CHAPTER XVI: AN ESCAPE
After being confined for a week in the prison at Kirchheim Hectorwas sent with a number of other prisoners to Ingolstadt. Here hewas confined in the castle, a separate room being allotted to him inrecognition of his rank, and Paolo was, at his request, allowed toremain with him.
"I cannot but think, master, that we should have done better if you hadgiven your parole not to try to escape. In that case we might have hadcomfortable quarters in the town instead of this somewhat bare chamber.If there had been a chance of escape it would have been different,but seeing the strength of the castle, methinks there is no prospectwhatever of our being able to get out."
"That remains to be seen, Paolo. I fancy there is always a chanceof escape if one does but hit upon the right way. At present we knownothing of the castle or the vigilance of the guard, and no doubt itwill take us some little time to find these matters out. The firstthing we require is patience. No doubt they will allow me out to takeexercise, and like enough, if I give my word that you will return everyday at a certain hour, they will allow you to go in to the town, seeingthat you can scarcely be called a prisoner, having no military rank orposition, but being in their eyes only a lackey. If they will do that itwill be a great step gained, for you will be able to bring in anythingthat we may require. However, I will not ask that you should bepermitted to go in and out for some little time.
"Lose no opportunity of making yourself friendly with some of thesoldiers, and if the chance should occur, be useful to any of theofficers. The commandant is evidently disposed to be civil, and saysthat he will grant me any indulgence in his power short of passing thegates of the castle. I have no doubt that when the campaign is over andthe army has gone into winter quarters Turenne will offer to exchangesome prisoners of the same rank for me. But I have no wish to be coopedup here when perhaps a great battle may be fought. As far as I can see,the difficulty will not be so much in getting out of the castle, butout of the town itself, for this is one of the most strongly fortifiedplaces in the empire. One reason why I want you to go into the town isthat you may be able to obtain shelter there for us should we find, as Iexpect we shall, that it is impossible for us to escape from the citadeland town at the same attempt."
The place was indeed so strong that but a careless watch was keptover the prisoners in the castle. The soldiers were confined to theirquarters save that they were allowed for an hour a day to take exercisein the courtyard, a company of troops being kept under arms while theywere out; but the officers were free at all times to wander about.Hector was soon on friendly terms with many of the officers of thegarrison, as in his case there was none of the hostile feeling withwhich the French officers were regarded. His youth, and the singularityof his having so soon attained the rank of colonel, also predisposedthem in his favour. It was evident that this young soldier of fortune,unsupported by powerful family interest, must have distinguished himselfin an altogether exceptional manner to have obtained the command of oneof the best regiments of France.
Paolo was as popular among the sergeants and men as his master was withthe officers. As an Italian, and as Hector's lackey, he was not regardedas a prisoner of war; and by his unfailing good humour, his readiness toenter into any fun that might be going on, or to lend a hand in cleaningaccoutrements or completing a job that a soldier had left unfinishedwhen his turn came for duty, he became quite a popular character. Thecolonel who commanded frequently walked with Hector in the courtyard,sent him dishes from his own table, and more than once invited him todine with him. As he was very curious to learn how his young prisonerhad so early attained his rank, Hector one evening gave him a sketch ofhis career, from the time when Turenne gave him his commission tothat at which he was taken prisoner, omitting only the incident of theattempt to assassinate Mazarin.
"You have certainly been fortunate," he said, "but it is equally certainthat you have deserved it. The fact that, in addition to your militaryduties, you have learned Italian and German, besides transforming anewly raised regiment into one of the best in the French service, showshow assiduous you have been in your work. I trust that when the campaignis over you may be exchanged, and I think it is foolish of you not togive me your parole, for you must know well that you have no chance ofescape from here."
"They say everything comes to those who wait, colonel," Hector laughed,"and if I see a chance I shall certainly avail myself of it. Even if nosuch chance comes I shall still be a gainer by not giving my parole. Iam exceedingly comfortable as it is, and can wish for nothing better.The one drawback is that I have nothing to do, except perhaps to improvemy German, and it would be just the same if I were living in the town.But if I were on my parole I should lose the amusement of planningmethods for escape, which I do unceasingly; but up till now, I may tellyou in confidence, I am as far from having hit upon a plan as I was whenI entered. By the way, colonel, although it is clear that I cannot beallowed to go outside the castle gate, I should be glad if my lackeycould be given leave to do so. He is not a soldier, neither is he aFrenchman, and can scarce be counted as a prisoner of war. He is awilling and cheerful fellow, and would enjoy a run in the city much morethan I should. Besides, occasionally I may want a book or some otherlittle thing which I cannot get here."
