the next morning charlie was placed in a tent, in which lay several officers who had been wounded, either the night before or by shots from the town. he learned with great pleasure, upon questioning the doctor, that the swedes had got off safely in the darkness. some eight or ten men only had straggled and been made prisoners, and not more than twenty had been left dead on the field. he had the satisfaction, therefore, of knowing that the defence made by his own pikemen had been the means of saving the whole force. in other respects he had nothing to complain of, for he was well attended to, and received the same treatment as the russians.

for another ten days the roar of the cannon continued, some seventy guns keeping up an incessant fire on the town. at the end of that time the governor capitulated, and was allowed to march out with the honours of war.

only forty out of the brave garrison remained unwounded at the end of the siege. they, as well as such of their comrades as were strong enough to travel, passed through the lines of the russians, and marched to vyburg.

three weeks after being made a prisoner, charlie's wound was so far healed that the surgeon pronounced him able to sit a horse, and, under the escort of an officer and four cossacks, he was taken by easy stages to bercov, a prison fortress a short distance from moscow. he had inquired from the surgeon who attended him for doctor kelly. the doctor knew him, but said that he was not with the army, but was, he believed, away visiting some towns on the volga, where a serious pestilence was raging.

charlie remained but a short time at bercov. his wound was healing rapidly, and the surgeon who attended him assured him that there was every prospect of his making a complete cure, if he would but keep his arm, for some weeks, in a sling.

he had nothing to complain of, either as to his comfort or food. the governor, who spoke a little polish, visited him every day, and asked many questions as to his native country. on one of these visits he said to him:

"you asked me yesterday if i knew doctor kelly, one of the chief surgeons of the army, who, as you had heard, was at present on the volga. you mentioned that he was a friend of yours, and that you had made his acquaintance, when you were unlucky enough before to be a prisoner in our hands. i am sorry to say that i have today seen an official report, in which his name appears among the list of those who have fallen victims to the pestilence."

"i am sorry to hear that," charlie exclaimed; "both because he was very kind to me, and i liked him much, and because, in the second place, i was sure that he would have used his influence, with the czar, to obtain my exchange as soon as possible."

"it is very unfortunate," the governor said, "especially as these exchanges are of rare occurrence. a few officers may be taken prisoners on each side in the skirmishes, but the numbers are too small to make the loss of any importance, either to russia or sweden, and it is months since either have taken any steps to bring about exchanges. i myself have no influence. my appointment here is a sort of punishment, for having offended the czar by not having brought up my regiment in time to take part in the fight, when you attacked us at narva. i saved the regiment, but that was not regarded as any excuse for having been three days longer on the march than the czar expected; so i was sent here, as a sort of dismissal from active service.

"you know no one else who could move in your matter?"

"no one. the governor of the castle at plescow was a surly fellow, and was reprimanded by the czar, at least so i heard, for not having treated me sufficiently well. i was only three or four days there, and the only officer i saw besides doctor kelly was a friend of his, another doctor. he was at the table when i dined with kelly. he seemed to me to be a fine fellow, and, by the by, he did say jokingly that, if i was ever made prisoner again, i was to ask for him, and that he would do anything he could for me."

"what was his name?" the governor asked.

"peter michaeloff.

"do you know him?" he added, as he saw a look of surprise in the governor's face.

"i know one of that name," the governor said doubtfully, "i don't know that he is a doctor; though he may be, for he knows something of many things."

"oh, he was a doctor," charlie said confidently. "i know kelly said he could take off a limb as well as he could do it, himself."

"what sort of man was he?"

"he was a tall, strong man, with black hair and gray eyes. he has rather a positive way of talking, and seemed to have very strong opinions about things. he looked good tempered, but i should say that he could be passionate enough, if he were put out."

"that might be the peter michaeloff i know," the governor said. "you are sure he said that you were to ask for him, if you were a second time taken prisoner?"

"i am quite certain he said so, though i don't know whether the promise meant much. but he certainly spoke as if he thought he might be able to help me, and, though it did not seem likely that i could have such bad luck twice, i think he meant at the time what he said, and i should think he was the sort of man who would keep his word."

"i will make some inquiries," the governor said, "and find out, if i can, where he is at present. yes, i should think that he would be able to assist you, if he chose to interest himself in the matter."

ten days later, the governor came into charlie's room.

