"Fool! What do I care about their method of reaching here?" snarled Stackanoff, turning on the trembling man. "They are prisoners. That is good enough. Bring them before me." "It's all up, Tony," whispered Phil. "We are to be brought before him." "Let him take care, that's all!" muttered Tony, looking daggers at the Russian. "I'll down the fellow yet." Stackanoff stared at them spitefully when they were marched in front of him, but for the moment did not recognise them. "Ha! what is this?" he suddenly exclaimed, gazing at Phil. "Your face I know. Who are you? Ah!--villain!" And suddenly realising that Phil was the Englishman who had thrown him from his saddle and brought him into disgrace, he drew his sword, and, mad with rage, threw himself upon him with tigerish fury. Phil was helpless. Another moment and he would have been cut down, when Tony grappled with the angry Russian, and, picking him up like a child, turned him upside-down, and, using all his strength, held him there, cursing and screaming with rage, and with his head resting on the floor. "Get hold of his sword, Phil," he shouted. "Now I'll let him up if he promises to behave." Phil snatched up the weapon, while Tony, now aided by a second prisoner, clung to the legs of the frantic Stackanoff, while the remainder looked on and laughed at the ridiculous scene till they were doubled up with merriment. "You can let him go now," said Phil quietly. "If he rushes at me again I shall set to work with my fists and give the brute a thrashing." Tony and his helper promptly released the inspector, and he doubled up in a heap on the floor. A second later he was on his feet, glaring savagely at Phil, his lips curling away from his teeth, and his hair and beard bristling with fury. But the steady stare with which Phil greeted him, and his air of preparation, caused the Russian to pause and think before attacking him again. "Viper! Wretched Englishman!" he hissed. "You shall pay bitterly for this insult. Ah, you are dressed now as an officer! You were a private before. Your friend too has different uniform. You are spies--spies!" he shrieked, with a hideous laugh. "Yes, the tale of the shipwreck is a lie, and you two have been sent here to learn our plans. Take them away. They shall be severely dealt with." "Where to?" asked the jailer, who had looked on anxiously at the scene, not knowing how to act. "Fool! To the cells, of course," Stackanoff cried. "We have an empty one. Place them there, and take this Frenchman too. He also is a spy;" and he glared at poor Pierre as though he would kill him. "What is it, monsieur?" the little man asked tremulously. "What are they about to do to ze prisonaires?" "He says we are spies," answered Phil. "Ah, spies! He make ze lie. Pierre is no spy. But they will not believe, and we shall all die!" The poor little man threw himself on the floor and howled dismally.