CHAPTER XXV.
THE FIGHT.
Frank stepped forward and called both combatants to him.
"The fight will start when I give the word," he said. "There will be norounds. You will keep fighting until one of you can fight no more. Myjob shall be to see that you, Surgoff, do not resort to unfair methods.I assure you that if you do, I shall tap you over the head with myrevolver. Now you both understand, do you?"
Jack nodded.
"Yes," said Surgoff surlily.
"All right. Then go."
Surgoff sprang forward with a cry, apparently bent on disposing of hisopponent with a single blow. In spite of the fact that he knew well thepower of the Englishman when it came to fists, he threw caution to thewinds. It was perfectly plain that he considered himself more than amatch for Jack.
Jack avoided the rush by sidestepping neatly and as the Russian wascarried by by the force of his rush, Jack planted a heavy blow solidlyabove the right ear. The big Russian went reeling. Jack leaped lightlyforward and before his opponent could recover himself, he had steppedaround him and drove a left to the jaw.
The Russian covered as best he could and gave ground. Jack followed himclosely, and succeeded in driving three blows under the other's guard.Then the Russian rushed into a clinch.
He clung to the lad tenaciously and it was only by a violent effort thatJack succeeded in hurling him away. Surgoff went sprawling on theground. Jack stepped back and waited for his fallen foe to rise.
"I don't want to end this too quickly," he said between set teeth.
Surgoff staggered to his feet and raised his guard, waiting for the ladto come to him. Apparently he had had enough of rushing tactics and haddetermined to put up a defensive battle. Nothing loath, Jack advanced,treading lightly on his toes.
The lad feinted sharply with his left for the head, and drove his rightfist squarely to the pit of the Russian's stomach. Surgoff doubled uplike a jack-knife and fell forward to the ground, where he rolled andtumbled about for the space of several minutes. Again Jack stood byquietly, waiting for him to rise.
No sooner was the man on his feet again that Jack rushed forward. Againhe feinted with his left--this time for the stomach--and as the Russianlowered his guard to ward off the blow, Jack's right fist caught him onthe nose. Jack had drawn first blood.
Now Jack stood off at long range and peppered his opponent beautifully,much to the delight of the large crowd of officers and men that hadgathered about, and was increasing at every moment, as word of theencounter was passed along.
In vain did the Russian try to ward off the sledge-hammer blows. Jackwas not to be denied; and there was no pity in the lad's heart, for heremembered his own lashings and the lashings of others, men, women andchildren. He had determined to pay Surgoff in full.
Again Surgoff rushed into a clinch. Jack felt the man's hands closeabout his throat, and the Russian had a powerful grip. But both ofJack's hands were free, and he loosened the other's hold by driving astraight right to the stomach. For a third time the Russian generalrolled on the ground.
Jack smiled grimly as he waited for the man to regain his feet.
"Now," he said, when Surgoff again faced him, "we'll count off twentygood blows and then call it square."
"Smack!"
His right fist caught his opponent upon the sore nose.
"Smack! Smack!"
Right and left crashed against Surgoff's jaws.
"Smack!"
Another to the sore nose.
And so it continued, Jack counting the blows aloud.
"Sixteen," he said quietly, as he drove an extra-vicious left jolt tothe man's swollen right eye.
"Seventeen!" and he closed the right optic with his right.
"Eighteen!" and Surgoff staggered weakly from the effect of a blow tothe nose.
"Nineteen!" cried Jack, as he brought the man forward with anextra-violent blow to the stomach.
Then, the man absolutely at his mercy. Jack dropped his right arm lowand swung from the shoulder. Straight and true went the blow and caughtSurgoff squarely upon the point of the chin.
"Twenty!" said Jack quietly.
He turned toward where Frank was standing; and thus did not see Surgoffsink weakly to one knee and then tumble to the ground face downward.
"Well, I've evened up my score," said Jack to General Burgoff.
"And you have done it handsomely," was the reply. "By the Czar! thisfighting with fists must be a great game. I had no idea a man could do afoe such injury."