"an officer has arrived, with an order for your removal," he said. "you are to be taken up again to notteburg."

"i am very sorry," charlie said. "i have been very comfortable here. you have been very kind to me, and i feel sure the change will not be for the better. besides, we are nearly into september now, and in that marshy country round the lake and river, the winter will be even more severe than it is here. the only thing i can think of is that the swedes at vyburg may have taken a russian captain prisoner, and that they are going to exchange us."

the governor shook his head.

"there are no longer any swedes at vyburg. all ingria is in our hands and the swedes have retired into finland. it may be that it is the work of your friend. i sent a message to peter michaeloff, should he be found in that neighbourhood, by an officer who was going there, telling him that you were here, and that, having met him when a prisoner at plescow, you relied on his good offices. should the officer have found him there, and have given him my message, he may probably have begged the field marshal to order you to be taken to the prison there, where he could be near you, and visit you sometimes."

"your doctors must have a good deal more influence in your army than they have among the swedes," charlie remarked, "if that is how it has come about."

"it would be a matter of favour," the governor said. "if michaeloff is acquainted with the field marshal, or had attended him when unwell, he could ask a little favour of that sort. if the field marshal sent you here, he could send for you again without more trouble than signing his name to the order."

"well, if it is michaeloff who has done this," charlie grumbled; "no doubt he meant it kindly, but i would much rather that he left me here. a ride of two hundred and fifty miles, in august, is not pleasant to begin with, and the thought of winter in those swamps is enough to make one shiver."

"with a comfortable room and a warm stove, you will not find much to complain of, captain carstairs," the governor said with a smile; "and, no doubt, michaeloff may be enabled to obtain leave for you to go out with him on parole. i was about myself to ask you, now that you are strong and well again, whether you would like to give your parole, and offer you the use of my horse for a ride, when inclined for it."

"thank you, governor. if michaeloff can do that, it will certainly be a boon, but i am not disposed to agree that the change can be his work. in the first place, we don't know that he is there. in the second, i can hardly think that he could have managed it; and, most of all, i do not see he could possibly have had a hand in the matter, for, even supposing the officer had found him directly he arrived, and then given him the message, and he had acted upon it at once, there would have been no time for the order to get here. it would have needed a messenger riding night and day, with frequent relays of horses, to have got to notteburg and back since the day i spoke to you about the matter.

"when am i to start?"

"as soon as you have eaten your breakfast. the order says 'send at once,' and field marshals expect their orders to be attended to promptly."

on descending to the courtyard after breakfast, charlie was surprised to see that, instead of a horse as he had expected, a well-appointed carriage, with an ample supply of rugs, was standing there. the governor was there to see him off.

"well, sir," charlie said. "if this is the way in which you convey prisoners from one place to another in russia, i shall certainly be able, when i meet king charles, to report to him most favourably as to the treatment of his officers who have fallen into the czar's hands. this will make the journey a very much more pleasant one than i had expected."

"i am glad you are pleased," the governor said, "and that you have no unpleasant recollection of your stay here."

a minute later, the carriage dashed out through the gate of the prison. an officer was seated by charlie's side, two cossacks galloping in front, while two others rode behind.

"it was worth making the change, if only for this drive," charlie thought cheerfully, as the dust flew up in a cloud before the horses' hoofs, and he felt a sense of exhilaration from the keen air that blew in his face.

the journey was performed with great rapidity. one of the cossacks galloped ahead, as soon as they arrived at the station where they changed horses, and had fresh ones in readiness at the next post house. the cossacks themselves were changed at every other station, fresh relays from the men stationed there taking their place. excellent meals were served three times a day, and each night a comfortable bed was provided, at the last post house where they stopped.

the officer was a pleasant fellow, but he spoke nothing except russian, and, although charlie fancied he understood him to some extent when he spoke to him in polish, he shook his head and gave no answers in that language.

late in the evening of the third day, they arrived at notteburg. the building at which the carriage stopped was of considerable size. it stood in the heart of the town, and had no outward appearance of a prison. it was apparently at a side entrance at which they stopped. on the officer knocking at the door, it was opened by two cossacks, who, after exchanging a few words in russian with the officer, led charlie along a passage and up a narrow staircase, which led into a somewhat spacious corridor. they opened a door, and he found himself in a comfortable room. a table laid for dinner with handsome silver and appointments stood in the middle of the room, which was carpeted with tartar rugs. one of the cossacks opened an inner door, which led into a bedroom, snugly furnished.

