“Put it down here, Karasch, and get one of the saddles to prop Burgwan up.”
“I can sit up without anything, I assure you.”
“Who did you say was masterful?”
I gave in with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders and let them arrange the saddle, and found it very comfortable.
It was poor fare. Some hard biscuits, a tin of preserved meat, and some water from the river; but it could not have been enjoyed with more relish if it had been the best breakfast that the Waldorf-Astoria chef could have sent up.
Mademoiselle’s cheerfulness in the strange and depressing circumstances was positively dauntless. She would see nothing but the brightest side of things. We were lost on the hills; but then it would be so much the more difficult for anyone to find us. The food was rough, but we had plenty to last us for all that day and part of the next. The loss of time might be dangerous, but we all needed rest and could take it without risk where we were. We did not know where to look for the road to Samac, but we should be sure to find a way somewhere. And meanwhile we were getting stronger and so better able to face the trouble.
Even Karasch’s stern face relaxed under her influence. And as for me—well, I rolled over on the soft grass when she told me, and having put old Chris on the watch, went off to sleep as contentedly as though her view of the position and not mine were the true one.
I slept for some hours. I woke once and looked round to find Karasch lying on his back at some distance, snoring in a deep stertorous diapason; and Mademoiselle curled up fast asleep peacefully with Chris lying at her feet. The hot sun was pouring down on the hills and crags around us; and I stretched myself lazily and was soon off again in deep refreshing slumber.
When I awoke again I was alone to my great surprise. The horses were grazing near me tethered; but even Chris was away somewhere; and I sat up wondering in some confusion what it meant.
A glance at my watch showed it was two hours and more past noon and that I must have slept for six or seven hours. I felt immensely refreshed. The pain in my head was so slight as to be inconsiderable, and although my leg was stiff, I could move about freely.