| One of my companions whispered to another the... 687 |
[Jan. 29th, 2010|07:19 am] |
One of my companions whispered to another the line from Burger's "Lenore"
"Denn die Todten reiten Schnell ("For the dead travel fast)
The strange driver evidently heard the words, for he looked up with a gleaming smileThe passenger turned his face away, at the same time putting out his two fingers and crossing himself"Give me the Herr's luggage," said the driver, and with exceeding alacrity my bags were handed out and put in the calecheThen I descended from the side of the coach, as the caleche was close alongside, the driver helping me with a hand which caught my arm in a grip of steelHis strength must have been prodigious
Without a word he shook his reins, the horses turned, and we swept into the darkness of the passAs I looked back I saw the steam from the horses of the coach by the light of the lamps, and projected against it the figures of my late companions crossing themselvesThen the driver cracked his whip and called to his horses, and off they swept on their way to BukovinaAs they sank into the darkness I felt a strange chill, and a lonely feeling come over meBut a cloak was thrown over my shoulders, and a rug across my knees, and the driver said in excellent German--"The night is chill, mein Herr, and my master the Count bade me take all care of youThere is a flask of slivovitz (the plum brandy of the country) underneath the seat, if you should require it
I did not take any, but it was a comfort to know it was there all the sameI felt a little strangely, and not a little frightenedI think had there been any alternative I should have taken it, instead of prosecuting that unknown night journeyThe carriage went at a hard pace straight along, then we made a complete turn and went along another straight roadIt seemed to me that we were simply going over and over the same ground again, and so I took note of some salient point, and found that this was soI would have liked to have asked the driver what this all meant, but I really feared to do so, for I thought that, placed as I was, any protest would have had no effect in case there had been an intention to delay
By-and-by, however, as I was curious to know how time was passing, I struck a match, and by its flame looked at my watchIt was within a few minutes of midnightThis gave me a sort of shock, for I suppose the general superstition about midnight was increased by my recent experiencesI waited with a sick feeling of suspense
Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road, a long, agonized wailing, as if from fearThe sound was taken up by another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began, which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night
At the first howl the horses began to strain and rear, but the driver spoke to them soothingly, and they quieted down, but shivered and sweated as though after a runaway from sudden frightThen, far off in the distance, from the mountains on each side of us began a louder and a sharper howling, that of wolves, which affected both the horses and myself in the same wayFor I was minded to jump from the caleche and run, whilst they reared again and plunged madly, so that the driver had to use all his great strength to keep them from boltingIn a few minutes, however, my own ears got accustomed to the sound, and the horses so far became quiet that the driver was able to descend and to stand before them
He petted and soothed them, and whispered something in their ears, as I have heard of horse-tamers doing, and with extraordinary effect, for under his caresses they became quite manageable again, though they still trembledThe driver again took his seat, and shaking his reins, started off at a great paceThis time, after going to the far side of the Pass, he suddenly turned down a narrow roadway which ran sharply to the right
Soon we were hemmed in with trees, which in places arched right over the roadway till we passed as through a tunnelAnd again great frowning rocks guarded us boldly on either sideThough we were in shelter, we could hear the rising wind, for it moaned and whistled through the rocks, and the branches of the trees crashed together as we swept alongIt grew colder and colder still, and fine, powdery snow began to fall, so that soon we and all around us were covered with a white blanketThe keen wind still carried the howling of the dogs, though this grew fainter as we went on our wayThe baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every sideI grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my |
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