Jack Archer: A Tale of the Crimea

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XVI.

  AN ESCAPE FROM PRISON

  When he had dressed Dick's wounds, Doctor Bertmann said he would godown and see the governor. He had already told the lads that he hadreceived fatal injuries, and was unconscious, and that he might, ormight not, recover his senses before he died. It was an hour before hereturned, accompanied by the other officer. Both looked grave.

  "I'm sorry to say, my young friend," the doctor said to Jack, for Dickhad now gone off in a quiet doze, "that the affair has assumed a veryserious aspect. The count is dead. He recovered consciousness beforehe died, and denounced you both as having made a sudden and altogetherunprovoked attack upon him. He had, he affirmed, discovered that youwere meditating a breach of your parole, and that he had informed youthat the privileges extended to you would, therefore, be withdrawn.Then, he said, transported by rage, you sprang upon him. He drew hissword and attempted to defend himself, but the two of you, closingwith him, hurled him through the window, in spite of his struggles."

  The other officer had, while the doctor was speaking, been examiningthe writing-table.

  "I do not see the papers he spoke of," he said to the doctor.

  Then, turning to the sergeants of the guard, he asked if any papersupon the table had been touched. The sergeant replied that no one hadgone near the table since he had entered the room.

  "In that case," the officer said, "his mind cannot have been quiteclear, although he seemed to speak sensibly enough. You heard himorder me, doctor, to fold up a report and attesting statement directedto the Minister of the Interior, and to post them immediately? It isclear that there are no such documents here. I entered the room withthe sergeant almost at the moment when the struggle ended, and as noone has touched the table since, it is clear that they cannot havebeen here. Perhaps I may find them on the table downstairs. It isnow," he said, turning to Jack, "my duty to inform you that you are incustody for the deliberate murder of Count Smerskoff, as sworn to byhim in his last moments."

  "He was a liar when he was alive," Jack said, "and he died with afalsehood on his lips. However, sir, we are at your orders."

  A stretcher was brought in, Dick was placed upon it, and under a guardthe midshipmen were marched to the prison, the soldiers withdifficulty keeping back the crowd who pressed forward to see theEnglish prisoners who had murdered the governor.

  Doctor Bertmann walked with Jack to the prison door. Upon the way heassured Jack that he entirely believed his version of the story, as heknew the governor to be a thoroughly bad man.

  "Singularly enough," he said, "I had intended to see you to-day. Iwent back to Sebastopol on the very day after you arrived here, with aregiment marching down, and left again with a convoy of wounded afteronly two days' stay there. I got here last night, and I had intendedcoming out to call upon you at Count Preskoff's to-day. You would, nodoubt, like me to see him at once, and inform him of what has takenplace."

  Jack said that he would be very much obliged, if he would do so.

  "I will return this afternoon to see my patient," Doctor Bertmannsaid, as they parted, "and will then bring you news from the count,who will, no doubt, come to see you himself."

  The cell to which the boys were conducted was a small one, andhorribly dirty. Jack shrugged his shoulders, as he looked at it.

  "It is not fit for a pig," he said to himself. "After all, Russia isnot such a pleasant place as I thought it yesterday."

  When they were left alone, Jack set to work to cheer up his companion,who was weak, and inclined to be despondent from the loss of bloodwhich he had suffered.

  "At any rate, old boy," Jack said, in reply to Dick's assertion of hisconviction that they would be shot, "we shall have the satisfactionthat we have procured the safety of our friends at the chateau. Nowthat their enemy is gone, the count will no doubt be let alone. It wasdreadful to think what would have become of the countess and the threegirls if their father had been sent to Siberia, and they turned outpenniless. Besides, old fellow, we are a long way from being dead yet.After all, it is only the governor's word against ours, and you may besure that the count will move heaven and earth to bring mattersright."

  It was dusk before the doctor returned.

  "I have seen the count," he said, "and the ladies and he were greatlydistressed at my news. It is plain to see that you are primefavorites. The young ladies were very Niobes. The count was mostanxious to learn all particulars, but I could only tell him that youasserted the governor had attacked you first. He drove in at once, andmade no doubt that he should be allowed to see you. In this, however,he was disappointed, and indeed you have had a most fortunate escape.The officer second in command here is a relative of the late governor.Fortunately he was absent this morning, and only returned thisafternoon. Like the late count he is of a violent and passionatetemper, and when he heard the news swore that had he been here, hewould have instantly had you brought out and shot in the square.Indeed, it was with difficulty that the other officers dissuaded himfrom doing so upon his return. He has ordered that a court-martialshall assemble to-morrow, and that you shall be at once tried andexecuted."

  "But surely," Jack said, "no court-martial of officers would find usguilty. The count's violent temper was notorious, and it is againstall reason that two unarmed men should make an attack upon one armedwith a sword, and within call of assistance. You yourself know, DoctorBertmann, that the reason which he alleged for the attack is a falseone, as we were not asked for our parole."