"it must be the doctor, after all," charlie murmured to himself, in great surprise. "i see now that there was plenty of time for a letter to come up here and have gone back again, and i suppose the good fellow has got leave for me to stay for a night in his quarters, before i am handed over to the prison. well, for the last three days i have travelled like a prince, and this is the closing act of it."

he enjoyed a good wash, then returned to the other room, and sat down in a comfortable chair to wait for his host. he was on the point of dozing off, when the door opened, and peter michaeloff entered. charlie sprang to his feet.

"well, captain carstairs," the russian said, holding out his hand, "so it seems you had bad luck again. you must have quite an affection for our prisons."

"i shall have, at least, a pleasant remembrance of the kindness shown to me as a prisoner," charlie said; "and i am sure it is you that i have to thank for my transfer here, and for the pleasant journey i have had. i could not have travelled more comfortably, if i had been a russian grandee."

"well, i am glad to meet you again," the doctor said heartily. "let me see, it is some twenty months since we supped together last at kelly's quarters. poor fellow! i shall miss him greatly. you have heard of his death?"

"the governor of bercov told me of it, a fortnight ago. i was indeed sorry to hear it. i shall never forget his kindness to me."

"yes, he was a good man, skilful in his profession, and full of zeal and energy. the blood runs faster somehow, in the veins of you islanders, than of us sluggish muscovites. if we could but at one sweep banish every russian official, from the highest to the lowest, and fill their places with men from your islands, what progress we should make, what work could we get done, what reforms could be carried out!

"however, at present," he went on, changing the subject abruptly, "the point is supper. i am as hungry as a bear, for i have been at work since daylight, and have eaten nothing since i broke my fast."

he rang a handbell placed on the table. two cossacks entered bearing dishes, and the doctor and his guest at once fell to on the supper, which was excellent.

"hard work deserves good food," the russian said, in reply to a remark of charlie's as to the excellence both of the food and wine. "your charles does not think so, i hear, and lives on the roughest of food. what will be the consequence? he will wear himself out. his restless activity will exhaust his powers, and weaken his judgment. i can eat rough food if i can get no better, but i take the best, when opportunity offers.

"what have you been doing ever since you left plescow? i inquired after you the other day, when our troops broke up schlippenbach's force on the embach. i found you were not among the prisoners, and i wondered if you were among the killed."

"i was not in livonia at the time. i was with the king's army at warsaw. three regiments were sent off, the day after the battle of clissow, by boats down the vistula, and then by ship to revel. mine was one of them, but we arrived a fortnight too late."

"then you were present at charles' third victory? how that young fellow handles his troops, and what wonderful troops they are! now we will get into our easy chairs again, and you shall tell me something about what you have been doing, since we last met."

charlie gave a sketch of his adventures.

"so you fought at the dwina, too? you have had luck in going through three battles without a wound."

when charlie stated that he had gone to warsaw on a private mission, whose nature was immaterial to the story, the doctor broke in:

"you need not tell me what it was, it was of course something to do with augustus. the way charles is hunting down that unfortunate king is shocking, it is downright malignity. why, he has wasted fifteen months over it already, and it has cost him ingria. he could have made any terms with poland he liked, after his victory on the dwina, and would then have been free to use all his forces against us. as it is, he has wasted two summers, and is likely to waste another, and that not for any material advantage, but simply to gratify his hatred against augustus; and he has left us to take ingria almost without a blow, and to gain what russia has wanted for the last hundred years, a foothold on the baltic. he may be a great general, but he is no politician. no real statesman would throw away solid advantages in order to gratify personal pique."

"he considers augustus the author of this league against him," charlie said. "he and the czar had no grounds at all of quarrel against him."

"we talked over that, the last time we met," the doctor said with a laugh, "and i told you then that a foothold on the baltic was so necessary to russia, that she would have accepted the alliance of the prince of darkness himself to get it. as to augustus, i don't defend him. he was ambitious, as i suppose most of us are. he thought he saw an opportunity of gaining territory. he has found that he has made a mistake, and will of course lose a province. but charles' persecution of him goes beyond all bounds. never before did a sovereign insist upon a nation consenting to dethrone its king at his dictation.

