"But I----" It was the courage of desperation--short-lived, alas!
"At once," the man repeated, unfolding his arms. "At once--or shall I----"
Marishka waited no more upon the order of her going but went at once, finding her way up the dusty stairs, terrified, again a prey to the most agonizing fears.
Would Yeva find Hugh at the Hotel Europa?
The night journey of Mr. Renwick to the Bosnian border with the man in black was one long chapter of accidents and delays. But Herr Linke commanded the situation. He had taken care not to return the Englishman's weapon, and there was nothing for Renwick to do but sit in silence by the side of the melancholy Colossus, and pray for an opportunity which never came, for Linke had a watchful eye and sat in the tonneau of the machine. Toward midnight they reached Vinkovcze, where they had supper, and resumed their leisurely journey with a new supply of petrol, which only seemed to increase the trouble in the carburetor. It was at this time that an uncontrollable drowsiness fell upon Renwick. He struggled against it but at last realized that in spite of himself sleep was slowly overpowering him. As in a haze he saw the huge figure of Linke beside him lean over, smiling, while a deep voice which seemed to come from a distance rumbled calmly,
Renwick dimly remembered muttering a curse.
When he awoke it was broad daylight. The car was moving smoothly enough along a good road between two mountains, and at the side of the road a river flowed in the direction from which the machine had come.
Renwick felt light-headed and rather ill, and it was some moments before he became conscious of the figure beside him, while he struggled upright and found his speech.
"Near Duboj, Herr Renwick, where we shall presently eat our supper----"
"Yes. You have slept the clock around----"
"Ah, I remember," and he turned upon the man with a renewed and quite futile anger. "You drugged me, you----"
"Softly, my friend," the big man broke in soothingly. "You can do no good by defaming me."
Renwick shrugged. "You'll pay the score at settling time, nevertheless."
"Perhaps. In the meanwhile I beg you to consider that you are but fifty kilometers from your destination. Since we passed the Save we have proceeded with greater rapidity."