CHAPTER XXVI
DR. SEWARD'S DIARY
_29 October._--This is written in the train from Varna to Galatz. Lastnight we all assembled a little before the time of sunset. Each of ushad done his work as well as he could; so far as thought, and endeavour,and opportunity go, we are prepared for the whole of our journey, andfor our work when we get to Galatz. When the usual time came round Mrs.Harker prepared herself for her hypnotic effort; and after a longer andmore serious effort on the part of Van Helsing than has been usuallynecessary, she sank into the trance. Usually she speaks on a hint; butthis time the Professor had to ask her questions, and to ask them prettyresolutely, before we could learn anything; at last her answer came:--
I can see nothing; we are still; there are no waves lapping, but only asteady swirl of water softly running against the hawser. I can hearmen's voices calling, near and far, and the roll and creak of oars inthe rowlocks. A gun is fired somewhere; the echo of it seems far away.There is tramping of feet overhead, and ropes and chains are draggedalong. What is this? There is a gleam of light; I can feel the airblowing upon me.
Here she stopped. She had risen, as if impulsively, from where she layon the sofa, and raised both her hands, palms upwards, as if lifting aweight. Van Helsing and I looked at each other with understanding.Quincey raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her intently, whilstHarker's hand instinctively closed round the hilt of his Kukri. Therewas a long pause. We all knew that the time when she could speak waspassing; but we felt that it was useless to say anything. Suddenly shesat up, and, as she opened her eyes, said sweetly:--
Would none of you like a cup of tea? You must all be so tired! Wecould only make her happy, and so acquiesced. She bustled off to gettea; when she had gone Van Helsing said:--
You see, my friends. _He_ is close to land: he has left hisearth-chest. But he has yet to get on shore. In the night he may liehidden somewhere; but if he be not carried on shore, or if the ship donot touch it, he cannot achieve the land. In such case he can, if it bein the night, change his form and can jump or fly on shore, as he didat Whitby. But if the day come before he get on shore, then, unless hebe carried he cannot escape. And if he be carried, then the customs menmay discover what the box contain. Thus, in fine, if he escape not onshore to-night, or before dawn, there will be the whole day lost to him.We may then arrive in time; for if he escape not at night we shall comeon him in daytime, boxed up and at our mercy; for he dare not be histrue self, awake and visible, lest he be discovered.
There was no more to be said, so we waited in patience until the dawn;at which time we might learn more from Mrs. Harker.
Early this morning we listened, with breathless anxiety, for herresponse in her trance. The hypnotic stage was even longer in comingthan before; and when it came the time remaining until full sunrise wasso short that we began to despair. Van Helsing seemed to throw his wholesoul into the effort; at last, in obedience to his will she madereply:--
All is dark. I hear lapping water, level with me, and some creaking asof wood on wood. She paused, and the red sun shot up. We must wait tillto-night.
And so it is that we are travelling towards Galatz in an agony ofexpectation. We are due to arrive between two and three in the morning;but already, at Bucharest, we are three hours late, so we cannotpossibly get in till well after sun-up. Thus we shall have two morehypnotic messages from Mrs. Harker; either or both may possibly throwmore light on what is happening.
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_Later._--Sunset has come and gone. Fortunately it came at a time whenthere was no distraction; for had it occurred whilst we were at astation, we might not have secured the necessary calm and isolation.Mrs. Harker yielded to the hypnotic influence even less readily thanthis morning. I am in fear that her power of reading the Count'ssensations may die away, just when we want it most. It seems to me thather imagination is beginning to work. Whilst she has been in the trancehitherto she has confined herself to the simplest of facts. If this goeson it may ultimately mislead us. If I thought that the Count's powerover her would die away equally with her power of knowledge it would bea happy thought; but I am afraid that it may not be so. When she didspeak, her words were enigmatical:--
Something is going out; I can feel it pass me like a cold wind. I canhear, far off, confused sounds--as of men talking in strange tongues,fierce-falling water, and the howling of wolves. She stopped and ashudder ran through her, increasing in intensity for a few seconds,till, at the end, she shook as though in a palsy. She said no more, evenin answer to the Professor's imperative questioning. When she woke fromthe trance, she was cold, and exhausted, and languid; but her mind wasall alert. She could not remember anything, but asked what she had said;when she was told, she pondered over it deeply for a long time and insilence.