  "I am, of course, aware of that," the doctor said, "and should attendto give evidence, but the case is a doubtful one. The officers of ourline regiments are, for the most part, poor and friendless men.Promotion is almost entirely by favoritism, and it would need a veryconsiderable amount of courage and independence to give a verdict inthe teeth of their commanding officer. In the next place, for I haveheard them talking it over among themselves, there is a sort offeeling that, for the honor of the Russian army, it is almostnecessary that you should be found guilty, since it would throwdiscredit upon the whole service were it published to the world thattwo unarmed young English officers had been attacked with a sword by aRussian officer of rank."

  "Then things look rather badly for us," said Jack. "Well, it can't behelped, you know, and the count will, no doubt, write to our people athome, to tell them the truth of the case."

  "Oh," said the doctor, "you must not misunderstand me. I only saidthat the new commandant had ordered that you should be tried bycourt-martial, but that is a very different thing from its being done.We must get you out of prison to-night."

  "You speak very confidently," Jack said, laughing, "but how is it tobe done?"

  "Oh," answered the doctor, "there is no great difficulty on thatscore. It may be taken as certain that as a rule every Russianofficial, from the highest to the lowest, is accessible to a bribe,and that no prisoner with powerful friends outside need give up hope.This is a military prison. The soldiers at the gate are open to imbibean unlimited amount of vodka, whoever may send it. The officer incommand of them will be easily accessible to reasons which will inducehim to shut his eyes to what is going on. Your warder here can ofcourse be bought. The count is already at work, and as his means areample, and, although under a cloud at present, his connectionspowerful, there is little fear that he will fail in succeeding. By theway I have news to tell you. Do you hear the bells tolling? The newshas arrived that Nicholas is dead. Alexander, our new Czar, is knownto be liberally disposed, and, were there time, the count would go toSt. Petersburg, obtain an audience with him, and explain the wholecircumstances, which, by the way, he has related to me. This, ofcourse, is out of the question, and even were there time for him to goand return, it would not be possible for him to obtain an audiencewith the new emperor just at present."

  "I wish it could have been so," Jack said. "Of course Dick and I willbe glad enough to avail ourselves of the chances of escape, for itwould be foolish to insist upon waiting to be tried by a tribunalcertain beforehand to conde
mn us. Still, one doesn't like the thoughtof making one's escape, and so leaving it to be supposed that we wereconscious of guilt."

  "Oh," the doctor said, "you need not trouble yourself upon that score.The governor was hated by every one, and no one really doubts that heattacked you first. Upon the contrary, the population are inclined tolook upon you as public benefactors. There will then be no feelingagainst you here, but even if there were, it would make but littledifference. At present every one in Russia is talking and thinking ofnothing but the death of the Czar, and of the changes which may bemade by his son, and the details of a squabble in an obscure town willattract no attention whatever, and will not probably even obtain thehonor of a paragraph in the Odessa papers. The first thing for us todo is to get your friend into a fit state to walk. How do you feel?"he asked, bending over Dick and feeling his pulse.

  "Ever so much better," Dick said cheerfully, "since I have heard fromyou that there is a chance of escape. I have been fretting so at thethought that I have got Jack into such a wretched mess by my folly intelling the governor that I knew of his treachery. If it had been onlymyself, I shouldn't have cared."

  "Why, my dear Dick," Jack said cheerfully, "I never dreamt of blamingyou, and if you hadn't spoken out, I have no doubt I should have doneso. No, no, old fellow, whatever comes of it, don't you blameyourself."

  "Can you stand, do you think?" the doctor asked.

  "Oh, I think so," Dick said; and rising, he managed to totter acrossthe cell.

  "That is all right," the doctor said. "In a quarter of an hour youshall have a good dinner sent in from a restaurant. I have arrangedfor that. It is of course contrary to rule, but a few roubles havesettled it. There will be supper, too, at eleven o'clock; there willalso be a couple of bottles of first-rate Burgundy from the count'scellar. You are to eat two good meals, and drink a third of a bottleat each of them. Your wounds are not in themselves serious, and theonly thing that ails you is loss of blood. We must risk a littleaccession of fever for the sake of giving you strength. When you havehad your supper, you had best both get to sleep, if you can, for anhour or two. Whatever arrangements we make will be for about twoo'clock in the morning. And now good-bye for the present; keep up yourspirits, and remember that even should any unexpected accident upsetour plans for to-night, we will carry them out to-morrow night, as thecourt-martial will not take place till the afternoon, and there willbe at least twenty-four, probably forty-eight hours, between thesentence and its execution."

