Part 9 (1/2)
”Please, sir, father's gone to see the King”
”He'd better have stayed here,” said Sapt to ate, sir”
”Did he, ive ave her a crown
”Here's an order froate!”
I leapt down Between us we rolled back the great gate, led our horses out, and closed it again
”I shall be sorry for the doorkeeper if Michael finds out that he wasn't there Now then, lad, for a canter We o too fast while we're near the town”
Once, however, outside the city, we ran little danger, for everybody else was inside,fell we quickened our pace, h I had been a feather It was a fine night, and presently the moon appeared We talked little on the way, and chiefly about the progress ere
”I wonder what the duke's despatches told him,” said I, once
”Ay, I wonder!” responded Sapt
We stopped for a draught of wine and to bait our horses, losing half an hour thus I dared not go into the inn, and stayed with the horses in the stable Then ent ahead again, and had covered some five-and-twenty miles, when Sapt abruptly stopped
”Hark!” he cried
I listened Away, far behind us, in the still of the evening--it was just half-past nine--we heard the beat of horses' hoofs The wind blowing strong behind us, carried the sound I glanced at Sapt
”Coallop When we next paused to listen, the hoof-beats were not audible, and we relaxed our pace Then we heard theround
”There are two,” he said ”They're only a mile behind Thank God the road curves in and out, and the wind's our way”
We galloped on We see our own We had entered the outskirts of the forest of Zenda, and the trees, closing in behind us as the track zigged and zagged, prevented us seeing our pursuers, and theht us to a divide of the road Sapt drew rein
”To the right is our road,” he said ”To the left, to the Castle Each about eight miles Get down”
”But they'll be on us!” I cried
”Get down!” he repeated brusquely; and I obeyed The as dense up to the very edge of the road We led our horses into the covert, bound handkerchiefs over their eyes, and stood beside them
”You want to see who they are?” I whispered
”Ay, and where they're going,” he answered
I saw that his revolver was in his hand