"
"Why, hang it all," cried Jack, "they don't need to dislodge us. All
they've got to do is to stand off and starve us out. They are not
compelled to fire a gun or land a man."
"They'll have to starve their own men first. It's not likely we're
going to go hungry and feed our prisoners."
"Oh, we don't mind a little thing like that, we Russians. They may
send help, or they may not. Probably a cruiser will come within
hailing distance and try to find out what the trouble is. Then it will
lie off and wait till everybody's dead, and after that put in a new
Governor and another garrison."
"You take too pessimistic a view, Jack. This isn't the season of the
year for a cruiser to lie off in the Baltic. Winter is coming on. Most
of the harbors in Finland will be ice-closed in a month, and there's
no shelter hereabouts in a storm. They'll attack; probably open shell
fire on us for a while, then attempt to land a storming party. That
will be fun for us if you've got good rifles and plenty of
ammunition."
Jack raised his head.
"Oh, we're well-equipped," he said, "if we only have enough to eat."
Springing to his feet, all dejection gone, he said to the Governor:
"Now, my friend, we're compelled to put you into a cell. I'm sorry to
do this, but there is no other course open. Where is your larder, and
what quantity of provisions have you in stock?"
A gloomy smile added to the dejection of the old man's countenance.
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