. When I saw that we must soon be
overtaken, I opened the treasure-chest took out great handfuls of gold
and silver, and flung them on the road. Of course, they could not let
stuff of that kind lie, and by the time they had scraped it all
together we were far away over hill and dale. On reaching the forest
of Pleskov the middle horse became lame, and I saw that I could not
hope to save both the money and the child. I should have had to
sacrifice either one or other. So I told the boy to clasp me tightly
round the neck, and away we fled together across the steppe. I had
previously turned the horses loose with the troika. No doubt the
Cossacks overtook the carriage with all the treasure. But I brought
the child here through the forests and across the moors, for I knew
that you would land here when you returned from the sea. But you are
not angry with me, Master, for bringing only the boy with me instead
of all the gold?"

As yet not a tear had risen to the rugged seaman's eyes. He sat
staring with frenzied look at the cruel brand upon his son's shoulder.
But suddenly, as Mashinka finished speaking, a flood of hot tears
burst from the father's eyes. He wiped them away. The white
handkerchief was stained with crimson spots. He held it up before the
girl's eyes.

"Remember!" he exclaimed in hollow tones, "once in your life you saw a
man weep tears of blood."

"Now," he added sternly, after a pause, "take the boy in your arms and
follow me."

"But whither are you going, Master?" asked the girl.

"Back again to the sea."

When Captain Von Ungern, with his child and Mashinka, regained the
deck of his vessel, the _Gladova Strela_, he found the plenipotentiary
of the Admiralty already on board. That official was charged with the
ukase depriving Feodor of his rank, and appointing his brother Zeno to
the post of frigate-captain in his place. The crew were looking on in
gloomy silence, ready for any turn which events might take.

"Throw both ukase and messenger into the sea!" shouted Feodor.

The order was exactly to the mind of the crew, and right promptly did
they execute it.

"And now," he called out, "which of you will come with me wherever I
may go?"

"We will all go with you against Hell itself!" shouted the men.

"Nay, my men; against the powers of Hell we will never fight, but only
against those of Heaven and Earth. Henceforth we will league ourselves
with all the fiends of Darkness and the Storm!"

The weat