"but go on with your story."

he listened without remark, until charlie concluded.

"i wish you had been in our service," he said, "instead of that of sweden. you would have mounted fast. you have all the requisites for success, above all, promptitude of decision and quickness of invention. you did well in getting away from that jewish scoundrel in the hut, and in killing his master, but it was your adventure with the wolves that showed your quality. that idea of setting fire to the tree in which you were sitting, in order at once to warm yourself and to frighten away the wolves, would never have occurred to a russian, and the quickness with which you formed, with three logs, a redoubt against the wolves, showed a quick military eye, and the ability to think and act in a moment of danger.

"now tell me how it was that you were the only officer captured the other day."

charlie briefly related how he, with the pikemen of his company, had stayed behind to check the pursuit of the russian horse, and to gain time for the main body to lose themselves in the darkness. the russian struck his fist on the arm of his chair.

"it was well done," he said. "there is the difference. a russian captain would have done it, if he had been ordered, and he and his men would, without a question, have sacrificed themselves to cover the retreat of the rest, but he would never have done it on his own initiative. the idea would never have struck him. he would have plodded along until the enemy's cavalry came up and annihilated them all. by the way, why did you not ask for me at once?"

"i had asked for doctor kelly the day after i was taken prisoner, and was told that he had gone to the volga. i thought that he would be back before long, and it was only when i heard of his death that it occurred to me to endeavour to find one who had kindly promised, after a few hours' acquaintance only, to befriend me should i ever find myself in a similar scrape."

"it would have saved you the journey down to moscow. i heard, of course, that a swedish captain had been made prisoner that night, but i was myself at moscow at the time, and did not happen to notice the name of the officer taken. were you well treated at bercov?"

"the governor there was most kind, and all the arrangements of the prison seem excellent. i had no reason whatever to complain. the governor was good enough to come frequently himself to talk to me. he is a fine soldierly man, and though he did not say much, i think he is eating his heart out at being laid on the shelf there, instead of aiding to fight the battles of his country."

the russian took out a pocketbook and made a note, then he rose.

"it is time for bed," he said. "i am up at daybreak."

"i hope i shall see you often in the prison," charlie said. "i suppose i shall go in there tomorrow morning. i am indebted to you, indeed, for the very great kindness you have shown me."

"no, you will not go in early. i have got leave for you for another day, and i am going to take you for a drive in the morning. you will be called an hour before sunrise. take your breakfast as soon as you are dressed. do not wait for me. i have work to do before i start, and shall breakfast elsewhere."

as soon as charlie had breakfasted the next morning, a cossack told him that the carriage was below, and he followed him to the door where he had entered on the previous evening. the carriage was a simple one, but the three horses harnessed abreast to it were magnificent animals. charlie stood admiring them for some little time.

"i should think," he said to himself, "the doctor must be a man of large property, and most likely of noble family, who has taken up his profession from pure love of it. he is evidently full of energy, and has an intense desire to see russia greater and higher in the rank of nations. i suppose that, like kelly, he is one of the principal medical officers in the army. certainly he must be a man of considerable influence to obtain my transfer here so easily, and to see that i travelled so comfortably. i wonder where he is going to take me this morning."

four or five minutes later charlie's friend appeared at the door. he was evidently out of temper. he sprung hastily into the vehicle, as if he had altogether forgotten that he had asked charlie to accompany him.

then, as his eye fell on him, he nodded and said briefly, "jump in."

a little surprised at the unceremonious address, charlie sprang into the seat beside him without hesitation, seeing that his companion was evidently so much out of temper that he was not thinking of what he was doing at the moment. the coachman cracked his whip, and the spirited horses went off, at a rate of speed that threatened danger to persons traversing the narrow streets of the town. the cracking of the coachman's whip, and an occasional loud shout and the jangling of the bells, gave, however, sufficient warning of their approach.

charlie smiled at the alacrity with which every one sprang out of the way, and either leapt into doorways or squeezed themselves against the wall. he was surprised, however, to see that not only did the townspeople show no resentment, at the reckless pace at which the carriage was driven, but that the soldiers, officers as well as men, cleared out as quickly, and without any expression of indignation or anger.

indeed, most of them, as soon as they gained a place of safety, saluted his companion.

