At the end of two hours the sentries were to change places and in two
hours more they were to be relieved by a detachment from the night
patrol. This arrangement had been foreseen by Soudeikin, and it had been
settled that the rescue was to be attempted as soon as the guard had
been changed.
This would give the prisoners time to get a brief but much needed rest
after their long and miserable journey from Perm penned up like sheep in
iron-barred cattle trucks, and it would leave the drowsiest part of the
night, from four o'clock to sunrise, for the hazardous work in hand.
"That is a pretty girl you have there, captain," said Colston, as the
officer returned to the sitting-room. "Is she for the mines or Sakhalin? "
"For Sakhalin by sentence, but as a matter of fact for neither, as far
as I can see."
"You mean that the Little Father will pardon her or give her a lighter
sentence, I suppose."
The officer grinned meaningly as he replied--
"Nu Vot! That is hardly likely. What I mean is that Captain Kharkov, who
is in command of the convict train from here, has had instructions to
convey her as comfortably as possible, and with no more fatigue than is
necessary, to Tchit, in the Trans-Baikal, and that he is also charged
with a letter from the Governor of Perm to the Governor of Tchit.
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