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 wheels on the drive, and the sounds of the soldiers' horses and the rattle of their accoutrements as they wheeled away along the road.

So far all was going well, and the crisis I feared had passed safely. The carriage drew up outside the door.

"Remember where to tell him to drive, Kutscherf," I said sternly. "You have half earned your life, but you must go through with it." I opened the door, linked my arm in his, and led him down the steps, and together we entered the carriage. He gave his order to the coachman through the window, and a moment later we started, turned out of the gates, and rattled along at a brave pace for the frontier.

General Kolfort fell back on the seat and pressed his hands to his face, as though dizzy and weak with the long tension of fear, and partly, I judged, ashamed of himself for his cowardice.

"You had better try to sleep, General," I said; "we have a long drive. I shall be on watch, and shall not need to disturb you unless we stumble across any of your troublesome patrols."

This was indeed my one source of fear now, and I leant back thinking how we should deal with them in the event of interference. The General's presence would probably make everything smooth enough, but there was always a chance that an opportunity would be given for him to try some trick to elude me.

We had at least sixty miles to drive, and as it was now past midnight I reckoned we could not reach the frontier until between seven and eight in the morning. It would be sunrise by five, and there would be thus at least two or three hours to drive in daylight. That would be the time of chief danger.