by Mór Jókai
CHAPTER II
The miracle happened--a true miracle, like the one of the biblicallegend, when the Red Sea obstructed the way of the persecutor Pharaoh.
Those who may doubt this assertion are referred to the "Monograph onLake Neusiedl," in which may be read a description of the phenomenon. Inthe last years Lake Neusiedl had been drained, and where it had joinedthe lakes of the Hansag, a stout dam had been built. When the waters ofthe Hansag chain rose, the muddy undercurrent threw up great mounds ofearth, like enormous excrescences on a diseased body. One of these hugemounds burst open at the top and emitted a black, slimy mud thatinundated the surrounding morass for a considerable distance.
Already in the neighborhood of St. Andras this slimy ooze was noticeablewhen the troop of demons galloped over the plantain-covered flats whichhere and there bent under the weight of the horsemen. As they proceeded,the enormous numbers of frogs became surprising, as if this host ofamphibia had leagued against the invading demons. Then flocks ofwater-fowl, with clamorous cries and rustling wings, rose here andthere, startled from their quiet nests by the approaching inundation,which by this time had completely hidden what was called in that regionthe public road. De Fervlans, at a loss what to make of this singularfreak of nature, sent a horseman to the right, and one to the left, toexamine the ground, and learn whence came the sea of slime, and how itmight be avoided. Each of his messengers returned with the informationthat the slime was flowing in the direction he had ridden. The source,then, must be near where they had halted.
"This is bad," said De Fervlans, impatiently. "This eruption of mud willhinder our progress. We can't run a race with it. We must look upanother route, and this will delay us perhaps for hours. But we can makethat up when on a hard road again."
De Fervlans, who was familiar with the neighborhood, now led his troopin the direction of the path which ran through the morass toward thevillage of Banfalva, hoping thus to gain the excellent highway ofEszterhaza. Here and there from the swamp rose slight elevations of dryearth which were overgrown with alders and willows. On one of these"hills" De Fervlans concluded to halt for a rest, as both men and horseswere weary with the toilsome journey over the wretched roads.
Very soon enough dry wood was collected for a fire. There was no need tofear that the light might attract attention; the camp was far enoughfrom human habitation, and neither man nor beast ever spent the night inthe morass of the Hansag. Besides, they could have seen, from the top ofa tree, if any one were approaching. They could see in the brightmoonlight the long poplar avenue which led to Eszterhaza; and even agilded steeple might be seen gleaming in the Hungarian Versailles, whichwas perhaps a two hours' ride distant.
Suddenly the sharp call, "_Qui vive?_" was heard. It was answered by asort of grunt, half-brute, half-human. Again the challenging call brokethe silence, and was followed in a few seconds by a gunshot. Then a wildlaugh was heard at some distance from the hill. De Fervlans hurriedtoward the guard.
"What was it?" he asked.
"I don't know whether it was a wild beast or a devil in human form," wasthe reply. "It was a strange-looking monster with a large head andpointed ears."
"I 'll wager it is my runaway fish-boy!" exclaimed the marquis.
"When I challenged the creature he stood up on his feet, and barked, orgrunted, or whatever you might call it; and when I called out the secondtime he seemed to strike fire with something; at any rate, he did notact in the proper manner, so I fired at him. But I did n't hit him."
"I should be sorry if you had," responded the marquis. "I am convincedthat it was my little monster. I taught him to strike fire; and he wasevidently attracted by the light of our camp-fire."
Perhaps it would have been better had the guard shot the amphibiousdwarf. Hardly had De Fervlans returned to his seat when the adjutantcalled his attention to a suspicious flashing in the morass a shortdistance from the hill on which they were resting. Suddenly, while theywere watching the flashes of light, a column of flame rose toward thesky, then another, and another--the morass was on fire in a dozenplaces.
"Hell, and all devils!" shouted De Fervlans, springing toward his horse."The little monster has set the marsh-grass on fire, and it was I whotaught the devil's spawn how to use touchwood! Give chase to thecreature!"
But the order for a chase came too late. In ten minutes the reedsgrowing about the hill were burning, and the demons were compelled touse their spurs in order to speed their horses from the dangerousconflagration.
They did not stop until they had reached the Valla plain--driven totheir mad gallop by the caricature of the "militiaman"!
"This is a pretty state of affairs!" grumbled De Fervlans. "Mire first,then flames, bar our way. _Quis quid peccat, in eo punitur_--he who sinswill be punished by his sin! I sinned in teaching that monster to strikefire. It has made us lose four more hours."
The four hours were of some consequence to the fugitive maid and LudwigVavel.
Dawn broke before the demons found the road between the groups of hills,and when they reached it, they still had before them that half of theHansag which is formed by a series of small lakes.
De Fervlans now became anxious to shorten their route. A lakelet offifty or sixty paces in width is not an impassable hindrance for ahorseman. Therefore it was not necessary to ride perhaps a thousandpaces in making a detour of the lakelets--the demons must ride throughthem. How often had he, when following a deer, swam with his horsethrough just such a body of water. Only then it was autumn, and now itwas spring.
The flora of this marsh country has many species which hide underneaththe water, and in the springtime send their long stems and tendrilstoward the surface. De Fervlans was yet to learn that even plants maybecome foes. Those of his demons who were the first to plunge into thewater suddenly began to call for help. Neither man nor beast can swimthrough a network of growing plants; at every movement they becomeentangled among the clinging tendrils and swaying stems, and sink to thebottom unless promptly rescued. The men on shore were obliged to graspthe tails of the struggling horses and draw them back to land. DeFervlans, who could not be convinced that it was impossible to swimacross the narrow stretch of water, came very near losing his life amongthe aquatic growths. There was now no likelihood of their reaching thehighway before sunrise.
There was still another hindrance. The fire in the morass had alarmedthe entire neighborhood, and the inhabitants were out, to a man,fighting the flames which threatened their meadows. Therefore DeFervlans, who wished to avoid attracting attention to his troop, wasobliged to make his way through thickets and over rough byways, whichwas very tedious work.
It was noon when they arrived at the bridge which crossed the Raab halfa mile from Pomogy. At the farther end of this bridge was thecustom-house, which was also a public inn.
"We must rest there," said De Fervlans, "or our worn-out beasts willdrop under us."
Just as the troop rode on to the bridge, two men ran swiftly from thecustom-house toward the swampy lowland. Before they entered the marshthey stopped, and bound long wooden stilts to their feet; and, thusequipped, stepped without difficulty from one earth-clod to another. Nohorseman could have followed them across the treacherous ground. DeFervlans's adjutant became uneasy when he saw these two men, whoseactions seemed suspicious to him; but the marquis assured him that theywere only shepherds whose herds pastured in the marshes.
The troop dismounted at the inn, and demanded of the host whatever hehad of victuals and drinks. He could offer them nothing better than sourcider, mead, and wild ducks' eggs. But when a demon is hungry andthirsty, even these will satisfy him. De Fervlans, who had not for oneinstant doubted that his expedition would be successful, spread out hismap and planned their further march. General Guillaume would havereceived one of his letters at least,--he had sent two, with twodifferent couriers in different directions,--and would now be waiting atFriedberg for the arrival of the demons and their distinguished captive.Therefore the most direct route to that point m
ust be selected. It wasnot likely that any militia troops would be idling about that cart ofthe country; and if there were, the demons could very easily managethem.