great force on a rocky ledge, the existence
of which had not been perceived.
"We have made a pretty big hole in our boat, sir," observed Archie.
"Why, the water's running in like a mill-stream! Back all!" cried
Higson; "now pull round the port oars."
The men gave way with all their might. Higson steered the boat to the
shore. The water was almost up to their thwarts before they reached it;
they all leaped out on the bank, or she would have sunk with them.
Green's boat had also received considerable damage, and he, not without
difficulty, followed them.
"We are in a pretty plight," exclaimed Tom; "what are we to do now?"
"Repair the damages as fast as we can, and continue our course," said
Higson.
To do this, however, it was necessary to haul the boats up; as they were
full of water, this was a very difficult matter; they had to tow them
along for some distance to a convenient spot, where the bank, shelving
gently down, enabled them by degrees to get them up and bale the water
out. Should the enemy find them while thus employed they would all be
taken prisoners; Higson felt considerable anxiety on this score, his
only consolation being that they might be exchanged for the commandant
and garrison of the fort. By all working together they first hauled one
boat up and then the other. Though the men got pretty wet in the
operation, Higson and Green and the midshipmen kept tolerably dry.
"I say, Archie, are you not very hungry?" said Tom.
"Yes," answered Archie; "Mr Higson said he would go up to one of the
houses on our way down, and try and get some food; I vote we ask him."
"He has probably forgotten all about it; I'll remind him," said Tom; "I
know what will make him as eager as we are for something to eat Mr
Higson," he said, going up to him, "don't you think, sir, it would be
pleasant if we had a dish of Irish stew, with a few bottles of porter to
discuss, while the boats are being put to rights?"
"What made you think of that, youngster?" asked Higson; licking his
lips, however, at the bare thoughts of his favourite dish.
"You told Gordon, sir, when you came up, that you thought of putting in
to try and get something to eat," answered Tom; "he and I are almost
starved; and I should think you and Mr Green and the men must be pretty
sharp set also. Now would be a good opportunity, and Gordon says that
the cottage we saw a quarter of a mile or so off is the one which you
thought so pretty, and where you said you would like to spend the
remainder of your days."
"What business has he to be telling you what I said?" exclaimed Higson;
"I don't approve of you youngsters chattering about me."
"Of course not, sir," said Tom; "but it was the thought of the Irish
stew, or some other nice dish, which the good people of the house might
be inclined to set before us, made us propose asking you to let us go up
and try what we could get."
"Well, I have no objection to make an excursion to the house," said
Higson, "provided we can ascertain that the coast is clear, and I will
take one of you with me. As you can talk French, I shall take you and
leave Gordon to assist the master."
"Thank you, sir," said Tom; "I am pretty sure that there are no Russians
in the neighbourhood, or they would have been down on us some time ago."
Before starting, however, Higson, accompanied by Tom, took the
precaution of climbing to the top of a hill, from whence they could look
up and across the river, and over a considerable part of the right bank.
Not a human being was visible moving anywhere, nor was a boat of any
description to be seen floating on the surface of the stream. Had it
not been for the houses and the cultivated ground, they might have
supposed that they were in some wild country; the fact being, probably,
that the male part of the population had been drawn off either to
garrison the forts or to serve in the army, while the women were
attending to their household duties within doors.
Higson, directing Green to launch the boats as soon as they were
repaired, and to fire a musket should any enemy appear, and promising to
bring the party some food if he could obtain it, set off with Tom in the
direction of the country-house he had thought so attractive. The first
part of their way was over wild ground, without any beaten track; but as
it was tolerably open, they were able to get along without difficulty.
At length they came upon a path which led apparently from the house to a
landing-place, near which a small, gaily-painted boat was hauled up, and
a boathouse, which they concluded contained a larger craft.
"Now, this looks as if the people in the house yonder are well to do,"
observed Higson, "and are likely to have a good store of provisions."
"That is of the chief consequence to us just now," said Tom; "shall we
go up to the front entrance and tell them our errand, or find out the
back door, and get a servant to go in and say what we want?"
"Go in at once and explain what we require," answered Higson.
