I

The bell was about to announce the end of recess. The school corridor was slowly emptying, students were leaving for classes, and silence was gradually establishing itself within the walls of the school. A small group of fourth graders hovered near the front stairs and at the door leading to the staff room. As the end of recess approached, a timid hope penetrated the hearts of the children scurrying along the corridor: the geography teacher of the Beauties did not come. In any case, he was not in the office or in the staff room. Maybe he was sick and wouldn't come to school today. Or maybe he'd be late, as he often was. Among the students whispering in the hallway, Tomek Wilmowski, a well-built blond boy, stood out as he cheerfully reassured his nervous friends: "I'm telling you, the saw is not in school today. I've seen it with my own eyes, and I can vouch for its authenticity." Perhaps his maid had locked the door on her way to town for a shopping trip. That would be something! Can you imagine the "saw" with a magazine in its hand, pacing back and forth in the apartment? Oh, to see it!

The boys' faces lit up at the thought of such a wonderful opportunity. It was no wonder that Tomek's speculations filled his friends with hope and joy. The summer holidays were no more than three weeks away, and Krasavtsev, or as the students called him, "the saw," had warned that before his hasty departure to Russia, he would leave the "Polish rebels" with such a memory that they would not forget him for the next year of their "sitting" in the same class. This threat could only mean that the school administration's attitude towards the fourth-graders would worsen.

The concerns were not unfounded. A certain Melnikov, who had been appointed headmaster of the gymnasium a few months earlier, was very strict in demanding unquestioning obedience and loyalty to the royal family from his students. This is because our extraordinary story takes place in 1902, a time when a significant portion of Poland was under the rule of the Russian tsars. The new headmaster, whom the students despised with every fiber of their being, was particularly zealous in his efforts to Russify the Polish youth. It was not enough for him that all lessons were conducted in Russian. Melnikov, and under his influence, some of the teachers, strictly enforced the rule that students should not speak Polish at school. The new principal spent a great deal of time studying the family relationships of his students. He suspected hostility towards Tsarist Russia in every student, which was usually reflected in the students' diaries with failing grades in many subjects.

Immediately after his appointment to the gymnasium, Melnikov focused on the fourth grade. He believed that this grade lacked a "Russian spirit." The fourth-graders were not very diligent in their studies of Russian history, and many of them had little knowledge of Russian, and, according to the informants, they spoke Polish among themselves. Concerned about this, the principal obtained a police report and learned that some of his students' parents were considered "unreliable." Therefore, without hesitation, the principal decided to destroy the "hornet's nest" and issued an order to his trusted teacher of geography, the sixty-year-old Krasavtsev.

Melnikov summoned Krasavtsev to Warsaw and appointed him to the position of a teacher who had fallen ill and resigned after an accident. Krasavtsev, a lonely and bitter man, often sought solace in alcohol. As a result, he was extremely distracted at school, focusing on carrying out Melnikov's secret instructions. To ensure that he did not forget anything, Krasavtsev kept a notebook where he recorded his superior's most important orders. He frequently consulted this notebook during his lessons.

The students were well aware of the attitude of the director and his henchman towards them, so Krasavtsev's unequivocal threat aroused fear in them before the last geography lesson of this academic year.

The bell rang sharply in the corridors of the school. The fourth graders breathed a sigh of relief. They entered the classroom and watched the teachers rushing to class through the ajar door. Krasavtsev was not there. But then Jurek Tymowski, hidden behind a pillar in the corridor near the stairwell, began to make signs with his hand, as if he were sawing a tree. Tomek Wilmowski immediately understood what was going on.

– Oh, damn it! The "saw" has arrived at the school, – he said to his colleagues, who were hiding behind him.

Jurek Tymowski appeared in the classroom. He waved his hand in frustration, saying: – The "saw" is already on the stairs. He takes off his coat as he walks, and he's snorting like a pig. It's a shame that a man like that has to face such a disgraceful fate on a beautiful, sunny day. "Maybe it won't happen," Tomek whispered, squeezing his friend's elbow. The students were excited and hurriedly took their seats. The only exception was Pavlyuk, the class's most notorious snitch and spy. He had nothing to fear. He sat upright and looked at his worried neighbors with malicious satisfaction.

Tomek Wilmowski sat down on the desk next to Jurek Tymowski. He had no reason to fear for himself, in fact. He was an excellent student, and geography was his favorite subject. If he hadn't had a reputation as a "Polish rebel" among most of his teachers, he would likely have been considered the top student. Today, he was only concerned for his friend, who was in danger.