Part 48 (2/2)

”The postern path, such as it is, is yonder,” he said, and a few steps brought them to it, just where it ended its plunge down the bald side of the hill from the Castle that now towered almost straight above them, a ma.s.s of black forbiddingness respoussed against the sky-line by the reflection of the gate-way lamp.

Colonel Moore made a last appeal to the Princess to abandon her purpose to accompany them, and was good-naturedly overruled, and peremptorily ordered to lead on.

”Would you have a Dalberg retire with the enemy in sight?” she ended.

The postern path was now no path-only a narrow, water-washed gully; yet, even so, it was the only means of access to the summit from that side,-or indeed, from any side save in front-elsewhere the tangle of brambles and the rocks, with the almost perpendicular elevation, made ascent practically impossible by daylight, and absolutely impossible by night.

In fact, this way had long been abandoned, and the present course lay close under the wall, and over the moat by a narrow foot bridge, and then along it to the road just below the main gate. Jessac had not ventured to use it, however, because it was exposed to the light of the lamp, and so was in full view of the porter on duty in the tower.

It was rough climbing, and half way up Moore called a halt, to give the Princess a short rest; then they went on, stumbling, slipping, scrambling, trying to go quietly, and yet, it seemed, making noise sufficient to wake every one in Lotzen Castle.

But at last they reached the top, and the Princess leaned against the wall, breathless and trembling from the unaccustomed exertion.

Moore raised his hand for silence. In the intense calm of the night, the lightest noise would have echoed trebly loud, yet the only sound they heard was the splas.h.i.+ng of the Dreer among its rocks, in the fog strewn valley far below. He drew out his watch, and after much looking made out the time.

”It's after one o'clock,” he whispered; ”when Your Highness is ready--”

”I'm ready now,” said she, and turned at once to the gate.

”Quiet, man, quiet!” Moore cautioned, as Jessac's key sc.r.a.ped into the lock, and suddenly turned it with a loud snap. The old man pushed the door back slowly; the arch was twenty feet through, and the darkness impenetrable; but he entered unhesitatingly, and the others with him, Moore's hand on the Regent's arm.

”Can you find the stone without a light?” he asked.

”Easily, sir! ... here it is-stand back, my lord, or it may hit you ...

there!”

There was a slight creak, and Moore was sensible of something swinging up by his face.

”It's open, sir,” said Jessac; ”but best not show a light until we are inside, it might be seen in the courtyard-I'll go in first-bend low or you'll strike your head.”

The Adjutant took Dehra's hand and having located the stone and the opening, he guided her through. Jessac closed the stone into place and then, by the light of Moore's electric torch, he showed them how it was so balanced that by pressure at the top (from without) or at the bottom (from within) it would swing around parallel with the floor.

The pa.s.sage was large enough for two of them to walk abreast and without stooping, and extended through the heart of the wall, about a hundred feet, until opposite the keep, as Jessac informed them; here it narrowed to half, and by a dozen stone steps descended below the level of the bailey, and thence under it to another set of steps leading up inside the wall of the keep.

Thus far they had come rapidly and without incident. Suddenly a drove of rats, blinded by the light and squeaking in terror, ran among their feet, and the Princess instinctively caught up the skirts of her long coat, and, with a little shriek of fright, tried to climb up the side of the pa.s.sage.

The cry, slight as it was, let loose all the echoes of the vault with appalling resonance; instantly Moore extinguished the torch and laid his hand on her arm.

”What a fool I am!” she exclaimed in a whisper; ”now, I've spoiled everything.”

”Not likely,” he a.s.sured her; ”the castle is asleep and the walls are thick, but we best wait a bit.”

Presently the rats commenced to squeak again, and to scurry about, and the Princess beginning to tremble, he switched on the torch and motioned Jessac to proceed.

Treading as lightly as one of his own mountain cats, the old fellow went swiftly up the stairs, and when the others reached the top he was not to be seen. Moore shot the light down the pa.s.sage; thirty feet away, if the draft were correct, were the stairs that ended at the library; when they reached them, Jessac was on the landing signaling to come on.

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