mpting to waltz together. They were very evenly matched for a
wrestling bout, for although the German was by a couple of inches the
taller of the two, the Russian had the advantage in breadth of shoulder
and length of arm, as well as in the enormous strength of his back. The
Cossack, having assured himself that there was to be fair-play, watched
the proceedings with evident interest, while the pale-faced host shambled
round and round the room, imploring the combatants to respect the
reputation of his house and to desist, while keeping himself at a safe
distance from possible collision with the bodies of the two, as they
staggered and strained, and reeled and whirled about.

The Count at last abandoned the search of the lost pin, and having pulled
the front of his collar into a more normal position trusted to luck to
keep it there. The table at which the three had originally sat had
miraculously escaped upsetting, and on it lay the poor Gigerl, stretched
at full length on its back, calm and smiling in the midst of the noise and
confusion, like the corpse at an Irish wake after the whisky has begun to
take effect.

The Count now thought it necessary to justify the unfortunate situation in
which he found himself, in the judgment of the spectators.

"Gentlemen," he began, very earnestly and with a dignified gesture, "I
feel it necessary to explain the truth of this--" But he was interrupted
by the arrival of a policeman, who pushed his way through the crowd.

CHAPTER V.

"What is this row?" inquired the policeman in his official voice, as he
marched into the room.

The man who was wrestling with Dumnoff was a German and a soldier. At the
authoritative words he relaxed his hold and made an effort to free
himself, a movement of which the Russian instantly took advantage by
throwing his adversary heavily, upsetting another table and thereby
bringing the confusion to its crisis. How far he would have gone if he had
been left to himself is uncertain, for the sudden appearance of two more
men in green coats, helmets and gold collars so emboldened the spectators
of the fight that they advanced in a body just as Dumnoff threw himself
upon the first policeman. The Russian's red face was wet with
perspiration, his small eyes were gleaming ferociously and his thick hair
hung in tangled locks over his forehead, producing with his fair beard the
appearance of a wild animal's mane. But for the timely assistance of his
colle