ir swords, which indeed, burning
with rage at the treachery of these men, they were not backward in
doing, and in less than a minute the five traitors lay, with cloven
heads, dead on the pavement.

"It is as well so," D'Aubusson said, looking sternly down upon them;
"perhaps better so, since it has saved us the scandal of their trial.
We might have learned more from them, but we have learnt enough, since,
doubtless, they have no accomplices among the warders, or they would
have been with them. Now we will deal with the arch traitors. There is
no need for further concealment; the noise of this fray will assuredly
have been heard by them, for they will be listening for the sounds that
would tell them the slaves had been liberated."

Followed by the knights, he went to the door of the house occupied
by the overseers, all of whom were members of the lower branch of the
Order. It was indeed evident that an alarm had been given there, for
lights appeared at the windows. As they opened the door and entered the
hall, several half-dressed men rushed down the stairs with drawn swords,
two of them carrying torches in their left hands. As the light fell
upon the figures of the grand master and the knights, they paused in
astonishment.

"There is treachery at work in the prison," D'Aubusson said quietly. "I
pray you to collect your comrades and to assemble here at once."

In a minute or two some twenty officials were gathered in the hall.

"Are all here?" D'Aubusson asked the governor.

The latter counted the men.

"There are two short," he said--"Pietro Romano and Karl Schumann. They
occupy the same room. Go and fetch them down, four of you."

The four men nearest to the stairs at once went up with two torches.
They returned in a minute.

"The door is fastened on the inside, and we can obtain no response."

"Fetch an axe and break it in," the grand master ordered. "Sir John
Boswell, do you, with some other knights, take post without; they may
attempt to escape by the window, though, as we hold the gates, it would
avail them little. Sir Gervaise Tresham, do you follow us."

Gervaise, who had been placed with the party watching the house,
followed the grand master and governor upstairs. A few blows with an axe
splintered the door; its fastenings gave way, and they entered the room.
The window was open, and two figures lay prostrate on the ground near
it.

"I half expected this," the grand master said. "They were listeni