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 "I fear not, at present. But if there is need, depend upon it I will not fail to ask you. Come, Spernow."

"Michel, let me have a gun. I would rather be by your side than cooped up here in suspense," cried the girl with great spirit, holding her lover's hand. "Now that you are with us I am not afraid."

"We have not come to that yet, Mademoiselle," I said, liking her spirit and courage. "You need not be afraid. We are quite strong enough behind these walls to cope with the few men against us. But we must go."

Christina pressed my hand again, and her lips murmured a prayer for my safety.

Zoiloff had been busy enough with his preparations, and when we reached him had posted his men. He had done a shrewd trick on leaving General Kolfort's house, and had brought away with him the men's carbines with a quantity of ammunition. These were now distributed in the rooms from which the work of defence was to be carried on; and he explained that his object was to create the impression that we were a much more numerous party than in reality.

"We can fire volleys from the different windows in very rapid succession, and they'll think the place is alive with men," he said. "But the main work must be done from the windows of each room on the floor above us. There are two in the front room and one at the back, and we can from there command the approach to the front and back doors, and could hold the place against four times the number."

We went to the front room and looked out.

The soldiers were taking matters very leisurely. Evidently they were confident that they would have