"Well, I suppose I could have done it a bit quicker," said Jack. "But Ididn't want to put him out too suddenly. It would have been toomerciful, and I cannot see that a man like him is entitled to mercy.Still, I flatter myself I did an artistic job."
"You did," agreed the general.
Jack now glanced toward his fallen foe, who was returning toconsciousness.
Slowly Surgoff raised himself upon his elbow; then struggled to hisknees and at last to his feet. Not a hand was extended to help him.Seeing Jack standing some distance away, eyeing him, Surgoff raised afist and shook it at the lad as hard as his feebleness would permit.
"You shall pay for this," he exclaimed in a hoarse voice. "You shallanswer to me some day. If I ever get you in my power, you will rue thisday's work."
Jack smiled scornfully.
"I shall make it a point never to fall into your power," he saidquietly.
He turned his back upon the Russian.
Now General Burgoff advanced and glared at the vanquished Russianofficer.
"Go to your quarters at once, sir!" he commanded. "You are underarrest."
Without a word, General Surgoff turned on his heel and made his wayslowly to his own quarters.
"What are you going to do with him, sir?" asked Jack.
"Take him before the Czar," was the reply.
"But why trouble His Majesty?" said Jack. "Surely he has been punishedenough. Why not let him go?"
"By the Czar!" exclaimed General Burgoff again. "So you are soforgiving, eh? Now, were I in your place, I could wish nothing betterthan to see him hanged."
"I don't want to see any man hanged, sir," returned Jack decidedly.
"Well, that's the difference between an Englishman and a Russian," saidthe general. "However, you are the fellow who has suffered. I shall doas you suggest."
"Then, sir, simply deprive him of his rank and let him go."
The general threw wide his arms.
"It shall be done," he said.
He summoned his orderly.
"Have General Surgoff brought back here," he commanded.
The orderly saluted and moved away. He was back a few moments laterfollowed by the deposed commander.
"And what do you want with me now?" demanded the latter somewhataggressively.
"If I were you," returned General Burgoff quietly, "I would adoptanother tone. That kind of talk will do you no good and I am likely tochange my mind regarding what disposition I shall make of you."
"Influenced by this Englishman, perhaps," sneered General Surgoff, witha malevolent look at Jack.
"Hardly," was the grim reply. "Surgoff, I have decided that it isunnecessary to take you before the Czar. I shall attend to your casemyself."
"You mean that I shall be put to death?" exclaimed the other. "Certainlyyou dare not shoulder such a responsibility."
"I dare anything," was the reply. "But such is not my intention. No; Ishall simply turn your command over to your immediately subordinate andallow you to go free, first commanding that you leave Siberiaimmediately."
For a moment it seemed that General Surgoff could not believe he hadheard aright. Then he stepped toward General Burgoff and said brokenly:
"I thank you, sir. I shall go to the front and seek to enlist in theranks. Perhaps it is not too late for me to serve Russia well."
"Do," replied General Burgoff in a more kindly voice. "But do not thankme for th
is chance. Thank this young Englishman here."
General Surgoff stared at Jack in the utmost surprise. Plainly suchcases of forgiveness were beyond his comprehension.
"I bear you no ill will," said Jack quietly.
"But I do you," growled the deposed officer. "I shall accept thischance, sir," turning to the general again, "but I will thank no one butyou. And one more word," again turning to Jack, "if ever I am fortunateenough to lay hands on you, I shall make you pay."
Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, all right, if that's the way you feel about it," he said with aslight smile.
General Surgoff saluted General Burgoff stiffly; turned on his heel andmarched away.
"You see," said the latter to Jack. "You see what forgiveness means to aman like Surgoff."
"Oh, well," said Jack, "at least I have kept my own conscience clear.That is something."
General Burgoff eyed the lad keenly for some moments, considering thisremark. At last he turned away; and he also shrugged his shoulders; andhe said:
"You are right, my lad. That is something!"
The Boy Allies in the Baltic; Or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the Czar Page 25