"these russians have evidently a higher respect for their doctors than have the swedes," he said to himself. "i am sure that not even the chief surgeon of the army would be treated with anything like the same respect, and, indeed, no one would recognize him at all, if he were not in uniform."

the doctor seemed to pay no attention to what was passing round him, but was muttering angrily to himself. it was not until they dashed out into the open country that he seemed to remember charlie's presence at his side.

"these people are enough to vex one of the saints, by their stupidity," he said. "unless they have some one standing behind them with a whip, they cannot be trusted to do what they are told. it is not that they are not willing, but that they are stupid. no one would believe that people could be so stupid. they drive me well nigh to madness sometimes, and it is the more irritating because, against stupidity, one is powerless. beating a man or knocking him down may do him good if he is obstinate, or if he is careless, but when he is simply stupid it only makes him more stupid than before. you might as well batter a stone wall.

"you slept well and breakfasted well, captain carstairs?"

"excellently well, thank you. what superb horses you have, doctor."

"yes. i like travelling fast. life is too short to throw away time in travelling. a busy man should always keep good horses."

"if he can afford to do so," charlie said with a laugh. "i should say that every one, busy or not, would like to sit behind such horses as these, and, as you say, it would save a good deal of time to one who travelled much. but three such horses as these would only be in the reach of one with a very long purse."

"they were bred here. their sire was one of three given by the king of england to the czar. the dams were from the imperial stables at vienna. so they ought to be good."

charlie guessed that the team must have been a present from the czar, and, remembering what doctor kelly had said of the czar's personal communications with him, he thought that the ruler of russia must have a particular liking for doctors, and that the medical profession must be a more honoured and profitable one in russia than elsewhere.

after driving with great rapidity for upwards of an hour along the banks of the neva, charlie saw a great number of people at work on an island in the middle of the river, some distance ahead, and soon afterwards, to his surprise, observed a multitude on the flat, low ground ahead.

"this is what i have brought you to see," his companion said. "do you know what they are doing?"

"it seems to me that they are building a fortress on that island."

"you are right. we have got a footing on the sea, and we are going to keep it. while charles of sweden is fooling away his time in poland, in order to gratify his spite against augustus, we are strengthening ourselves here, and never again will sweden wrest ingria from our hands."

"it is marvellous how much has been done already," charlie said, as he looked at the crowd of workmen.

"everything was prepared," his companion said. "while the army was invading livonia, and driving the remnant of the swedes into revel, thousands of carts laden with piles of wood, stone, and cement were moving towards ingria. tens of thousands of workmen and peasants were in motion from every part of russia towards this point, and, the day after notteburg surrendered, they began their work here. it was the opportunity in the lifetime of a nation, and we have seized it. the engineers who had, in disguise, examined it months ago, had reported that the island was covered at high tides, and was unfit to bear the foundations of even the slightest buildings. piles are being driven in, as close as they will stand, over every foot of ground in it. over this a coating of concrete many feet thick will be laid, and on this the fortress, which is to be the centre and heart of russia, will rise. in the fort will stand a pile, which will be the tomb of the future czars of russia, and there in front of us, where you see fifty thousand peasants at work, shall be the future capital of the empire."

"but it is a swamp," charlie said in astonishment, alike at the vastness of the scheme, and the energy with which it was being prosecuted.

"nature has made it a swamp," his companion said calmly, "but man is stronger than nature. the river will be embanked, the morass drained, and piles driven everywhere, as has been done in the island, and the capital will rise here. the fort has already been named the fortress of saint peter and saint paul. the capital will be named alike after the patron saint and its founder--petersburg."

they had now reached the spot. the carriage stopped and they alighted. charlie saw, with astonishment, that a wide deep cut had been driven, between the road and the river, in a straight line. looking down into it, he saw that it was paved with the heads of piles, and that carts were already emptying loads of concrete down upon it.

"every bag of cement, every stone that you see, has been brought from a great distance," his companion said. "there is not a stone to be had within fifty miles of this spot. the work would seem well-nigh impossible, but it is the work of a nation. in another month, there will be a hundred and fifty thousand peasants at work here, and well nigh as many carts, bringing materials for the work and provisions for the workers."

"it is stupendous! but it will take years to complete, and it will surely be terribly unhealthy here?"

