Tony looked at his friend as if to say, "Well, you're a good 'un," and, without venturing on a remark, stepped to the wall and returned with the traces which had already served as a rope. One of these was buckled round the dead man, and the other trace attached. Then both climbed into the loft and hoisted their burden after them. Another trip and the still unconscious figure of their enemy Petroff was dragged up beside them. The harness was returned to its peg, and with a hasty glance round to make sure that there was nothing about the shed to show that a struggle had taken place within it, Phil and Tony climbed into the hay-loft and sat down to regain their breath and rest after their exertions. Two hours passed almost in silence, when Phil suddenly slapped his knee and gave a sharp exclamation of delight. "We'll reach our friends yet, old man," he said enthusiastically. "I've thought the whole thing over and have decided what to do. At first I imagined that our best way would be to relieve these gentlemen of their clothing in exchange for ours. But it would not do. If we were captured it would mean a file of muskets at six in the morning, for we should certainly be condemned as spies." Tony grunted hoarsely, showing that he had a decided dislike to this arrangement. "But though we do not take their clothes, we will make free with their swords and ponies," continued Phil, "and so soon as it is dark we will get away from this. By riding at night, and making allowances for the wide detours we shall be compelled to undertake, we should reach our friends in three days at most. We have still a large piece of meat left, and with that and the bread that remains, and an occasional drink of water, we must be satisfied. Now we'll secure this fellow. Slip down and get some of that harness, like a brick, will you, Tony?" That evening, soon after dusk had fallen, two stealthy figures crept from the shed, and stole towards the outhouse in which the Cossack ponies were kept. The door was only latched, and, waiting merely to slip on the bridles and tighten the girths, the two adventurous Englishmen vaulted into the saddle and rode out into the night. They were not gone many minutes when the farmer, wondering at the prolonged absence of the Cossacks, and having seen them turn their ponies into the shed, came to see if the animals were still there, and, finding them gone, returned in anything but a pleasant mood to his house. "Those two brutes are gone, wife," he said testily. "They have not even thanked us for our hospitality, nor paid for the vodka which they drank. May it kill them then is all that I wish!"