Latest / Classic Adventure Books Collection / 03 - Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey
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- Chapter three, Ivan more and more troublesome Bulgar watches him closely his cowardly attack upon me, my faithful vulgar to the rescue a driver worth having. How I was carried to a place of safety in the hands of old Juliana the giants well when we halted for the night. It was only by threatening the man with severe punishment upon my return to hitch that I could bring him to rub his horse's dry and feed and water them properly. But I stood over him until he had done his work thoroughly, for I knew that no such horses could be had for love or money in that country. If they should go lame from standing with wet coats in the chill night air, it might meet a week's delay. Scarcely had I thrown myself on the hard mattress, which the tavern keeper called the best bed in the house. When I was aroused by loud and boisterous talking in the next room, Ivan was drinking and quarreling with the villagers. I strode into the room with the arrows of indignation shooting from my eyes, and the faithful Bulgar close at my heels. The moment Ivan set eyes upon us. He shrank away, half in earnest and half in jest, and called out, he look at the mazuntchik, the little dandy, how smartly looks he frightens me? See his eyes, how they shine in the dark. Look at the little demon on four legs beside him. Save me, Rather save me, he will throw me down into the giant's well. My uncle will never see me again. Save me, brothers, peace fellow, I called out sternly, how darest thou exercise thy dull wit on thy master. Get thee to bed at once, or I'll have thee whipped by the village constable for thy drunkenness. Ivan clamored up upon the top of the bake oven and stretched himself out on a sheepskin. Then, turning to the tavern keeper, I forbade him, under any pretext whatever, to give my servant any more liquor to drink. Ah, your excellency, exclaimed the tavern keeper with a gesture of disgust. The fools never know when they have had enough. It matters not what the tavern keeper may say to them. They tell us not to spoil our own trade. Ah. They don't know when to stop they have throats as deep as that. Giants well, giants well, the giant's well, I murmured to myself, as I again threw myself down upon the bag of hay, which did service as a mattress for those who could afford to pay for it. It's strange how those words seemed to be in every peasant's mouth, but I thought no more about it at the time. Sleep got the better of me, and with my usual good night to the elder baron and the gracious Baroness my mother, I dropped off into sweet forgetfulness. It is a good thing that I had the power of falling asleep almost at will, For with my restless brain, ever throbbing and pulsating, with its own overabundance of strength, ever tapping at the thin panels of bone which covered it, like an imprisoned inventor pounding on his cell door and pleading to be let out into the daylight. With his plans and schemes, I should simply have become a lunatic. As it was, with the mere power of thought I ordered sweet slumber to come to my rescue. And so obedient was this good angel of mine, that all I had to do was simply to set the time when I wished to awaken, and the thing was done to the very minute. As for the Bulgar, I never pretended to lay down any rules for him. He made it a practice of catching forty winks when he was persuaded that no danger of any kind threatened me. And even then I am half inclined to believe that, like an anxious mother over her babe, he never quite closed both eyes at once. Though entirely sobered by daybreak, Yet Ivan went about the task of harnessing up with such an ill grace that I was obliged to reprove him several times before we had left the tavern yard. He was like a vicious but cowardly animal that quails before a strong and steady eye, but watches its opportunity to spring upon you when your back is turned. I not only called Bulgar's attention to the fellow's actions. I warned him to be very watchful. But I also took the precaution to examine the priming of the brace of Spanish pistols, which I care thrust into my belt. We had scarcely pulled out into the highway when a low growl from bulgar aroused me from a fit of meditation. And this growl was followed by such an anxious wine from my four footed brother as he raised his speaking eyes to me, that I glanced hastily from one side of the road to the other. Lo and behold, the treacherous ivan was deliberately engaged in an attempt to overturn the torrantas and to get rid of his enforced task of transporting us any farther on our journey. Wretch, I