ved
quickly toward it. By standing on tiptoe and pulling herself up a trifle
with her hands upon the sill she was able to raise her eyes above the
bottom of the window frame.

Beyond she saw the forest, not a hundred yards away; but when she
attempted to crawl through the opening she discovered to her chagrin
that it was too small to permit the passage of her body. And then there
came a knocking on the door she had just quitted, and a woman's voice
calling her lord and master to his morning meal.

Barbara ran quickly across the chamber to the door, the long sword
raised above her head in both hands. Again the woman knocked, this time
much louder, and raised her voice as she called again upon Oda Yorimoto
to come out.

The girl within was panic-stricken. What should she do? With but a
little respite she might enlarge the window sufficiently to permit her
to escape into the forest, but the woman at the door evidently would not
be denied. Suddenly an inspiration came to her. It was a forlorn hope,
but well worth putting to the test.

"Hush!" she hissed through the closed door. "Oda Yorimoto sleeps. It is
his wish that he be not disturbed."

For a moment there was silence beyond the door, and then the woman
grunted, and Barbara heard her turn back, muttering to herself. The girl
breathed a deep sigh of relief--she had received a brief reprieve from
death.

Again she turned to the window, where, with the short sword, she
commenced her labor of enlarging it to permit the passage of her body.
The work was necessarily slow because of the fact that it must proceed
with utter noiselessness.

For an hour she worked, and then again came an interruption at the door.
This time it was a man.

"Oda Yorimoto still sleeps," whispered the girl. "Go away and do not
disturb him. He will be very angry if you awaken him."

But the man would not be put off so easily as had the woman. He still
insisted.

"The daimio has ordered that there shall be a great hunt today for the
heads of the sei-yo-jin who have landed upon Yoka," persisted the man.
"He will be angry indeed if we do not call him in time to accomplish
the task today. Let me speak with him, woman. I do not believe that Oda
Yorimoto still sleeps. Why should I believe one of the sei-yo-jin? It
may be that you have bewitched the daimio," and with that he pushed
against the door.

The corpse gave a little, and the man glued his eyes to the aperture.
Barbara held the sword b