The Red, White, and Green

  CHAPTER XXV.

  _IMPRISONED AT ARAD._

  Von Theyer met me at the inn door, but he was busy giving orders that adetachment of troops should mount and scour the district.

  Candles and flaring torches burned in the kitchen, and by their light Isaw three men, all badly wounded, lying side by side.

  At the farther end of the apartment lay Ober, and the hussars pulled andhustled me towards his body.

  Poor fellow! He was quite dead, and close by I saw the keen blade, nowstained with blood, that had slain him.

  His comrades uttered loud threats of vengeance, and one man, pressingthe muzzle of his pistol against my forehead, swore he would shoot me.

  Another pulled him back, saying he might safely leave me to the colonel,who would not fail to avenge the dead hussar.

  For myself, I was in a state of utter bewilderment, and looked at thebrawny, rough-voiced men like a dazed child.

  The long-continued excitement and the dramatic close of the incident hadfor the time clouded my brain, and, beyond the fact that Ober was dead,I grasped nothing clearly.

  Then above the babel of sounds I heard a voice ordering in tones ofcommand that my arms should be bound afresh.

  This the men did very willingly, and in their anger they tied the knotsso tightly that the pain almost caused me to faint.

  Then two of them led me into the next room, where Von Theyer sat, with apair of pistols on the table beside him.

  "That will do," he exclaimed harshly. "Leave him there. Now go outsideand wait. Don't be frightened if you hear the report of a pistol. I'min no danger."

  The men saluted and withdrew, leaving me facing their colonel.

  At the sight of that face with the hideous scar my senses and my manhoodreturned to me. I remembered that I came of a race of Magyar nobles,and resolved to show myself worthy to bear their name.

  "George Botskay, once a so-called captain in the rebel army, but now anassociate of thieves and murderers, I demand to know the name of thevillain by whose aid you have stabbed an unoffending man to death."

  At this implied accusation of a cowardly crime my face flushed, and Icried hotly,--

  "I throw the lie in your teeth, Colonel von Theyer. My hands are freefrom innocent blood, as you well know, though it may suit your purposeto declare otherwise."

  Von Theyer laughed, and his lips assumed a cruel curve that was notpleasant to see.

  "You are right," said he coldly. "It does suit my purpose. Can youguess why I did not hang you by the side of your friend Count Beula? Ihad another plan, and this night's work has made its success certain.Look at me, George Botskay, and see for what I have to thank you. InVienna you worked me harm enough, but this, this--" And he half chokedas he laid his hand on his scarred cheek.

  "I am truly sorry for your disfigurement," I replied, "but it happenedin the heat of battle and with no malice on my part."

  "Perhaps when I have made you suffer I shall be sorry too," he saidflippantly. "We shall see. I could hang you now--your life is forfeitto the laws; but that is not my wish. I am going to brand your name, sothat it shall be carried to Vienna as the name of a common thief andassassin. I will make the Austrian government your judge and yourexecutioner. When you have been publicly disgraced and hung, FraeuleinTheresa may not be quite so proud of her Hungarian friend."

  "You are a coward and a scoundrel," I cried contemptuously, "and may doas you please;" but for all my brave words the barbed shaft had struckhome.

  Von Theyer saw this, and was beginning to laugh, when he caught sight ofthe locket, which showed through my disordered apparel.

  Apparently he recognized it, as he sprang forward to remove it; and thenhe saw the baron's ring.

  "Oh, oh!" he cried; "this is famous! So you have been robbing the dead!I think this will add an extra spice to my revenge."

  Dragging the ring from my finger, he called his men to take me away andguard me closely.

  By this time day was breaking; and the soldiers, unable to sleep, gotready their morning meal.

  As no one offered me any, I went without, which was not an agreeablemethod of beginning the day.

  However, they gave me plenty of rope instead, and I was firmly fastenedon Ober's horse, while two men with levelled pistols rode one on eitherside of me.

  The detachment sent out during the night met us a few miles from thevillage, and the officer reported they had been unable to find any traceof the mysterious stranger.

  Talking amongst themselves, the hussars declared that the daringintruder must have been Batori Gabor, and I held that opinion too.