"Such as a file, a rope, or a disguise, Colonel Campbell," thecommandant laughed.
"I am not thinking of that at present," Hector said smiling. "Besides,you can give orders that he can always be strictly searched when hecomes in."
The colonel shook his head. "I will tell you what I will do," he said;"I will let him have a pass to go in and out at will, if you will giveme a promise, on your honour as a soldier, that he shall not bring inanything that can be used by you for facilitating your escape. I wouldmuch rather trust to your word than to any search the soldiers mightmake as your man comes in."
"Thank you, colonel," Hector said cheerfully, though at heart he feltconsiderably disappointed. "I give you my word of honour that he shallbring in nothing that may aid me in making my escape, and I am muchobliged to you for letting him have the run of the town."
The colonel at once wrote a pass authorizing Paolo Monti, lackey toColonel Campbell, to enter and leave the castle at all times when thegates were open.
Paolo laughed when Hector told him the conditions on which the pass wasgranted.
"The commandant is a shrewd fellow, master, but he is not quite shrewdenough; he forgot that though I may bring in nothing myself I may beable to arrange with someone else to bring something in."
"That flashed through my mind at once, Paolo; but at present neitherfile, rope, nor disguise would be of any use. However, they may be solater. The first thing for you to do when you get this pass will be tomake yourself master of the plan of the town and the fortifications,and see if there is any place where you think an escape is possible. Buteven when you find one, and you think that it might be managed, you mustafterwards find a place where I can be hidden for a time, at any ratefor a few hours. You see, were I to go out in disguise I must do so inbroad daylight, for my supper is served almost directly after the gatesare closed; and were I missing there would be a search for me at once,the sentries on the wall would all be warned, and it would be impossibleto get past them. If I could get out two or three hours before the gatesare closed at nine o'clock I might, as soon as it became dark, attemptto get over the walls before the alarm was given, or I might possibly goout in the same disguise that I left here in, through the city gate andacross the bridge."
"I see that, sir, and it seems to me that this would be easier thantrying to find a hiding place for you in the town. However, I will setmy wits to work. I have been able to think of nothing in here; butone's eyes always help one's wits, and if I were in the town I might seesomething that would give me an idea how the matter might be set about."
Day after day Paolo went into the town, always returning discouraged.
"I must be growing a downright numbskull," he said one evening indisgust; "I have be
en three weeks at it and no single idea has come tome."
"You need not be discouraged at that, Paolo; it's not such a simplething to plan an escape from a fortress like this as it was to get intothe citadel at Turin, where we also had the advantage of starting withdisguises. I can no more think of a disguise in which I can pass thegates than you can. I am a good deal too tall to pass as a woman. Myface is perfectly well known to every soldier in the castle, and even ifwe hit upon a disguise it would be very difficult to get it brought in.It struck me today that if I am to get out it must be in some vehiclethat has come in with supplies."
"That is a great idea, master; if I had not been a thick headed fool Ishould have thought of that before. But at the same time it will not beeasy to manage."
"I quite see that, Paolo; even if the driver were bought over it wouldbe difficult indeed to manage to get into the cart with so many soldiersstanding about."
Paolo shook his head.
"Yes, I don't see that that could be managed at all, master."
He stood thinking a minute.
"I have it!" he exclaimed joyfully. "You know, sir, sometimes a trainof waggons containing faggots, or flour, or other things, comes in late.Those that are unloaded before the gate is closed go out at once; theothers are unloaded that evening, but the empty carts have to remainin the castle till morning, as the great gates are never opened betweensunset and sunrise, though officers come in by the postern. Now, if youcould manage during the night to slip into one of the waggons, say onethat has brought in flour, you might be so covered over by the emptysacks they take out, that no one would dream anyone was hidden there."
"Capital, Paolo! It is evident that your head is not so thick as youthought it was just now. Yes, I have noticed that as a rule if eightor ten waggons came in together, the full sacks are carried in, and thesame number of empty ones are placed in one of the carts, being countedas they are put in. Certainly I could hide myself easily enough if youwere there to assist in arranging the sacks as regularly as before overme. As I do not generally get up until eight o'clock, and my first mealis not brought to me till nine, I might be on my way two hours before itwas discovered that I was missing. How would you manage?"
