"
And scarcely had he uttered those words when there was the flash of a
rifle from the haze, a loud report, and again a bullet whizzed past just
behind my head. In an instant the truth became apparent, for I saw the
dark shadow of a boat rapidly rowed, bearing full upon us. The shot had
been fired as a signal that we had been sighted, and were pursued. Other
shots rang out, mingled with the wild exultant shouts of the guards as
they bore down full upon us, and then I knew that, notwithstanding our
escape, we were now lost. They were too close upon us to admit of
eluding them. The peril we had dreaded had fallen. The Finn's presence
on the bank had evidently been detected by a boat drawn up at the shore,
and he had been followed to where we had lain in what we had so
foolishly believed to be a safe hiding-place. Nought else was to be done
but to face the inevitable. Three times the red fire of a rifle belched
angrily in our faces, and yet, by good fortune, neither of us was
struck. Yet we knew too well that the intention of our pursuers was to
kill us.
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