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The wind, it is true, was blowing from there, but there was no doubt that the unknown travellers were a good mile, perhaps two, nearer us. Filofey and I looked at one another; he only gave his hat a tweak forward from behind, and at once, bending over the reins, fell to whipping up the horses. They set off at a gallop, but they could not gallop for long, and fell back into a trot again.
I should have been surprised at the time that Filofey could still trouble about his horses at such a moment; but, I must confess, I had no thoughts for him.... 'Will they really kill me? I kept repeating mentally. 'Why should they? I'll give them everything I have.... And the bridge was getting nearer and nearer; it could be more and more clearly seen.
'Oh-oh! he repeated; then he spat on the floor and walked out of the room. The expedition to Tula obviously no longer presented any features of interest to him; it had become for him a dull and unattractive business. 'Do you know the road well? I said, addressing Filofey. 'Surely, we know the road! Only, so to say, please your honour, can't... so on the sudden, so to say...
'What will Filofey say now? was the thought that glanced through my mind; 'you see I was right! or something of that sort. But he said nothing. So I too did not think it necessary to reproach him for carelessness, and lying down in the hay, I tried again to go to sleep.
Filofey continued to whip them. We must get away! I can't account for the fact that, though I had not at first shared Filofey's apprehensions, about this time I suddenly gained the conviction that we really were being followed by highwaymen.... I had heard nothing new: the same tambourines, the same rattle of a cart without a load, the same intermittent whistling, the same confused uproar.... But now I had no doubt.
Filofey could not have made a mistake! And now twenty minutes more had gone by.... During the last of these twenty minutes, even through the clatter and rumble of our own carriage, we could hear another clatter and another rumbling.... 'Stop, Filofey, I said; 'it's no use the end's the same!
The coach was standing still on level ground in the very middle of the high-road. 'What do you say? 'I say, there's a rattling! Bend down and listen. Do you hear it? I put my head out of the coach, held my breath, and did catch, somewhere in the distance, far behind us, a faint broken sound, as of wheels rolling. 'Do you hear it? repeated Filofey. 'Well, yes, I answered.
And everything was still again; there was only the faint gurgle of the water as before. I sank into a state of torpor. Moonlight, and night, and the river, and we in it.... 'What is that croaking noise? I asked Filofey. 'That? Ducks in the reeds... or else snakes. All of a sudden the head of the shaft-horse shook, his ears pricked up; he gave a snort, began to move.
But two days later he informed me, with great satisfaction, that the very night Filofey and I had been driving to Tula, and on the very road, a merchant had been robbed and murdered. I did not at first put much faith in this, but later on I was obliged to believe it: it was confirmed by the police captain, who came galloping over in consequence.
Hey, coachman, he added, wagging his head at Filofey; 'you were a bit scared, I shouldn't wonder, hey? 'A merry fellow! observed Filofey when we had driven nearly fifty yards from the tavern. We got into Tula at last: I bought shot, and while I was about it, tea and spirits, and even got a horse from the horse-dealer. At mid-day we set off home again.
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