The Boy Allies in the Baltic; Or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the CzarHayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
General
The Boy Allies in the Baltic; Or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the Czar
Hayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Baltic Sea -- Juvenile fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Juvenile fiction
"Shame on you!" cried Jack.
Jack spoke in English. Evidently the Russian, while not understanding
the lad's words, guessed their import. For a brief moment he hesitated;
then, drawing back his huge fist, he struck Jack a heavy blow on the
right cheek.
Jack staggered, but did not fall. He stood his ground, still facing the
big Russian, but there was a dark scowl on the lad's face. Again the
Russian stepped forward and raised a hand.
But before the blow could fall, Jack stooped a trifle, and thrusting his
head in front of him, charged. The Russian was unable to leap back in
time to avoid Jack, and the lad's head struck him squarely in the pit of
the stomach. The guard doubled up and fell to the bottom of the car,
gasping for air.
There was a murmur of approval from the other prisoners in the car; but
this was soon silenced, for half a dozen other guards, wielding revolver
butts and long whips, sprang in among them, and laid about lustily. The
prisoners could not fight, for their hands were bound, and there was
nothing for them to do but to stand and receive the blows stolidly. But
there was anger in their eyes and Jack knew that it would go hard with
one of the guards should a prisoner get a hold upon him.
For himself, he bore up bravely under the biting lashes of the whip that
curled about his face and legs, leaving great red welts. Eight, nine,
ten times, a whip wrapped around him; then, apparently thinking the lad
had had enough, the guard who had attacked him desisted.
Jack, braced for still another blow, staggered forward as the man drew
back, and evidently believing that the lad was about to attack him, the
Russian quickly drew a revolver, reversed the butt and struck Jack over
the head. It was a hard blow and the lad fell forward on his face. Once,
twice, he tried to regain his feet. Then a wall of blackness descended
upon him again and he knew nothing more, while the Russian turned his
attention to the other prisoners.
When Jack returned to consciousness the first thing to call itself to
his attention was the warmth. His last remembrance was of cold. He tried
to think, but for the space of several moments he could not piece
together the tangled chain of events that revolved and revolved in his
mind.
At length, however, as he took additional note of the pleasing warmth
and realized that his feet were no longer numb; that his ears were not
frozen and that he could breathe without the sensation of snuffing ice.
He was able, piece by piece, to recall what had transpired.
"By Jove!" he said at last. "By rights, I should be lying in an open car
and freezing while some great brute of a Russian stood over me with a
whip. Wonder where on earth I am?"
He raised himself on one elbow and looked around, but he could see
nothing. The place in which he found himself was pitch dark. The lad
thought he could now catch the sound of other voices, and he called out:
"Anybody here?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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