"I would get a countryman's suit, master, would go out soon after thegates were open, find some quiet spot where I should have hidden theclothes the day before, and slip them on over my own. Then I would jointhe carts as they came along. They don't generally begin to harness thehorses up till the gates are open, so that I should get a quarter of anhour's start of them, and I should go out with them without question, asit would be thought that I belonged to the party. I should pay for somebeer at the first cabaret we come to, and make signs that I wanted alift in a waggon. I must, of course, pretend to be deaf and dumb, as,although I have picked up a little German since we came into theseparts, I could not possibly pass as a countryman."
"It would be better still, Paolo, for you to put a blister on to yourcheek, then before you join them put a great lump of tow into yourmouth, so as to swell your cheek out almost to bursting point, and thentie a bandage round your face; you could then by pointing to it make outthat you had so terrible a swelling that you were unable to talk."
"That would be better certainly, master, indeed, it would be a capitalplan. Of course I should get into the waggon in which you were, andgradually shift the sacks so that you could crawl out. When we smuggledyou in we would try and put in with you a couple of brace of pistols,and if we were armed with them the carters would not venture tointerfere with us. Of course, master, I should have to get a disguisefor you. We could never be tramping across the country with you dressedas a French officer."
"Get something that I could put over the clothes I wear. A long frock,some loose breeches, and rough cloth to wrap round the legs below them,and of course a pair of countryman's shoes. The best plan would be foryou to stand treat again at a cabaret a few miles out of the town, getthem all in there, then I could slip out of the waggon and throw thesacks back into their place. Of course you would choose some spot wherethe cabaret either stands alone or is at the end of a village, so thatthere may be no one standing by, and I could, when I got down, walkquietly back along the road. You can make signs to them that youlive hard by, and would leave them there; then if there should be anysuspicion that I had escaped in the waggons, and a troop of cavalry weresent in pursuit, the men would be all able to declare that they had seennothing of me, and so could give no clue whatever that would set them onour track.
"Well, it is quite settled that we will try that way, but it may be sometime before the opportunity occurs. However, you may as well get thetwo disguises and the two brace of pistols, and stow them away somewherewhere they are not likely to be found."
"There are plenty of places where one can do that, master; there isa row of old trees inside the fortifications, and I warrant that if Icannot find one with a hollow large enough to stow them away in, I canhide them in the branches with small chance of their ever being seen."
Another month passed. Paolo made a point of occasionally going out soonafter the gates were open, saying casually that his master had a fancyfor a bottle of better wine with his breakfast, or that he was going toget some eggs to make an omelette for him. Hector was in no particularhurry, for the news had come that Turenne with his own troops andthose of Hesse had, with the Swedes, marched away for the Rhine. It wasrumoured that they would be joined by another army, for in no other waycould the Imperialists account for Turenne having retired when he hada force at least equal to any that Merci could set in the field againsthim. Hector saw that at any rate there was no chance of a great battlebeing fought just then, and felt, therefore, no impatience to be off.Two or three times carts with faggots had been unloaded after the gateswere closed, but as they took nothing out, it was impossible for him toconceal himself in them.
At last, to his satisfaction, a number of waggons of flour came in lateone afternoon, and he determined to carry his plan into execution thatnight. The storehouses were not in the great court, but in a smaller oneoff it. Beyond two soldiers at the gate and a sentry at the commandant'sdoor, no guards were kept in the courtyards, though a few sentries wereplaced upon the walls. Hector had his supper as usual, and Paolo broughtin the news that eight of the waggons had not been unloaded in time togo out. A fatigue party of soldiers were now completing the work, whichwould be finished about nine o'clock. Taking off their boots a littleafter that hour they went quietly downstairs, then put them on again andboldly crossed the courtyard, for the night was so dark that there wasno fear of their figures being perceived.
As they entered the inner yard they again took off their boots andwalked up to the carts. In two of these the carters were fast asleep.They passed on quietly, feeling in each cart for the sacks, and weredelighted to find that they were all placed in the one farthest up theyard, which would therefore be the last to go out. They were tidilypiled in lines side by side at the forward end of the waggon. Theycautiously removed the sacks of the middle lines; Hector lay down feetforemost, and Paolo laid the sacks regularly over him till they reachedthe level of the others. Half a dozen were doubled and packed neatly inat the end, so as to conceal his head and prevent its being noticed thatany had been taken out. The rest were distributed evenly, so that thesacks were all as level as before, and no one would have suspected thatthey had been disturbed.
