“None of that, Jack,” he said.  “The Russian in you has evidently been scratched, and the Tartar has come uppermost.  The Governor gave a signal, I suppose?”

“Yes, he did, and those two have got away while I stood babbling here, feeling a sympathy for the old villain.  That’s his return current, eh?”

“He’s not to blame,” said Drummond.  “It’s our own fault entirely.  The first thing to have done was to secure that boat.”

“And everything worked so beautifully,” moaned Jack, “up to this point, and one mistake ruins it.  We are doomed, Alan.”

“It isn’t so bad as that, Jack,” said the Englishman calmly.  “Should those men reach the coast safely, as no doubt they will, it may cost Russia a bit of trouble to dislodge us.”

“Why, hang it all,” cried Jack, “they don’t need to dislodge us.  All they’ve got to do is to stand off and starve us out.  They are not compelled to fire a gun or land a man.”

“They’ll have to starve their own men first.  It’s not likely we’re going to go hungry and feed our prisoners.”

“Oh, we don’t mind a little thing like that, we Russians.  They may send help, or they may not.  Probably a cruiser will come within hailing distance and try to find out what the trouble is.  Then it will lie off and wait till everybody’s dead, and after that put in a new Governor and another garrison.”

“You take too pessimistic a view, Jack.  This isn’t the season of the year for a cruiser to lie off in the Baltic.  Winter is coming on.  Most of the harbors in Finland will be ice-closed in a month, and there’s no shelter hereabouts in a storm.  They’ll attack; probably open shell fire on us for a while, then attempt to land a storming party.  That will be fun for us if you’ve got good rifles and plenty of ammunition.”

Jack raised his head.

“Oh, we’re well-equipped,” he said, “if we only have enough to eat.”

Springing to his feet, all dejection gone, he said to the Governor: 

“Now, my friend, we’re compelled to put you into a cell.  I’m sorry to do this, but there is no other course open.  Where is your larder, and what quantity of provisions have you in stock?”

A gloomy smile added to the dejection of the old man’s countenance.

“You must find that out for yourself,” he said.

“Are the soldiers upstairs well supplied with food?”

“I will not answer any of your questions.”

“Oh, very well.  I see you are determined to go hungry yourself.  Until I am satisfied that there is more than sufficient for my friend and me, no prisoner in my charge gets anything to eat.  That’s the sort of gaoler I am.  The stubborn old beast!” he cried in English, turning to Drummond, “won’t answer my questions.”

“What were you asking him?”

“I want to know about the stock of provisions.”

“It’s quite unnecessary to ask about the grub:  there’s sure to be ample.”