‘Stay,’ he said; ‘thy invention has given me an idea. I will have thee stripped and set riding; it is a pretty invention. Strip him, men.’
‘Or, stay,’ said Mazeppa, as the fellows began to unbind me in order to divest me of my clothes. ‘My fool of a heart is soft for thee, Chelminsky; thou shalt be given a chance. There is thy own horse; mount him and ride like the devil. Thou shalt be pursued after an hour: thou shalt have neither weapon nor money; there shall be a reward for thy shooting; do you hear, men? Fifty gold pieces for Chelminsky’s head so long as it is taken from his shoulders in Cossack territory.’
‘Good! I accept,’ I cried, ‘and I thank thee, Mazeppa. I will remember this to thy credit!’
‘Well, mount and ride like the devil. Take his sword and his purse. Now go.’
My heart bounded for joy. I could scarce believe that this good fortune had befallen me—me who stood a moment before in the very shadow of death! My horse was ready saddled: it was Shadrach, a splendid stallion of Ukraine blood, somewhat heavily formed, but of spirit unmatched.
As I leaped away I half expected to hear a volley behind me and to be toppled from my saddle in obedience to a signal from Mazeppa; but I did him an injustice, for he intended me to have this chance of life.
I would ride straight for Moscow: Mazeppa and his men would know this and would follow upon my heels without the trouble of finding my tracks; but what cared I? My pursuers must have good horseflesh between their knees if they would catch Shadrach.
I must ride fifty leagues before I should be safe: by then I should be in Russian territory and beyond the reach of my pursuers.
Away we careered, we with our start of an hour, and at first Shadrach went well; but before we had gone many leagues I realised that he was not at his best. He sweated and foamed; his breath laboured, and the exertion, which would have been a trifle to him on another day, distressed him.
I dismounted and examined the beast. I was prepared for the discovery which I now made: he had been tampered with. Some devil, inspired by a worse devil, of course, must have doctored him in his stable this morning.