the evening passed pleasantly. there was some music, and the three girls and their mother sang together, and jack (who had learnt part-singing at home, for his family were very musical, and every night were accustomed to sing glees and catches) also, at their request, joined in, taking the part which their brother, when at home, had been accustomed to fill.
in the course of the evening the boys explained that they had said nothing to the commandant about their having picked up a little russian, as they had thought that it was better to allow him to remain in ignorance of it, as they had had some idea of making their escape.
"why, you foolish boys," paulina said, "where would you escape to? however, perhaps it is as well that you said nothing about it, for he only sent you here because he thought it would annoy mamma; and if he had thought you had known any russian, he might have lodged you somewhere else."
"we don't want to escape now, you know," jack said in his broken russian. "we are much more comfortable here than we should be in the cold before sebastopol."
the next few days passed pleasantly; sometimes the countess was not present, and then the girls would devote themselves to improving the boys' russian.
sometimes two sledges would come to the door, and two of the girls accompanied the boys on their drive. on the fourth evening, count smerskoff called, and a cloud fell upon the atmosphere.
the countess received him ceremoniously, and maintained the conversation in frigid tones. the girls scarcely opened their lips, and the midshipmen sat apart, as silent as if they understood no word of what was passing.
"i am sorry, countess," the commandant said, "that i was obliged to quarter these two english boys upon you, but every house in the town is full of sick and wounded; and as they were given over to me as officers, though they look to me more like ship-boys, i could not put them in prison with the twenty or thirty soldiers whom we captured at the victory on the heights above inkerman."
"it is my duty to receive them," the countess said very coldly, "and it therefore matters little whether it is pleasant or otherwise. fortunately one of them speaks a few words of french, and my daughters can therefore communicate with them. so you have twenty or thirty english prisoners in the jail? where are all the rest; for, of course, in such a great victory, we must have taken, some thousands of prisoners?"
the count glanced angrily at her.
"they have, no doubt, been sent to odessa and other places," he said. "you do not doubt, countess, surely, that a great victory was gained by the soldiers of his majesty?"
"doubt," the countess said, in a tone of slight surprise. "have i not read the official bulletins describing the victory? only we poor women, of course, are altogether ignorant of war, and cannot understand how it is that, when they are always beaten, these enemies of the czar are still in front of sebastopol."
"it may be," said the count, "that the archdukes are only waiting until all the reinforcements arrive to drive them into the sea, or capture them to the last man."
"no doubt it is that," said the countess blandly, "but from the number of sick and wounded who arrive here, to say nothing of those taken to odessa and the other towns among which, as you say, the prisoners are distributed, it is to be wished that the reinforcements may soon be up, so as to bring the fighting to an end."
"the enemy are suffering much more than we are," the governor said, "and before the spring comes we may find that there are none left to conquer. if the soldiers of the czar, accustomed to the climate as they are, feel the cold, although they have warm barracks to sleep in, what must be the case with the enemy on the bleak heights? i hear that the english newspapers are full of accounts of the terrible sufferings of their troops. they are dying like sheep."
"poor creatures!" the countess said gravely. "they are our fellow-beings, you know, count smerskoff, although they are our enemies, and one cannot but feel some pity for them."
"i feel no pity for the dogs," the count said fiercely. "how dare they set foot on the soil of holy russia?"
"hating them as you do," the countess said, "it must be annoying for you indeed, count, to occupy even so exalted a position as that of governor of this town, instead of fighting against the english and french."
the count muttered something between his teeth, which was certainly not a blessing. then turning to katinka, he changed the subject by asking her if she would favor him with some music.
without a word, the girl seated herself at the piano and played. when she had finished the piece, she began another without stopping, and continued steadily for an hour. the countess leaned back in her chair, as if she considered that conversation would be out of place while her daughter was playing.
count smerskoff sat quietly for a quarter of an hour. then he began to fidget in his chair, but he stoically sat on until, when at the end of an hour katinka showed no signs whatever of leaving off, he rose, and ceremoniously regretting that his duties prevented him from having the pleasure of hearing the conclusion of the charming little piece which the young countess was playing (for in russia all children bear the title of their parents) he took his leave.
when the door had closed behind him, and the sound of his footsteps along the corridor ceased, the girls burst into a fit of laughter, in which the midshipmen joined heartily.
