As I finished speaking Spernow came running from the house and rushed to the carriage window. I let the carriage stand half a minute that he might exchange a word or two with Mademoiselle Broumoff, who I knew was very eager to see him, and while they were speaking the Princess looked out of the window, beckoned Zoiloff, and gave him her hand and a word of hearty thanks for all he had done in her behalf.
It was a thoughtful, gracious act, and I was as glad as Zoiloff himself, who stood aside with a flush on his stern face to let the carriage pass when I gave the word to Markov to start.
“The fairest and best of all women on earth,” he said, enthusiastically, as we three watched the carriage dash up the hill that led from the house. “I hope to heaven we shall get start enough to save her;” and he glanced back anxiously along the road that Kolfort had gone, as if he feared that pursuit might already be on foot.
And the same fear infected us all as we followed his gaze. But there was no sign of any pursuit; and we hurried up the hill to the spot where the men were to meet us with our horses.
CHAPTER XXV
SUSPENSE
As we three hurried up the hill we discussed earnestly our plans; and the supreme seriousness of the failure to secure the person of General Kolfort grew more vividly forcible the more we considered it.
We could have held him a prisoner in his own house easily and without creating any alarm at his disappearance. And the Princess could have gained the frontier before ever a question had been asked as to her whereabouts. I gnashed my teeth as I thought of it.
Now, however, he would raise the alarm at the first possible moment. He knew that we were in considerable force, and not only could he send troops after us, but by telegraph he could send instructions to have us intercepted at any one of a dozen points.
“Does anyone know where the wires run from Ichtman and Samakovo to Sofia?” I asked. “If we could cut them, we might save some hours when even minutes may be vital.”
“Of course. Why didn’t we think of it before?” exclaimed Zoiloff. “I know them. They run along the course of the projected railway. I can find them inside an hour. The line is to touch Liublian, and must run close here somewhere.”