CHAPTER XXIV.A SEVERE REPRIMAND.
General Surgoff had word of General Burgoff’s approach long before the long line of troops appeared in sight. The former immediately made preparations to receive him.
It was an hour after the first troops came within view of the prison camp that General Burgoff and General Surgoff saluted each other. Then the latter extended his hand, but General Burgoff appeared not to see it.
Said the Siberian commander:
“If you will come to my quarters, sir, I shall be pleased to make you at home.”
“Thank you, sir,” was the reply, “but first I would deliver to you two prisoners whom I have picked up.”
He summoned his orderly. The latter went away and returned a few moments later with Jack and Boris, surrounded by a file of soldiers. At sight of them, General Surgoff’s eyes lighted up.
“Ah!” he exclaimed. “They escaped from here very recently, General Burgoff. I am indeed glad to have them back again, especially the young one. I shall teach him a lesson that he shall not forget if he lives to be a hundred; and with your permission, sir, I shall do it now.”
“I shall be glad to see the form of punishment you use in Siberia,” was the other’s reply.
Immediately the Siberian commander summoned two men, who it appeared were his official “lashers.” They came forward with their long whips, and cruel smiles on their features. General Surgoff indicated Jack with a gesture of his right arm.
“Strip him and give him thirty hard lashes!” he ordered.
The men sprang forward and laid hands on the lad, who submitted without a murmur. General Surgoff eyed him with an evil smile.
“So!” he exclaimed. “I have you back, eh? Well, before I am through with you, you will wish you had died in the snow. Hurry, men!”
The two men now stepped back and raised their whips. But before the first blow could be struck, General Burgoff sprang forward.
“Stop!” he commanded in a harsh voice.
Somewhat bewildered the men dropped their whips.
General Surgoff turned upon General Burgoff angrily.
“What do you mean, sir?” he demanded.
“I mean that things like this shall come to an end,” declared the other. “There will be no more of this brutality in Siberia, when it is in my power to stop it.”
“In your power, sir?” questioned General Surgoff. “You forget, sir, I am in command here. The punishment shall proceed. Apply the lash, men!”
“One moment,” said General Burgoff quietly, raising a hand.
Again the men dropped the whips they had raised. General Burgoff turned to the Siberian commander.
“I have allowed this matter to proceed thus far,” he said, “because I desired to see how you conducted matters here. I have seen enough. And besides having seen, I have heard. Your sword, sir!”
General Surgoff staggered back in utmost amazement.
“Wha—what’s that?” he demanded, hardly believing the senses of his own ears.
“Your sword, and at once,” said General Burgoff. “You may consider yourself under arrest, sir.”
A slow smile flitted over the other’s face, now that he was sure he had understood.
“You forget, sir,” he replied, “that I am in command here. I, sir, in turn, demand your sword for having interfered with your superior officer.”
General Burgoff laughed aloud.
“Surely,” he said, “you don’t think I would make such a demand without some assurance that I could enforce my orders. Come, sir, your sword, and quickly.”
“And by whose command do you act?” asked General Surgoff, somewhat uneasily.
“At the command of the Czar!”
General Surgoff again staggered.
“But—but——” he began.
“Silence,” interrupted General Burgoff. He drew a piece of paper from his pocket and passed it to the other. “By this,” he said, “I am empowered to relieve you of your command in Siberia and I have full authority to act in your place.”
General Surgoff read the paper and his eyes flashed dangerously. Suddenly he tore the paper into little bits and turned upon the other defiantly.
“There is your authority,” he said, and threw the fragments of paper to the wind. “You are powerless to touch me now.”
Again General Burgoff smiled.
“You are a fool,” he said pleasantly. “Why do you think I came here at the head of five thousand men? Either you will give me your sword this moment as a sign that you recognize my authority, or I shall put you and your entire command under arrest, if I have to shoot half of them down to do so.”
“But sir,” protested the other, “surely you will not humiliate me in the sight of my men.”
“You cannot be humiliated, sir,” was the reply. “You are too low for that. It gives me pleasure, sir, to tell you that you are a coward and a cur.”
