They shouted to me to stop, but I took no heed. Some superhuman strength seemed to possess me, and I ran swiftly and lightly over the snow towards the house. Gradually they drew nearer, and then I heard the report of a rifle, but finding myself unhurt, I redoubled my pace. As the triumphant yells of the galloping Cossacks broke upon my ears, I gained the rear of the house and halted for a moment to discover some safe retreat. There was none. The doors were fastened as they had been on the day before. Not a moment was to be lost, for already I heard the thud of the horses’ hoofs upon the snow. I had to choose between a brief life of horrible torture that would follow my recapture, and instant death! I chose the latter. Glancing round wildly, I sought means of suicide. As I did so the yelling soldiers, with revolvers drawn, came tearing round the side of the house. “Surrender! or we’ll fire!” they cried. I looked determinedly into their faces. It was a case of life or death, and they were driving me to the latter. Before they could anticipate my intention or level their weapons at me, I made a dash for a deep well, situate about twenty yards distant, shouting in my despair— “I’ll kill myself rather than go back!” A moment later I had jumped headlong into it. How long I remained in a state of semi-consciousness I had no idea. I remember lying silent and motionless listening to the voices of the soldiers above, and scarce daring to breathe. “See!” cried one, “it’s useless to get him out. His neck is broken or he could never be crushed into a heap like that.” The second man suggested that I might be merely stunned, but the third exclaimed— “He’s dead enough, poor devil. Why should we trouble ourselves to take him out? Leave that work for the post-house keeper when he returns.” “He was no fool either,” observed the first man grimly. “I should kill myself if I had the same choice.” Although the second man did not persist in his demand for my extrication, he fired his revolver down the well, afterwards remounting and riding slowly back with his companions. When I thought they had departed I rose, and to my intense delight found myself uninjured. The well being frozen, the ice was covered with a thick layer of snow, and this had considerably diminished the concussion of my fall. The Cossack’s bullet had not struck me, and beyond a bruise on my elbow I was none the worse for my reckless leap. At this moment I discovered that the chain used to draw up water was unwound from the windlass and suspended close to my hand. With an exclamation of joy I grasped it, and after ascertaining that it was fast at the top, quickly clambered to the surface and in a few moments again stood before the post-house.