cried, springing up and laying my hand on his shoulder. I perceive very plainly what thou hast in mind. But I warn thee most sulemnly that if thou makest another attempt to overturn thy wagon, I'll slay thee where thou sittest for only answer. And with a lightning like quickness, he struck a back hand blow at me with the loaded end of his whip stock. It took me full in the right temple and sent me to the bottom of the tarantus like a piece of lead. For an instant the terrible blow robbed me of my senses. But then I saw that the cowardly villain had turned in his seat, and had swung the heavy handled whip aloft, with intent to despatch me with a second and surer blow. Poor fool he reckoned without his host, for with a shriek of rage, Bulgar leaped at his throat like a stone from a catapult, and struck his teeth deep into the fellow's flesh. He roared with agony and attempted to shake off this unexpected foe, but in vain. By this time I had come to a full realizing sense of the terrible danger Bulgar and I were both in. For Ivan had dropped his whip and was reaching for his sheath knife, but he never gripped it, for a well aimed shot from one of my pistols struck him in the forearm. For I had no wish to take the man's life, and broke it. The shock and pain so paralyzed him that he fell over against the dashboard, half in a faint, and then rolled completely out of the wagon, dragging Bulgar with him. The horses now began to rear and plunge. I saw no more. There was a noise as of the roar of angry waters in my ears, and then the light of life went out of my eyes entirely. I had swooned dead away. It seemed to me hours that I lay there on my back in the bottom of the Tarantas, with my head hanging over the side, But of course it was only minutes. I was aroused by a prickling sensation on my left cheek, and as I slowly came to myself, I discovered that it proceeded from the gravel thrown up against it by one of the front wheels of the tarantas. For the horses were galloping along at the top of their speed, and there on the driver's seat sat my faithful Bulgar, the reins in his teeth, bracing himself so as to keep them taut over the horse's backs. And as I sat up and pressed my hand against my poor hurt head, the whole truth broke upon me. The moment Ivan had struck the ground, Bulgar had released his hold on the fellow's throat, and ere he had had a chance to revive, he had leaped up into the driver's seat, and catching up the reins in his teeth, had drawn them taut, and thus put an end to the rearing and plunging of the frightened beast and started them on their way, leaving the enraged ivan brandishing his knife and uttering imprecations upon mine in Bulgar's heads as he saw his horse, horses, and wagon disappear in the distance. Now was it that a mad shouting assailed my ears? And I caught a glimpse of half a dozen peasants, who, seeing this as they thought empty Tarrentus come nearer and nearer, with its galloping horses, had abandoned their work and rushed out to intercept it. Judge of their amazement, dear friends, as their eyes fell upon the common skillful driver, bracing himself on the front seat and with oft repeated backward tosses of his head, urging those horses to bear his beloved master farther and farther away from the treacherous Ivan's sheath knife. As the peasants seized the animals by the heads and brought them to a standstill, I staggered to my feet and threw my arms around my dear Bulgar. He was more than pleased with what he had done, and licked my bruised brow with many a piteous moan. Saint Nicholas Savus, cried, one of the peasants devoutly making the sign of the cross. But if I should live long enough to fill the giants well with pebbles, I never would expect to see the likes of this again. Giants well, the giants well, I murmured to myself as I followed one of the peasants to his cot, standing a little back from the highway, for I stood sore in need of rest after the terrible experience I had just had. The blow of Ivan's whip handle had jarred my brain, and I was skilled enough in surgery to know that the hurt called for immediate attention. As good luck would have it, I found beneath the peasant's rough one of those old women, half witches perhaps, who have recipes for everything, and who know an herb for every ailment. After she had examined the cut made by the loaded whip handle, she muttered out, it's not as broad as the mount the Norse, deep as the giant's well, but it's bad enough, little master. The Giant's well, again, thought I, as I laid me down on the best bed they could make up for me. I wonder where it may be that Giant's well, and how deep it is, and who drinks the water that is drawn from it? End of Chapter three,