CHAPTER XVII.
A STAMPEDE.
As soon as he was sufficiently warmed to be able in some degree tocontrol his trembling lips, Father Roger explained that he had beencaptured by the Mongols, from whom he had but recently escaped; that hislife had been spared, at first on account of his clerical costume, andafterwards because he had been taken into the service of aTartar-Magyar, who had saved both himself and his servant.
But when Dora would have questioned him further, and inquired who theTartar-Magyar was, he shook his head, saying gently, "Another time, dearchild, another time--perhaps. But it is a nightmare I would willinglyforget, except that I may give praise to God, who has preserved usthrough so many grievous perils."
It was evidently such a painful subject that she could not press himfurther; and she began to speak of their own plans.
"Dalmatia!" said the Canon, shaking his head, "Dalmatia! but we are inTransylvania! and who knows for certain where his Majesty may be? Ihave heard rumours, but that is all, and they are ancient by this time.It would be wiser to try and find some safe retreat here, where thereare more hiding-places than in the great plains."
He spoke dreamily; but he had noticed Dora's hollow cheeks, and hadmarked how greatly she was altered from the bright, beautiful girl whomhe had last seen less than a year ago. Her strength would never hold outfor so long a journey, even if it were otherwise desirable, which he didnot himself think it; for he was able to throw some light upon themysterious movement among the Mongols, and told his hearers that Oktaithe Great Khan had died suddenly in Asia; and that Batu Khan, the famousconqueror, was far too important a person in his own eyes to be ignoredwhen it came to the choice of a successor. He must make his voice heard,his influence felt; and the tidings had no sooner reached him than hedespatched orders to all his scattered forces, appointing a place ofrendezvous, and bidding them rejoin him at once.
This done, off he hurried, in his usual headlong way; and, with hiscaptives, his many waggons laden with booty, and his yellow hosts, hehad rushed like a tornado through Transylvania into Moldavia,plundering, burning, ravaging, according to custom, as he went.
That was the last Father Roger knew of him; for, finding that thefarther they went the worse became the treatment of the captives, untilat last the only food thrown to them was offal and the bones theMongols had done with, he had felt convinced that a massacre of the oldand feeble was impending.
"Then the Tartar-Magyar is not gone with them to Asia, and he could notprotect you any longer?" asked Dora.
"He could not protect us any longer," echoed Father Roger. "We, myfaithful servant here and I, watched our opportunity and made our escapeone night into the forest."
And here we may mention that they had fled none too soon, as themassacre of those not worth keeping as slaves actually took place, asFather Roger had foreseen, and that within a very short time after hisflight.
The more Talabor thought of it, the more he felt that Father Roger wasprobably right as to Dalmatia, and Dora finally acquiesced in giving upher cherished plan. It was a comfort to be with Father Roger, brokendown though he was; and for the rest, if she could not join her father,what did it matter where she went? She left it to him and Talabor todecide, without troubling her head as to their reasons, or even so muchas asking what they had agreed; but the disappointment was grievous.
The little party therefore journeyed on together, slowly and painfully,often hungering, often nearly frozen, until at last they reached thetown now known as Carlsburg. But here again they found only ruins andstreets filled with dead bodies, and they toiled on again till they cameto the smaller town of Frata, where there were actually a good number ofpeople, recently emerged from their hiding-places, and all busilyengaged in strengthening and fortifying the walls to the best of theirpower.
They had but little news to give, for all were in doubt and uncertaintyboth as to the King and the Mongols. The latter they did not in theleast trust; and though Frata had hitherto escaped, no one felt anysecurity that it might not be besieged any day, almost any hour.
"Better the caves and woods than that," said Father Roger with ashudder. But if there were no safety for them in Frata itself, Talaborheard there of what seemed at least a likely refuge for Dora, and thatwith a member of her own family, a certain Orsolya Szirmay, who was saidto have taken refuge among the mountains, and to have many of theTransylvanian nobility with her, and would certainly receive them.
"Only a little further!" said Talabor, as he had said before; but thistime it was "only a few miles," not a quarter of an hour's walk; andwhen one can walk but slowly, when one's strength is ebbing fast, andone's feet are swollen and painful from the many weary miles they havetrodden, when one is chilled to the bone, weak from long want of properfood, and in constant terror of savage beasts and still more savage men,the prospect of more rough travelling, though only for "a few miles,"is enough to make the bravest heart sink.