"So I contented myself with several nice cups of tea, with a bit of lemon in them, and the rest of the bill of fare. That roasted fowl was remarkably good, and as for the sauce----! I was on the point of asking his Royal Highness for the recipe, but he was sleeping so soundly that I felt that it was a pity to disturb him. Just then I noticed that the pistol near his hand was about to fall to the floor with the jolting of the car, so I put the hamper reluctantly aside and caught the pistol.
"I stood with it in my hand regarding it with interest. A clumsy weapon indeed, though of beautiful workmanship. I hesitated, holding the weapon carefully."
"Did you think of shooting him?" inquired Tom tremulously.
John Berwick smiled and shook his head. "No, not that. I was not a nihilist. You see I had plenty to eat, why should I be? Nevertheless, I came to a quick decision. I went to the window opposite, and opened it very carefully, no wider than I had to, and launched it safely out into a snowdrift. Then I closed the window quickly, but stood perfectly still, for I was aware that the giant back of me was stirring, a draught of the fresh air had awakened him. It appeared that my sin had found me out.
"Standing perfectly quiet, I turned my head slowly and saw that the Russian had merely changed his position, and had gone off into another slumber. So I leisurely finished my lunch, enjoying the preserves and other dainties hugely. After this part of the performance was completed, I put everything back into the hamper with the utmost neatness. To tell the honest truth, there was not a great deal left to repack, a part of the chicken, and some bread and caviar, which to the appetite of a Russian would be no more than a lamb chop to a hungry tiger."
"Gosh!" exclaimed Jim again, "but you surely had your nerve with you."
"Yes," acquiesced the engineer, "and a full stomach, which is a good thing to have along with your nerve. I have noticed that some times the two go well together. However, the liquor was untouched, and I hoped that he would take some more and thus again become oblivious to everything else. One thing reassured me, and that was, that I had got rid of his revolver or rather pistol. I was not afraid of his shooting me, but had been afraid of his braining me with the butt end of it.