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_30 October, 7 a. m._--We are near Galatz now, and I may not have timeto write later. Sunrise this morning was anxiously looked for by us all.Knowing of the increasing difficulty of procuring the hypnotic trance,Van Helsing began his passes earlier than usual. They produced noeffect, however, until the regular time, when she yielded with a stillgreater difficulty, only a minute before the sun rose. The Professorlost no time in his questioning; her answer came with equal quickness:--
All is dark. I hear water swirling by, level with my ears, and thecreaking of wood on wood. Cattle low far off. There is another sound, aqueer one like---- She stopped and grew white, and whiter still.
Go on; go on! Speak, I command you! said Van Helsing in an agonisedvoice. At the same time there was despair in his eyes, for the risen sunwas reddening even Mrs. Harker's pale face. She opened her eyes, and weall started as she said, sweetly and seemingly with the utmostunconcern:--
Oh, Professor, why ask me to do what you know I can't? I don't rememberanything. Then, seeing the look of amazement on our faces, she said,turning from one to the other with a troubled look:--
What have I said? What have I done? I know nothing, only that I waslying here, half asleep, and heard you say go on! speak, I command you!'It seemed so funny to hear you order me about, as if I were a badchild!
Oh, Madam Mina, he said, sadly, it is proof, if proof be needed, ofhow I love and honour you, when a word for your good, spoken moreearnest than ever, can seem so strange because it is to order her whom Iam proud to obey!
The whistles are sounding; we are nearing Galatz. We are on fire withanxiety and eagerness.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_30 October._--Mr. Morris took me to the hotel where our rooms had beenordered by telegraph, he being the one who could best be spared, sincehe does not speak any foreign language. The forces were distributedmuch as they had been at Varna, except that Lord Godalming went to theVice-Consul, as his rank might serve as an immediate guarantee of somesort to the official, we being in extreme hurry. Jonathan and the twodoctors went to the shipping agent to learn particulars of the arrivalof the _Czarina Catherine_.
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_Later._--Lord Godalming has returned. The Consul is away, and theVice-Consul sick; so the routine work has been attended to by a clerk.He was very obliging, and offered to do anything in his power.
_Jonathan Harker's Journal._
_30 October._--At nine o'clock Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and I calledon Messrs. Mackenzie & Steinkoff, the agents of the London firm ofHapgood. They had received a wire from London, in answer to LordGodalming's telegraphed request, asking us to show them any civility intheir power. They were more than kind and courteous, and took us at onceon board the _Czarina Catherine_, which lay at anchor out in the riverharbour. There we saw the Captain, Donelson by name, who told us of hisvoyage. He said that in all his life he had never had so favourable arun.
