Then some brandy was poured down my throat; it put vigour into me, andI was able to open my eyes fully and look around. Lights and shadowswere moving among the trees, and I heard men call to one another. Theydrew together, uttering frightened exclamations; and the lightsflashed as the others came pouring out of the cemetery pell-mell, likemen possessed. When the further ones came close to us, those who werearound me asked them eagerly:
'Well, have you found him?'
The reply rang out hurriedly:
'No! no! Come away quick--quick! This is no place to stay, and on thisof all nights!'
'What was it?' was the question, asked in all manner of keys. Theanswer came variously and all indefinitely as though the men weremoved by some common impulse to speak, yet were restrained by somecommon fear from giving their thoughts.
'It--it--indeed!' gibbered one, whose wits had plainly given out forthe moment.
'A wolf--and yet not a wolf!' another put in shudderingly.
'No use trying for him without the sacred bullet,' a third remarked ina more ordinary manner.
'Serve us right for coming out on this night! Truly we have earnedour thousand marks!' were the ejaculations of a fourth.
'There was blood on the broken marble,' another said after apause--'the lightning never brought that there. And for him--is hesafe? Look at his throat! See, comrades, the wolf has been lying onhim and keeping his blood warm.'
The officer looked at my throat and replied:
'He is all right; the skin is not pierced. What does it all mean? Weshould never have found him but for the yelping of the wolf.'
'What became of it?' asked the man who was holding up my head, and whoseemed the least panic-stricken of the party, for his hands weresteady and without tremor. On his sleeve was the chevron of a pettyofficer.
'It went to its home,' answered the man, whose long face was pallid,and who actually shook with terror as he glanced around him fearfully.'There are graves enough there in which it may lie. Come,comrades--come quickly! Let us leave this cursed spot.'
The officer raised me to a sitting posture, as he uttered a word ofcommand; then several men placed me upon a horse. He sprang to thesaddle behind me, took me in his arms, gave the word to advance; and,turning our faces away from the cypresses, we rode away in swift,military order.
As yet my tongue refused its office, and I was perforce silent. I musthave fallen asleep; for the next thing I remembered was finding myselfstanding up, supported by a soldier on each side of me. It was almostbroad daylight, and to the north a red streak of sunlight wasreflected, like a path of blood, over the waste of snow. The officerwas telling the men to say nothing of what they had seen, except thatthey found an English stranger, guarded by a large dog.
'Dog! that was no dog,' cut in the man who had exhibited such fear. 'Ithink I know a wolf when I see one.'
The young officer answered calmly: 'I said a dog.'
'Dog!' reiterated the other ironically. It was evident that hiscourage was rising with the sun; and, pointing to me, he said, 'Lookat his throat. Is that the work of a dog, master?'
Instinctively I raised my hand to my throat, and as I touched it Icried out in pain. The men crowded round to look, some stooping downfrom their saddles; and again there came the calm voice of the youngofficer:
'A dog, as I said. If aught else were said we should only be laughedat.'
I was then mounted behind a trooper, and we rode on into the suburbsof Munich. Here we came across a stray carriage, into which I waslifted, and it was driven off to the Quatre Saisons--the young officeraccompanying me, whilst a trooper followed with his horse, and t
heothers rode off to their barracks.
When we arrived, Herr Delbrueck rushed so quickly down the steps tomeet me, that it was apparent he had been watching within. Taking meby both hands he solicitously led me in. The officer saluted me andwas turning to withdraw, when I recognised his purpose, and insistedthat he should come to my rooms. Over a glass of wine I warmly thankedhim and his brave comrades for saving me. He replied simply that hewas more than glad, and that Herr Delbrueck had at the first takensteps to make all the searching party pleased; at which ambiguousutterance the maitre d'hotel smiled, while the officer pleaded dutyand withdrew.
'But Herr Delbrueck,' I enquired, 'how and why was it that the soldierssearched for me?'
He shrugged his shoulders, as if in depreciation of his own deed, ashe replied:
'I was so fortunate as to obtain leave from the commander of theregiment in which I served, to ask for volunteers.'
'But how did you know I was lost?' I asked.
'The driver came hither with the remains of his carriage, which hadbeen upset when the horses ran away.'
'But surely you would not send a search-party of soldiers merely onthis account?'