Page:William Le Queux - The Czar's Spy.djvu/253

Rh allowed to lay within mine, my ears on the alert for the slightest sound, and ready at any moment to take my fair charge and flee into that dark trackless wood before us.

Suddenly I heard a stealthy footstep approaching, and next moment a low voice which I recognized as that of our friend the Finn.

"There is danger, Excellency — a grave danger!" he said in a low half whisper. "Three boats are in search of us."

And scarcely had he uttered those words when there was the flash of a rifle from the haze, a loud report, and again a bullet whizzed past just behind my head.

In an instant the truth become apparent, for I saw the dark shadow of a boat rapidly rowed, bearing full upon us.

The shot had been fired as signal that we had been sighted, and were pursued.

Other shots rang out, mingled with the wild exultant it shouts of the guards as they bore down full upon us, and then I knew that, notwithstanding our escape, we were now lost. They were too close upon us to admit of eluding them.

The peril we had dreaded had fallen. The Finn's presence on the bank had evidently been detected by a boat drawn up at the shore, and he had been followed to where we had lain in what we had so foolishly believed to be a safe hiding-place.

Nought else was to be done but to face the inevitable.

Three times the red fire of a rifle belched angrily