“Oh, no; but I’ve had enough of your impertinent curiosity. I am an Englishman, let me see your superior officer.”
“Go away,” he said curtly.
“I demand to see——”
“Go away; or you will be arrested.”
Then I had an inspiration. I said, with a show of great indignation: “Very well. I’ll go, and what’s more I’ll go by the first train to Cracow and lay the matter before the British Consul. When is the first train? You’ll see whether you can smash up English travellers in your infernal trains and then refuse their friends any information.”
This appeared to make an impression. He hesitated, spoke to his companion, and then said: “Come back in the morning. There is no train until eleven o’clock.”
I had gained the information I needed; but I kept up my pretence of anger, muttering and grumbling and mumbling about what the British Consul would do, and so on, as I turned the horse’s head and moved off.
“Bad luck again,” I whispered to Volna. “No train to-night. You may as well try to get a night’s rest.”
“It’s a dark wood that has no clearing,” she said cheerily. “You need rest too, I am sure.”
We went off to find a hotel: and presently Volna whispered: “One of the men is following us.”