“Wait till they are nearer. My pistol will have a better chance.”
The next moment there was a spurt of fire. He looked behind him to see if the countess had been hit, and for the first time saw that she was on her feet striking the horse with all her strength.
“Sit down!” he cried, and he seized the back of her coat and dragged her into the bottom of the sleigh beside him.
“Then shoot!” she gasped.
“If I could only kill the captain I wouldn’t mind arrest so much.”
“You must kill them all! All!”
“Why?”
“Because they——”
She broke off suddenly. She dared not tell him why. To tell him that they meant to kill him, would be to reveal to him that they were but the tools working out her design.
“You must kill them all! All!” she repeated frantically.