"well done, katinka!" olga said, clapping her hands. "that was a splendid idea of yours, and you have routed the governor completely. oh, dear, how cross he did look, and how he fidgeted about as you played on and on without stopping! i thought i must have laughed out-right."
"it was a clever thought," the countess said, "and yet the count cannot complain of want of courtesy. he is a disagreeable man, and a bad man; but he is powerfully connected, and it will not do to offend him. we have enemies enough, heaven knows."
the boys at the time could not gather the drift of the conversation; but a month later, when their knowledge of the language had greatly increased, olga, when driving in a sledge with jack, enlightened him as to the position in which they stood.
"papa," she said, "is a liberal, that is to say, he wants all sorts of reform to be carried out. if he had his way, he would free the serfs and would have the affairs of the nation managed by a parliament, as you do in england, instead of by the will of the czar only. i don't pretend to know anything about it myself, but papa has perhaps expressed his opinions too openly, and some enemy has carried them to the ears of the czar. nicholas is, you know, though it is treason to say so, very autocratic and absolute. papa was never in favor, because mamma was a pole, but these terrible opinions finished it. papa was forbidden to appear at court, and ordered to live upon his estates, and it is even possible," she said anxiously, "that this will not be all. you don't know russia, or how dreadful it is to be looked upon as disaffected here. papa is so good and kind! his serfs all love him so much, and every one says that no estates in russia are better managed. but all this will avail nothing, and it is only because we have powerful friends at court that worse things have not happened."
"unless you are very fond of gayety and society," jack said, "i don't think it can matter much being sent away from st. petersburg, when you have such a nice place here."
"oh, no," the girl said. "it would not matter at all, only, you see, when any one gets into disgrace there is no saying what may happen. an enemy misrepresents some speech, some evil report gets to the ears of the czar, and the next day papa might be on his way to siberia," she dropped her voice as she uttered the dreadful word, "and all his estates confiscated."
"what?" said jack indignantly, "without any trial, or anything? i never heard such a shame."
the girl nodded.
"it is dreadful," she said, "and now, to make matters worse, that odious count smerkoff wants to marry katinka. she will be rich, as she will inherit large estates in poland. of course, papa and mamma won't consent, and katinka hates him, but, you see, he has got lots of powerful relations at court. if it hadn't been for that, i hear that he would have been dismissed from the army long since; and, worst of all, he is governor here, and can send to headquarters any lying report he likes, and do papa dreadful harm."
jack did not understand anything like all that olga said, but he gleaned enough to understand the drift of her conversation, and he and dick chatted over the matter very seriously that night.
both agreed that something ought to be done. what that something was to be, neither could offer the remotest suggestion. they were so happy in the family now, were so kindly treated by the countess and her daughters, that they felt their troubles to be their own, and they would have done anything which could benefit them.
"we must think it over, jack," dick said, as he turned into bed. "it's awful to think of all these nice people being at the mercy of a brute like that. the idea of his wanting to marry the pretty katinka! why, he's not good enough to black her boots. i wish we had him in the midshipmen's berth on board the 'falcon'; we would teach him a thing or two."
the lads had not availed themselves of the offer of riding-horses, as they were neither of them accustomed to the exercise, and did not like the thought of looking ridiculous. but they had eagerly accepted the offer to have some wolf-shooting.
one night, everything having been prepared, they took their seats in a sledge drawn by two of the fastest horses in the stables of the countess. a whole battery of guns was placed in the seat with them. the sledge was larger than that which they were accustomed to use, and held four, besides the driver. two woodmen—experienced hunters—took their places on the seat facing the midshipmen. a portion of the carcase of a horse, which had broken its leg and been shot the previous day, was fastened behind the sledge.