General Surgoff’s hand dropped to his sword belt.
“No man can call me that,” he said, “and live.”
“But I do,” declared his successor. “I call you that and I shall live to see you brought before the Czar. Now sir, for the last time, your sword.”
Slowly General Surgoff drew his sword and seemed on the point of passing it to the officer who had relieved him of his command. But suddenly he raised it before him and sprang forward with a cry.
General Burgoff was taken completely off his guard. Not so Jack. He had been eyeing Surgoff closely and had half expected some such move. Therefore, at the moment the man leaped forward, so did Jack.
With his right hand the lad struck the officer’s arm and then closed with him. With a sudden movement he seized the arm that held the sword and he twisted it sharply. The sword went flying through the air and struck ten yards away, while the Russian sought in vain to free himself from the lad’s clutch.
At length, believing he had the man powerless, Jack released his hold and stepped back.
With a sudden movement the infuriated officer whipped out a revolver and aiming it directly at the lad, pressed the trigger.
Jack had seen the movement, but he was so surprised that he seemed to be rooted to the spot. He was unable to move.
But there had been another close witness of the struggle and the quick action of this watcher alone saved Jack’s life.
Frank had sprung suddenly forward and succeeded in knocking up the Russian’s arm at the very moment his finger tightened on the trigger.
Jack therefore emerged from the cloud of smoke unharmed.
Now Frank had grappled with the officer and was seeking to wrest the revolver from his hand. But the lad was no match for the big Russian. Jack sprang forward just in time to lend a helping hand and General Surgoff was subdued without much trouble.
“Now,” said General Burgoff to the deposed officer, “I shall have the pleasure of informing the Czar that you attempted to assassinate me. Do you realize what that will mean?”
General Surgoff made no reply, though he glared at the other angrily.
“By the way, General,” said Jack, stepping forward at that moment, “you haven’t forgotten the promise you made me, have you?”
General Burgoff smiled.
“No danger,” he returned. “I shall be an interested witness.”
He turned again to General Surgoff. “Surgoff,” he said, “did you ever hear of men fighting with their fists?”
“Yes,” was the answer, in a snarling voice. “I have had some such experience myself. I took boxing lessons under an English instructor. Why do you ask?”
“Because,” was the reply, “this young British officer here,” and he indicated Jack with a motion of his head, “tells me that he has a score to settle with you and that he would be glad to settle it by the use of his fists. If you are proficient in that art of fighting, so much the better. You may possibly save yourself a severe thrashing.”
“And you mean that you are going to consent to such a thing?” demanded the other.
“I am; most decidedly. Even now I can see the marks of the lash on this lad’s face. Certainly he is entitled to payment; and I intend to see that he gets it. If you refuse to fight, I shall have you lashed myself.”
General Surgoff eyed Jack keenly. The lad, though not as tall and broad as the officer, still was husky enough to give the general an idea that he would not be easily conquered. Besides, through long residence in Great Britain in his younger days, the officer had come to hold a great respect for the Englishman when it came to the use of fists. Still, compared with himself, Jack seemed small. Surgoff became possessed of the idea that he could overcome him.
“I’ll fight him,” he said in answer to General Burgoff’s last remark. “But I want to tell him now that he will be sorry he ever crossed my path.” Jack smiled pleasantly.
“Because of the chance that I shall have at you now,” he said, “I am glad that I encountered you. You may believe me, for every lash of the whip you have given me, you shall pay now. I will not let you off too easily.”
“You boast,” said the other. “It is unwise. Before I am through with you you will be crying another tune.”
“Perhaps,” said Jack quietly. “Well, General,” turning to General Burgoff, “whenever you say, sir.”
“It may as well be now,” was the reply. “Are you ready, Surgoff?”
“Yes.”
He stripped off his outer garments and rolled up his sleeves. Jack did likewise. Frank stepped forward.
“If you please, sir?” he said. “I would like to run this thing. I know more of boxing than you, sir.”
The general nodded his permission.
“Proceed,” he said.