“Jack,” he cried at last, “that conversation may be very interesting, but it’s like smoking on a powder mine.  One never knows what may happen.  I shan’t feel safe until we’re well out at sea, and not even then.  Get through with your farewells as soon as possible, and let us be off.”

“Right you are, Alan, my boy.  Well, Governor, I’m reluctantly compelled to bid you a final good-by, but here’s wishing you all sorts of luck.”

The old man seemed reluctant to part with him, and still clung to his hand.

“I wanted to tell you,” he said, “of another incident, almost as startling as your coming into this room a while since, that happened six or eight months ago.  As perhaps you know, we keep a Finland fishing-boat down in the cove below.”

“Yes, yes,” said Jack impatiently, drawing away his hand.

“Well, six or eight months ago that boat disappeared, and has never been heard of since.  None of our prisoners was missing; none of the garrison was missing; my three assistants were still here, yet in the night the boat was taken away.”

“Really.  How interesting!  Never learned the secret, did you?”

“Never, but I took precautions, when we got the next boat, that it should be better guarded, so I have had two men remain upon it night and day.”

“Are your two men armed, Governor?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Then they must surrender, or we will be compelled to shoot them.  Come down with us, and advise them to surrender quietly, otherwise, from safe cover on the stairway, we can pot them in an open boat.”

“I will go down with you,” said the Governor, “and do what I can.”

“Of course they will obey you.”

“Yes, they will obey me—­ if they hear me.  I was going to add that only yesterday did I arrange the electric bell down at the landing, with instructions to those men to take a telegram which I had written in case of emergencies, to the mainland, at any moment, night or day, when that bell rang.  Your Highness, the bell rang more than half an hour ago.  I have not been allowed out to see the result.”

The placid old man put his hand on the Prince’s shoulder, as if bestowing a benediction upon him.  Drummond, who did not understand the lingo, was amazed to see Jack fling off the Governor’s grasp, and with what he took to be a crushing oath in Russian, spring to the door, which he threw open.  He mounted the stone bench which gave him a view of the sea.  A boat, with two sails spread, speeding to the southwest, across the strong westerly wind, was two miles or more away.

“Marooned, by God!” cried the Prince, swinging round and presenting his pistol at the head of the Governor, who stood there like a statue of dejection, and made no sign.

CHAPTER XX

 Arrival of the turbine yacht

Before Jack could fire, as perhaps he had intended to do, Drummond struck down his arm.