While speaking they were making their way along the path they had
discovered. In a short time they reached a small gate, and seeing the
roof of the house over the shrubbery, they concluded that by going
through the gate they could make a shorter cut through it. As time was
of consequence, they accordingly proceeded on by the pathway which led
through the shrubbery, when, just as they were about to emerge from it,
they heard the sound of a female voice singing in an accomplished and
very sweet manner. Higson put his hand on Tom's arm, and signed to him
to stop.
Those who have for many months been accustomed to the roar of guns, the
howling of the tempest, and the gruff voice of the boatswain, may
conceive what effect such dulcet notes were likely to produce on the
lieutenant and midshipman. They stopped for some time listening with
delight.
"I would not for the world run the risk of frightening her, whoever she
is," said Higson, when at length the lady ceased singing; "if we go on,
we shall come directly in front of the room in which she is sitting; the
window is open, or we should not hear the sound so plainly. We must try
and find some other way of approaching the house."
"If you will let me, sir, I'll creep forward and try to get a look
through the trees without being seen," said Tom, who was highly
delighted with the adventure, which promised, as he hoped, to be of a
romantic character. He was more of an age to enjoy the sort of thing
than his lieutenant. Higson, however, preferred looking for himself, as
he was, in reality, quite as much interested as Tom. They could just
see that the path opened out on a gravel walk, which ran along the
well-kept, smooth lawn, with flower-beds dotted about on it. Just at
this juncture they heard a childish laugh, and caught sight of a little
boy with a hat in his hand, running across the lawn in chase of a
butterfly, presently pursued by a young lady in a white muslin dress,
who, overtaking him, lifted him up in her arms, and was returning with
him to the window, from which she had apparently issued, when her eyes
fell on the two strangers. She stopped and looked at them, without
exhibiting any particular sign of alarm, apparently wondering who they
could be and what had brought them there.
The little boy, however, uttered a loud cry, which produced a question
from another person who was yet invisible. As they were now discovered,
they did the best thing that, under the circumstances, they could do.
Taking off their caps, they advanced with low bows, when they saw
another young lady who had just come through the Venetian window which
opened on to the lawn, under a broad verandah running along the side of
the house.
"Pray do not be frightened, young ladies," said Higson, bowing first to
one and then to the other; "we had no intention of intruding on you so
suddenly, and I beg you ten thousand pardons."
As neither of the ladies replied, Tom thought that they probably did not
understand English, and began repeating in French, as far as his
knowledge of the language enabled him, what his lieutenant had said.
The young lady who had just appeared at the window, and who was
evidently the elder of the two, smiled as she listened to Tom's bad
French. "You have not alarmed us, I assure you," she answered at
length, in very good English. "Gentlemen, I know, would not act
uncourteously. I am surprised, however, at seeing you, as our two
nations are unhappily at war; but may I inquire whence you have come,
and what it is you want?"
Higson, of course, did not think it necessary to say that they had been
up the river burning the Russian granaries and vessels, and he merely
therefore explained that they had landed from some men-of-war's boats,
and, having come away without provisions, would be very much obliged if
they could be informed where they could obtain food for themselves and
their men.
"This seems very strange," said the young lady; "I thought that none of
the enemy's boats could come up the river past the fort at its entrance,
of which our papa is the commandant. We heard a great deal of firing
yesterday evening, and were very anxious to know what it was about; but
were assured by Herr Groben, our brothers' tutor, that some English
vessels, which were attacking it, had been beaten off, and that no harm
could have happened to the defenders; indeed, three of our war-steamers
went out from the river, and we of course supposed assisted to put the
English to flight. You have, I hope, therefore, come up with a flag of
truce? Surely Herr Groben could not have been mistaken. Can you give
us any tidings of our papa?"
"I am very glad to be able to assure you, young lady, that when I had
the pleasure of seeing him he was perfectly well, though somewhat vexed
at the loss of his fort, which we were under the painful necessity of
capturing, as also the man-of-war steamers which came out of the harbour
to assist him," answered Higson.
The young ladies spoke to each other for several minutes in Russian, so
that Higson and Tom could not understand what they said.
"Though we have no enmity against the English, you bring news which is
painful to us, as we know that our papa will grieve for the misfortune
which has happened to him," said the elder of the young ladies. "We
are, however, obliged to you for informing us of his safety, and should
be glad to do our best to supply your wants."
