_NEARLY CAPTURED._
I seemed to have slept scarcely five minutes when a knocking at the door
wakened me, and I rubbed my eyes dreamily.
It was Nicholas, with the information that breakfast was ready; so,
jumping out of bed, I quickly washed and dressed.
In spite of the early hour, the countess had risen to see that I had a
comfortable meal, and to wish me success in my enterprise.
While I ate she superintended the packing of a wallet which was to bear
me company to the Eagle's Nest, and for which, later in the day, I felt
very grateful.
After a hearty breakfast I thanked my kind hostess again, and promising,
if all went well, to return at dusk, joined Nicholas, who had slung the
wallet over his shoulder.
The faithful Mecsey was waiting in one of the rooms through which we
passed, and he begged very hard to go with me.
I would have taken him gladly, but he could do no good. There was no
question of fighting or even of strategy. I had simply to sit in a tree
and watch.
Nothing could save me if the Russians discovered I was there; if they
did not, I was perfectly safe.
Mecsey was shrewd enough to see the reasonableness of this, but he had
attached himself so strongly to my fortunes that he hated the idea of my
going into possible danger alone.
He yielded at last, however, kissed my hand, and stood on the top of the
steps gazing mournfully at me as I trudged off with Nicholas.
The new day was breaking gloriously as we entered the wood; hundreds of
songsters carolled gaily, and the undergrowth was alive with game.
"Your master has plenty of shooting," I remarked to my companion.
"Ah!" replied he, with a wise shake of the head, "the count has been a
mighty hunter. But we must hurry; it will be broad daylight soon, and
you must be in the Nest before then."
Accordingly we walked faster, Nicholas leading me by tracks well known
to him and the rest of the count's household.
At last he stopped and, pointing to a giant tree, exclaimed, "There is
the Eagle's Nest! Near the top you will find a snug sitting-place
formed by the branches, which will give you a splendid view of the
highroad."
He took off the wallet, strapped it on my back, and waited to see me
climb the tree.
I had done little climbing for years, and the unusual exercise made my
muscles ache; but I had not altogether lost my old skill, and gradually
mounted to the spot which Nicholas had described. Perhaps it was a
trifle less comfortable than his memory pictured, but in one matter at
any rate he had been right--there was a splendid view of the route the
Russians must take if they were trying to prevent Goergei from crossing
the Theiss.
I removed the wallet, and fastened it carefully to one of the branches;
then I took out the notebook which Count Kemeny had provided, and
waited.
An hour passed uneventfully, and then in the west there rose up a cloud
of dust, which swept towards me at a rapid pace.
It was a body of cavalry--Cossack irregulars, by the look of
them--mounted on shaggy, little horses and armed with long lances.
I caught a glimpse as they dashed up, a fuller one as they passed
beneath me; then the sand-cloud swept on to the east, and the van of the
Russian army vanished in the distance.
Those rough, uncouth riders formed the head of a procession that
occupied all the day in filing past.
It was a splendid spectacle, but my eyes grew tired of gazing at it.
Provision-wagons, baggage, ammunition, and stores were followed by
field-guns, large masses of infantry, hussars, lancers, and dragoons;
then more guns, wagons, foot-soldiers, and cavalry in what promised to
be an interminable succession.
As they passed I calculated their numbers, making my entries
accordingly; while, about noon, a sudden stoppage of the procession gave
me a capital opportunity of investigating the interior of the wallet.
The halt lasted two hours, when the march began again, and evening had
fallen before the last stragglers went by.
Then I put away my notebook, strapped the empty wallet to my back, and
prepared to descend.
I moved very slowly and with the utmost caution, as my limbs were
terribly cramped, and I was half afraid of missing my footing and
slipping to the bottom.
However, I succeeded, and found Nicholas ready to pilot me back to the
house.
"Your master has not been troubled by the Russians?" I asked.
"A friendly visit from half a dozen officers," replied he; "nothing
more."
"And Mecsey Sandor?"
"Kept in the background while they stayed."
Mecsey ran out from the courtyard at my approach to make sure I had
returned unhurt; but once certain of that, he became stolid as ever.
