Just as we left the town and reached the open road towards Tarlenheim, he said, 'Are we going to walk all the way?
I was not loath to go quicker, and we broke into a trot.

But I--ah, what a pestilent fool I am!" "Never mind that--go on." "Why, I was thinking of him and my task, and having a bullet ready for him, and--" "Of everything except your horse ?" guessed Sapt, with a grim smile.
"Yes; and the horse pecked and stumbled, and I fell forward on his neck.
I put out my arm to recover myself, and--I jerked my revolver on to the ground." "And he saw ?" "He saw, curse him.

For a second he waited; then he smiled, and turned, and dug his spurs in and was off, straight across country towards Strelsau.

Well, I was off my horse in a moment, and I fired three times after him." "You hit ?" asked Rudolf.
"I think so.

He shifted the reins from one hand to the other and wrung his arm.