Higson and Tom had been all this time standing with their caps in their
hands, in front of the window. While the lieutenant was addressing the
eldest of the two ladies, Tom was turning an admiring glance at the
youngest, who still held the little boy in her arms, while he had thrown
his round her neck, and was every now and then taking an alarmed look at
the strangers.
"I am afraid that he is frightened at us," said Tom. "I must really
apologise for our intrusion; I can assure you that it was not
intentional, and we should have retired at once had we not stopped to
listen to some delightful singing. Was it you or your sister we heard?"
"It was my sister; but we both sing," answered the young lady, "and we
shall be very happy to sing to you by and by if you wish it."
Of course Tom thanked her very much, and felt quite at home in a minute.
The elder sister then invited them to come in and sit down, while she
ordered some supper to be prepared for them and their men. While she
was absent, and the younger lady was sitting with the little boy in her
lap, doing her best to entertain them, the door opened, and an old
gentleman, in a sky-blue suit, with a periwig on his head, entered the
room, making a profound bow as he did so. The young lady introduced him
as Herr Groben. He probably had heard about the English officers from
the elder sister, for he looked in no way surprised, and, at once coming
forward, welcomed them with apparent sincerity. He made no remark about
the capture of the fort or vessels; perhaps he thought it better to let
the subject alone. On hearing that the party at the boats were in want
of provisions, he at once volunteered to carry down a supply as soon as
it could be got ready. Higson, who thought him a very agreeable person,
at once accepted his offer; for he himself had been so much struck by
the appearance of the elder of the young ladies, and by her sweet
singing, that he was in no hurry to go away.
Herr Groben said he must apologise for the absence of the lady of the
house, Madame Paskiewich being unable to make her appearance, as she was
confined to her room by a slight indisposition; but she sent her
compliments, expressing a hope that they would be satisfied with the
treatment they might receive during the time they might think fit to
remain. Higson, not to be outdone in politeness, begged to assure
Madame Paskiewich that he was grateful for the kind reception he had met
with, and should be happy to be the bearer of any message or more
weighty articles which she might wish to send to her husband. On the
return of Mademoiselle Paskiewich, who had gone to order supper and to
superintend the packing of some baskets of provisions, Herr Groben made
his bow, and was shortly afterwards seen crossing the lawn, followed by
two long-shirted servants carrying a couple of hampers slung on a pole
borne on their shoulders.
Tom had asked the young lady her name, which she told him was
Feodorowna. "My eldest sister's," she added, "is Ivanowna. And have
you any sisters?" she asked. Upon which Tom told her all about his
family, and that he had several brothers, one of whom commanded the ship
to which he belonged, and that another was in the Guards; all of which
pieces of information considerably raised him in the young lady's
estimation. He wisely thought it better to say nothing about Higson,
except that he was the first lieutenant of his brother's ship. While
supper was being prepared, Ivanowna, observing that the English officers
were good enough to be pleased with her singing, went to the piano and
sang several songs, with which Higson expressed himself highly
delighted. Every moment his admiration of the young lady evidently
increased. She was not, it must be acknowledged, possessed of what
could be called classical beauty; she was fair, certainly, with blue
eyes, but they were rather small; while her figure was too short and
round to be graceful, and her nose differed considerably from that of
the Venus de Medicis; but then she had smiling lips, and a good-natured
expression altogether.
Her younger sister, Feodorowna, who was scarcely fifteen, was certainly
very much prettier; indeed, Tom was inclined to pronounce her perfectly
beautiful, and he was still more delighted with her when she sang,
though her voice was not equal to that of her sister.
Supper being announced, they went into the dining-room without waiting
for the return of Herr Groben. His two pupils, boys younger than
Feodorowna, however, made their appearance. They reported that they had
gone down to the boats, and had seen Herr Groben shaking hands with the
officer in command, having apparently found an old friend.
"That is not surprising," observed Higson; "our master, Jos Green, finds
old friends everywhere, and I believe that if he were to go to the North
Pole he would fall in with an acquaintance."
