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.
It was a bright, fine night, the moon had risen, and when we had cleared the town I resolved to urge the driver to quicken the pace of his horses. I let down the window, and the cool night air came rushing in and roused my companion, who sat up quickly.
“What is the matter?”
“Nothing; I wish your man to travel faster.” I leant out and called to him:
“The General says you are to drive faster; at a gallop where possible.” He did not hear me at first, and was for checking the horses, until I shouted the order to him again. I drew in my head, and was only just in the nick of time to avoid trouble.
The General had opened the door on his side and, in his desperation, was in the very act of springing out. I caught hold of him, dragged him back, and shut the door again. He fell in a heap huddled up at my feet.
“A very dangerous leap for a man of your age,” I said drily. “I have probably saved your life, for the second time to-night,” and I lifted him up on to the seat of the carriage again. “And now, understand me, if you had got out, I would have sprung out after you and shot you in the highway, had it cost me my life. I thought that you would understand by now that I’m in too dangerous a mood for you to fool with. But I’m glad of the hint you’ve given me, and I sha’n’t forget it for the rest of the way.”