In Direst Peril

Flight was cut off, and of course resistance was hopeless. The first place our pursuers would make for would be the bridge and the ford, since they were the only roads by w

on once more, but it was a form of inaction which differed from that wea

id, "that, in any case, surr

ad we should have been out of danger long ago. You choose to be caught like a rat i

he act of dismounti

hem Austrians will think of the gentlema

saddle with a muffled exc

ere is any possible way of escape w

a sound reached us from the direction of the fortress. The night, late so stormy, was quite light and quiet. An inten

every instant. The river ran in this spot in a perfect torrent, with an incline, I should say, of nearly three feet in a hundred. The stream bore off the rainfall of a whole net-work of hills, but at the pace at which it ran it could not take long before it would become passable at some risk. I said nothing as yet, but the conversation I had held with Lieutenant Breschia on the morning of our first meeting filled my mind with hope. The torrent seemed no less noisy, but measuring it by the projecting arms of the rock I could see that it was falling with a greater rapidity t

othold on the sliding pebbles precarious. Now it was four feet deep at least, and to cross at present was as impossible as it had been half an hour before. But as I watched i

ear, and listened with all my might. I heard a thousand distant-seeming noises, which had in them no reality-shoutings and stealthy whispers, the thud and jingle of cantering troops of horse, lonely far-away footfalls, all manner of phantom sounds. Suddenly, in the midst of these illusions, my heart stood still for a mere half-beat at

All three of my companions were watching it with an absorbed and gloomy interest, and the

d, and was heading my horse at t

th, sir?" he ca

o feet,"

give the hoss more confidence, and I'll b

it was I succeeded in regaining a foothold; but though the stream reached only to mid-thigh, it swept along with such violence that I had all my work cut out to stand against it. My horse, encouraged by hand and voice, came tremblingly after me, and the others followed. The stiffest bit of all the crossing lay at the point whe

, "and we ought to be within three hours of safety. But the alarm has

our brave attempt in my behalf. But the fates are against us. For my own part, I counsel that we res

not likely to be intercepted until we reach the pass. My advice is that we ride as far as we dare, and then take

aid Brunow, sullenly. "It is your fault if they are, and

e skirted a wood which stretched from the river towards the nearest range of hills, and our horses' footfall on the turf, sodden as it was by the recent raiu, made hardly a sound. We kept well in shadow, and had advanced perhaps a couple of miles, when I made out the highway at a little distance looking like a broad ribbon in the moonlight. Suddenly a bugle-ca

, sir," said Hinge, spe

curious thi

in the direction of the vanished body of hors

now that?" I

n to the farriers. I'm a born fool, I am," he added, in an accent of the greatest delight. "They've never been after us

y the hills began to enfold us round, but the moon rode high and the road was clear and firm. For the first mile or so we kept an anxious outlook, but as the minutes went on our fears of interruption grew fainter, and our hopes rose to fever heat. We were all well mounted, our horses were fresh and full of

s horse and mine. "It is no wonder. I

ce as if in pain, and with

ered. "Let us go a

t carefulness, and his feebleness so delayed us that we were a good three hours later in Teaching the end of the pass than we had expected. I had ascertained that the downs, which showed the frontier line, might be skirted by taking a lonely and difficult road to the right within a mile or so of our exit from Austrian territory

en the last obstacle to be encountered on our journey presented itself. The sentry sat as if dozing, with his rifle between his knees, but at the noise of our approach he sprang to his feet and hailed us sharply. We had passed a quick bend in the road, and had come upon him rather suddenly. We

ed. "We are Englishmen, and trave

t abreast of him by this time, and wishing him a good-day I was in some hope of being able to

sk. "You have no right to pass by here. Take the lower roa

d holding it towards him. "This is my friend, and this is

d, gruffly, disregarding the passport.

. This gentlemen and I are personal friends of General Rodetzsky's. We have been on a visit to my friend Lieutena

y guesses later on. Suave and easy as he was, he made no impr

's a little something for yourself." He threw the man a gold coin. The fellow stooped to pick it up, and we rode on like men whose business was

were breathing free

ostler, who admitted us to the yard and took in our horses. A sleepy waiter appeared and led us to a room, the shutters of which were still closed against the daylight. We asked for coffee; a

filth incredible. The long locks that mingled with it and overlay it on either side were roped together and tangled beyond hope of severance. The face was horribly pinched and meagre, and was of the color or want of color which you see in plants which have grown wholly in the dark. I will not describe further what I saw-what loathsome evidences of foul neglect. I have no heart for it, and I feel as if it insulted the memory of a gentleman to recall the evidences of the long and miserable martyrdom he had endured. They had kept him stabled like a wild beast-those accursed Austrians-for twenty years, and d

ill darkens in the East, no such a life as this man had led is possible for any political prisoner in Europe; but even now, when I am an old man, and ought to be able to take things quietly, my blood surges in my veins when I think of tha

I trimmed the late prisoner into decency, and with my own hands carried up a pail of water, a piece of soap, and towels. I had taken good stock of him, and carried his bodily measurements in my mind when I went out again to an outfitter's,

r made him blink, and sent his hand to his eyes. He came across to the table with a faltering and uncertain tread, and with a curious crouch in his walk. It struck me for the first time then, but I saw it so often afterwards that I almost ceased to notice it at all. For an instant pride and liberty had buoyed him so that he could present a passing semblance of what he had been, but the change fell

an animal noise of satisfaction. He caught himself at this, and a swift tide of crimson passed over his face; but a minute later the old felon habit was upon him again, and I saw him tearing his bread with his teeth in quite the jail-bird way. Looking at

any reply in walked a gentleman with every sign of the public functionary about him, cocked

n speak Frenc

the frontier without showing our papers, and by an unrecognized route; that one of us was an escaped political prisoner; that the others were charged with assisting in his flight; that a lieutenant of lancers had been sent to demand our return, and that we were at once to appear at court.

er. Here are my credentials. This gentleman, the Honorable George Brunow, is a son o

seat at the table, and, turning towards the official, with o

ed before my marriage," he added in a cha

n hour shall leave the town with these gentlemen and my servant on my way to England.

yor wa

r, sir, to wish

, and in walked L

asure of being acquainted with this gentleman," signalizing t

now us, and you know it will not pay to meddle with us. We are on neutral soil.

r, will bear out my statement that I came and saw and strove to conquer. You do not find it i

y affair," s

force," said the lieutenant. "We

d functionary; and being bowed from t

en we were left alone. "It is a great sayi

we will not,

the lieutenant, "I will go

I condole,"

Breschia; and so with a burlesque fri