  So saying, the doctor took his departure, leaving the lads far morecheerful and confident than they had been when he entered. He seemedindeed to regard the success of the attempt which would be made fortheir evasion as secured. The meal, which consisted of some strong andnourishing soup, and a dish of well-cooked meat, shortly arrived, andDick, after partaking of it, and drinking his prescribed allowance ofBurgundy, announced that he felt a man again, and ready for a tusslewith the commandant. After his meal he dozed quietly, for some hours,until aroused by the arrival of supper which consisted again of soupwith some poached eggs served on vegetables.

  Jack had not tried to sleep, but had enjoyed a pipe which the doctorhad, with tobacco, handed to him, his own having been confiscated uponhis entrance into the prison. After supper, however, he threw himselfupon the straw and slept soundly, until awakened by a hand beingplaced on his shoulder. He leaped to his feet, and saw the warderbeside him. The man carried a lantern. The candle with which the boyshad been furnished by the doctor's arrangement had burned out. Jackaroused his comrade, and the two followed the warder, who led the wayalong the corridor and down the stairs into the courtyard of theprison.

  The man did not walk with any particular caution, and the lads judgedfrom his movements that he had no fear whatever of interruption. Thedoor of the guard-room stood open, and by the light of the fire whichblazed within, they could see the soldiers lying about in a drunkensleep. At the gate itself the sentry on duty was sitting on the groundwith his back against a wall, and his musket beside him, in a heavydrunken sleep.

  The warder unlocked the door, the key being already in the lock; thethree issued out; the gate was closed and locked on the outside, andthe key thrust under the gate. The warder then led the way through thestreets, until he reached a small house near the outskirts. The dooropened as their footsteps approached, and Count Preskoff came out.

  "My dear boys," he exclaimed embracing them as if he had been theirfather, "how much you have suffered for the sake of me and mine!Here," he continued, turning to the warder, "is the reward I promisedyou. Go straight on to the chateau. You will find my coachman with alight carriage ready for starting. He will drive you twenty-five mileson your way, and you will then only have fifteen to walk beforemorning to the house of the woodman, your brother, where I hear youintend to remain hidden for the present. You can rely upon myprotection after the affair has blown over. Now come in, lads, this isthe house of a faithful serf of mine, who works here on his ownaccount as an artisan, and you will be safe from interruption for thenext hour or two."

  Upon entering the cottage, the midshipmen were surprised to find thecountess and her daughters, who greeted them no less warmly than thecount had done.

  "My husband has told me all that you have done for us," the countesssaid, "and how you first discovered the plot between the governor andthat miserable traitor for our ruin. I have blamed him for hiding itfrom us at first, for surely a wife should know of the dangers towhich her husband is exposed. Besides, I and my daughters would haveremained ignorant of the obligation we owe you."

  "And to think of the way you took us in with the ponies," Olgalaughed. "Papa said that was your invention, Master Jack. That'sanother score against you."

  "I hope," Dick said, "that you are running no risks on our account,countess. I fear that there may be suspicions that the count has beenconcerned in our escape."

  "The deputy-commandant may suspect," the count said, "but he can provenothing. All in the chateau are, I believe, faithful, but even werethey not, none know of our absence, as we did not leave until all wereasleep, and shall return before daylight. Alexis will himself drivethe warder to his destination. He has the best pair of horses, andwill do the fifty miles in under four hours so that he will be backbefore any one is stirring. The others concerned will hold theirtongues for their own sakes. The soldiers will not admit that theyhave been drunk, but will declare that no one has passed the gate. Thelieutenant in charge will hang up the key on its hook in theguard-room, and will declare that every time he made his rounds hefound the men alert and vigilant. It will therefore be supposed thatthe warder has let you out by a rope or in some other way. No doubtthere will be a vigilant hue-and-cry in the morning, and thecommandant will search every house, will keep a sharp watch over thechateau, and will scour the country for miles round. But it will dieaway in time. I wrote yesterday afternoon to my friends in St.Petersburg, urging them to obtain the appointment of some friend tothis post. The party of reform will be in the ascendency in thecounsels of the emperor, and I have every hope that I shall shortly berestored to favor at court, a matter, by the way, which I care forvery much more for the sake of my daughters than for myself. Thecountess and I are well content with our life in the country, but thegirls naturally look forward to the gayeties of life at the capital.Beside which," he added, laughing, "I must be looking for husbands forthem, and I fear that I should not find satisfactory suitors in thisneighborhood."

  Jack could not help glancing at Olga, for, with a midshipman's usualinflammatory tendency, he was convinced that he was hopelessly in lovewith that damsel. Olga colored, and then turned away, from which Jackcould gain no indication favorable or otherwise for his hopes.

