"Whither?" asked the semi-conscious Macko, rubbing his eyes with his fists.
"To Spychow."
"True, I quite forgot. Who is there snoring so loud as to awake the dead?"
"The knight Arnold. Let me throw a few branches upon the embers, then I will go to the men."
Then he left, and hastily returned in a little while, and from a distance he called in a low voice:
"Sir, there is news, bad news!"
"What has happened?" Macko exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"The servant has escaped. The men took her among the horses. May thunder strike them, and when they fell asleep, she sneaked like a serpent from among them and escaped. Come, sir!"
Macko, in alarm, moved quickly with the Bohemian toward the horses, where they found only one man, the others had scattered in pursuit of the fugitive. But, considering the darkness of the night and the thickets of the forest, the search was a foolish undertaking, and after a while they returned with hanging heads. Macko began to belabor them quietly with his fists. Then he returned to the fireplace, for there was nothing to be done.
Zbyszko, who was watching in the hut and did not sleep, came in, hearing the movements, to ascertain the reason. Macko told him all about his consultation with the Bohemian, then he also informed him of the woman's escape.