aptain.

Again I met Max with a man-at-arms in the passageway outside my cell
door, and we all went up the steps together. We were hurried through
dark passages to a spiral stairway, which we climbed till my knees
ached. But we were going up instead of down, and I was overjoyed to have
the aching leave my heart for my knees.

The room in which the Burgundian left us was large and clean. There were
two beds of sweet straw upon the floor, and to my unspeakable joy there
was a bar on the door whereby it could be locked from within. There were
also two tubs of water for a bath. On a rude bench was a complete change
of clothing which had been brought by some kind hand from the inn. On an
oak table were two bottles of wine, a bowl of honey, a cellar of pepper,
white bread, cold meat, and pastry. A soul reaching heaven out of
purgatory must feel as we felt then. We were too excited to eat, so we
bathed, dressed, and lay down on the straw beds.

Before leaving us our captain had said:--

"Do not unbolt your door except to the password 'Burgundy.'"

We slept till late in the afternoon. When we wakened the sun was well
down in the west, and we could see only its reflected glare in the
eastern sky. There was but one opening in the room through which the
light could enter--a narrow window, less than a foot wide. The light in
the room was dim even at noon, but the long darkness had so affected our
eyes that the light from the window was sufficient to illumine the
apartment and to make all objects plainly discernible. There was little
to be seen. The arched roof was of solid masonry; the walls were without
a break save the narrow window and the door. Through the window we could
see only a patch of sky in the east, reddened by the reflection of the
sinking sun; but the sight was so beautiful that Max and I were loath to
leave it even for supper.

"We must eat before the light dies," said Max, whose young stomach was
more imperious than mine, "or we shall have to eat in the dark. I have
had more than enough of that."

"Fall to," I said, as we drew the stools to the table. With the first
mouthful of clean, delicious food my appetite returned, and I ate
ravenously. Had the repast been larger I believe we should have killed
ourselves. Fortunately it was consumed before we were exhausted, and we
came off alive and victorious. After supper darkness fell, and Max sat
beside me on the bench. He was very happy, for he felt that our trou