He had before
starting taken a brace of pistols and a sword from the heap of
weapons which the freebooters had collected in their raids, and as
soon as he reached the ground he struck off through the wood.
Enough had been said during the conversation the night before to
indicate the direction in which Glogau lay, and he determined, in
the first place, to warn the inhabitants of the village of the fate
which the freebooters intended for them.
He walked miles before seeing a single person in the deserted fields.
He had long since left the wood, and was now traversing the open
country, frequently turning round to examine the country around him,
for at any moment after he had left, his absence from the castle
might be discovered, and the pursuit begun. He hoped, however, that
two or three hours at least would elapse before the discovery was
made.
He had, before starting, piled high the fire in the hall, and had
placed plenty of logs for the purpose of replenishing it close at
hand. He put tankards on the board, and with them a large jug full
of wine, so that the freebooters would have no occasion to call
for him, and unless they wanted him they would be unlikely to look
into the kitchen. Except when occasionally breaking into a walk to
get breath, he ran steadily on. It was not until he had gone nearly
ten miles that he saw a goatherd tending a few goats, and from him
he learned the direction of Glogau, and was glad to find he had
not gone very far out of the direct line.
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