Paolo then returned to Hector's room. As the double sacks closing theorifice at his head had not been packed very tightly, enough air enteredfor Hector to breathe. He increased the opening somewhat by pressing oneof the sacks a little aside, but left it so that he could readily pullit into its position in the morning. As soon as Paolo reached the roomhe applied a blistering plaster to his cheek and kept it on till hecould no longer bear the pain, then he threw himself down on his pallet.But neither he nor his master slept much, Hector being kept awake by theheat and discomfort of his position, and Paolo by the smarting of hischeek. As soon as it was light the latter rose, an
d sat impatientlywaiting for the time when the gates would open. Looking into thecourtyard, he could see the troops coming out from their quarters andmoving about, then the gates opened, and, tying a bandage over hischeek, he went down and crossed the yard.
"You are out early," the sergeant of the guard remarked.
He nodded. "I am nigh mad with pain," he said, pointing to his cheek,"and I am going to get some salve from an apothecary."
"You seem to be bad indeed," the sergeant said commiseratingly, "'tis aterrible inflammation."
Paolo went down to the spot where he had hidden the bundles in thehollow of a tree. It was an unfrequented place, and slipping hisdisguise over his clothes, after putting the pistols in his belt, hetook the second bundle and returned to a street through which waggonsleaving the castle must pass. A few minutes later he saw them comingalong. He had already stuffed his cheek full of tow, and severalpeople, struck with the raw and swollen appearance of his face, hadcompassionately asked him what was the matter. He had simply shaken hishead, opened his lips, and pointed to his clenched teeth, signifyingthat he could not speak. He fell in with the waggons as they came alongand passed through the gate without question. When a short distance awayfrom the town he made signs to the driver of the last waggon, that ifhe would give him a lift in the cart he would pay for some drink. Thecarter nodded and told him to climb up. After they had gone four milesfrom the town, they came to a wayside inn.
"Now is the time, master, they are all going in to get some drink. Thereis no one about."
The waggons all stopped there, for there had been no opportunity forthe drivers to obtain refreshments as they passed through the town. Alltherefore sauntered into the inn, their salutations to the host showingthat they were accustomed to stop there. Paolo followed them in, andputting down the money for a large jug of beer, handed it to thecarter, and, shaking him by the hand, made a motion that he was going nofarther. Then he went back to the end waggon. Hector had already pushedout the bags in front of him and had with great difficulty crawled out.
"It is all right, master, we have a good ten minutes; there is no oneabout, but you had better keep below the waggon rails until you have gotyour disguise on."
A couple of minutes sufficed for this, then Hector leapt to the ground,while Paolo replaced the sacks in their position; and then together theyhurried across some twenty yards of broken ground and entered a wood.
"That was a capitally managed business, Paolo. Now we have to find ourway across country. We cannot keep by the river, for it turns away tothe south, and would take us far from the point we want to reach. At anyrate, for a day or two we must travel at night, after that I think wecan venture boldly along--for it is not likely that the news that aprisoner has escaped will travel very far--although no doubt a strictsearch will be kept up for a day or two. I think that for today we hadbetter make our way north, keeping in the woods as much as possible;they are less likely to search for us in that direction than to thewest."
They found that the forest was fully two leagues across, and agreed thatit was unlikely in the extreme that any attempt would be made to searchso extensive an area, where two men could anywhere conceal themselves.Paolo had on the previous afternoon placed a couple of loaves and somecold meat in the bundles, and they now sat down by a little stream andate a hearty meal, then, crawling into a thick growth of underwood, theylay down to sleep and did not awaken until the sun was setting.
"There must be some country tracks through this forest, Paolo. We cannotdo better than keep along the edge of the stream until we come to oneand then follow it. It is sure, sooner or later, to take us to somesmall hamlet, and I can go into a cabaret and get a couple of flasksof wine and buy enough bread to last us until tomorrow, and perhaps asausage, they are not likely to have any other meat in a place of thatsort. My German is good enough to pass muster, and even if it soundsstrange to their ears, they will merely suppose that I have come from adifferent part of the country, for the dialects differ greatly from eachother."
As soon as it became quite dark they found it impossible to follow therough ground, and after one or two falls had to stop. Hector said, "Thiswon't do, we shall twist an ankle or break a bone if we go on."
