“Yon see,” said Pan Michael to Basia, “that the enemy is hidden there.”
“I see smoke, but I see neither men nor horses,” said Basia, with a beating heart.
“No; for they are concealed by the thickets, though a trained eye can see them. Look there: two, three, four, a whole group of horses are to be seen,—one pied, another all white, and from here one seems blue.”
“Shall we go to them soon?”
“They will be driven to us; but we have time enough, for to that thicket it is a mile and a quarter.”
“Where are our men?”
“Do you see the edge of the wood yonder? The chamberlain’s squadron must be touching that edge just now. Mellehovich will come out of the other side in a moment. The accompanying squadron will attack the robbers from that cliff. Seeing people, they will move toward us, for here it is possible to go to the river under the slope; but on the other side there is a ravine, terribly steep, through which no one can go.”
“Then they are in a trap?”
“As you see.”
“For God’s sake! I am barely able to stand still!” cried Basia; but after a while she inquired, “Michael, if they were wise, what would they do?”