"But you ought to know. Why did you not make a note of it? The Prince wishes you to set out at once and make your round without delay, paying special attention to the districts lying between Torocko, Banfy-hunyad, and Bonczida; in addition to the usual questions you are to add this one, Has anybody seen any foreign animals in the surrounding woods?"
"'Foreign animals,'" repeated mechanically the doleful official.
"And if anywhere you receive the reply that such have been seen, you are to go through that locality and examine carefully until you get track of them."
"I beg your pardon, but what kind of animals will they be?" asked the student, timorously.
"Oh, have no fear, it is neither a seven-headed dragon nor a minotaur. At the worst a young panther."
"Panther"—stammered Clement in terror.
"You are not expected to catch him," said Csaki, consolingly. "You are to hunt out where he stays and then let us know."
"Suppose that beast of prey, whose presence in Transylvania I doubt greatly, should happen to be in the territory of Dionysius Banfy, what shall I do then?"
"Follow him up."
"I beg your pardon, but his territory is baronial, where my authority does not extend."