"Shall we light a fire, master? I have brought flint and steel with me,for I knew that we should want it."
"No, it is better to run no risks; there may be a road near for aught weknow, and if anyone passing saw a fire among the trees, he might come tosee who had made it."
"Not he, master; there are too many robbers about, deserters from theirarmy, or men who have been ruined by the war. You may be sure that ifany belated villager had the courage to go through this forest by nighthe would, on seeing a fire, hurry on as fast as his legs would carryhim."
"Well, no doubt you are right, Paolo; and though the night is warmenough the air is damp under this thick covering of leaves, and it willcertainly be more cheerful. We will go a short distance among the treesbefore we light it."
Feeling their way--for it was pitch dark in the forest--they went onuntil Hector stumbled over a fallen trunk.
"This is the best place for a halt," he said, "for here is wood readyto hand. This tree has been lying here for years, I can feel that it isquite rotten."
Paolo set to work--took a handful or two of the crumbling wood, brokeit up into dust, then struck a spark on to the tinder, touched it witha slow match and inserted this into the little pile of wood; a minute'sblowing and the flames sprang up. He drew out the slow match and puttinghis foot upon it placed it in his wallet, then he broke off some morewood and soon had a blazing fire.
"We have enough food left for supper, master, and if I spit some of thiscold meat on the ramrod of one of my pistols and hold it over the fireit will be all the more tasty. I wish we had those flasks of wine thatyou were speaking of. It seems to me that after sleeping for some tenhours we shall find it hard to go off again for some time, even thoughneither of us got any sleep last night. How furious the governor will bewhen he finds that you have escaped!"
"He is a good fellow," Hector said, "and save that he will beannoyed--because he will be blamed for my escape--I do not think he willbe sorry that I have got off. I left a note for him on the table sayingthat I was about to make my escape, but that on my honour I had notobtained anything that would aid me, by your assistance, and that youhad never brought anything into the castle save what you showed onentering to the guards. I should not like him to think for a moment thatI had broken my promise and taken advantage of his kindness. How doesyour face feel?"
"It is mightily sore, but it does not smart as it did at first. I cantell you that I was very glad when I was able to slip that great lump oftow out of my mouth as soon as I entered the forest."
"I don't think in future that you need use so large a wad, Paolo; halfthat size will be ample; and of course you need only slip it into yourmouth when we are going through a village, or meet a party likely toquestion us. As to your cheek, it will be days before that fiery markdisappears."
They talked until nearly midnight, and then lay down and slept tillfour, by which time day had broken, for it was now the first week inJuly. After walking for half an hour along the edge of the wood, theycame to a track issuing out of it. This they followed, and in about twohours saw a village in front of them.
"I will go in and buy the things that we want, Paolo, and do you make acircuit round it. If the news has reached them of our escape they willhave been told to look for two men; and the entry of a single countrymanwill excite no suspicion, for of course no one will know what disguisewe have chosen.
"Do not be anxious if I do not come along for half an hour. It will bemore natural that I should call for bread and cheese and beer and eatthem there; then I can say carelessly that I may as well take some withme to eat later on."
"You are early!" the owner of the cabaret said as Hector entered.
"I ought to have been earlier," he replied in a grumbling voice; "but itwas so late before I reached
the other side of the forest, that insteadof passing through it I thought it best to wait till daybreak, forit would be desperately dark under the trees, and sometimes there arepretty rough fellows to be met with there; so I slept in a shed untilan hour before daybreak and then started, and I lost no time in gettingthrough it, I can tell you. What can you give me now?"
"The usual thing," the man said, shrugging his shoulders. "Bread andbeer and black sausage."
"It might be worse," Hector said as he seated himself. The food was soonplaced before him. He ate a hearty meal.
"I have a long way to go," he said when he had finished, "and as I amblessed with a good appetite it will not be long before I am hungryagain. I suppose there is no one in the village that sells bread andsausage, so if you will let me I will buy a whole one from you and acouple of loaves."
"I will sell them to you willingly enough; but you will come to anothervillage three miles on."
"I sha'n't be hungry enough by that time," Hector laughed. "Besides, Ilike to choose my own place and time and sit down by the wayside and eatmy meal. One need never go very far without coming upon a stream; andthough I like beer better than water, I can put up with it when there isnothing stronger to be had."
"Nothing but bread and sausage again, Paolo," Hector said as he joinedhis comrade a quarter of a mile beyond the village.
