g his reins, he
stretched out his hand, and, clutching Phil by the shoulder, hurled him
to the ground.

It was not very far to fall, but Phil came an undoubted cropper, and the
sudden and unlooked-for jar, and a yell of derision which rose from the
Cossack ranks at the sight, set his blood aflame still more, for he had
not yet shaken off the excitement of the recent battle. His eyes
flashed angrily, and, picking himself up, he was within an ace of
throwing himself upon the brutal Stackanoff when better counsels
prevailed.

The Cossack commander eyed him suspiciously, and then, with a malicious
glance at Vilnoff and the remark, "You, beast that you are, I will deal
with you to-morrow," dug his spurs into his horse with such force that
the animal sprang forward so suddenly as to upset the unhappy English
officer and drag him along the ground.

"Come, get up, you weak-kneed fool," cried Stackanoff, striking at the
poor fellow with his riding-whip.

It was a brutal act, and even the Cossack horsemen were ashamed of it.
As for Phil, a blind and unreasoning rage seized him, and, dragging the
lasso-noose over his head, he sprang at the Russian, and, lifting him
like a child from the saddle, threw him heavily on the ground and stood
over him, ready to knock him down if he should try to rise, or treat any
other in a similar manner who dared to interfere with him.

"Hurrah, well done, Phil, old boy!" came an excited bellow from the
Cossack ranks; and next moment Tony, who was there, a prisoner, had torn
the rope which held him from the hands of the man who was in charge of
him, and, aiming blows right and left with his fists, rushed forward and
joined Phil.

To say that there was a clamour in the camp is to describe the scene
mildly. For a moment the horsemen were too astonished to move; then,
recovering from their surprise, they lowered their murderous-looking
lances, and would undoubtedly have run all three prisoners through, had
not another officer ridden into the circle at that moment.

He was a tall, dark man, with heavy features and a settled look of
depression on his face. Mounted on a magnificent horse, and bearing the
badges of a staff-officer, there was no doubt that he was a person of no
little importance and authority.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, quietly looking round with a
cold and gleaming eye, which showed that though outwardly calm he was
more than angry at the incident. "These are