  Rakoczy was a prisoner, and Mecsey Sandor far away, so that unless oneof the disbanded soldiers had performed the deed, the robber-captain wasthe only person left to suspect.

  However, the scheme had failed, and I was more strongly guarded thanbefore.

  Von Theyer gave the strictest orders to the two troopers, one of whomwas Franz, the comrade of the dead Ober.

  This man eyed me most maliciously, and I felt sure he would be asplendid tool in furthering the colonel's scheme.

  From boyhood, riding had been one of my chief pleasures; but this newstyle, tied hand and foot and bound to a horse's back, was a novelty Idid not appreciate.

  Towards noon we halted beside a pleasant stream, a tributary of theMaros; and having attended to the animals, the men sat down to theirfrugal dinner.

  Now, since there is no satisfaction to be obtained in hanging a deadman, Von Theyer was compelled to give me some food; and this, with thetemporary freedom of my arms, was a great relief.

  Having finished their black bread and cheese, most of the men began tosmoke. Some rolled out their greatcoats and went to sleep, while othersplayed strange games with packs of well-thumbed cards.

  The halt lasted perhaps two hours, when the bugles sounded, and we wereagain in motion.

  By this time Von Theyer had evidently abandoned all hope of catching therobbers, as we rode at a sober pace, and finished the day's march longbefore sunset.

  Our new quarters were in a fair-sized village, and I was rather amusedby the precautions taken to ensure my safety.

  Six men were placed in the same room, and a sentry was posted outsidethe door.

  If any accident occurred during the night, the colonel promised to hangthem all without exception; and as Von Theyer was a man of his word, thetroopers regarded his threat with respect.

  Poor fellows! In spite of my own risky position I pitied them; theywere like men suffering from a bad form of nightmare.

  After a meagre supper, quickly dispatched, my arms were rebound, and Iwas bundled into a corner, the sergeant in charge of the guard warningme not to move, which was rather unnecessary advice.

  Two of the hussars stood over me with drawn swords, the others sat on abench waiting for their spell of duty. I don't think any of them went tosleep.

  About midnight Von Theyer himself paid us a visit; and the guard,springing to their feet, presented arms.

  He glanced round the room with an approving smile, and said,--

  "Well, sergeant, I think your prisoner will have small chance ofstabbing any one to-night."

  The sergeant smiled at the compliment to his vigilance, and the colonelcame over to my corner.

  Not caring to bandy words with him before his men, I closed my eyes,pretending to be asleep, and after a minute or two he went away.

  The night passed wearily enough, for although I managed to sleep, myrest was broken by feverish dreams, and I gladly welcomed the coming ofanother day.

  For some reason unknown to me we did not set out till ten o'clock; andwhen, after an uneventful journey, we rode into the town of Arad, theautumn afternoon was fast blending into evening.

  The inhabitants of the old market-town swarmed out to see the Austriancavalry, and many glances of compassion and pity were directed on thebound and helpless prisoner in their midst.

  A few
expressed their sympathy audibly, but for the most part men,women, and children stood mournful indeed but silent.

  Alas! the glory of the Magyar had departed. Henceforth my unhappycountrymen must bend beneath the whips of their Austrian masters.

  Once we were startled by a mocking laugh from some one in the crowd, andVon Theyer frowned angrily as a clear voice sang out, "Let the colonellook to his guards. 'Twill be his turn next."

  The Austrian dashed towards the spot whence the words came, but he metonly the innocent faces of terrified people, and for very shame's sakehe dared not punish them.

  The voice roused me, for it was that of the man who had slain Ober inthe kitchen of the inn; and now I knew the daring intruder had beenBatori, the robber-captain.

  Others also guessed the secret, and Franz riding up to the colonelwhispered something in his ear.

  Immediately the troopers were ordered to disperse, and in small partiesto search every nook and cranny in both the old and the new town.

  Meanwhile Von Theyer, with half a dozen men who acted as my escort, rodeto the bridge which spans one arm of the Maros, and connects Arad withthe spit of land on which the fortress is built.

  The last time I had passed that way the red, white, and green stripeswaved proudly from the ramparts. Now the black and yellow flag hungfrom the walls--an outward and visible sign of our defeat.

