*CHAPTER XIV*
*A Night with Sowinski*
The Persuasive Pistol--A Pass--Thorough--Captain Sinetsky--The EasternGate--An Empty Pistol
Jack had intended to deal with the Pole as he had dealt with hisservant; but the fact of the two other Chinamen passing the door of theroom close on his heels had thrown out his calculations. He could notafford to run the risk of the slightest struggle; it would certainly beheard. He had but an instant to decide on his course.
Behind the door was a chair. To this Jack tiptoed, and he had justseated himself when Sowinski opened the door. The Pole flung his hat ona chair, and moved towards the press, doubtless with the intention ofgetting a bottle of wine. He almost had his hand on the knob when hebecame aware, rather by instinct than by perception, of a movementbehind him. Jack with his foot had gently swung the door to. Turningsharply round, Sowinski saw the red light of the shaded lamp reflectedfrom the barrel of a pistol in the hand of a young Chinaman seatedcomposedly within five feet of him. For a moment he was motionless; hewas too much surprised for speech; a second glance showed him who hisvisitor was, and Jack, watching him keenly, saw his face go pale. Hestood irresolute; the ominous pistol, not held rigidly, but movinggently from side to side, seemed to hold him spell-bound, as the swayinghead of a snake fascinates a hare.
"Yes, Mr. Sowinski," said Jack quietly, though his pulse was galloping;"yes, it is I, Jack Brown. You were looking for me? Speak low, or thepistol may go off."
"You would be arrested at once," said the Pole in a hard whisper.
"Possibly, but that would not help you. You would be dead."
Sowinski ground his teeth. Rage and fear struggled for the mastery; butfear, as Jack had calculated, was the stronger. The man's eye neverleft the barrel.
"First, Mr. Sowinski," continued Jack, rising, and now pointing therevolver steadily at his head; "first, I wish to know where my fatheris."
"Your father? How should I know? Am I your father's keeper? He wasdeported."
"You lie!" said Jack, his voice vibrant with anger. "Come, your reply;your life depends on it."
Visibly cowed by Jack's menacing look and tone, the Pole repliedsullenly:
"Well, it is true; he was taken to Harbin, to be delivered to GeneralKriloff."
"And where is he now?"
"I do not know. I swear that is the truth. General Bekovitch----"
"Does he know?"
"I cannot say. I do not know what message he sent to General Kriloff.I have heard nothing of your father since he went away."
"He went in chains; did you know that?"
"Yes," replied the Pole hesitatingly.
"Then where is he? You know that; you know more; a man is sent away inchains, herded with foul criminals; it is your doing; what have you donewith him?"
"I don't know; may I never speak again if that is not true. He isprobably in the mines."
As he said this, even the imminent pistol could not prevent Sowinskifrom betraying his rancorous satisfaction in a mocking curl of the lipand a half-suppressed chuckle. Yet Jack felt intuitively that in thiscase the man was speaking the truth; that he really did not know whathad become of his victim after he had seen him safely wedged in thecattle-truck. There was scorn as well as a white heat of anger inJack's reply.
"You infamous scoundrel! You would be justly served if I shot you whereyou stand, and for my own part the satisfaction would be worth the risk.But I can't kill even such vermin as you in cold blood; and if I spareyou, be sure the day of reckoning is only deferred. There are athousand Poles waiting to kill the traitor Ladislas Streleszki atsight."
The amazed and wretched man swayed as he stood; his hue turned stillmore ashen than before; his whole body seemed to shrink together withcraven fear.
"Now, choose," continued Jack after a pause. "The pistol, or instantcompliance with my demands.--Silence!" He heard the two Chinamenapproach the door, and noticed a twitching of the Pole's mouthsuggesting a cry for help. The impulse, if impulse it was, wasimmediately checked by Jack's stern command.
"Send them home."
Sowinski called to the men that they might go; he would require them nomore that night.
"Now close the shutters. Thank you! I see pen, ink, and paper onyonder shelf. Seat yourself at the table and write in Russian from mydictation."
The Pole moved mechanically, under the spell of the covering revolver.
"'To Lieutenant-Colonel Gudriloff,'" dictated Jack. "'Please supplybearer, Chang Sin Foo, with a pass for the gates, and two good ponies;debit the charge to my account.' Now sign your name--your present name.That is right. Now, Mr. Sowinski, you have been so obliging that Itrust you will excuse what must seem a poor return for yourcomplaisance. But my position in your--that is to say, my father'shouse, being somewhat delicate, I have no alternative."
The two Chinamen having gone away, Jack no longer subdued his tone. Hehad the whip hand. Still keeping the revolver steadily pointed at thescowling Pole's head, he stepped to the press and, Sowinski looking onin amazement, called to the Chinese servant to come out. The man was aspale as his master; he was stricken with the very ague of fear.
"You have nothing to fear," said Jack, pitying the fellow. "Do what Itell you quickly. Tear up that cloth." He pointed to the none tooclean cover on the table. "Tear it into six strips."
The man tried, but the material was too tough, or his hands too muchenfeebled from fright.
