Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. “Come up, boy! Up!” I cried. “Egmont--Egmont! Come on, Old Blunderbore!” The good old fellow shook his head up with a whinny. He could see Egmont. He could smell the good corn perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. “Up, boy!” I cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot there, as I sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted life in that wild gallop. A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, for now, with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as fast as Old Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his hands in pretended terror. The next instant he was far behind, wondering no doubt why the charging squadron beyond were galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing at our full speed, with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred yards to the town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though the king of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering clatter of the pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest man there was a quarter of a mile away. A man started out to catch my rein, thinking that my horse had run away with me. I banged him in the face with my cap as I swung past him. In another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up inside the gates. As far as I remember,--but it is all rather blurred now,--the place where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung myself off Old Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran up to me at once to hold him. So I gave him a silver piece what it was worth I did not know, saying firmly “Zwolle-Haus. Go on. Zwolle-Haus.” The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the tavern itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. “M. Stendhal,” I said. “Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal Haus?” The ostler repeated, “Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da.” He pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a canal wharf.