The Keepers of the People

1345Ruth’s eyes fixed on it, and never left it till it moved down into the woods below. The mutes brought up a table, and served them tea. The old Prince, Vashti, and Althea left the parapet, and came to drink it. Ruth would not stir; and when her tea was brought to her, Althea had to go to her and make her drink it. When they went back to watch, they could hear the rattle of the Maxims and rifles. At five o’clock the Russians were attacking the second Varandal position. The attack soon ceased, the firing slackened, and died away, as they drew off their troops, and fell back two miles, to encamp for the night by the second aqueduct. No attempt had been made to cut their line of communication with the pass; and stores and ammunition were coming through it still, on the backs of horses. The whole would have come by the morning, and at a council of war, against the judgment of his older officers, Prince Melinsky determined to abandon the pass, to waste no men on holding it, or the line of communication with it; but to force his way to the palace, which had been in full view for some hours, with every man of his force; and having seized it, to make it the base of his operations against the rest of the country. It was useless to attempt to dissuade him; to point out that their scouts could not penetrate the woods, and learn the strength of the enemy. He was resolved to take the whole risk; for the thought that the palace held Ruth turned him deaf to any considerations of means of retreat.

1346Althea rode but fifteen miles out that night. She found the people gathered round men who had watched the fight, listening to their stories of it with fierce outcries now of joy, and now of grief. Nowhere on her road was the country silent, the bursts of clamour could be heard from village to village. She did not show herself to the crowds; the war-fever was burning in their veins; they needed no heartening. She and Ruth were back in the palace before midnight, and went to the top of the tower. They found the old Prince there, Vashti, as always, by his side; and Althea told him of the war-flame burning in the heart of the people, while they looked down on the camps studded with watchfires. Now and again there would come a splutter of rifle-fire from the outposts; and now and again a yelling in the woods told of the capture, or death, of a Russian scout.