"Get the horses saddled," I said, before entering the house. "We shall
start soon."
"Not to-night, captain, surely?" cried my hostess, whom I had not
noticed standing on the steps. "The count will be so disappointed. He
has reckoned so much on your company this evening."
"And I would very much like to stay; but in a matter of duty a soldier
has no choice."
"That is what Arnim feared you would say. However, you cannot go until
after dinner."
"It's rather a queer way of entertaining one's guest," laughed the count
as we entered--"to set him on a perch all day long. I hope you have not
suffered martyrdom in vain?"
"No. Thanks to your kindness, I can take the general the fullest
particulars of the enemy's force."
"And Captain Botskay wishes to go at once," said my hostess.
The count sighed. "We must not keep him," he said. "His information may
be of the utmost importance to the general. But you will dine before
going, captain, will you not?"
Now to this I readily consented, as it gave me a little further time
with my host, for whom I was beginning to feel a warm friendship.
After dinner I sat half an hour longer, while Mecsey got the horses
ready, and then I was reluctantly compelled to say farewell.
"Take care of yourself," said the count, "and come and see us whenever
you have a chance. We are rather lonely here."
"Good-bye, Captain Botskay," said his wife; "and I hope sincerely that
no harm will come to you in this cruel war."
I promised to visit them again should opportunity arise, and, with a
last hand-shake, joined Mecsey, who had the horses ready.
Nicholas, too, came to guide us a few miles on the road, and amidst the
cheers of the domestics the three of us set off.
Mecsey and Nicholas were good company for each other. I rode a short
distance behind them, wondering if I should find Goergei in time for my
information to be of use.
The night was fine, calm, and still. There was no moon, but the stars
glittered in myriads overhead, serving to show the route.
In those days our best roads were shocking to a stranger, but the cuts
across country were simply abominable.
Several times that night I escaped a nasty--perhaps fatal--accident
solely through the intelligence of my horse.
Having accompanied us five or six miles, and given Mecsey full
directions as to the way, Nicholas pulled up, wished us farewell, and
started for home.
"He's dreadfully afraid of leaving the count long at a time," said
Mecsey. "He looks on himself as a sort of bodyguard."
"He's evidently an affectionate and faithful servant. Now, if you know
the road, we'll go a little faster. The horses have had a splendid rest
and plenty of corn; they ought to carry us well."
Of course there was always the danger of falling in with a detachment of
the enemy's troops, but I thought this less likely to happen at night
than in the daytime.
From his own knowledge of the district, and helped by some directions
from Nicholas, Mecsey found the way with little difficulty, and for
several hours we rode at a brisk pace over a broad plain.
Thanks to the kindness of the beautiful countess, we had plenty of
provisions for man and beast, and about six o'clock we stopped for rest
and breakfast.
By this time I was so tired that my eyes would hardly stay open, and
Mecsey pressed me to have an hour's sleep.
"We shall save time in the end," he urged. "The animals will be fresher
for an hour's rest; in fact, they won't travel much farther without."
"And what about yourself?"
"I had a long sleep yesterday."
"Then keep a good lookout for the enemy, give the horses a feed, and
call me in an hour."
I lay down, drew my cloak round me, and lost consciousness almost before
my head touched the ground.
Mecsey wakened me, according to promise; we then ate a hurried
breakfast, and started again, now in broad daylight.
The brief halt had done me a world of good. I was much brighter, and
felt capable of riding all day.
As it chanced, however, the Russians did not give me the opportunity of
trying.
We had left the great plain and entered a mountainous district when
Mecsey, who was in front, suddenly stopped his horse and held up a
finger in warning.
"What is it?" I asked in a whisper, getting close to him.
"Soldiers!" he answered promptly. "Russians!"
We were half-way through a narrow gorge, with huge limestone cliffs on
either side of us, and with no way of escape but by going straight on or
turning back.
Mecsey's sharp ears had detected the noise made by the soldiers before
they were in sight.
"They are behind us," I said quietly.
"And on our right. There must be a regiment."
