began to wonder.

Several times a wolf or two wolves attacked me, and I beat them off, but
I grew weary, and, what was more disastrous, my nerves began to fail. I
realised that I could not keep up this nerve-destroying fight for ever,
and Gavril had evidently not dared to return to my assistance....
Suddenly, when on the verge of collapse, I heard a shout in the
distance. I replied with all my strength.

'All right,' called Gavril, 'I am coming; but it is difficult.'

It did not matter now, though Gavril seemed to spend an hour in covering
the few hundred yards which lay between us, and I fought desperately on
with renewed spirit. Then at length I caught sight of him in the
moonlight, coming towards me; he seemed to limp; he stopped, and a shot
rang out. Instantly the wolves disappeared as if by magic.

Gavril drew near. 'Here, take the gun, Excellency,' he said. 'I am hurt,
I must sit.'

I just had time to take the gun out of his hands when Gavril stumbled
and fell with a groan. 'Oh, my leg!' he muttered, and with the words he
fainted.

The poor fellow's ankle was broken. It had been broken at the first
jolt, when I fell out, but he had been unable to free himself from the
sledge until, a quarter of a mile away, he had succeeded in pulling up
the frightened horse and getting out.

Then he had deliberately walked back the whole way, with his broken
ankle causing him agonies at each moment, straight into the midst of a
dangerous wolf-pack, in order to bring me the gun and save my life.

* * * * *

'Without, for a moment, wishing to disparage the Japanese,' Bobby ended,
'I think you will agree with me that it would be unfair not to accord
the Russians equal honour for pluck and devotion to duty--this
particular Russian, at any rate, and I know of many others equally
brave.'

'Carried _nem. con._,' said Vandeleur.

As for Dennison, his contribution to the discussion was a loud and
prolonged snore.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY.

A True Story.

Not long ago there lived a nobleman who was noted for his extreme
obstinacy and his determination to have his own way. He had arranged one
morning to meet a friend of his at a country station. When he got to the
station, his friend had not come.

After he had waited some time the train came in; and just then he caught
sight of his friend's carriage driving along at a gallop in the
distance. He knew that it would take so