«Commandant, a prisoner has fled.»
Kovalski sat up in the wagon and opened his eyes. «What?»
«A prisoner has fled,--that bulky noble who was talking with the commandant.»
The officer came to his senses. «Impossible!» cried he, with terrified voice. «How was it? What happened? How did he escape?»
«In the helmet and cloak of the commandant; the soldiers did not know him, the night was dark.»
«Where is my horse?» cried Kovalski.
«The horse is gone. The noble fled on him.»
«On my horse?»
«Yes.»
Kovalski seized himself by the head. «Jesus of Nazareth! King of the Jews!»
After a while he shouted, «Give here that dog-faith, that son of a such a one who gave him the horse!»
«Pan Commandant, the soldier is not to blame. The night was dark, you might have struck a man in the face, and he