"Well, there's no going back, so we must keep straight on. If once we
get out of the gorge they can whistle for us."
Mecsey shook his head, saying, "We can try."
This did not sound very promising; but Mecsey, though brave as a lion,
was not the most cheerful of men.
"Let us go," I said. "It's our only chance."
The Russian leader, unfortunately for us, was a man who knew his
business; and, before the main body of his troops marched through the
gorge, he had sent a detachment along the cliffs in search of a possible
ambuscade.
A loud shout and the discharge of many muskets proclaimed that we were
discovered.
"Push on!" I exclaimed. "We must get through somehow."
It was a poor place for fast travelling, but we went as rapidly as our
horses could take us.
The shouts from the cliffs were now repeated in our rear, and several
bullets whistled unpleasantly about our ears.
Still we kept going until Mecsey came in sight of the outlet from the
gorge; then he pulled up once more with a gesture of despair.
There was little need for questioning or speech of any kind; a body of
grey-coated infantry was drawn across the narrow exit.
Just for one moment I thought of making a dash at these stolid warriors
and trying to cut my way through; but I had sufficient sense left to
recognize the madness of the scheme.
Without speaking, we turned and rode back in our tracks.
We could now see the head of the column approaching, and I felt like a
rat in a trap.
The Russians, understanding how completely we were in their power,
treated the matter as a rich joke, and the men on the cliffs stopped
firing.
"Let me have the book for the general," said Mecsey, "and I will try to
escape. If you surrender they won't harm you."
"But what can you do?"
"Leave the horse and try to scale the cliffs."
"All right. We'll both try. I mean Goergei to have that list. Swing
yourself off. Now!"
I did not like abandoning the gallant animal that had carried me through
so many dangers, but there was no help for it; and, indeed, I had little
time to spend in regrets.
Directly the Russians saw our plan, those on the opposite cliffs
discharged their muskets, while the head of the column quickened its
pace.
Whiz! whiz! came the bullets, singing overhead or chipping the rocks
beside us--much too near in either case for comfort.
At first we managed to dodge them pretty well behind the boulders, but
we should soon have to move out into a more exposed position, and it did
not require an extra amount of brains to foretell what would happen
then.
However, we were having a try for our lives, and that was more
satisfactory than sitting still to be killed; but we were rapidly
approaching the end of our tether.
The men on the opposite cliffs could not fire now for fear of hurting
their comrades, who came after us in full cry for all the world like
dogs on the track of a boar.
Suddenly Mecsey's foot slipped and he fell, but he was up again in an
instant.
"Hurt?" I asked anxiously.
"It's nothing," he said--"nothing. Look! Look just above us! There is
a hole in the rocks. If we could get inside there we might hide."
I did look, and saw a huge fissure in the cliffs several yards in length
and about six feet in depth.
Certainly it might help us, but I hardly thought so.
The soldiers would see us enter, and would follow. It was not as if
they numbered only a half-dozen or so.
Still, it might be worth trying for; and we pushed on recklessly,
running, climbing, jumping, scrambling--any fashion, so as to get there.
The Russians had been shouting and jabbering behind us, and it was much
easier to understand the meaning of the bullets than of the words; but
now the noise stopped, and a strong, clear voice shouted in German,--
"Surrender yourselves! I pledge my word that you shall not be hurt."
"Come, captain," cried Mecsey, who did not understand this offer; "here
we are. In you go. It's dark at first, but you'll soon get used to
it."
"For the last time," cried the Russian officer; "will you surrender?"
We were inside the cavern now, but I showed myself at the mouth and
asked for five minutes' grace.
For myself there was but one course open--to return to Goergei. Death
alone could absolve me from that duty; but there was no need to
sacrifice my trusty servant.
Accordingly, I told him of the Russian's offer, and urged him to accept
it.
"You will save your life," I said, "and there is really no sense in your
getting killed. Let me tell the Russian officer that you surrender."
Mecsey looked at me proudly. "I am a Magyar," he said, as if that
settled the question.
And it did with me.
I urged him no more, but turned again to the enemy.
