In the first place, we don't know that he is there. In
the second, I can hardly think that he could have managed it; and,
most of all, I do not see he could possibly have had a hand in the
matter, for, even supposing the officer had found him directly he
arrived, and then given him the message, and he had acted upon it
at once, there would have been no time for the order to get here.
It would have needed a messenger riding night and day, with
frequent relays of horses, to have got to Notteburg and back since
the day I spoke to you about the matter.
"When am I to start?"
"As soon as you have eaten your breakfast. The order says 'send at
once,' and field marshals expect their orders to be attended to
promptly."
On descending to the courtyard after breakfast, Charlie was
surprised to see that, instead of a horse as he had expected, a
well-appointed carriage, with an ample supply of rugs, was standing
there. The governor was there to see him off.
"Well, sir," Charlie said. "If this is the way in which you convey
prisoners from one place to another in Russia, I shall certainly be
able, when I meet King Charles, to report to him most favourably as
to the treatment of his officers who have fallen into the czar's
hands.
Pages:
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373