Man! he said, but it made us afeard, for we expeckit that we shouldhave to pay for it wi' some rare piece o' ill luck, so as to keep up theaverage. It's no canny to run frae London to the Black Sea wi' a windahint ye, as though the Deil himself were blawin' on yer sail for hisain purpose. An' a' the time we could no speer a thing. Gin we were nigha ship, or a port, or a headland, a fog fell on us and travelled wi' us,till when after it had lifted and we looked out, the deil a thing couldwe see. We ran by Gibraltar wi'oot bein' able to signal; an' till wecame to the Dardanelles and had to wait to get our permit to pass, wenever were within hail o' aught. At first I inclined to slack off sailand beat about till the fog was lifted; but whiles, I thocht that if theDeil was minded to get us into the Black Sea quick, he was like to do itwhether we would or no. If we had a quick voyage it would be no to ourmiscredit wi' the owners, or no hurt to our traffic; an' the Old Mon whohad served his ain purpose wad be decently grateful to us for nohinderin' him. This mixture of simplicity and cunning, of superstitionand commercial reasoning, aroused Van Helsing, who said:--
Mine friend, that Devil is more clever than he is thought by some; andhe know when he meet his match! The skipper was not displeased with thecompliment, and went on:--
When we got past the Bosphorus the men began to grumble; some o' them,the Roumanians, came and asked me to heave overboard a big box which hadbeen put on board by a queer lookin' old man just before we had startedfrae London. I had seen them speer at the fellow, and put out their twafingers when they saw him, to guard against the evil eye. Man! but thesupersteetion of foreigners is pairfectly rideeculous! I sent them aboottheir business pretty quick; but as just after a fog closed in on us Ifelt a wee bit as they did anent something, though I wouldn't say it wasagin the big box. Well, on we went, and as the fog didn't let up forfive days I joost let the wind carry us; for if the Deil wanted to getsomewheres--well, he would fetch it up a'reet. An' if he didn't, well,we'd keep a sharp lookout anyhow. Sure eneuch, we had a fair way anddeep water all the time; and two days ago, when the mornin' sun camethrough the fog, we found ourselves just in the river opposite Galatz.The Roumanians were wild, and wanted me right or wrong to take out thebox and fling it in the river. I had to argy wi' them aboot it wi' ahandspike; an' when the last o' them rose off the deck wi' his head inhis hand, I had convinced them that, evil eye or no evil eye, theproperty and the trust of my owners were better in my hands than in theriver Danube. They had, mind ye, taken the box on the deck ready tofling in, and as it was marked Galatz _via_ Varna, I thocht I'd let itlie till we discharged in the port an' get rid o't althegither. Wedidn't do much clearin' that day, an' had to remain the nicht at anchor;but in the mornin', braw an' airly, an hour before sun-up, a man cameaboard wi' an order, written to him from England, to receive a boxmarked for one Count Dracula. Sure eneuch the matter was one ready tohis hand. He had his papers a' reet, an' glad I was to be rid o' thedam' thing, for I was beginnin' masel' to feel uneasy at it. If the Deildid have any luggage aboord the ship, I'm thinkin' it was nane itherthan that same!
What was the name of the man who took it? asked Dr. Van Helsing withrestrained eagerness.
I'll be tellin' ye quick! he answered, and, stepping down to hiscabin, produced a receipt signed Immanuel Hildesheim. Burgen-strasse16 was the address. We found out that this was all the Captain knew; sowith thanks we came away.
We found Hildesheim in his office, a Hebrew of rather the AdelphiTheatre type, with a nose like a sheep, and a fez. His arguments werepointed with specie--we doing the punctuation--and with a littlebargaining he told us what he knew. This turned out to be simple butimportant. He had received a letter from Mr. de Ville of London, tellinghim to receive, if possible before sunrise so as to avoid customs, a boxwhich would arrive at Galatz in the _Czarina Catherine_. This he was togive in charge to a certain Petrof Skinsky, who dealt with the Slovakswho traded down the river to the port. He had been paid for his work byan English bank note, which had been duly cashed for gold at the DanubeInternational Bank. When Skinsky had come to him, he had taken him tothe ship and handed over the box, so as to save porterage. That was allhe knew.
We then sought for Skinsky, but were unable to find him. One of hisneighbours, who did not seem to bear him any affection, said that he hadgone away two days before, no one knew whither. This was corroborated byhis landlord, who had received by messenger the key of the housetogether with the rent due, in English money. This had been between tenand eleven o'clock last night. We were at a standstill again.
Whilst we were talking one came running and breathlessly gasped out thatthe body of Skinsky had been found inside the wall of the churchyard ofSt. Peter, and that the throat had been torn open as if by some wildanimal. Those we had been speaking with ran off to see the horror, thewomen crying out This is the work of a Slovak! We hurried away lest weshould have been in some way drawn into the affair, and so detained.
