The boys in the garden heard the whistle.
Kvakin spun around.
The whistle was not repeated.
Kvakin peered into the darkness.
He thought he saw the bushes in the corner of the garden moving.
"Figure!" he called in a low voice. "That you hiding there, you fool?"
"Kvakin!
There's a light!" somebody shouted suddenly. "Look out, here they come!"
In the bushes behind him at least a dozen electric torches were switched on.
They advanced quickly on the raiders, confusing and blinding them.
"Fight 'em, don't run!" cried Kvakin, reaching into his pocket for an apple and hurling it at the lights. "Grab the torches and twist their arms off!
It's Timur!"
"Timur is here and so am I!" Simakov yelled as he leapt out from behind a bush.
Another dozen or so boys bore down on them from the rear and flanks.
"Oho!" yelled Kvakin. "They've got a regular army here!
Run for the fence, fellas!"
The ambushed band made a panic-stricken rush for the fence.
Jostling and bumping into one another, the boys tumbled out into the road and fell straight into the arms of Ladygin and Geika.
The moon had quite disappeared behind a cloud.
Only voices were to be heard in the darkness:
"Lemme go!"
"Leave me alone!"
"Hands off!
Hey!"
"Quiet, everybody!" Timur's voice rang out. "Don't knock the prisoners about!
Where's Geika?"
"I'm here!"
"Take them away!"
"Suppose they won't go?"
"Frog-march 'em!"
"Lemme go, you filthy rats!" someone whined.
"Who was that?" Timur demanded furiously. "Aha, you can dish it out but you can't take it!
Geika, give the order and get a move on!"
The prisoners were led to the empty booth on the fringe of the market square and pushed inside one after another.
"Bring Kvakin over here to me," Timur ordered.
Kvakin was led up.
"Ready?" asked Timur.
"All ready."
The last prisoner was shoved into the booth and the door was bolted and locked.
"Run along," Timur told Kvakin. "You're just a joke.
Nobody's afraid of you and nobody needs you."
Kvakin stood looking down, expecting a beating.
"Run along," Timur repeated. "Take this key and let your friend Figure out of the chapel."
Kvakin did not move.
"Let the fellas out or lemme in with them," he growled.
"No," said Timur, "that's over and done with.
You're finished with them and they're finished with you."
A cacophony of whistles and catcalls followed Kvakin as he slowly walked off, hunching his shoulders.
Ten paces away he stopped and straightened up.
"I'll beat the life out of you!" he shouted savagely at Timur. "I'll smash you single-handed. To a pulp!" After which he plunged into the darkness.