"Take the knife, but remember, at the first movement in this direction Iwill shoot you."
With some difficulty the man did as he was bid.
"Now bind your master's legs--first round the ankles. Quick!"--as theman recoiled before the glare in Sowinski's eyes. Jack jerked up hispistol, and the trembling wretch hastened to obey. The Pole made noresistance; but if looks could have slain, both Jack and the Chinamanwould have been killed on the spot.
"Now the arms," said Jack, when, under his supervision, Sowinski's legshad been securely trussed. "No, behind him--not in front: that isright. Now the knees. Now tie the wrists to the ankles. Now a gag;that fur cap will do. We are going to place your master in the press.You take the head; I will take the feet."
Jack felt that he was giving the Chinaman a bare chance to close withhim; but the man seeming so cowed, he took the risk, careful, however,to keep the revolver conspicuous. As they lifted the Pole they saw hisface distorted with rage and hate. They stood him upright in the press,and closed the door, leaving sufficient space between it and the sidesto admit air. Then with a feeling of relief after the tension of hisperilous situation, Jack took up the order signed by Sowinski, and waswondering how to dispose of the Chinaman, when there was a loud knock atthe outer door, followed immediately by footsteps in the passage. Jack'sheart beat violently; he caught a malicious look of triumph in theservant's eyes. But he recovered his _sang-froid_, and at the samemoment made his decision. A voice in Russian was calling for Sowinski;just as the footsteps approached the inner door Jack pushed the Chinamanin front of him.
"Send him away," he whispered. "Remember the pistol."
He had no time for more. The visitor was at the door. It opened.
"Ha, Sowinski!--" said the new-comer, a captain of Cossacks. Then hepaused, seeing only two Chinese servants.
"Where is your master?"
"He is away, Excellency," faltered the man; "not at home; he will not beback for some hours." Jack touched his heel to quicken his invention.He continued: "He said he was going first to the Green Dragon, then tothe railway-station. He expected to meet a friend. Can I give him anymessage?"
"It is very annoying," said the officer. "I must see him to-night. TheGreen Dragon, you say? I will see whether he is there. If he returns,say that Captain Sinetsky called, and that he is to come and see me atmy quarters at once."
He turned on his heel and left the house. The tension was relaxed. Theimmediate danger was p
ast, but Jack saw that his escape was still to bedeferred. The captain's look and tone of vexation showed that hisbusiness with Sowinski was important. Failing to find the Pole at thehotel he might return himself or send a messenger, and then, if Jackwere absent, the prisoner would be discovered and released, and the hueand cry after the disguised Englishman would be hot before he could gethis pass and be clear of the city. The gates would not be opened beforedaybreak. It would hardly be safe to leave the house much earlier. Hemade up his mind to wait.
Creaking and groaning, the massive gates barring the eastern entrance toMoukden swung back on their hinges; the squatting crowd patientlyawaiting the opening awoke to sudden activity; there was a generalmovement of foot-passengers, chairs, and carts towards the archway. Ina moment the rush was checked: a Cossack officer with a dozen sturdytroopers barred the way--one man only might pass at a time, and thatafter careful scrutiny.
When some two or three score had run the gauntlet, the officer, whosepatience seemed to be sorely tried, permitted himself a hearty Russianoath, and growled to the sergeant at his side.
"These Chinese are all alike. What the goodness is the use of asking usto stop--what is it?"--he glanced at a paper in his hand--"'a youngEnglishman, tall, slim, cleverly disguised as a native'? It'sabsurd--it's a job for a Chinaman, not for us."
"But, little father, it must be quite easy to recognize an Englishman.They are all red-faced, with long noses, and big teeth, and sidewhiskers--I have seen pictures of them in the papers in Petersburg.They are ugly, the English--one would know them anywhere."
Captain Vassily Nikolaeitch Kargopol, his feelings relieved by his briefoutburst, smiled condescendingly. He recognized the sergeant'sdescription of the familiar continental caricature of John Bull; but asthe crowd surged through he had no time for correcting his subordinate'simpressions. An old man, riding one pony and leading another,dismounted at the gate as the crowd thinned, and with elaborate kowtowspresented his pass. The shadow of a wide-brimmed hat seemed to deepenthe wrinkles of his parchment skin; but there was an alert look in theeye, and a nervous energy in the carriage, that told of a spirit stillyoung.
"Pass the bearer, Chang Sin Foo, and two ponies.Gudriloff--Lieutenant-Colonel." The captain read out the instructions,handed back the document, and signed to the Chinaman to proceed.Leading his ponies through the gate, the old man mounted, and rodeslowly on. A mile out he quickened his pace, and struck off into a sidetrack winding towards the hills that bounded the horizon north, south,and east. As he left the main road, the more rapid movement jolted apistol from the folds of his voluminous garments. He glanced back andsaw it lying on the track, but did not check his pace, though an oddsmile disturbed the wrinkles of his mouth.
"It's a good job," he muttered in unmistakable English--"a jolly goodjob, Sowinski didn't know it wasn't loaded!"