There they lay breathless for a moment, while above them a party of horsemen swept by in full cry.
“They will soon be back,” said Wulf, “for well will they guess that naught human can have won very far ahead of them. We must e’en pick our way over yonder, Elise.”
“We can never!” gasped the girl, almost in despair.
“That were a long day,” answered Wulf, easily. “I wot not if any other man from the castle can do it, but well know I how it can be done, and come aland in the thick of the wood.”
Stooping, he lifted Elise in his strong arms, and resting her light weight on shoulder and chest, went easily forward, now stepping upon a reedy islet of green, just showing in the moonlight, now plunging almost waist-deep in water below which, other trips had taught him, was foothold, but never stopping until he drew near the other side. Then, sore wearied, he raised Elise, that she might lay hold on some overhanging boughs and swing herself up among them, after which Wulf crawled ashore and lay panting, while Elise bent over him, calling him softly by name, and taking blame to herself for all his weariness.
He did but wait to get his breath, however; then, as they heard the hue and cry of the returning horsemen, he started up again. By the noise they could tell that another party had come down the pass and joined the first, but they did not linger to listen to them, but, freshened by their short rest, plunged into the forest.
Well was it for them that Wulf knew, as some men to-day know their home cities, the wayless depths of that wood. Open were they to him as a tilled field to the plowman, and with the sureness of a hiving bee he led Elise through the great tree-aisles. Here and there where boughs were thinner the moon’s rays sifted in, and served now to lighten, now merely to deepen the shadow; but for the most part it was fair dark, until, after long travel, as they came to a little bit of open where ancient forest fire had cleared the trees, they saw that the moonlight had given place to the first gray tint of dawn.
On they went for yet another hour, and now it was clear daylight when, sounding through the woods, came again the noise of horsemen. Evidently the baron’s men had skirted the stream and struck through the forest. For all the fugitives knew, they might show before them any moment now.
“Wulf,” cried Elise, “do thou leave me here. I can go no farther, but go thou on. I will stay to meet them. They dare not kill me,—would they might!—but if I stay and go back with them to the castle, thou canst escape, and thy death will not be at my charge.”
“Hush!” Wulf answered, almost roughly. “Dost think I will do thy bidding in this? But here is no place to hide. We must get on, an we may, where the bush is thicker. So hearten thyself for one more trial.”