cell, and were soon
sunk in deep sleep, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

On the following afternoon the cell door was thrown open, and Stackanoff
stalked in with his guard. He glared at his prisoners in a manner that
showed his temper had not improved since they saw him last.

"Ah!" he said at last, glancing at the trembling Pierre,--who thought
his last hour had come,--and gloating over his terror, "the whole plot
is discovered. You are all spies."

With a sob the little Frenchman fell on his knees, and with clasped
hands cried, "Mercy, Monsieur ze Russian, je suis innocent!"

"Get up, you little funk," said Phil bitterly, while Tony clasped him by
the collar and jerked him to his feet.

"Yes," continued Stackanoff, "you are all spies. The tale that you were
washed ashore is exploded. Confess now, and I will promise to deal
leniently with you."

"Confess!" shouted Phil, roused to anger. "You know well that we are no
spies. And let me tell you, you are merely an inspector, and have no
right to punish us. Is this fit treatment for a British officer?
Wait," and he shook his finger at the Russian, "I will yet communicate
with the gentleman who dismissed you, and probably he will be less
pleased with your conduct than before."

"You will! then I will give you little time, you Englishman," snarled
Stackanoff, beside himself with rage at the mention of his disgrace.
"To-morrow I will have you brought before the military court, and I
myself will swear that you are spies who escaped me once before. Then
you will be shot. After all, it is an easy death," he laughed
sardonically.

Phil felt inclined to fly at him, but he kept his temper.

"After all," he answered quietly, "it is more easy than death by the
bayonet, and that perhaps is why so many of your comrades chose death by
the bullet in the fight at Inkermann."

"Ha, you would remind me of our disgrace!" hissed the Russian. "Listen,
you stubborn English pig. Once you disgraced me and pulled me,
Stackanoff, leader of a regiment of Cossacks, to the ground. I did not
forget, and I will repay in full measure. You shall come before the
military tribunal, as I told you, and that officer for whom you did that
foolish deed shall be evidence against you. You will be condemned, and
at early dawn, when the cold fog still lies on the ground, you shall be
led out to your doom. I shall be there. Do you hear? I, Stackanoff,
who hate you wors