‘Hallo!’ cried Jack, ‘what’s the matter I wonder?’
He poked out his head just as Sergius was heard calling, ‘Excellency, excellency, are you asleep?’
‘I was,’ replied Jack; ‘but am now awake.’
‘You can both come out,’ cried the delighted Sergius; and Jack and Linham did so.
They found they were in the open country, far away from Voronesh. The droshky stood behind them, and the driver was feeding his horses.
‘I dropped behind,’ said Sergius; ‘the others are now well ahead. We must do quickly what we have to do,’ and he produced a bundle containing complete suits of clothes, which he wanted Jack and Linham to assume. Jack at once consented, but Linham flatly refused.
He would wear no Russian clothes he said. If he were captured it should be as a soldier; he would run no risk of being shot as a spy. In the end he consented to wear a black astrakhan cap, and put on a light coat over his uniform, which quite altered his appearance.
Jack assumed the dress of a Russian trader; then, transferring several packages from the van to the droshky, Sergius bade Jack and Linham enter, and whipping up his horses, away they went southwards.
‘What will become of the van?’ asked Jack.
‘My boy will overtake the others, and travel with them as far as Moscow. There he will sell all and return to Teberti.’