I was certainly not forty miles from the Danube--more like thirty.

The road through the village I had left would have taken me to it.

I had only to walk due south and I would reach it before night.

So far as I could make out there were long tongues of forest running down to the river, and I resolved to keep to the woodlands.

At the worst I would meet a forester or two, and I had a good enough story for them.