that dated from the reign of John Casimir.
It was old and out of repair, rotten in many
parts, and full of dangerous holes partly
concealed by the snow, but it was a welcome
exchange for the broken surface of the moor, and
we sped on.

"You see that hill, doctor, due west, and
beyond the pine-wood, with a white cottage on
it, and some trees, and a flagstaff? That is
Prussian ground!"

I did see the low swell of sandy earth, rather
a mound than a hill, and yet visible for many
miles over the monotonous flat landscape. But,
between us and it was a dark stretch of forest,
beyond which gleamed something bright—
water! There was a river to ford, then, and
a wood to struggle through, but the distance
was not great. Emile spoke again, after a
glance to the rear.

"How those Cossack fellows are closing up!
How their ponies go! Steady! they have got
the range."

A shot came whizzing past us as Oginski
spoke, and I started as I heard the peculiar
hiss of the ball, blending with the loud and
threatening hurrah of the pursuers. I looked
round. They had gained on us, and were
fearfully near. Two more muskets were fired,
and then we plunged into the pine-wood, and
galloped up a narrow path that seemed to lead
towards the river. There was not room for us
to advance abreast, so we hurried on in single
file, stooping our heads to avoid the branches
that stretched across as if to bar our way, and
half blinded by the snow that we shook down
upon ourselves from bough and sapling. Behind
us were the Cossacks, yelling like hounds closing
on the prey, and firing random shots, in hopes,
no doubt, of crippling our horses. We pulled
up, panting and torn by bramble and branch, on
the bank of the river. It was not frozen. It
rolled on, deep and dark, but behind us were
the howls of the Russian troopers, and we could
not hesitate to plunge in.

"Head him for the spit of land yonder,
doctor; the bank is too steep to—Ah! the
game is up!"

A bullet from the bank mortally wounded
his gallant horse. The poor creature reared
and floundered, made an effort to swim on,
and then rolled over and sank, snorting,
beneath the cold water, which was crimsoned
with his blood. The soldiers set up a shout
of exultation. By great good fortune I had
contrived to catch Emile by the collar as he
sank, and to drag him free of the dying horse.
It was an awful moment, for the current was
strong, my horse was spent and frightened,
and made feeble way against it, and I,
encumbered as I was, could hardly keep my seat.
The Cossacks set up another shout, and, while
some plunged into the stream, others renewed
their fire.

"Save yourself, Burton; never mind me,"
gasped the young Pole, still up to his neck in
water; "save yourself, for they will give no
quarter!"

But I retained my grasp, and in an instant
more, to my great joy, the exhausted horse
touched the ground, and I urged him by voice
and heel up the slope, half dragging, half
supporting, my young patient, whose strength was
gone. The Prussian custom-house guard came
hurrying out of their huts, and their German
phlegm was surprised into something like
excitement, for they gave us a faint cheer as we
reached the striped flagstaff, and were safe from
our enemies.

"Your passports, Mein Herren? Then you
are prisoners in the name of his Majesty of
Prussia," said the sergeant who commanded the
post, swelling with official pomposity. For a
minute or two I began to fear that our dearly
bought liberty was about to be rudely cut short.
Emile, however, knew better than I did with
whom he had to deal, and, by a judicious investment
of part of the gold with which the
countess had supplied me, succeeded in
enlisting in our behalf the sympathies of the
Prussian guard, who, after all, had little love
for their Russian neighbours. Accordingly,
when, an hour later, the Cossacks crossed the
river, and an officer of Russian police came up
to demand, in the Czar's name, the extradition
of the deserter, Emile Oginski, the sergeant
demurred and diplomatised, asked for impossible
proofs, talked of writing for instructions
to head-quarters, and finally refused to give
up the fugitives until his "high-and-well-
born Herr Captain Inspector" should decide
the point.

Two hours later, we were suffered to hire a
peasant's cart, and to depart for Posen under the
nominal custody of a douanier, who left us in
the nearest village, wishing us a good journey
in return for a brace of golden Fredericks which
were slipped into his hand. With some little
difficulty, which tact and bribery smoothed
away, we managed to traverse Prussia, and at
Hamburg we embarked for England. I have
not much more to tell, except that my young
companion's state of health became such as to
induce his physician to order him to the south
of Europe, and that at Lisbon he was joined by
the Count and Countess Oginski, as soon as the
emperor would give permission to the former
to reside out of Russia. This was at length
obtained, partly, I believe, in consequence of an
unvarnished account of the circumstances of
Emile's desertion coming to the Czar's ears. At
any rate, after a year's time, it was intimated
that Count Emmanuel might please himself as
to his residence.

The parents of Emile were only too deeply
grateful to the English doctor for the service he
had rendered to their son. As I declined a considerable
annuity which the count pressed on my
acceptance, the countess proposed that I should
reside at Miklitz, as manager of the estate and
all its wealth of salt mines, with full powers and
a liberal salary. This offer I gladly closed with,
and I am happy to say that the value of the
property has steadily augmented under my
care: while Alice, whom this sudden accession