They, meanwhile, by command of their leader, had halted, and were gazing
at us curiously. It seemed strange to them to be called off their prey
at the moment of running it to earth.
The officer was well in advance, and I saw by his face that he would
gladly save our lives.
"You will surrender?" he questioned; but I shook my head.
"That is stupid. You cannot escape. I shall send my men in there, and
you will be-- Ach! what folly!"
"Many thanks for your offer," I said lightly, "but we must refuse. Now
you are at liberty to fire," and I sprang back into the shadow.
As far as I could judge, we were in a cavern of vast extent, having a
low roof; and I began to think that, after all, we stood a good chance
of escaping.
It was hardly likely that a large body of soldiers would be set to
search long for two runaways; and, of course, I was well aware that some
of these limestone caves extended for miles into the very heart of the
mountains.
Had this immense rock-chamber a second outlet?
I asked myself this question as we rushed over the damp, uneven floor,
and a sharp exclamation of joy from Mecsey answered it.
Just as the Russians entered, we made our exit by way of a narrow
passage, through which a stream ran.
We dashed on, followed by, perhaps, twenty of the enemy, who carried
torches; the others were searching the cavern.
Gradually the passage became wider, then it contracted once more, and
finally opened into a second chamber, from which two passages branched.
We had little time for choice. The Russians, yelling and waving their
torches, were not far in our rear. Whatever we did must be done at once.
Mecsey was for turning to the right; but I, pointing to the stream,
said, "Where that goes we can go," which was true, but not in the sense
I meant.
Mecsey nodded. It was for me to give orders, for him to obey.
We ran on, with the roar of the water in our ears, the yell of the enemy
behind us, but in front a chance of safety.
The Russians had traversed the narrow passage; they were in the second
chamber. I looked back and saw their torches, some turning to the
right, but the majority, unfortunately, keeping straight on our track.
They were creeping nearer and nearer, while Mecsey was slackening his
pace.
The long ride and the absence of sleep had told upon him; he was tired;
he could not keep on; surely he was stopping--had stopped. I sprang
forward to catch him in case he fell, and my heart almost ceased
beating.
The river had taken a sudden dip downwards and disappeared. The chamber
had come to an end; we were caught.
"We can kill three or four," said Mecsey quietly.
At sight of us standing there the Russians set up a yell of triumph,
waving their torches wildly; but we were not in their hands as yet.
"Mecsey," I said, "do you hear me?"
"Yes, captain."
"We've come to the end of our tether, and you must give yourself up.
That's not advice, but an order from your officer. The Russians will
treat you kindly; and when you are set free, carry news of me to the
general and to Colonel Rakoczy."
"Where are you going, captain?"
"To Goergei or to death. I don't know which."
"I am not to fight?"
"No. Put your weapons down, and mine."
The Russian officer must have seen this performance, as I heard him
calling off his men; and though I had not intended to deceive him, his
mistake gave me a little extra time. This I utilized to take off my
boots, a proceeding which greatly interested Mecsey; and then the
Russian leader approached us.
"You have made a plucky attempt," he said in German, "but the luck is
against you. Now, you yield yourself prisoner, and we will return
together like good friends."
He was a nice fellow, that Russian officer, and I learned later that his
courage equalled his generosity.
His German was far from good, but I understood him, and smiled.
Then, with a last word of farewell to Mecsey and a friendly gesture to
my courteous enemy, I jumped into the river, which disappeared beneath
the rocks.
Before striking the water I had filled my lungs with air, and it was
well for me that I had done so.
I was a strong swimmer, but strength could avail nothing in this
desperate venture.
The waters seized and swept me along, whither I knew not. There was a
roar of thunder in my ears; my lungs felt like bursting.
Once, and to my recollection only once, my head was above the water, and
I took a good deep breath.
The black flood caught me again and rushed on, swirling and eddying,
holding me helpless as an infant in its grasp. Then, when the agony
became wellnigh insupportable, I was able to breathe again, and, to my
astonishment, saw the blue sky above my head.
At this I tried to smile; but all was suddenly blotted out. Something
seemed to take me under the shoulders, to give me a push forward, and
after that I lost consciousness.