s sorry now that he had not confined himself to begging
the Prince through her to allow him decent burial and to send word to
the German General Staff. These last wishes would, perhaps, have not
been impossible of fulfilment, and he did not doubt that his amiable
Russian acquaintance would have gladly rendered him this trifling
service.

The word of command rang out, and the soldiers posted opposite to him
had already, with clank and rattle, shouldered arms, when from the
other side a loud peremptory shout reached Heideck's ear, and he saw a
horseman in Russian dragoon's uniform dashing up, in whose dark red face
he immediately recognised the Prince Tchajawadse.

Close before Heideck he reined in his dripping charger and sprang from
the saddle.

"Little brother! little brother!" he cried, quite breathless from his
ride in such hot haste, clasping, with genuine Russian impetuosity, his
friend, whom he had found again under such strange circumstances, to
his breast. "By all the saints--I should think it was quite time that I
came!"

Then, turning to the astonished officer commanding the firing squad--

"There must be a mistake here. No harm must happen to this gentleman,
for he is not only a personal friend of my own, but he is also a
comrade, an officer of the allied German army."

The lieutenant shrugged his shoulders.

"I have to carry out my orders, Colonel! I can undertake no
responsibility for any mistakes on the part of my superior officers or
of the court-martial."

"I take, then, all the responsibility on my own shoulders for preventing
you from carrying out your instructions, lieutenant! This gentleman will
accompany me, and I give my guarantee for him."

He gave his horse to one of the soldiers, linked his arm in that of
Heideck, and took him off to the tent he occupied in the camp, giving
the while most exuberant expression to his delight at having seen him
again. The breakfast, from which Georgi's message had startled him, was
still on the table, and Heideck needed not much encouragement to partake
of it; for only now he properly realised how much he was in want of
bodily sustenance. Prince Tchajawadse would not hear of any thanks for
what he had done; but when Heideck asked him if he had really correctly
understood that the Prince had spoken of an alliance between the Russian
and German armies, the latter was not slow to give all information on
this head.

"Yes! yes!--it is the fact! The German