As we came home we could arrive at no definite conclusion. We were allconvinced that the box was on its way, by water, to somewhere; but wherethat might be we would have to discover. With heavy hearts we came hometo the hotel to Mina.
When we met together, the first thing was to consult as to taking Minaagain into our confidence. Things are getting desperate, and it is atleast a chance, though a hazardous one. As a preliminary step, I wasreleased from my promise to her.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_30 October, evening._--They were so tired and worn out and dispiritedthat there was nothing to be done till they had some rest; so I askedthem all to lie down for half an hour whilst I should enter everythingup to the moment. I feel so grateful to the man who invented theTraveller's typewriter, and to Mr. Morris for getting this one forme. I should have felt quite; astray doing the work if I had to writewith a pen....
It is all done; poor dear, dear Jonathan, what he must have suffered,what must he be suffering now. He lies on the sofa hardly seeming tobreathe, and his whole body appears in collapse. His brows are knit; hisface is drawn with pain. Poor fellow, maybe he is thinking, and I cansee his face all wrinkled up with the concentration of his thoughts. Oh!if I could only help at all.... I shall do what I can.
I have asked Dr. Van Helsing, and he has got me all the papers that Ihave not yet seen.... Whilst they are resting, I shall go over allcarefully, and perhaps I may arrive at some conclusion. I shall try tofollow the Professor's example, and think without prejudice on the factsbefore me....
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I do believe that under God's providence I have made a discovery. Ishall get the maps and look over them....
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I am more than ever sure that I am right. My new conclusion is ready, soI shall get our party together and read it. They can judge it; it iswell to be accurate, and every minute is precious.
_Mina Harker's Memorandum._
(Entered in her Journal.)
_Ground of inquiry._--Count Dracula's problem is to get back to his ownplace.
(_a_) He must be _brought back_ by some one. This is evident; for had hepower to move himself as he wished he could go either as man, or wolf,or bat, or in some other way. He evidently fears discovery orinterference, in the state of helplessness in which he must be--confinedas he is between dawn and sunset in his wooden box.
(_b_) _How is he to be taken?_--Here a process of exclusions may helpus. By road, by rail, by water?
1. _By Road._--There are endless difficulties, especially in leaving thecity.
(_x_) There are people; and people are curious, and investigate. A hint,a surmise, a doubt as to what might be in the box, would destroy him.
(_y_) There are, or there may be, customs and octroi officers to pass.
(_z_) His pursuers might follow. This is his highest fear; and in orderto prevent his being betrayed he has repelled, so far as he can, evenhis victim--me!
2. _By Rail._--There is no one in charge of the box. It would have totake its chance of being delayed; and delay would be fatal, with enemieson the track. True, he might escape at night; but what would he be, ifleft in a strange place with no refuge that he could fly to? This is notwhat he intends; and he does not mean to risk it.
3. _By Water._--Here is the safest way, in one respect, but with mostdanger in another. On the water he is powerless except at night; eventhen he can only summon fog and storm and snow and his wolves. But werehe wrecked, the living water would engulf him, helpless; and he wouldindeed be lost. He could have the vessel drive to land; but if it wereunfriendly land, wherein he was not free to move, his position wouldstill be desperate.
We know from the record that he was on the water; so what we have to dois to ascertain _what_ water.
The first thing is to realise exactly what he has done as yet; we may,then, get a light on what his later task is to be.
_Firstly._--We must differentiate between what he did in London as partof his general plan of action, when he was pressed for moments and hadto arrange as best he could.
_Secondly_ we must see, as well as we can surmise it from the facts weknow of, what he has done here.
As to the first, he evidently intended to arrive at Galatz, and sentinvoice to Varna to deceive us lest we should ascertain his means ofexit from England; his immediate and sole purpose then was to escape.The proof of this, is the letter of instructions sent to ImmanuelHildesheim to clear and take away the box _before sunrise_. There isalso the instruction to Petrof Skinsky. These we must only guess at; butthere must have been some letter or message, since Skinsky came toHildesheim.
