Dracula | Page 7

their coloured sheepskins, the latter carrying lance-fashion their
long staves, with axe at end. As the evening fell it began to get very
cold, and the growing twilight seemed to merge into one dark mistiness
the gloom of the trees, oak, beech, and pine, though in the valleys
which ran deep between the spurs of the hills, as we ascended through
the Pass, the dark firs stood out here and there against the background
of late-lying snow. Sometimes, as the road was cut through the pine
woods that seemed in the darkness to be closing down upon us, great
masses of greyness which here and there bestrewed the trees, produced
a peculiarly weird and solemn effect, which carried on the thoughts and
grim fancies engendered earlier in the evening, when the falling sunset
threw into strange relief the ghost-like clouds which amongst the
Carpathians seem to wind ceaselessly through the valleys. Sometimes
the hills were so steep that, despite our driver's haste, the horses could
only go slowly. I wished to get down and walk up them, as we do at
home, but the driver would not hear of it. "No, no," he said. "You must
not walk here. The dogs are too fierce." And then he added, with what
he evidently meant for grim pleasantry--for he looked round to catch
the approving smile of the rest--"And you may have enough of such
matters before you go to sleep." The only stop he would make was a
moment's pause to light his lamps.
When it grew dark there seemed to be some excitement amongst the
passengers, and they kept speaking to him, one after the other, as
though urging him to further speed. He lashed the horses unmercifully
with his long whip, and with wild cries of encouragement urged them
on to further exertions. Then through the darkness I could see a sort of
patch of grey light ahead of us, as though there were a cleft in the hills.
The excitement of the passengers grew greater. The crazy coach rocked
on its great leather springs, and swayed like a boat tossed on a stormy
sea. I had to hold on. The road grew more level, and we appeared to fly
along. Then the mountains seemed to come nearer to us on each side
and to frown down upon us. We were entering on the Borgo Pass. One
by one several of the passengers offered me gifts, which they pressed
upon me with an earnestness which would take no denial. These were
certainly of an odd and varied kind, but each was given in simple good

faith, with a kindly word, and a blessing, and that same strange mixture
of fear-meaning movements which I had seen outside the hotel at
Bistritz--the sign of the cross and the guard against the evil eye. Then,
as we flew along, the driver leaned forward, and on each side the
passengers, craning over the edge of the coach, peered eagerly into the
darkness. It was evident that something very exciting was either
happening or expected, but though I asked each passenger, no one
would give me the slightest explanation. This state of excitement kept
on for some little time. And at last we saw before us the Pass opening
out on the eastern side. There were dark, rolling clouds overhead, and
in the air the heavy, oppressive sense of thunder. It seemed as though
the mountain range had separated two atmospheres, and that now we
had got into the thunderous one. I was now myself looking out for the
conveyance which was to take me to the Count. Each moment I
expected to see the glare of lamps through the blackness, but all was
dark. The only light was the flickering rays of our own lamps, in which
the steam from our hard-driven horses rose in a white cloud. We could
see now the sandy road lying white before us, but there was on it no
sign of a vehicle. The passengers drew back with a sigh of gladness,
which seemed to mock my own disappointment. I was already thinking
what I had best do, when the driver, looking at his watch, said to the
others something which I could hardly hear, it was spoken so quietly
and in so low a tone, I thought it was "An hour less than the time."
Then turning to me, he spoke in German worse than my own.
"There is no carriage here. The Herr is not expected after all. He will
now come on to Bukovina, and return tomorrow or the next day, better
the next day." Whilst he was speaking the horses began to neigh and
snort and plunge wildly, so that the driver had to hold them up. Then,
amongst a chorus of screams from