  A group of citizens stood on the river-bank to watch us go past, and myheart gave a great leap as I recognized amongst them the faithful MecseySandor.

  He had discarded his uniform, and was dressed in civilian costume,though he could not altogether disguise his military carriage.

  His eyes looked straight into mine, and by a kind of dumb show he mademe understand that Rakoczy was confined in Gros-Wardein.

  Then our little cavalcade swept by, the gates were thrown open, and wepassed behind the frowning walls of the fortress.

  Here Von Theyer left us, and I soon received ample proof of howeffectually he had blackened my character to the governor.

  Instead of being treated as an honourable though beaten enemy, I wasroughly thrust into a small, dark cell, bare of furniture, and left tomy own reflections till the morning, when a jailer, attended by severalsoldiers, brought me some food and untied my bonds.

  For this last attention I was extremely grateful, and ate my lump of dryblack bread in an almost cheerful spirit.

  But as day followed day without change, the gloom and monotony oppressedme like a heavy weight. I grew moody and depressed, and in spite of ahard struggle was gradually driven to look upon the dark side of things.

  No news of any kind came to me in my narrow prison. The jailer refusedto answer a question, saying the only matter I need trouble about wasthe date of my execution.

  At first I dreamed of making my escape, but this idea was soonabandoned, as I saw how hopeless any attempt must be.

  The cell door was of iron, the walls were strong and massive, and I hadnot so much as a nail to work with.

  Almost my sole dependence lay in Mecsey Sandor, yet what he could do Icould not imagine.

  However, I tried hard not to despair, and resolved, if need be, to meetmy fate bravely.

  In this manner more than a fortnight passed, when one morning, about twohours after my breakfast of black bread and water, I was surprised tohear the tramp of marching feet, which stopped opposite my cell.

  The key turned in the massive lock, the door opened, and I was harshlyordered to step outside.

  A number of soldiers with bayonets fixed waited. I was placed in themidst of them and hurried away.

  These men belonged to an infantry regiment, and were strangers to me,but it was plain they had formed a very unfavourable opinion of mycharacter.

  Crossing the square, they halted in front of a low door, and the officerin command of the party signed to me to follow him.

  An antechamber was filled with soldiers, fully armed and standing atattention, while their faces were about as human as chiselled stone.

  Passing through, we entered a second apartment, where a dozen officerswere seated round a baize-covered table littered with writing material.

  Recognizing that these men held my life in their hands, I looked at themeagerly.

  The president's chair was occupied by a tall old man withslightly-stooping shoulders, scanty white hair, and long, drooping,white moustaches.

  His face was bronzed, and his breast covered with numerous ribbons andmedals, but his blue eyes were rather dreamy, and I thought he had muchado to keep himself awake.

  The officers who flanked him on either side of the table were of variousages, and belonged to different branches of the service, but they allsat as immovable as statues.

  The silence was so weird and oppressive that I welcomed the sound of thepresident's voice when he began the proceedings by asking my name.

  "George Botskay," I proudly answered.

  "Captain in the rebel army?" he went on, reading from a slip of paper.

  "Captain on the staff of General Goergei, commander-in-chief of theHungarian national forces," I replied.

  One of the stone griffins started into life at this, but the presidentpetrified him again by a wave of the hand.

  "Why did you not surrender with your leader?"

  "Because I was absent on special duty."

  "It is stated here," said he, tapping the paper, "that you were atVilagos on the thirteenth of August."

  "I was, but not with the army."

  The other stone men showed signs of life now, and the old warriorcontinued his examination.

  "Was it not your duty, as a soldier of honour, to obey your chief'sorders, and to give yourself up to the proper authorities?"

  "That view of the question did not strike me," I answered, and quitehonestly too. "I was not with the army, and therefore did not considermyself included in the surrender."

  "You preferred instead to join the band of a notorious robber?"

  "That is false," I cried--"utterly false!"

  The president, though he did not look like a merciful man, wasexceedingly polite.

  "I am afraid," he said, "that the facts are against you. Colonel vonTheyer, one of our best officers--"

  "A rebel turncoat," I interrupted angrily.