That, so far, his plans were successful we know. The _Czarina Catherine_made a phenomenally quick journey--so much so that Captain Donelson'ssuspicions were aroused; but his superstition united with his canninessplayed the Count's game for him, and he ran with his favouring windthrough fogs and all till he brought up blindfold at Galatz. That theCount's arrangements were well made, has been proved. Hildesheim clearedthe box, took it off, and gave it to Skinsky. Skinsky took it--and herewe lose the trail. We only know that the box is somewhere on the water,moving along. The customs and the octroi, if there be any, have beenavoided.
Now we come to what the Count must have done after his arrival--_onland_, at Galatz.
The box was given to Skinsky before sunrise. At sunrise the Count couldappear in his own form. Here, we ask why Skinsky was chosen at all toaid in the work? In my husband's diary, Skinsky is mentioned as dealingwith the Slovaks who trade down the river to the port; and the man'sremark, that the murder was the work of a Slovak, showed the generalfeeling against his class. The Count wanted isolation.
My surmise is, this: that in London the Count decided to get back to hiscastle by water, as the most safe and secret way. He was brought fromthe castle by Szgany, and probably they delivered their cargo to Slovakswho took the boxes to Varna, for there they were shipped for London.Thus the Count had knowledge of the persons who could arrange thisservice. When the box was on land, before sunrise or after sunset, hecame out from his box, met Skinsky and instructed him what to do as toarranging the carriage of the box up some river. When this was done, andhe knew that all was in train, he blotted out his traces, as he thought,by murdering his agent.
I have examined the map and find that the river most suitable for theSlovaks to have ascended is either the Pruth or the Sereth. I read inthe typescript that in my trance I heard cows low and water swirlinglevel with my ears and the creaking of wood. The Count in his box, then,was on a river in an open boat--propelled probably either by oars orpoles, for the banks are near and it is working against stream. Therewould be no such sound if floating down stream.
Of course it may not be either the Sereth or the Pruth, but we maypossibly investigate further. Now of these two, the Pruth is the moreeasily navigated, but the Sereth is, at Fundu, joined by the Bistritzawhich runs up round the Borgo Pass. The loop it makes is manifestly asclose to Dracula's castle as can be got by water.
_Mina Harker's Journal--continued._
When I had done reading, Jonathan took me in his arms and kissed me. Theothers kept shaking me by both hands, and Dr. Van Helsing said:--
Our dear Madam Mina is once more our teacher. Her eyes have been wherewe were blinded. Now we are on the track once again, and this time wemay succeed. Our enemy is at his most helpless; and if we can come onhim by day, on the water, our task will be over. He has a start, but heis powerless to hasten, as he may not leave his box lest those who carryhim may suspect; for them to suspect would be to prompt them to throwhim in the stream where he perish. This he knows, and will not. Now men,to our Council of War; for, here and now, we must plan what each and allshall do.
I shall get a steam launch and follow him, said Lord Godalming.
And I, horses to follow on the bank lest by chance he land, said Mr.Morris.
