so that they might be made to fall down and thus make it impossible for
the post wagons across the road behind the backs of the soldiers, to
force their way through.

The soldiers had, indeed, no reason to fear that the rabble, nine-tenths
of which had no professional knowledge of the art of war, would boldly
storm the _csarda_, for in such a case the soldiers would know how to
defend themselves vigourously, well provided as they were with carbines;
but they were well aware of one thing, to wit, that if they allowed
themselves to be surprised after nightfall they were lost, for the
robbers could then set fire to the house over their heads and burn them
alive.

For their lives they cared nothing; it is a soldier's business to die;
but how to save the enormous sum of money intrusted to them--that was
the problem. Four and twenty horsemen in a solid mass might, with a
desperate effort, cut their way through a mob, despite every obstacle,
but to take the heavy wagons along with them was impossible, for the
road in front was barred by the mob; the bridge and the road behind by
the felled poplars.

Fortunately, the officer in command had read the history of Napoleon's
Russian campaign and he recollected how the guard on one occasion had
saved the military chest from the Cossacks when the wagon, from want of
horses, had to be left behind. He now applied his knowledge
practically.

The ducats were taken out of the post-wagons and distributed among the
soldiers; knapsacks, cartridge-boxes, belts and shakos were filled with
the treasure; not a cent was left in the wagons, yet they nailed down
the chests inside them carefully that it might take all the longer to
break them open. Then they mounted the postilions and the civilians on
the spare horses, hastily threw open the gates and the whole band rushed
into the courtyard.

A sharp volley poured in upon them from every side; some of them were
wounded, but none mortally, for their assailants either fired from afar
or aimed badly. And this was well, for every dead man among them would
have been worth 100,000 guldens.

Fatia Negra and his horsemen stood close at hand with their loaded
muskets pointed in their hands, but they did not fire.

"Let the lancers run if they like!" cried Fatia Negra. "Give all your
attention to the wagons!"

The cavalry soon escaped from the mob of sharpshooters, leaped over the
barriers and began galloping rapidly back to Szeb safe and sound. An