Sandoff nerved himself for the ordeal. His cap was far over his eyes and the cape of his coat came well up about his ears, so he had little fear of recognition. He presented his rifle respectfully as the officer reached the spot. The latter contented himself with a nod and a brief glance, and was about to pass on when the rattle of hoofs echoed down the narrow street. Hearing this he stopped not six feet from Sandoff, and waited.
Presently half a dozen mounted Cossacks loomed out of the driving snow, and clattered down the street until they were opposite the prison. Then, catching a glimpse of the officer, their commander ordered a halt, and while the horses pranced restlessly from side to side, a brief conversation took place between the two.
“What luck, Captain Petrof?” asked the officer of the guard.
“None whatever, lieutenant,” was the reply. “The girl has probably perished from exposure by this time. Her body will be found after the first thaw.”
From this Sandoff inferred that the squad of Cossacks had been scouring the country in search of Vera. His ears were on the alert to catch every word, though at the same time he was enduring agonies of suspense lest the prying eyes of the Cossacks—which were frequently turned toward him—should discover the gaping hole in the wall that he was trying to hide.
The next question touched on a still more interesting subject.
“By the way, lieutenant,” said Captain Petrof suddenly, “I want to call your attention, while I think of it, to a grave mistake that was made a day or two ago—though it only came to my knowledge this morning. You know the convict Shamarin, who was brought up from the lower prison? Well, by some blunder he was placed in the same kamera with Sandoff, the one time Inspector of the Third Section. You know the connection between them—and by the way, it was this same girl that got Sandoff into trouble who escaped last night—the sister of Shamarin, you know.”
“That was indeed a serious blunder, Captain Petrof,” replied the lieutenant. “I will rectify it at once. I will remove Shamarin to another cell.”
“It will do the first thing in the morning,” suggested Captain Petrof.
“No, I will attend to it tonight,” returned the lieutenant firmly, “as soon as I have finished my round of inspection.”