Good! said the Professor, both good. But neither must go alone. Theremust be force to overcome force if need be; the Slovak is strong andrough, and he carries rude arms. All the men smiled, for amongst themthey carried a small arsenal. Said Mr. Morris:--
I have brought some Winchesters; they are pretty handy in a crowd, andthere may be wolves. The Count, if you remember, took some otherprecautions; he made some requisitions on others that Mrs. Harker couldnot quite hear or understand. We must be ready at all points. Dr.Seward said:--
I think I had better go with Quincey. We have been accustomed to hunttogether, and we two, well armed, will be a match for whatever may comealong. You must not be alone, Art. It may be necessary to fight theSlovaks, and a chance thrust--for I don't suppose these fellows carryguns--would undo all our plans. There must be no chances, this time; weshall, not rest until the Count's head and body have been separated, andwe are sure that he cannot re-incarnate. He looked at Jonathan as hespoke, and Jonathan looked at me. I could see that the poor dear wastorn about in his mind. Of course he wanted to be with me; but then theboat service would, most likely, be the one which would destroy the ...the ... the ... Vampire. (Why did I hesitate to write the word?) He wassilent awhile, and during his silence Dr. Van Helsing spoke:--
Friend Jonathan, this is to you for twice reasons. First, because youare young and brave and can fight, and all energies may be needed at thelast; and again that it is your right to destroy him--that--which haswrought such woe to you and yours. Be not afraid for Madam Mina; shewill be my care, if I may. I am old. My legs are not so quick to run asonce; and I am not used to ride so long or to pursue as need be, or tofight with lethal weapons. But I can be of other service; I can fight inother way. And I can die, if need be, as well as younger men. Now letme say that what I would is this: while you, my Lord Godalming andfriend Jonathan go in your so swift little steamboat up the river, andwhilst John and Quincey guard the bank where perchance he might belanded, I will take Madam Mina right into the heart of the enemy'scountry. Whilst the old fox is tied in his box, floating on the runningstream whence he cannot escape to land--where he dares not raise the lidof his coffin-box lest his Slovak carriers should in fear leave him toperish--we shall go in the track where Jonathan went,--from Bistritzover the Borgo, and find our way to the Castle of Dracula. Here, MadamMina's hypnotic power will surely help, and we shall find our way--alldark and unknown otherwise--after the first sunrise when we are nearthat fateful place. There is much to be done, and other places to bemade sanctify, so that that nest of vipers be obliterated. HereJonathan interrupted him hotly:--
Do you mean to say, Professor Van Helsing, that you would bring Mina,in her sad case and tainted as she is with that devil's illness, rightinto the jaws of his death-trap? Not for the world! Not for Heaven orHell! He became almost speechless for a minute, and then went on:--
Do you know what the place is? Have you seen that awful den of hellishinfamy--with the very moonlight alive with grisly shapes, and everyspeck of dust that whirls in the wind a devouring monster in embryo?Have you felt the Vampire's lips upon your throat? Here he turned tome, and as his eyes lit on my forehead he threw up his arms with a cry:Oh, my God, what have we done to have this terror upon us! and he sankdown on the sofa in a collapse of misery. The Professor's voice, as hespoke in clear, sweet tones, which seemed to vibrate in the air, calmedus all:--
Oh, my friend, it is because I would save Madam Mina from that awfulplace that I would go. God forbid that I should take her into thatplace. There is work--wild work--to be done there, that her eyes may notsee. We men here, all save Jonathan, have seen with their own eyes whatis to be done before that place can be purify. Remember that we are interrible straits. If the Count escape us this time--and he is strong andsubtle and cunning--he may choose to sleep him for a century, and thenin time our dear one--he took my hand--would come to him to keep himcompany, and would be as those others that you, Jonathan, saw. You havetold us of their gloating lips; you heard their ribald laugh as theyclutched the moving bag that the Count threw to them. You shudder; andwell may it be. Forgive me that I make you so much pain, but it isnecessary. My friend, is it not a dire need for the which I am giving,possibly my life? If it were that any one went into that place to stay,it is I who would have to go to keep them company.
Do as you will, said Jonathan, with a sob that shook him all over, weare in the hands of God!
