When I Was Czar

by Arthur W. Marchmont

It might be just a messenger from Boreski, or even Boreski himself; or, on the other hand, I persuaded myself very easily, it might spell danger. In either case I could do no harm by keeping a watch.

Clearly it was not Boreski, or any one from him, as in that case he would have ridden right up to the house. My ears might have deceived me, of course; but I was conscious of what some people term a creepy sensation as I accepted the other conclusion—that the matter did bode danger of some kind.

I was right too. I stood as still as a statue on my sentry go, and after some minutes I heard a light crunch of gravel under stealthily treading feet and saw a man creeping warily toward the house.

At the same moment I caught a glimpse of Helga. I could see from my place through the open window of the room where we had sat. I saw her enter the room, glance about her in surprise at not finding me there, and then cross to the window and peer into the dark garden.

The man at the gate saw her too, and drew back quickly. A very significant indication.

Helga stood a moment at the window, and then stepped out on to the verandah that ran along the house and looked about her as if seeking me. But I gave no sign of my presence, of course; and after a while she went back through the window, leaving it open, crossed the room with a quick step, and passed out of my line of sight.

Soon afterwards the man crept very cautiously and almost silently a short distance up the gravel walk, pausing at every step and looking about him as if to make certain he was unobserved.

When he was quite close to me he stopped, and I recognized him. It was Paul Drexel. For a moment a hundred possibilities connected with his visit at such a time and in such fashion rushed into my mind, and I was on the point of darting from my hiding-place and seizing him, when he turned and made a signal.

Following his gaze, I saw that two other men had entered the grounds and stood mute and motionless until he waved to them, when they crept up to his side. Then all three got on to the grass, well in the shadow of the trees, and held a whispered consultation.

I could not, of course, catch a word they said, but I saw them point to the open window; and when the consultation ended two of them stole like shadows round the skirt of the lawn under cover of the trees to the window, in front of which both lay flat on the ground.