And so with trust and hope, and yet full of fear,we go eastward to meet our friends--and _him_--whom Madam Mina tell me that she _know_ are coming to meet us.
_Mina Harker’s Journal._
_6 November._--It was late in the afternoon when the Professor and I took our way towards the east whence I knew Jonathan was coming. We did not go fast, though the way was steeply downhill, for we had to take heavy rugs and wraps with us; we dared not face the possibility of being left without warmth in the cold and the snow. We had to take some of our provisions, too, for we were in a perfect desolation, and, so far as we could see through the snowfall, there was not even the sign of habitation. When we had gone about a mile, I was tired with the heavy walking and sat down to rest. Then we looked back and saw where the clear line of Dracula’s castle cut the sky; for we were so deep under the hill whereon it was set that the angle of perspective of the Carpathian mountains was far below it. We saw it in all its grandeur, perched a thousand feet on the summit of a sheer precipice, and with seemingly a great gap between it and the steep of the adjacent mountain on any side. There was something wild and uncanny about the place. We could hear the distant howling of wolves. They were far off, but the sound, even though coming muffled through the deadening snowfall, was full of terror. I knew from the way Dr. Van Helsing was searching about that he was trying to seek some strategic point, where we would be less exposed in case of attack. The rough roadway still led downwards; we could trace it through the drifted snow.
In a little while the Professor signalled to me,so I got up and joined him.He had found a wonderful spot,a sort of natural hollow in a rock,with an entrance like a doorway between two boulders.He took me by the hand and drew me in: “See!” he said, “here you will be in shelter;and if the wolves do come I can meet them one by one.” He brought in our furs, and made a snug nest for me,and got out some provisions and forced them upon me.But I could not eat;to even try to do so was repulsive to me, and,much as I would have liked to please him,I could not bring myself to the attempt.He looked very sad, but did not reproach me.Taking his field-glasses from the case,he stood on the top of the rock,and began to search the horizon.Suddenly he called out:--
“Look!Madam Mina, look!look!” I sprang up and stood beside him on the rock;he handed me his glasses and pointed.The snow was now falling more heavily,and swirled about fiercely,for a high wind was beginning to blow. However,there were times when there were pauses between the snow flurries and I could see a long way round. From the height where we were it was possible to see a great distance; and far off, beyond the white waste of snow, I could see the river lying like a black ribbon in kinks and curls as it wound its way. Straight in front of us and not far off--in fact, so near that I wondered we had not noticed before--came a group of mounted men hurrying along. In the midst of them was a cart, a long leiter-wagon which swept from side to side, like a dog’s tail wagging, with each stern inequality of the road. Outlined against the snow as they were, I could see from the men’s clothes that they were peasants or gypsies of some kind.
On the cart was a great square chest.My heart leaped as I saw it,for I felt that the end was coming.The evening was now drawing close,and well I knew that at sunset the Thing,which was till then imprisoned there,would take new freedom and could in any of many forms elude all pursuit.In fear I turned to the Professor; to my consternation,however, he was not there. An instant later,I saw him below me.Round the rock he had drawn a circle,such as we had found shelter in last night.When he had completed it he stood beside me again, saying:--
“At least you shall be safe here from _him_!” He took the glasses from me,and at the next lull of the snow swept the whole space below us.“See,” he said, “they come quickly;they are flogging the horses,and galloping as hard as they can.” He paused and went on in a hollow voice:--
“They are racing for the sunset. We may be too late. God’s will be done!” Down came another blinding rush of driving snow,and the whole landscape was blotted out.It soon passed, however,and once more his glasses were fixed on the plain.Then came a sudden cry:--
“Look!Look!Look!See, two horsemen follow fast, coming up from the south.It must be Quincey and John. Take the glass.Look before the snow blots it all out!” I took it and looked. The two men might be Dr.Seward and Mr. Morris.I knew at all events that neither of them was Jonathan.At the same time I _knew_ that Jonathan was not far off;looking around I saw on the north side of the coming party two other men,riding at break-neck speed.One of them I knew was Jonathan, and the other I took,of course, to be Lord Godalming. They, too,were pursuing the party with the cart.When I told the Professor he shouted in glee like a schoolboy,and, after looking intently till a snow fall made sight impossible,he laid his Winchester rifle ready for use against the boulder at the opening of our shelter. “They are all converging,” he said. “When the time comes we shall have gypsies on all sides.” I got out my revolver ready to hand, for whilst we were speaking the howling of wolves came louder and closer. When the snow storm abated a moment we looked again. It was strange to see the snow falling in such heavy flakes close to us, and beyond, the sun shining more and more brightly as it sank down towards the far mountain tops. Sweeping the glass all around us I could see here and there dots moving singly and in twos and threes and larger numbers--the wolves were gathering for their prey.
Every instant seemed an age whilst we waited.The wind came now in fierce bursts,and the snow was driven with fury as it swept upon us in circling eddies.At times we could not see an arm’s length before us;but at others, as the hollow-sounding wind swept by us,it seemed to clear the air-space around us so that we could see afar off.We had of late been so accustomed to watch for sunrise and sunset,that we knew with fair accuracy when it would be;and we knew that before long the sun would set.It was hard to believe that by our watches it was less than an hour that we waited in that rocky shelter before the various bodies began to converge close upon us. The wind came now with fiercer and more bitter sweeps, and more steadily from the north. It seemingly had driven the snow clouds from us, for, with only occasional bursts, the snow fell. We could distinguish clearly the individuals of each party, the pursued and the pursuers. Strangely enough those pursued did not seem to realise, or at least to care, that they were pursued; they seemed, however, to hasten with redoubled speed as the sun dropped lower and lower on the mountain tops.
Closer and closer they drew.The Professor and I crouched down behind our rock,and held our weapons ready;I could see that he was determined that they should not pass.One and all were quite unaware of our presence.