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_Later._--Oh, it did me good to see the way that these brave men worked.How can women help loving men when they are so earnest, and so true, andso brave! And, too, it made me think of the wonderful power of money!What can it not do when it is properly applied; and what might it dowhen basely used. I felt so thankful that Lord Godalming is rich, andthat both he and Mr. Morris, who also has plenty of money, are willingto spend it so freely. For if they did not, our little expedition couldnot start, either so promptly or so well equipped, as it will withinanother hour. It is not three hours since it was arranged what part eachof us was to do; and now Lord Godalming and Jonathan have a lovely steamlaunch, with steam up ready to start at a moment's notice. Dr. Sewardand Mr. Morris have half a dozen good horses, well appointed. We haveall the maps and appliances of various kinds that can be had. ProfessorVan Helsing and I are to leave by the 11:40 train to-night for Veresti,where we are to get a carriage to drive to the Borgo Pass. We arebringing a good deal of ready money, as we are to buy a carriage andhorses. We shall drive ourselves, for we have no one whom we can trustin the matter. The Professor knows something of a great many languages,so we shall get on all right. We have all got arms, even for me alarge-bore revolver; Jonathan would not be happy unless I was armed likethe rest. Alas! I cannot carry one arm that the rest do; the scar on myforehead forbids that. Dear Dr. Van Helsing comforts me by telling methat I am fully armed as there may be wolves; the weather is gettingcolder every hour, and there are snow-flurries which come and go aswarnings.
* * * * *
_Later._--It took all my courage to say good-bye to my darling. We maynever meet again. Courage, Mina! the Professor is looking at you keenly;his look is a warning. There must be no tears now--unless it may be thatGod will let them fall in gladness.
_Jonathan Harker's Journal._
_October 30. Night._--I am writing this in the light from the furnacedoor of the steam launch: Lord Godalming is firing up. He is anexperienced hand at the work, as he has had for years a launch of hisown on the Thames, and another on the Norfolk Broads. Regarding ourplans, we finally decided that Mina's guess was correct, and that if anywaterway was chosen for the Count's escape back to his Castle, theSereth and then the Bistritza at its junction, would be the one. We tookit, that somewhere about the 47th degree, north latitude, would be theplace chosen for the crossing the country between the river and theCarpathians. We have no fear in running at good speed up the river atnight; there is plenty of water, and the banks are wide enough apart tomake steaming, even in the dark, easy enough. Lord Godalming tells me tosleep for a while, as it is enough for the present for one to be onwatch. But I cannot sleep--how can I with the terrible danger hangingover my darling, and her going out into that awful place.... My onlycomfort is that we are in the hands of God. Only for that faith it wouldbe easier to die than to live, and so be quit of all the trouble. Mr.Morris and Dr. Seward were off on their long ride before we started;they are to keep up the right bank, far enough off to get on higherlands where they can see a good stretch of river and avoid the followingof its curves. They have, for the first stages, two men to ride and leadtheir spare horses--four in all, so as not to excite curiosity. Whenthey dismiss the men, which shall be shortly, they shall themselves lookafter the horses. It may be necessary for us to join forces; if so theycan mount our whole party. One of the saddles has a movable horn, andcan be easily adapted for Mina, if required.
It is a wild adventure we are on. Here, as we are rushing along throughthe darkness, with the cold from the river seeming to rise up and strikeus; with all the mysterious voices of the night around us, it all comeshome. We seem to be drifting into unknown places and unknown ways; intoa whole world of dark and dreadful things. Godalming is shutting thefurnace door....
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_31 October._--Still hurrying along. The day has come, and Godalming issleeping. I am on watch. The morning is bitterly cold; the furnace heatis grateful, though we have heavy fur coats. As yet we have passed onlya few open boats, but none of them had on board any box or package ofanything like the size of the one we seek. The men were scared everytime we turned our electric lamp on them, and fell on their knees andprayed.
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_1 November, evening._--No news all day; we have found nothing of thekind we seek. We have now passed into the Bistritza; and if we are wrongin our surmise our chance is gone. We have over-hauled every boat, bigand little. Early this morning, one crew took us for a Government boat,and treated us accordingly. We saw in this a way of smoothing matters,so at Fundu, where the Bistritza runs into the Sereth, we got aRoumanian flag which we now fly conspicuously. With every boat which wehave over-hauled since then this trick has succeeded; we have had everydeference shown to us, and not once any objection to whatever we choseto ask or do. Some of the Slovaks tell us that a big boat passed them,going at more than usual speed as she had a double crew on board. Thiswas before they came to Fundu, so they could not tell us whether theboat turned into the Bistritza or continued on up the Sereth. At Funduwe could not hear of any such boat, so she must have passed there in thenight. I am feeling very sleepy; the cold is perhaps beginning to tellupon me, and nature must have rest some time. Godalming insists that heshall keep the first watch. God bless him for all his goodness to poordear Mina and me.