a drive of an hour took them far into the heart of the forest, although the coachman drove much slower than usual, in order that the horses might be perfectly fresh when required. presently the woodmen told the driver that they had gone far enough, and the sledge was turned, the horses facing homeward. the great lump of meat was then unfastened from behind the sledge, and a rope some forty yards long attached to it, the other end being fastened to the sledge. the horses were next moved forward until the rope was tight.
they were then stopped, rugs were laid across their backs to keep them warm, and the party awaited the result.
the young moon was shining in the sky, and dark objects showed clearly over the white snow for a considerable distance. half an hour passed without a word being spoken, and without a sound breaking the silence that reigned in the forest. presently a low whimpering was heard, and the boys fancied that they could see dark forms moving among the trees. the horses became restless and excited, and it was as much as the man standing at their heads could do to quiet them.
the coachman sat looking back, whip in hand, ready for an instant start.
all at once a number of dark objects leaped from among the trees on to the broad line of snow which marked the road.
"jump in, ivan!" the coachman exclaimed. "here they come. keep a sharp look-out on both sides. we can leave those fellows behind standing still. the only danger is from a fresh pack coming from ahead."
the peasant leaped into the car, and in an instant the horses dashed off at a speed which would have taken them far away from the wolves had not their driver reined them in and quieted them with his voice.
they soon steadied down into a long sweeping gallop, the coachman at times looking back and regulating their speed so as to keep the bait gliding along just ahead of the wolves.
the peasant now gave the signal to the midshipmen, who with their guns cocked were standing up with one knee on the seat to steady themselves, ready to fire, and the two barrels at once rang out.
one of the leading wolves, who was but a few yards from the bait, dropped and rolled over, while a sharp whimpering cry told that another was wounded.
the boys had an idea that the wolves would stop to devour their fallen comrade, but the smell of the meat was, it appeared, more tempting, for without a pause they still came on. again and again the lads fired, the woodmen handing them spare guns and loading as fast as they discharged them.
suddenly the driver gave an exclamation, and far ahead on the white road, the boys, looking round, could see a dark mass. the peasant, with a stroke of his knife, cut the rope which held the bait.
the coachman drove forward with increased speed for fifty yards or so, and then suddenly drew up the horses. the peasants in an instant leaped out, each with a rug in his hand, and running to the horses' heads, at once blindfolded the animals by wrapping these around them. then the men jumped into the sledge again.
a hundred and fifty yards behind, their late pursuers, in a mass, were growling, snarling, and fighting over the meat, but already many, finding themselves unable to obtain a share, had set off in pursuit of the prize ahead, which promised to be ample for all.
to these, however, the peasants paid no attention, but each taking a double-barrel gun, poured heavy charges of shot in above the bullets. handing them to the boys, they performed the same operation to the other two guns, which they intended this time to use themselves.
standing on the seat, the men prepared to fire at the wolves directly ahead, signing to the boys to lean over, one on each side, and take those on the flanks of the horses. all this was done in a very few seconds, as the sledge glided steadily along towards the fast-approaching foes. when these came within fifty yards, the horses were sent forward at full gallop. in another second or two the four barrels of the woodmen poured their contents into the mass of wolves. the boys waited until the horses were fairly among them, and then they fired.
a hideous chorus of yells arose, and the horses at full speed dashed in upon the pack. already a lane had been prepared for them, and, trampling over dead and dying, they rushed through. in spite of the execution done by the heavy charges of the midshipmen's double-barrel guns, several wolves tried to spring into the sledge as it went past, and one of them succeeded in leaping upon one of the horses. the animal made a wild plunge, but in an instant one of the woodmen sprang to the ground, and buried his long knife in the beast; then, as the sledge swept on again, he caught at the side and clambered into the car before the wolves, who had already turned in pursuit, could come up to him.
the guns were quickly loaded again, and another volley poured into the wolves. then the coachman, knowing that one of the horses was hurt, and both nearly mad with fright, let them have their heads, and the sledge darted away at a pace which soon left the wolves far in the rear. so rapid was the motion indeed, that the boys held on to the sides, expecting every moment that the sledge would be dashed against the trees which lined the road. the coachman, however, kept the horses straight, and, quieting them down, again brought them to a standstill, when the cloths were taken off their heads, and the journey to the chateau completed at a steady pace.
