Page:William Le Queux - The Czar's Spy.djvu/275

Rh The manner in which Boranski spoke apparently decided my captor, for after a moment's hesitation he said, saluting —

"If that is really your wish, then I will obey." And he left.

"Excellency!" exclaimed the Chief of Police, rising quickly and walking towards me as soon as the door was closed, and we were alone, "you have had a very narrow escape — very. I did my best to assist you. I succeeded in bribing the water-guards at Kajana in order that you might secure the lady's release. But it seems that just at the very moment when you were about to get away one of the guards turned informer and roused the governor of the castle, with the result that you all three nearly lost your lives. The whole matter has been reported to me officially, and," he added with a grim smile, my men are now searching everywhere for you."

"But why is Baron Oberg so extremely anxious to re-capture Miss Heath?" I asked earnestly.

"I have no idea," was his reply. "The secret orders from Helsingfors to me are to arrest her at all hazards — alive or dead."

"Which means that the Baron would not regret if she were dead," I remarked, in response to which he nodded in the affirmative.

I told him of the faithful services of Felix, the Finn, whereupon he said simply —

"I told you that you might trust him implicitly."

"But now that you have shown yourself my