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 

 Cerevic 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 lie 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. 