"that's sharp work," jack said, when the wolves had been fairly left in the rear. "they call that wolf-hunting. i call it being hunted by wolves. these are fine fellows; they were as cool as cucumbers."
"i've nearly broken my shoulder," dick grumbled, "the gun with those tremendous charges kicked like a horse. well, it's fine fun anyhow, but its rather too risky to be often repeated. if two or three of those fellows had got hold of the horses' heads, they would all have been upon us, and very short work they would have made of us if they had."
"ugh!" jack said with a shudder. "what teeth they have! and what mouths! it seemed like a sort of nightmare for a moment with those great open mouths and shining teeth, as they leaped towards us, as we rushed past. i hope i shan't dream about them."
"no fear of that," dick said laughing. "the countess said that some supper should be ready for us when we got back. i feel tremendously peckish. after the night air, and plenty of hot tea and a good tuck-in, we shall sleep without dreaming, i can venture to say."
the countess and her daughters had gone to bed long before the return of the sportsmen. at breakfast next morning the boys attempted to relate their adventures, but their vocabulary being wholly insufficient, the coachman was sent for, and requested to give a full account of the proceedings. this he did, and added on his own account that the little lords had been as cool and collected as if they had been wolf-hunting all their lives.
after breakfast, the letter-bag arrived, and the countess, having opened her correspondence, said that her husband would return the next day. great as was the pleasure of the ladies, the boys hardly felt enthusiastic over the news; they were so jolly as they were, that they feared any change would be for the worse.
next day the count arrived, and the boys soon felt that they had no cause for apprehension. he greeted them with much cordiality, and told them that he had heard from the countess that he had to thank them for having made the time of his absence pass so cheerfully, and that she had said she did not know how they would have got through the dull time without them. the boys, after the manner of their kind, were bad hands at compliment; but they managed to express in their best russian their thanks for the extreme kindness which they had received.
the days went on after the count's arrival much as they had done before, except that the boys now took to horse exercise, accompanying their host as he rode round his estate, and visited the various villages upon it.
the houses in these villages astonished the boys. built of mud, of one story only and flat-roofed, they each occupied a large extent of ground; for here whole families lived together. as the sons grew up and married, instead of going into separate houses, and setting up life on their own account, they brought their wives home, as did their children when their turn came also to marry, so that under one roof resided as many as four generations, counting some forty or fifty souls altogether.
each village had its headman, who settled all disputes, but against whose decision, if it failed to give satisfaction, there was an appeal to the master. the serfs worked, the count told the boys, without pay, but they had so many days in each month when they cultivated the land which was common to the village. they could, the count said, be sold, but in point of fact never were sold except with the land.
"it's a bad system, and i wish that they were as free is your laborers are in england."
"of course our people cannot be sold," jack said, "but after all there's not so much difference in that respect, for if an estate changes hands, they work for the new owner just as yours do."
"yes, but your laborers cannot be killed or even flogged by their masters with impunity."
"no, i should think not," jack exclaimed. "we should have a revolution in no time, if masters were to try that sort of thing."
"i fear that we shall have one too, some day," the count said, "unless the serfs are emancipated. the people are terribly ignorant, but even among them some sort of enlightenment is going on, and as they know better they will refuse to live and to work as mere beasts of burden."
"will they be better off, sir, than before?" dick hawtry asked. "i have heard my father say that the negroes in the west indian islands are worse off than they were in the days when they were slaves. they will not work except just enough to procure themselves means of living, and they spend the rest of their lives lying about and smoking."
"it would no doubt be the same thing here," the count said, "for a time. the russian peasant is naturally extremely ignorant and extremely fond of 'vodka.' probably at first he would be far worse off than at present. he would be content to earn enough to live and to get drunk upon, and wide tracts of land would remain untilled. but it is of the future we must think; and who can doubt that in the future, russia, with a free people and free institutions, with her immense resources and enormous population, must become the grandest empire on earth?"
