race their steps. They had gone but a short distance, when the loud
clattering of hoofs struck on their ears, and, looking round, they
caught sight of a horseman galloping towards them at headlong speed.

"Hurrah! that's Tom himself!" cried Archie; and Tom appeared from amid a
cloud of dust, riding as he had done many a day after the hounds in --
shire. He was within hailing distance, when a couple of hundred yards
or so behind him were seen a number of Cossacks in hot pursuit. Jack
ordered his men to fix bayonets, to be prepared to receive cavalry. As
Tom came galloping along, they opened to let him pass, when, not without
some difficulty, he pulled up at their rear.

"I've done them!" he exclaimed; "I was sure you would come to look for
me, though I little expected to find you so near at hand."

The Cossacks, of whom there were scarcely more than a dozen, and who had
by this time got within a hundred yards of them, on seeing the resolute
bearing of the British sailors, pulled up, and, after a moment's
hesitation, wheeling round their horses, galloped off, followed by a
shower of bullets.

"The only thing you have done wrong was to fire without my orders!"
exclaimed Jack; "reload, and now right-about face and march--double
quick time." The party, without a moment's delay, hurried back on the
road they had come.

"I'm afraid Mr Higson's in for it," said Tom. "The Cossacks had halted
for breakfast, when the thought came into my head that we might make our
escape while the men were all dismounted, and eating some horrid mess or
other, their horses being picketed some distance from them. I did my
best to persuade him to come too, but he never was much of a horseman,
and declared that he could not do it; though he told me to take my
chance, and that he would try and prevent anyone from following me. I
had already fixed my eyes on a horse. While the men were all engaged, I
sauntered up to where their steeds were tethered, and, before anyone had
observed me, I set a dozen or more of them at liberty, when, finding
that the men suspected what I was about, I leaped on the back of the one
I had fixed on, and, giving a loud shout, galloped off as fast as the
wind, with a troop of riderless horses scampering at my heels. I had
got a fine start, and intended to keep it, and it was not till just
before I caught sight of you that I knew I was pursued; still even then
I did not give up all hopes of escaping, though I litt