  The count now explained the plans that had been adopted for theirescape. "It would," he said, "seem the natural course to aid you, aswe have done the warder, by driving you far into the country. But thedescriptions of you are sure to be sent to every place within fiftymiles. I know no one to whom I could safely entru
st you, and thedoctor says that it is impossible that our friend Dick should walk forany distance for the next two or three days. The doctor hasfortunately received orders to-day to start at daybreak this morningwith a convoy going back to Sebastopol. No doubt the new commandanthad heard that he was prepared to give evidence at the court-martialcontradicting the governor's statement that you were prisoners onparole, and therefore wished to get him out of the way. There areseveral of my carts which have been requisitioned for the service, inthe convoy. I have here peasants' dresses for you. These you will puton, and when the carts come along from the chateau half an hour beforedaybreak it is arranged that you will take the places of two of thedrivers, who will at once return home. There will be no loading to do,as the carts will be laden with flour for the army before they leaveto-night, so you will only have to go along with the others, and takeyour places in the convoy. After starting the doctor will come alongthe line, and seeing Dick limping, will order him to take his place inone of the carts under his immediate charge, with medicines andbedding for the hospitals. One driver more or less in a team of somehundreds of wagons all following each other along a straight road willnot be noticed. So you will journey south for a week or so, until Dickhas thoroughly recovered his strength. You had then, we think, bettermake to the west by the Odessa road. The doctor will take twouniforms, there are plenty obtainable in the hospital, for you to puton. You must of course run the risk of questioning and detection bythe way, but this cannot be avoided, and at least you will be beyondthe range of search from here, and will be travelling by quite adifferent road from that which you would naturally take proceedinghence. And now tell us all about your affair with the governor. Wehave only so far heard his version of the affair, which of course weknew to be false; but why he should have attacked you in the way hedid, we cannot quite understand."

  Dick gave an account of the struggle and the causes which led to it,owning himself greatly to blame for his imprudence in acquainting thegovernor with his knowledge of his secret. He also gave full credit toJack for his promptness, not only in seizing the governor and sosaving a repetition of the blow, which would probably have been fatal,but also in destroying the report and forged evidence of Paul beforeinterruption. The lads gained great credit with all for theirgallantry, and Katinka said, laughing, "It is wrong to say so, Isuppose, now he is dead, but I should like to have seen the countstruggling as Jack carried him along, like a little ant with a greatbeetle." They all laughed.

  "Oh, come now," Jack said; "there was not so much difference as allthat. He was not over six feet, and I suppose I am only about fiveinches less, and I'm sure I was not much smaller round the shouldersthan he was."

  "And now about your route," the count said. "You must not lose time.Do you both quite agree with me that it would be next to impossiblefor you to pass through the lines of our army and to gain your own?"

  "Quite impossible," Dick agreed. "Jack and I have talked it over againand again, and are of opinion that it could not be done even inRussian uniforms. We should be liable to be questioned by everyofficer who met us as to the reason of our being absent from ourregiment, and should be certain to be found out. We thought that itmight be possible to get hold of a fishing-boat, and sail down to jointhe fleet. There would be of course the risk of being blown off theshore or becalmed, and it would be difficult to lay in a stock ofprovisions."

  "Besides," the count said, "there is no blockade at Odessa, and oursmall war-steamers cruise up and down the coast, so that you would beliable to capture. No, I am sure your best way will be to go by landthrough Poland. There are still large bodies of troops to thesouthwest, facing the Turks, and it would be better for you to keepnorth of these into Poland. You can go as wounded soldiers on furloughreturning home; and, being taken for Poles, your broken Russian willappear natural. I will give you a letter which the countess haswritten to the intendant of her estates in Poland, and he will doeverything in his power."

  "I would rather not carry a letter," Dick said, "for it wouldcompromise you if we were taken. It would be better, if I mightsuggest, for the countess to write to him direct, saying that when twopersons arrive and give some pass-word, say, for instance, the namesof your three daughters, we shall not forget them, he is to give usany help we may require."

  This was agreed upon, and the party chatted until the count said thatit was time for them to dress. Going into another room, the boys cladthemselves in two peasant costumes, with the inseparable sheepskincoat which the Russian peasant clings to until the full heat of summersets in, and which is, especially during a journey, invaluable. Thecount then insisted upon their taking a bundle of rouble notes to thevalue of 200 l., and upon their urging that they could have no possibleneed of so much money, he pointed out that there was no saying whatemergencies might occur during their journey, and that after passingthe frontier they would require a complete outfit, and would have topay the expenses of their journey, either to England or the east,whichever they might decide upon. They rejoined the party in the frontroom just as a rumble of carts was heard approaching. There was ahasty parting. Father, mother, and daughters kissed the midshipmenaffectionately. Jack squeezed Olga's hand at parting, and in anotherminute they were standing in front of the door.

  "Yours will be the last two carts," the count said.

  When these arrived opposite the house the count stepped forward andsaid a word to the drivers, who instantly fell behind, while the boystook up their places by the oxen and moved along with the processionof carts.