"He surely cannot be a coward," muttered Ráby between his teeth, for his national pride was piqued by sundry contemptuous remarks the Austrian officers began to let fall.
At last they heard the trotting of horses' hoofs. He was coming then!
The men rose from the sward whereon they had been lying, and listened expectantly.
The trotting stopped at the ruined wall, and it was obvious that it belonged to one horse only.
Was it possible he would come alone, without seconds, thinking to find them here in the village?
After awhile there was the sound as of several horses' hoofs, but these seemed as if they were going away, rather than nearing the ruins.
"Friends," shouted Lievenkopp, "someone is stealing our horses!"
And all four dashed out of the ruins.
The captain had guessed rightly, their horses had been stolen.
And the thief was Gyöngyöm Miska himself, who, mounted on his own fiery courser, was driving before him the officers' three horses tethered together by their bridles.