"'Oh, I don't think so,' he said, in his gentle, disarming way. 'Nothing worse than a sprain.'
"'I tell you you've broken your leg; I know what I'm saying.'
"I pulled out my hunting-knife and slit up his boot. The leg appeared, all swollen.
"'We're in a nice fix,' I thought, 'at least six versts from the field.'
"Rudolph was silent, but looked at me out of his fine, gentle eyes. You'd have thought he was happy.
"'Thank you,' he just murmured.
"'What for?' I burst out. 'I have broken your leg and you thank me! You might at least wait until I've got you out of this mess.'
"He looked very contrite and ventured:
"'You'd better go back and send up some help.'
"'What!' I exclaimed in scorn. 'Go back without the fox, and, when I'm asked where the Grand Duke Rudolph is, tell them that I left him at the bottom of a ditch with his leg in little pieces! No, thank you, sir!'