Higson and Tom had been now nearly two hours at the house, and it was
high time that they should be off; but neither of them felt any
inclination to quit such agreeable society. Still, Higson was too good
an officer to forget his duty, and he at length told Tom that it was
time to go; and they were on the point of wishing their fair hostesses
good-bye, Higson promising with perfect sincerity that, if able, when
the war was over, he would come back; and Tom, with equal honesty,
saying much the same thing, when they saw Herr Groben hurrying across
the lawn towards the drawing-room window, and panting for breath.
"I am sorry to say, gentlemen, that I bring you unsatisfactory
intelligence," exclaimed Herr Groben. "As I was sitting on the point,
enjoying my meerschaum with my old friend Green, I caught sight of a
number of foot-soldiers and a troop of Cossacks, who had come over the
hills farther down the river, and who, it was very evident from their
gestures, had caught sight of the boats hauled up on the bank, and the
English seamen around them. I advised Green to launch the boats, and to
come round to the landing-place near the house to receive you on board.
There is not a moment to be lost, for they outnumber your people as five
to one, and can find plenty of shelter; and were they to discover you on
shore, they would make you prisoners."
Higson and Tom smiled. "They are not likely to do that," answered
Higson; "though we are very much obliged to you for your warning, and
most unwillingly we must wish our kind hostesses good-bye."
"Oh, do go! do go!" cried both the young ladies in a breath; "we should
deeply regret if you were to be made prisoners, and grieved still more
were you compelled to fight the Cossacks."
"We must first thank you for your kindness, which, believe me, we shall
never forget," said Higson, who, supposing that the Cossacks were still
at a distance, did not feel that there was any necessity to be in a
hurry. Tom was thanking Feodorowna in still more sentimental language,
when the old tutor seized their arms.
"Come down, come!" he exclaimed; "even now I am afraid that you are too
late. I hear the hoofs of the Cossacks' horses clattering along the
road, and they will catch sight of you before you can reach the
landing-place."
As he spoke, he went round to the front of the house, and quickly came
back again.
"It is as I feared," he exclaimed; "your retreat is cut off, and if the
boats come in to take you on board, they will to a certainty be fired
on. I must go and warn them, and leave you to the care of the ladies."
"But if you can go, so can we," said Higson, preparing to accompany Herr
Groben.
"Oh no, no! they will recognise you at once from your uniforms; but they
will not suspect my object. Besides, you will have to show yourself,"
said Herr Groben, "as you try to get on board; but I can remain
concealed, while I warn your friends to keep off the shore."
Higson and Tom still persevered in their intention of making their way
down to the landing-place, and were on the point of hurrying off, when
the young ladies seized their hands and entreated them, with tears in
their eyes, to remain.
"You will both of you be shot, for you will have to pass within a dozen
yards of the spot the Cossacks have reached, and it would be so dreadful
to have you killed. Do stay, and we can easily conceal you till they
have gone away, for they dare not search this house; indeed, they will
not suspect that English officers are within it."
As the young ladies spoke, they led Higson and Tom to a side window,
from whence they could see a troop of Cossacks, followed by a
considerable number of foot-soldiers, passing along the road a short
distance off beyond the garden. There could thus be no doubt that their
retreat was cut off.
"You are perfectly safe here," said Ivanowna; "though, as a protection,
we will shut the windows leading into the garden. I have great hopes
that Herr Groben will reach the boat in time to warn your friends, so as
to prevent bloodshed, which is our great object; there has been too much
spilt already in a bad cause. We could not sympathise with those who
are guilty of the massacre of Sinope, and we believe that this cruel war
was unnecessary. It may seem strange to you that I should thus express
myself," she continued, observing Higson's look of surprise; "but our
mother is half an Englishwoman, and we have been taught to regard the
English with affection."
"I am very glad to hear it," said Higson, a strange feeling taking
possession of his heart; indeed, he was much inclined to ask whether she
could regard an Englishman with affection, but he wisely forbore to put
the question. He, indeed, just then had his thoughts occupied about the
boats. "Could you allow us to go to a window from whence we could watch
what is going forward on the river?" he asked. "I am afraid that my
friends may be tempted to remain, in the hopes of receiving us on board,
till the Cossacks are down upon them."
"Not if Herr Groben succeeds in carrying out his intention," she
answered. "But come with us to a room in the second storey, and from
thence you will have a view of the river, and be able to watch the
progress of the boats. It is our boudoir, but under the circumstances
we will venture to admit you."
