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Never saw I Maurice of Saxe in such a rage as at this scandalous breach of military honor. He roared out his wrath like a wild bull oh, the lion voice of him! The old towers and escarpments echoed with it. When he grew a little calm he said to Gaston Cheverny: "Bring Bibikoff to me. I warrant this traitor will not hesitate to trust my word."
Bibikoff, barbarian that he was, withered under this reproof. Count Saxe, however, controlled his anger enough to fool Bibikoff to the top of his bent. He pretended to be ready to surrender; asked for ten days in which to remove his baggage and ammunition and Bibikoff consented.
We were obliged to trust them partly, and I thought it best to trust them wholly. Therefore I had my men bring forward the two leathern bags. Colonel Pintsch wrote a receipt, meanwhile gravely assuring me that the money would go to the defense fund for Courland, and he would certainly inform General Bibikoff of the whole affair.
He was a great bear of a man, with a goatlike face, very dirty and unshaven, but splendidly dressed. There was present at that interview no one except Count Saxe, General Bibikoff, Gaston Cheverny and myself. When Bibikoff's bandage over the eyes was removed he found himself standing before Count Saxe, from whose eyes sparks seemed to be flying.
One week went by, and then another, and we heard nothing of Francezka and Gaston. We had other things to give us thought, for we got news that Bibikoff was looking for us, with four thousand Russians, and, as soon as we were found, General Lacy was to step in and finish us if he could.
However, passing that over, I will admit that we are just half a day's march from here and looking for General Bibikoff every hour." "Pray make General Bibikoff my compliments when you meet him," replied Count Saxe, gravely. "And since your prisoners can be reached to-night, not a moment must be lost in setting out."
After some time he was visited by Prince Bibikoff, the governor-general of that section of the country, one of the men whose names are most associated with the sufferings of Poland: he tried by intimidation and persuasion to induce the prisoner to reveal his projects and the names of his associates. Piotrowski held firm, but the prince on withdrawing ordered his chains to be struck off.
We had great stores of arms and ammunition, together with some heavy guns these last conveyed to the island by a miracle of ingenuity and determination and we had victuals in abundance. It began to look as if we could give Bibikoff and his Russians, and even Lacy, some trouble yet to get us out of Courland.
Such is war one moment changes the face of all things. Then we heard the Russian trumpets calling to us again. For the third time that night Gaston Cheverny was sent across the lake. He returned with a letter from General Lacy; for he had overtaken Bibikoff, and was on the heels of him when supposed to be two days' march behind.
Count Saxe read this letter in the same tower room where he had talked with Bibikoff. General Lacy knew Maurice of Saxe well. He knew that, give him ten days' time and all the Russians, aided by Satan himself, could not make him surrender.
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