ch made for
them in the morning.

"That is a piece of good luck," he went on as they turned away. "I
thought of shouting, but we might have got a shot in reply, and I made
sure that one or other of the arrows would be picked up. Still, this
makes certain of it."

"I think I would rather stop out here until morning," Paolo said, "then
they will take me in. I am afraid I shall never get across the river."

"Nonsense! The water is low, and we are not likely to have to swim
farther than we did in crossing the last moat. Getting through the part
of the town between us and the river is a more serious matter. However,
it is not very far across, and they are not likely to be very vigilant."

They turned to the right, and kept along at the edge of the moat, until
Hector considered that they had made a fourth of the circuit of the
walls, and were now facing the river. They had decided before that this
would be the easiest side on which to leave the town. The sentinels
would not expect that anyone attempting to enter or leave the citadel
would try to do so here; as, in addition to passing the wall facing the
fortress and that bordering the river, they would be obliged to swim
the river itself. The snow was falling as quickly as ever, and the wind
blowing fiercely.

"There is no fear of their seeing us, unless we happen to run into the
very arms of the sentry," Hector said encouragingly; "we shall only have
the moat to swim; and as, according to the plan, it is nothing like so
wide as that we passed before, we shall have no trouble with it."

"Ah! here it is," Paolo groaned.

"Nonsense!" Hector said. "One cold bath more or less makes no difference
now. There, give me your coat again, and I will take it over."

The moat was indeed but some twelve yards across, and in two or three
minutes Paolo stood shivering on the other side.

"The edge is not far from the wall, not much more than the breadth of
the moat. Give me the cord."

A few steps and they reached the wall. After two attempts the hook
caught, and Hector climbed up. He was looking back to watch Paolo when
he was suddenly seized from behind, and a deep voice in Italian said,
"If you move I will kill you. Who are you?"

With a sudden effort Hector twisted himself round and seized the
disengaged wrist of his opponent, which he doubted not held a dagger.
The man loosened his hold of his doublet and tried to grasp his neck,
but Hector in a moment leapt forward and thr