Higson and Tom assured the young ladies that they very much appreciated
the confidence placed in them, and forthwith accompanied them upstairs.
Just as they entered the room, which they had time to see was prettily
ornamented with pictures on the walls, an easel, ladies' embroidery
frames, and numerous other elegant articles, the loud rattle of musketry
reached their ears. The young ladies uttered a cry of alarm.
"Pray do not be over-anxious about the matter," said Higson;
"musket-balls do not always reach the object they are aimed at, and it
does not follow that any harm is done."
As he and Tom and the young ladies looked out of the window, cautiously
keeping concealed behind the curtains, they saw a party of Cossacks on
the landing-place, and some foot-soldiers under shelter of a wall. The
two boats, a hundred yards off or more, were pulling away out towards
the middle of the river.
"Herr Groben has had time to warn them," said Higson; "and as far as I
can judge, by the way the men are rowing, no one has been hit. We are
deeply indebted to him, ladies, and to you also; and I have no doubt
that when Green supposes that the Cossacks have retired, he will come
back and relieve you of our company."
"Oh, do not say that," observed Ivanowna, "we shall be sorry to lose
you; and I am sure we shall have done what our papa would wish by
treating you with hospitality."
Higson and Tom watched the progress of the boats with interest; they
somewhat expected that Green would lie on his oars and wait till the
Cossacks had gone away. Perhaps he might have thought that they were
already made prisoners and that there would be no use in doing this; at
all events, he continued his course down the river, till the boats were
lost to sight in the distance. The Cossacks, disappointed in their hope
of surprising the English, turned their horses' heads round, followed by
the foot-soldiers, and marched back the way they had come, without even
visiting the house.
The young ladies seemed highly pleased. "We are perfectly safe now,"
observed Ivanowna; "but to prevent surprise, we will send our young
brothers to keep watch, and bring us notice should any of the officers
take it into their heads to pay us a visit. They can be thoroughly
trusted."
Soon afterwards they heard Herr Groben's cheery voice in the passage.
"All right," he exclaimed; "I had time to warn Green, though I was
nearly caught, I must confess; but the horsemen did not get as fast over
the rough ground as I did. I fear, however, that Green did not
understand that you were in safe keeping, and may possibly conceive that
you have been made prisoners; though he will know that you are not
likely to be ill-treated."
"I am sure that he must have thought that, or he would not have pulled
away," said Higson. "However, we have no cause to complain; my only
fear is that we shall be trespassing on the hospitality of this kind
family."
"On that point I can answer with confidence that you are welcome," said
Herr Groben; "they are all, as I am, devoted admirers of the English; I
have great cause to be so, and especially have I reason to be grateful
to my dear friend Green. You will be curious to know how I became
acquainted with him; it happened in this wise. Many years ago I was
making a voyage, when my ship caught fire, and I--with the officers and
crew--escaped in three of the boats. The other boats were lost; and
after several of my companions had died of hunger, we were picked up by
a ship to which Green belonged. All the officers and crew treated us
with kindness; Green especially took care of me, and pressed on me the
use of his purse when we arrived in England, where I was also treated
with great kindness. Such conduct can never be forgotten, and I have
ever endeavoured to imbue the hearts of my pupils with a love for
England, and for everything English."
"We are very much obliged to you and Green," said Higson, "since we have
benefited so largely by your instructions."
As there was no longer any danger, Higson proposed going back into the
drawing-room. The young ladies, however, first showed him and Tom their
drawings and embroidery, and numerous other samples of their handiwork,
which passed the time very agreeably. When they went downstairs, they
found a huge samovar bubbling and hissing on the table, and such tea was
offered them as they had never before tasted. Higson, indeed, in
compliment to his hostess, begged to have his cup replenished again and
again, till he had drunk six or eight cups-full; though, to be sure,
they were not of any unusual size. Herr Groben undertook to take charge
of Higson and Tom for the night, and to give them due warning should
there be any danger of their being discovered, though he thought that
this was not likely; still, he acknowledged that there were some persons
who might prove treacherous should they hear of English officers being
in the house; and he begged them on no account to make their appearance
out of doors without him, a caution which they promised to observe.