for Pere Alexis's place and, seeing the
reporter, stopped his carriage and called that he was going immediately
to the datcha.

"You have seen Pere Alexis?"

"Yes," said Koupriane. "And this time I have it on you. What I told you,
what I foresaw, has happened. But have you any news of the sufferers?
Apropos, rather a curious thing has happened. I met Kister on the Newsky
just now."

"The physician?"

"Yes, one of Trebassof's physicians whom I had sent an inspector to his
house to fetch to the datcha, as well as his usual associate, Doctor
Litchkof. Well, neither Litchkof nor he had been summoned. They
didn't know anything had happened at the datcha. They had not seen my
inspector. I hope he has met some other doctor on the way and, in view
of the urgency, has taken him to the datcha."

"That is what has happened," replied Rouletabille, who had turned very
pale. "Still, it is strange these gentlemen had not been notified,
because at the datcha the Trebassofs were told that the general's usual
doctors were not at home and so the police had summoned two others who
would arrive at once."

Koupriane jumped up in the carriage.

"But Kister and Litchkof had not left their houses. Kister, who had just
met Litchkof, said so. What does this mean?"

"Can you tell me," asked Rouletabille, ready now for the thunder-clap
that his question invited, "the name of the inspector you ordered to
bring them?"

"Priemkof, a man with my entire confidence."

Koupriane's carriage rushed toward the Isles. Late evening had come.
Alone on the deserted route the horses seemed headed for the stars; the
carriage behind seemed no drag upon them. The coachman bent above them,
arms out, as though he would spring into the ether. Ah, the beautiful
night, the lovely, peaceful night beside the Neva, marred by the wild
gallop of these maddened horses!

"Priemkof! Priemkof! One of Gounsovski's men! I should have suspected
him," railed Koupriane after Rouletabille's explanations. "But now,
shall we arrive in time?"

They stood up in the carriage, urging the coachman, exciting the horses:
"Scan! Scan! Faster, douriak!" Could they arrive before the "living
bombs"? Could they hear them before they arrived? Ah, there was
Eliaguine!

They rushed from the one bank to the other as though there were no
bridges in their insensate course. And their ears were strained for the
explosion, for the abomination now to come, preparing slyly in the night
so h