Chapter XIV—CONCERNING THE VALUE OF HOSTAGES
THE noise in the house below ceased with ominous suddenness as I started to rush down in response to Helga’s cry for help.
What to do with our prisoners embarrassed me for a moment. Every one of us might be needed below, and my first idea was to leave the men as they were. But happily I did not do that.
“Ivan, you must come with me. M. Boreski, will you and the servant watch the men here and try to find some means of securing them?”
“There is plenty of rope in one of the rooms above,” said Ivan to the servant as we two hurried out.
The landing and stairs were dark, and we found the men we had left on the landing had clambered over to our side of the improvised barricade, where they were waiting, revolver in hand, in expectation of an attack from below.
“It is not safe to go down, my lord,” said one of them. “They are waiting for us below there.”
“Aren’t the women in danger, you cowards?” I cried angrily, my thoughts on Helga. “Follow me,” and I sprang over it and ran down.
“Mademoiselle, mademoiselle,” I called as I ran, but no answer came. Ivan kept by my side, and as we reached the bottom some men sprang right at us. There were six or seven of them at least, and for a few moments we were in the thick of a pretty stiff fight. All four of us were struck several times, and finding it impossible to beat them, desperately as we fought, we had to retreat, losing one of the two servants who was made a prisoner.