"stoker-dracula-168" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stoker Bram)

a rug across my knees, and the driver said in excellent German:-

"The night is chill, mein Herr, and my master the Count bade me take
all care of you. There is a flask of slivovitz (the plum brandy of the
country) underneath the seat, if you should require it." I did not
take any, but it was a comfort to know it was there all the same. I
felt a little strangely, and not a little frightened. I think had
there been any alternative I should have taken it, instead of
prosecuting that unknown night journey. The carriage went at a hard
pace straight along, then we made a complete turn and went along
another straight road. It seemed to me that we were simply going
over and over the same ground again; and so I took note of some
salient point, and found that this was so. I would have liked to
have asked the driver what this all meant, but I really feared to do
so, for I thought that, placed as I was, any protest would have had no
effect in case there had been an intention to delay. By-and-by,
however, as I was curious to know how time was passing, I struck a
match, and by its flame looked at my watch; it was within a few
minutes of midnight. This gave me a sort of shock, for I suppose the
general superstition about midnight was increased by my recent
experiences. I waited with a sick feeling of suspense.

Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road-
a long, agonised wailing, as if from fear. The sound was taken up by
another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind
which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began,
which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the
imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night. At the
first howl the horses began to strain and rear, but the driver spoke
to them soothingly, and they quieted down, but shivered and sweated as
though after a run-away from sudden fright. Then, far off in the
distance, from the mountains on each side of us began a louder and a
sharper howling- that of wolves- which affected both the horses and
myself in the same way- for I was minded to jump from the caleche
and run, whilst they reared again and plunged madly, so that the
driver had to use all his great strength to keep them from bolting. In
a few minutes, however, my own ears got accustomed to the sound, and
the horses so far became quiet that the driver was able to descend and
to stand before them. He petted and soothed them, and whispered
something in their ears, as I have heard of horse-tamers doing, and
with extraordinary effect, for under his caresses they became quite
manageable again, though they still trembled. The driver again took
his seat, and shaking his reins, started off at a great pace. This
time, after going to the far side of the Pass, he suddenly turned down
a narrow roadway which ran sharply to the right.

Soon we were hemmed in with trees, which in places arched right over
the roadway till we passed as through a tunnel; and again great
frowning rocks guarded us boldly on either side. Though we were in
shelter, we could hear the rising wind, for it moaned and whistled