CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

MORE OF THE RESULTS OF WAR.

I need not trouble the reader with an account of the meeting with my faithful servant. While we were still engaged in questioning each other, I noticed that the countenance of our friend the scout wore an anxious and almost impatient expression.

"Anything wrong, Dobri?" I inquired.

"God knows!" he replied in a solemn tone, which impressed me much. "A rumour has come that the Circassians or the Bashi-Bazouks--I know not which, but both are fiends and cowards--have been to Venilik, and--"

He stopped abruptly.

"But that village was in the hands of the Russians," I said, at once understanding his anxiety.

"It may be so, but I go to see without delay," he replied, "and have only stopped thus long to know if you will go with me. These brutes kill and wound women and children as well as men. Perhaps your services may--Will you go?"

He spoke so earnestly, and his face looked so deadly pale, that I felt it impossible to refuse him. I was much exhausted by the prolonged labours of the day, but knew that I had reserve strength for an emergency.

"Give me a few minutes," said I,--"just to get leave, you know. I can't go without leave."

The scout nodded. In ten minutes I had returned. Meanwhile, Lancey had prepared my horse and his own. Swallowing a can of water, I vaulted into the saddle. It was very dark, but Petroff knew every foot of the country. For several hours we rode at a smart gallop, and then, as day was breaking, drew near to Venilik. As we approached, I observed that the bold countenance of the scout became almost pinched-looking from anxiety. Presently we observed smoke against the sky, and then saw that the village had undoubtedly been burned. I glanced at Petroff nervously. There was no longer a look of anxiety on his face, but a dark vindictive frown.

What are the answers to this following set of questions:

1. Who asked the king to go with him?
2. Where were they going?
3. Who did Dobri hear had been to Venilik?
4. Who was supposed to be in control of the town?
5. What did Dobri say the brutes do?
6. And men?
7. Who horses did Lancey get ready?
8. How much water did he drink before they left?
9. Was it daylight?
10. Who was very familiar with the area?
11. How fast did they travel?
12. What did they see once they arrived?
13. What was on Petroff's face now?
14. What is this a story of, according to the author?
15. What did Dobri call the Circassians and Bashi-Bazouks?
16. Did his face look pale when he was asking for his friend to go with him to Venilik?
17. Was the man already tired from working all day?
18. What did he have for an emergency, though?
19. What did he have to get before they could go?
20. How long did it take him to get that?
1. Dobri
2. Venilik.
3. the Circassians or the Bashi-Bazouks
4. the Russians
5. kill and wound women and childrenen
6. yes
7. my horse and his own
8. a can
9. yes
10. Petroff
11. at a gallop
12. the village had been burned
13. a dark vindictive frown.
14. the results of war
15. fiends and cowards
16. yes
17. yes
18. reserved strength
19. leave to go
20. ten minutes