BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 8 1
transpired in the little courtyard ; heard it and prayed and listened, looked up to the sky, and had seen nothing. Once he was on the point of ascending to the daylight, but hear- ing that Ferrari had a prisoner, who of course would be bound, did not consider his assistance necessary ; then he had gone back into the cavern to reassure Deborah and to bring some weapon away he knew not why, so bewildered was he. When he returned all was still ; he heard, as he thought, hard breathing, and thought perhaps Ferrari had executed his prisoner, and was waiting to learn the outcome of the attack on the old house.
" Andrea Ferrari I " he called in a soft voice. No reply. " Andrea ! " he exclaimed. No answer. Now louder, " Andrea Ferrari, my dear friend ! Art thou there ? "
Then the old man crept from his hiding-place and peered out above the coping stone of the well. There lay the two combatants. He issued forth and hurried to Ferrari. At the same time he glanced cautiously at the enemy, taking also the precaution to unsheathe the knife he had brought from his retreat. The Russian was dead. Ferrari moved and sighed. Moses Grunstein knelt down beside him and poured down his throat a measure of brandy from a flask at his girdle. The Italian sighed more deeply and opened his eyes. For a moment there was a look of agony in them; it gradually changed into a smile, and then he struggled painfully to his feet.
At the same time the mob thundered upon the great oaken door with a din of terrible resolution.
11 Come, my son, come ! " said the old man, " or we are lost."
" Yes," said Ferrari ; " thank God in the meantime that we are saved."
As he looked up and uttered this brief prayer he turned the Russian over with his foot and spat upon the bleeding body.
