Part 13 (1/2)
”No,” answered Crispin calht in the streets, and be little better than we are here Wait”
He listened The footsteps had turned the corner leading to the floor above He opened the door, partly at first, then wide For an instant he stood listening again The steps ell overhead by now; soon they would ht, and then discovery must be swift to follow
”Noas all Crispin said, and, drawing his sword he led the iftly, yet cautiously, to the stairs once uardrooht the murmurs of subdued conversation But he did not pause Had the door stood wide he would not have paused then There was not a second to be lost; to as to increase the already overwhel well upon the stout baluster, he began the descent Kenneth followed hi of suffocation in his throat
They gained the corner, and turning, they began as truly the perilous part of their journey Not more than a dozen steps were there; but at the bottoh the chink of its opening a shaft of light fell upon the nethermost step Once a stair creaked, and to their quickened senses it sounded like a pistol-shot As loud to Crispin sounded the indrawn breath of apprehension from Kenneth that followed it He had al him of how time pressed, he went on
Within three steps of the botto said in the roo his head to attract Kenneth's attention, he pointed straight across the hall to a dimly visible door It was that of the chaht before Cromwell Its position had occurred to hi that way
The lad followed the indication of his finger, and signified by a nod that he understood Another step Galliard descended; then froainst the wall
It was followed by the sound of sorated upon the floor, and there was a movement of feet within the chamber Had Kenneth been alone, of a certainty terror would have frozen him to the wall
But the calht had chanced; he argued that even if he who had risen were coained by standing still Their only chance lay now in passing before it h perils in a brave ain confidence from the calm of his demeanour So was it noith Kenneth
The steady onward ure before him drew him irresistibly after it despite his treained the bottoth; they stood beside the door of the guardroom, they passed it in safety Then slowly--painfully slowly--to avoid their steps fro upon the stone floor, they crept across towards the door that meant safety to Sir Crispin Slowly, step by step, they moved, and with every stride Crispin looked behind hin they were discovered But it was not needed In silence and in safety they were permitted to reach the door To Crispin's joy it was unfastened Quietly he opened it, then with cal it for hi watch with eye and ear the while
Scarce had Kenneth entered the chamber when fro to theht was at last discovered It was responded to by a rush of feet in the guardroom, and Crispin had but time to dart in after his companion and close the door ere the troopers poured out into the hall and up the stairs, with confused shouts that so must be amiss
Within the room that sheltered hie of the door until he found the bolt, and softly shot it ho! Aye, shout, you cuckolds,”
he went on ”Yell yourselves hoarse as the crows you are! You'll hang us where Gives are hanged, will you?”
Kenneth tugged at the skirts of his doublet ”What now?” he inquired
”Now,” said Crispin, ”we'll leave by the , if it please you”
They crossed the room, and a moment or two later they had dropped on to the narrow railed pathway overlooking the river, which Crispin had observed fro before He had observed, too, that a small boat was moored at some steps about a hundred yards farther down the strea the footpath, followed closely by Kenneth The path sloped in that direction, so that by the time the spot was reached the water flowed not more than six feet or so beneath thes of that boat, which fortunately had not been removed
”Get in, Kenneth,” Crispin commanded ”There, I'll take the oars, and I'll keep under shelter of the bank lest those blunderers should bethink the out of our prisonOddswounds, Kenneth, I ah, as dry as Dives when he begged for a sup of water Heaven send we coo far, where a Christian may find a h to cranstairs Swounds, but an empty stomach is a craven comrade in a desperate enterprise Hey! Have a care, boy Now, sink me if this milksop hasn't fainted!”
CHAPTER XI THE ASHBURNS
Gregory Ashburn pushed back his chair and made shi+ft to rise from the table at which he and his brother had but dined
He was a tall, heavily built man, with a coarse, florid countenance set in a fraht and limp In the colour of their hair lay the only point of resemblance between the brothers