174 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
although the darkness would make the road thither difficult 
and even somewhat dangerous. There we intended to hide 
ourselves for a few hours near the kid which the Savants 
had left lying in front of the decoy-hut, and then to go back 
to the steamer and make an afternoon excursion for Spotted 
Eagles among the “au” woods on the Hungarian side of the 
river. This would, alas! be the last day that we could spend 
with Count Chotek, as time was pressing and the Kovil forest 
was awaiting us ; so, in spite of our very kind host’s friendly 
invitations to prolong our stay, we resolved to leave this dis- 
trict to-morrow and to travel further down-stream. 
When the plans for the ensuing morning had _ been 
thoroughly settled, the Count left us, and drove back to 
Cerevié to put the further arrangements in train, and we 
retired into the snug little shooting-lodge, took a hasty meal, 
and, after a pleasant chat and a cigar, sought the repose which 
we stood pretty much in need of. 
My “ Blak ” was made to ie down on the wolf-skin under 
my bed, just as on the first night that we slept here, and my 
brother-in-law carefully arranged his gun and cartridges ; but 
again all our preparations were in vain, for nothing would 
induce the famous robbers to attack us. 
By nine o’clock all was quiet in the lodge, and every one 
was trying to recruit himself for the fatigues of the morrow. 