"i calculate the work will occupy ten years, and will cost a hundred thousand, maybe two hundred thousand lives," the other said calmly; "but what is that to the making of a nation? before, russia was stifled, she could not grow. now we have a communication with the world. the island that lies at the mouth of the neva will be fortified, and become a great naval arsenal and fort. along the walls which will rise here will be unloaded the merchandise of europe, and in exchange the ships will carry away our products. some day we shall have another port on the south, but for the present this must suffice. you will say that this is dangerously near our frontier, but that will soon be remedied. as we have pushed the swedes out of ingria, so in time shall we drive them from livonia on the west, and from finland on the north.

"but i must to work."

and he motioned to a group of five or six officers, who had been standing a short distance away, to approach him.

charlie was struck with the air of humility with which they saluted his companion, who at once asked a number of questions as to the supplies that had arrived, the progress that had been made, at a point where they had met with a deep slough into which the piles had penetrated without meeting with any firm ground, the number of huts that had been erected during the past three days for the reception of labourers, the state of stocks of meat and flour, and other particulars. to each he gave short, sharp orders. when they had left, he turned to charlie.

"you guess who i am, i suppose?"

"i guess now, your majesty," charlie said respectfully, "but until now the idea that my kind friend was the czar himself never entered my mind. i understood, from doctor kelly, that you were a surgeon."

"i don't think he said so," the czar replied. "he simply said that i could perform an amputation as well as he could, which was not quite true. but i studied surgery for a time in holland, and performed several operations under the eyes of the surgeons there.

"i saw that you did not recognize my name. it is known to every russian, but doubtless you never heard of me save as peter the czar. directly you mentioned it to the commandant at bercov, and described my appearance, he knew who it was you were speaking of, and despatched a messenger at once to me. he will be here in the course of a week or so. upon your report of the state of the prison, i at once despatched an order for him to hand over his command to the officer next in rank, and to proceed hither at once. he is evidently a good administrator, and heaven knows i have need of such men here.

"i was pleased with you, when i saw you with my friend doctor kelly. it was pleasant not to be known, and hear a frank opinion such as you gave me, and as you know, i sent you back on the following morning. i certainly told kelly, at the time, not to mention who i was, but i did not intend that he should keep you in ignorance of it after i had left, and it was not until i heard, from your jailer at bercov, that you were ignorant that peter michaeloff was the czar, that i knew that he had kept you in ignorance of it until the end.

"i should have liked to have kept you as my guest for a time, but winter comes on early and suddenly, and if you did not go now you might be detained here until the spring. i have therefore given orders that one of the swedish vessels we captured on the lake should be got in readiness, and its crew placed on board again. you shall embark in an hour, and it shall carry you to any port in sweden you may choose. the wind is from the east, and you have every chance of a quick run thither."

charlie expressed his warm thanks to the czar for his thoughtful kindness.

"i have much to do now," the czar said, "and must hand you over to the care of one of my officers. he will accompany you, in my carriage, to the spot where the vessel is lying, near the mouth of the river, and will there see you on board. should the fortune of war again throw you into our hands, do not lose an hour in sending a message to peter michaeloff."

so saying, the czar shook hands with charlie, beckoned an officer to him and gave him instructions, and then moved away among the workmen, while charlie, with his conductor, took their places in the vehicle and drove rapidly off.

an hour later, he was on board the swedish vessel, whose master and crew were delighted at their sudden and unlooked for release. the former was overjoyed, for the vessel was his own property.

"you will find your things in your cabin, sir," he said. "they were sent on board this morning, together with food and wine sufficient for a month's voyage, whereas, with this wind, we ought not to be more than four days. at which port will you land?"

"i would rather go to gottenburg, captain, though it is farther for you than stockholm."

"it shall be gottenburg, sir. it is thanks to you that i have got my liberty and my ship, and a day or two can make no difference to me."

charlie, indeed, had thought the matter over as he drove along. he would not be able to rejoin the army until it had gone into winter quarters, and therefore decided that he would go to gottenburg, apply for six months' leave, and spend the winter with his father. somewhat puzzled at the mention of his things having gone on board, he went into the cabin, and found there a handsome pelisse trimmed with costly furs, two robes composed of valuable skins, and a change of clothes.

the wind held fair, blowing strongly, and four days later he arrived at gottenburg.