seen the
debris of my oil shafts that had been burned by the Tartars, when I met
Gounsovski in the road, who, with two of his friends, found themselves
badly off with one of the wheels of their carriage broken. I stopped.
He explained to me that he had a Tartar coachman, and that this coachman
having seen an Armenian on the road before him, could find nothing
better to do than run full tilt into the Armenian's equipage. He had
reached over and taken the reins from him, but a wheel of the carriage
was broken." (Rouletabille quivered, because he caught a glance of
communication between Prince Galitch and Natacha, who was leaning over
the edge of her box.) "So I offered to take Gounsovski and his friends
into my carriage, and we rode all together to Bakou after Gounsovski,
who always wishes to do a service, as Athanase Georgevitch says, had
warned his Tartar coachman not to finish the Armenian." (Prince Galitch,
at the moment the orchestra commenced the introductory music for
Annouchka's new number, took advantage of all eyes being turned toward
the rising curtain to pass near Natacha's seat. This time he did not
look at Natacha, but Rouletabille was sure that his lips had moved as he
went by her.)

Thaddeus continued: "It is necessary to explain that at Bakou my little
house is one of the first before you reach the quay. I had some Armenian
employees there. When arrived, what do you suppose I saw? A file of
soldiers with cannon, yes, with a cannon, on my word, turned against my
house and an officer saying quietly, 'there it is. Fire!'" (Rouletabille
made yet another discovery--two, three discoveries. Near by, standing
back of Natacha's seat, was a figure not unknown to the young reporter,
and there, in one of the orchestra chairs, were two other men whose
faces he had seen that same morning in Koupriane's barracks. Here was
where a memory for faces stood him in good stead. He saw that he was not
the only person keeping close watch on Natacha.) "When I heard what the
officer said," Thaddeus went on, "I nearly dropped out of the drojki.
I hurried to the police commissioner. He explained the affair promptly,
and I was quick to understand. During my absence one of my Armenian
employees had fired at a Tartar who was passing. For that matter, he had
killed him. The governor was informed and had ordered the house to be
bombarded, for an example, as had been done with several others. I found
Gounsovski and told him the trouble i