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_2 November, morning._--It is broad daylight. That good fellow would notwake me. He says it would have been a sin to, for I slept peacefully andwas forgetting my trouble. It seems brutally selfish to me to have sleptso long, and let him watch all night; but he was quite right. I am a newman this morning; and, as I sit here and watch him sleeping, I can doall that is necessary both as to minding the engine, steering, andkeeping watch. I can feel that my strength and energy are coming back tome. I wonder where Mina is now, and Van Helsing. They should have got toVeresti about noon on Wednesday. It would take them some time to get thecarriage and horses; so if they had started and travelled hard, theywould be about now at the Borgo Pass. God guide and help them! I amafraid to think what may happen. If we could only go faster! but wecannot; the engines are throbbing and doing their utmost. I wonder howDr. Seward and Mr. Morris are getting on. There seem to be endlessstreams running down the mountains into this river, but as none of themare very large--at present, at all events, though they are terribledoubtless in winter and when the snow melts--the horsemen may not havemet much obstruction. I hope that before we get to Strasba we may seethem; for if by that time we have not overtaken the Count, it may benecessary to take counsel together what to do next.
_Dr. Seward's Diary._
_2 November._--Three days on the road. No news, and no time to write itif there had been, for every moment is precious. We have had only therest needful for the horses; but we are both bearing it wonderfully.Those adventurous days of ours are turning up useful. We must push on;we shall never feel happy till we get the launch in sight again.
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_3 November._--We heard at Fundu that the launch had gone up theBistritza. I wish it wasn't so cold. There are signs of snow coming; andif it falls heavy it will stop us. In such case we must get a sledge andgo on, Russian fashion.
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_4 November._--To-day we heard of the launch having been detained by anaccident when trying to force a way up the rapids. The Slovak boats getup all right, by aid of a rope and steering with knowledge. Some went uponly a few hours before. Godalming is an amateur fitter himself, andevidently it was he who put the launch in trim again. Finally, they gotup the rapids all right, with local help, and are off on the chaseafresh. I fear that the boat is not any better for the accident; thepeasantry tell us that after she got upon smooth water again, she keptstopping every now and again so long as she was in sight. We must pushon harder than ever; our help may be wanted soon.
_Mina Harker's Journal._
_31 October._--Arrived at Veresti at noon. The Professor tells me thatthis morning at dawn he could hardly hypnotise me at all, and that all Icould say was: dark and quiet. He is off now buying a carriage andhorses. He says that he will later on try to buy additional horses, sothat we may be able to change them on the way. We have something morethan 70 miles before us. The country is lovely, and most interesting; ifonly we were under different conditions, how delightful it would be tosee it all. If Jonathan and I were driving through it alone what apleasure it would be. To stop and see people, and learn something oftheir life, and to fill our minds and memories with all the colour andpicturesqueness of the whole wild, beautiful country and the quaintpeople! But, alas!--
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_Later._--Dr. Van Helsing has returned. He has got the carriage andhorses; we are to have some dinner, and to start in an hour. Thelandlady is putting us up a huge basket of provisions; it seems enoughfor a company of soldiers. The Professor encourages her, and whispers tome that it may be a week before we can get any good food again. He hasbeen shopping too, and has sent home such a wonderful lot of fur coatsand wraps, and all sorts of warm things. There will not be any chance ofour being cold.
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We shall soon be off. I am afraid to think what may happen to us. We aretruly in the hands of God. He alone knows what may be, and I pray Him,with all the strength of my sad and humble soul, that He will watch overmy beloved husband; that whatever may happen, Jonathan may know that Iloved him and honoured him more than I can say, and that my latest andtruest thought will be always for him.