  "I do not think, Herr Botskay, that abuse of a trusted officer will doyour case any good. His report expressly states that you werediscovered with this band of robbers. Do you deny the truth of thecharge?"

  "I cannot; but my being there was the result of blind chance."

  The griffins actually smiled, which convinced me I was getting deeperinto the mire, and that feeling was not lessened when the president saidsoftly, "An unlucky chance for you, Herr Botskay, I fear."

  "It is the truth for all that," I said stoutly.

  "Did Count Beula meet the robbers by accident also?"

  "I cannot say. I know nothing of him."

  "Here again my information differs from your statement. The count waswell known as an abettor of the massacres in Vienna, and it is laid downhere that you were in personal communication with him at the beginningof the insurrection. Is that so?"

  The ground seemed to be slipping from under me.

  "Count Beula was never a friend of mine," I said.

  "One does not always make a friend of an accomplice," replied thepresident suavely. "But here is another question. Is it true that onany single occasion you attended a meeting of the Hungarian Committee?"

  "That is easily explained," I began. "When--"

  "Pardon me, general," interrupted one of my judges, "but I should likethe prisoner to give a direct answer--yes or no--to the question. It isa simple matter. Did he or did he not, in October of 1848, attend ameeting of the Hungarian Committee?"

  "If you will not allow me to explain, I shall refuse to answer at all,"I exclaimed.

  "Then," said the man who had spoken, "we shall be forced to draw our ownconclusions;" and he sat down very red, but triumphant, amid a hum ofap
proval.

  "There is one other matter on which you might like to say a word,"remarked the president blandly, "and that is the doing to death of thetrooper Ober."

  To this I replied that the unfortunate man had not met his death at myhands, nor was I in any way responsible for the striking of the fatalblow.

  Here again I was confronted by further proof of how finely my enemy hadwoven the meshes of my net.

  According to the sworn evidence of the man Franz, he had seen the knifein my hand, and he had also seen me stab the hapless trooper to theheart.

  On the evidence supplied to them my judges could so easily find meguilty of almost any crime that I took little interest in the rest ofthe proceedings.

  Von Theyer had made such a skilful blend of fact and fiction that hisstory had all the appearance of unadulterated truth. On one point alonehe had not fulfilled his threat; there was no allusion to the ring andminiature of the dead baron.

  I believe the president did mention vaguely some other charges, but as Icould not be shot or hung twice over, these did not much matter.

  When he had finished his speech I bowed courteously, saluted theofficers in military fashion, and followed the leader of the escort fromthe room.

  Once again I was placed in the midst of the soldiers, and marched backto my cell, where they left me without a word. I sat down on the woodenbench which was my sole article of furniture, and tried to think over myposition.

  It seemed gloomy and hopeless enough, and turn which way I would, theonly outlook was towards the scaffold.

  As far as I could understand, the Austrians claimed the right to hang meon either of two grounds--the refusal to surrender with Goergei atVilagos, and the fact that I was caught in the company of a notoriousband of robbers.

  The other points, such as my acquaintance with Count Beula and theslaying of the hussar, were mere garnishings, added by the wily VonTheyer to prejudice my judges, and prevent them tempering justice bymercy.

  In this there could be no doubt he succeeded perfectly, and I feltcertain that whatever I might put forward in my defence would prove ofno avail.

  Indeed it was likely enough my sentence had already been pronounced, andthat at any moment I might be led out to execution. Every sound whichreached my ears startled me, and a dozen times I stood up trying to calmthe beatings of my heart.

  But the day passed, and at night the jailer brought my black bread andwater, and went away again as usual without saying a word. I ate anddrank feverishly, and then lay down on the narrow bench wondering whatwould happen before the next setting of the sun. Very slowly andwearily the dark hours crawled along, until, utterly worn out, I fellasleep, to be awakened, it seemed almost immediately, by the rattling ofkeys and the creaking of the iron door. In an instant I sprang to myfeet, and waited with taut-strung nerves for the final ordeal.

  My visitor was the jailer, and as he placed my breakfast on the ground,I burst into a peal of hysterical laughter.