"And good enough too for a hungry man. I have often longed for such ameal in the days before you took me, in spite of all warning."
"And we have often done no better since, Paolo, when we have been on themarch. Will you start on it now, or wait until we get to a stream?"
"I will hold on for a bit, master. This black bread is so hard that itneeds a lot of washing down."
Making several detours to avoid villages, they walked all day, andtowards evening came upon a main road running west.
"Unless I am mistaken in the line that I have taken, this must be theroad through Eichstadt. I can see some towers ahead, and I have no doubtthat they are those of the town. There is a bridge there across theAltmuhl. The river makes a loop at this point, and the road cuts acrossit to the northwest to Gunzenhausen, where there is another bridge. Fromthere the road runs to Hall. Thence we can cross the Neckar, either atHeilbronn or Neckarsulm, and we are then in our own country, and buta short distance from either Spires or Philippsburg, where we shallbe likely enough to meet Turenne advancing again, or shall at any ratelearn where he is. We will lie up now and not cross the bridge until itgets dusk."
"I wish we had swords, master."
"Yes, but they would not suit our disguises. But when we get into thetown I will buy two woodmen's axes and a couple of the long knives thatall the peasants here carry. I fancy from what I heard when we were atHall with Turenne that the country between Eichstadt and there is forthe most part a great forest, and there are rough hills to pass beforewe get to Hall. It will be just as well to have some weapons that we canuse with effect if we should come upon any bands of robbers."
"Quite so, master. A good axe is as good as a sword in a rough sort offight; but is there not some way we can travel so as to avoid this greatforest that you speak of?"
"Not without making a great detour, and that through a country wherethere will be bodies of Merci's troops quartered everywhere."
"Very well, master. Then I think that the risk will be less with therobbers, especially as we have not apparently much worth stealing uponus."
"Not only apparently, but really, Paolo. Fortunately my purse was prettywell filled when we were taken prisoners; but we spent a good deal atIngoldstadt, principally in buying articles we could have done without,but which we got in order to give an excuse for your going into thetown, and in these disguises and pistols. However, we shall not, I hope,require much more outlay; and after getting axes and knives we shallhave enough to pay for our food, such as it is, for some time. However,there is certainly nothing in our pockets to tempt robbers."
"No, master; but if they searched you they would notice your clothes.They would show at once that you are a person of quality; and although,as you left your scarf behind you, they might not know that you are anofficer, they would see that there was a mystery about you."
"That is true, and I think that perhaps it would be as well if both ofus were to take off our own clothes when we get beyond the town tonight,and go on only in those you got for us. When we rejoin our friends wecan get money and replace them."
"I have money with me, master," Paolo said. "I have had no occasion tospend aught for a long time, and have changed my wages as you paidthem into gold, and have forty pistoles sewn up in the waistbelt of mybreeches. I heard you say that it was always a good thing to carry acertain amount about with one in case of being taken prisoner or laid upwounded."
"It was a wise precaution, Paolo; but just at the present moment I wouldrather that you did not have it about you. However, I do not suppose weshall be interfered with. You may as well continue to wear your breechesunder those you have outside, but leave your doublet when I change.After all, if you were to be searched the pistoles would show that weare not what we seem, unless we could make up some plausible tale as tohow we came possessed of them."
"Oh, we could manage that easily enough, master! There are other ways ofgetting pistoles than by earning them."
Thus chatting they had crossed the bridge and were now enteringEichstadt. Going to a quiet cabaret they ate a hearty meal, and Hectorafterwards bought the axes and knives, and they left the town justbefore the gates were closed. They had walked some miles when athunderstorm, which had for some time been threatening, broke over them.
"We must get some shelter if we can," Hector said. "I see a light onahead. Let us push on and take refuge before we are wet to the skin."
On reaching the house they saw that it was a wayside inn.
"We are in luck, Paolo," Hector said as he lifted the latch.
The door, however, was fastened, and on his knocking a voice asked, "Whois there at this time of night?"
"Travellers," Hector replied. "Come, open the door quickly or we shallbe wet to the skin!" and he emphasized his words by kicking at the door.It was, however, a minute or two before it was opened, and Hector, whowas becoming furious at this delay, had just taken his axe from hisbelt and was about to break the door in when it opened, and a man with atorch in one hand and a sword in the other stood on the threshold.
CHAPTER XVII: A ROBBER'S DEN