Her Grace if I could catch up with
you, for I had found out how things were at your first
stopping-place.

"Carefully following the path to the ferry, imagine my surprise at
espying a man running rapidly along the same path but toward me.
The mutual discovery was simultaneous. It was Josef. He, quicker
than I could, drew his revolver. By dodging behind trees, however,
I got past him. Had I not had a more sacred duty to Her Grace just
then, I should have risked all for the pleasure of killing that
snake. After this rencounter, I proceeded more carefully until I
reached the cabin in the clearing. Here I found the bodies of two
Russian Cossacks, dead apparently from the night before. Both had
been killed by the sword. Your work, as I surmised. One was a
lieutenant. I appropriated his uniform as a safeguard in case I met
other interruptions. His horse was luckily tethered in the woods.
Thanking my good fortune, I mounted and pushed on.

"I soon was to be enlightened as to the dangers of your flight;
though in sympathy with the quarry I was running with the hunters.

"Stimulated by a large reward, offered by their commandant at
Schallberg, the country was overrun by Russians searching for the
Lady Trusia. I constantly met them. Being very ignorant fellows,
they took me for what I seemed to be. By working on their credulity
I got each party that I met to believe that I had private
information as to the whereabouts of the fugitives whom I had been
despatched to capture by the commanding officer himself. Of course
forbidding them to follow me, they all trailed after me. Supposing
that you had followed the bypath, I plunged right through the most
trackless part of the wilderness, to keep the pursuit as far from
you as possible. What my fate would be when they discovered I had
cheated them, I didn't stop to weigh; if I knew Her Grace was safe,
I could but die.

"Imagine my despair when, on reaching the Vistula, I found I had
actually led the pursuit right upon you. At first I considered the
advisability of selling my life then and there, carrying down as
many as possible in death with me, but I saw that my sword could
not account for enough to scare off the pursuit. When you took to
the water, I apparently joined the chase. By your side, in the