Page:At the Fall of Port Arthur.djvu/269

Rh Then through the opening leaped the young captain. As he landed in the courtyard, he picked up a small log of wood lying handy.

A glance around told him that the guard was nowhere in sight, the Russian having run to the other side of the building to note the damage done by the shell. Log in hand, Ben leaped quickly across the courtyard and placed the bit of wood up against the wall. This gave him a footing, and in a twinkling he was on top of the wall.

But though he acted quickly a guard from the prison building saw him and ran forth gun in hand.

"Halt!" came the command, in Russian, and then, raising his weapon, the guard fired at Ben.

The bullet whistled over the young captain's head, and without looking back to see who had fired it, he dropped on the other side of the wall. Then he sprinted up the street and around a corner.

Ben knew not where to go, but his one thought was to put distance between himself and the prison, and he hurried on and on, until he came to a barn which stood open. Into this he darted, to find the building empty of occupants.

The Japanese had begun a general bombardment of Port Arthur and shot and shells were flying in all directions. This being the case, the majority of the troops and the inhabitants were out of