the same moment I heard a voice outside cry in a low tone:
"Courage, Excellency! Courage! I will come and help you."

It was the faithful Finn, who had been awaiting me in the deep shadow,
and with a few strokes pulled his boat up to the narrow rickety ledge
outside the door.

"Take the lady!" I succeeded in gasping in Russian. "Never mind me," and
I saw to my satisfaction that he guided Elma to step into the boat,
which at that moment drifted past the little platform.

I struggled valiantly, but against such a man of brute strength I was
powerless. He held my throat, causing me excruciating pain, and each
moment I felt my chance of victory grow smaller. My strength was
failing. While I held his arms at his sides, I could keep him secure
without much effort, but now with his fingers pressing in my windpipe I
could not breathe.

I was slowly being strangled.

To be vanquished meant imprisonment there, perhaps even death. Victory
meant Elma's life, as well as my own. Mine was therefore a fight for
life. A sudden idea flashed across my mind, and I continued to struggle,
at the same time gradually forcing my enemy backward towards the door.
He shouted for help, but was unheard. He cursed and swore and shouted
until, with a sudden and almost superhuman effort, I tripped him,
bringing his head into such violent contact with the stone lintel of the
door that the sound could surely be heard a considerable distance. For a
moment he was stunned, and in that brief second I released his grip from
my throat and hurled him backwards beyond the door.

There was the sound of the crashing of wood as the rotten platform gave
way, a loud splash, and next instant the dark waters closed over the
big, bearded fellow who would have snatched Elma Heath from me, and have
held me prisoner in that castle of terrors. He sank like a stone, for
although I stood watching for him to rise, I could only distinguish the
woodwork floating away with the current.

In a moment, however, even as I stood there in horror at my deed of
self-defense, the place suddenly resounded with shouts of alarm, and in
the tower above me the great old rusty bell began to swing, ringing its
brazen note across the broad expanse of waters.

The fair-bearded Finn again shot the boat across to where I stood,
crying--

"Jump, Excellency! For your life, jump! The guards will be upon us!"

Behind me in the passage I saw a light and the glitter of arms. A shot
rang out,