interior of a Russian prison for all
hands of us."

As the _Kinshiu's_ engines stopped, the _Rossia_ turned her searchlights
upon us, brought her guns to bear, and lowered two boats, the crews of
which we could see were armed to the teeth. And at the same moment two
destroyers loomed up out of the darkness, one of which stationed herself
on our port bow, while the other placed herself upon our starboard
quarter, each of them with their tubes and guns manned. Evidently, the
Russians did not mean to leave us the smallest loophole for escape.

The six Japanese infantry officers, noting the stoppage of our engines,
came rushing up on deck to learn what was the matter; and upon hearing
that the strange ships which had stopped us were Russian warships,
hurried away below again, presumably, I thought, to give orders of some
sort to the troops under their command.

The _Rossia_, with the way she had on her, had by this time closed to
within about twenty-five fathoms of us; and at this juncture an officer
on her bridge hailed, ordering our skipper to send a boat.

"Good!" ejaculated Yagi. "We will do so. But we will not go aboard the
_Rossia_. Oh, no. We will slip away in the darkness and make for the
land. And you will honourably accompany us, will you not, Captain? A
Russian prison has no attractions for you, eh?"

"You are right, my friend, it has not," I answered; "for which reason I
must decline to accompany you. Because you will never get away, Yagi.
How can you, with those searchlights turned full upon us, and those
destroyers where they are?"

"Nevertheless, I shall try," answered the skipper; and he turned away to
bellow an order to the crew to clear away and lower the port lifeboat,
the port side being shielded from the glare of the searchlights. Then I
heard him order the chief officer to superintend the lowering of the
boat, and at the same time to smuggle an extra breaker of water and a
bag or two of biscuits into her.

Then he turned again to me. "If you will not come with us, what will
you honourably do, my friend?" he demanded.

"Oh," said I, "I shall join the infantry officers below, and see what
they are going to do." And without further parley, I ran down the
ladder and made my way below to the saloon, where I found the six
officers sitting at the table, looking very pale and grave.

"Well, gentlemen," I cried, "here we are, in a nice little Russian trap.
What do you propose to do?"

"W