Part 28 (2/2)
The first light of a new day awoke a chorus of blended voices within the depths of the forest The early h and clear above the low-huar the dewy tears of night before the s the fallen leaves were hasty rushes to and fro, while rabbits flashed across the narrow open tracts
There was stirring, too, in a dry hollow securely hidden by dense undergrowth fro of a horse sounded on the s, and the sharp click of steel There were gruff laughter and gruffer oaths, man's salutation to the new day, and some low spoken words of discontent
The addition to their nu to them The more they were, the less would each ht they were half-asleep, and had barely roused at Ellerey's co
The men who had come with him, they supposed, were soldiers of fortune like themselves, men they knew, and even they were not welco discontent broke out The new arrivals were not soldiers, were strangers to theood was he in their company?
Stefan did not complain He noted Anton froosie and he laughed aloud He turned to find Ellerey close beside him
”This is the first day of the festival, then, Captain?”
”Festival?”
”Surely since we have such coht their sweethearts with theed for You bid me choose carefully, picked men who held life and death in such easy balance that they would take whichever happened without a ood for naught but felling trees, and a lad whose ht still whip hih, Stefan, and served ht”
”Thank hie to send into the city It will be eoes with us”
”There'll be , Captain These fellows like comrades they know the stomach of”
”I'll answer for the boy”
”You'd best do it quickly, then, or there'll be one or two riding back into Sturatzberg as yesterday they rode out”
”If that is their spirit I'd sooner have lads like yonder beside rily Then he went to the irths preparatory to
”Comrades, we have a journey before us whichus hard knocks The reward is generous to those in through Are we prepared to take our chances one and all?” He paused, but only a grunt of tardy consent answered hiht two others to join in our enterprise”
”What need of theo withquickly to the h in me to trust my discretion?”
There was no reply
”It must be tacit obedience, swift action to my command from every man who bears me company Mount”
In aEllerey himself, who stood with his horse's bridle over his ar's canter into Sturatzberg Who likes may ride that way and free himself from my authority”
No rowl a into his saddle ”Forward! You e, Stefan”
”And soon, or I'll have ly out of the hollow and picked its way along a forest track