en, to prevent
the assailants from ascending their strange scaling ladder. So they
determined to follow, hoping to overtake and dislodge some of them. But
Herode, who had found the upper branches bending and cracking in a very
ominous manner under his great weight, was forced to turn about and
make his way back to the main trunk, where, under cover of darkness,
he quietly awaited the climbing foe. Merindol, who commanded this
detachment of the garrison, was first, and being completely taken by
surprise was easily dislodged and thrown down into the water below. The
next one, aroused to a sense of his danger by this, pulled out a pistol
and fired, but in the agitation of the moment, and the darkness, missed
his aim, so that he was entirely at the tyrant's mercy, and in an
instant was held suspended over the deep waters of the moat. He clung
desperately to a little branch he had managed to lay hold of, and
made such a brave fight for his life, that Herode, who was merciful by
nature, though so fierce of aspect, decided to make terms with him, if
he could do so without injuring the interests of his own party; and upon
receiving a solemn promise from him to remain strictly neutral during
the remainder of the fray, the powerful actor lifted him up, with the
greatest ease, and seated him in safety upon the tree-trunk again. The
poor fellow was so grateful that he was even better than his word, for,
making use of the password and giving a pretended order from Merindol
to the other two, who were some distance behind him and ignorant of what
had happened, he sent them off post-haste to attend to an imaginary foe
at some distance from the chateau; availing himself of their absence to
make good his escape, after heartily thanking Herode for his clemency.
The moon was just rising, and by its light the tyrant spied the little
row-boat, lying not very far off at the foot of a flight of steps in the
steep bank, and he was not slow to make use of it to cross the moat,
and penetrate into the interior court of the chateau--the postern having
been fortunately left open. Looking about him, to see how he could best
rejoin his comrades within the building, his eyes fell upon the porch
guarded by the two huge, calm sphinxes, and he wisely concluded that
through it must lie his way to the scene of action.

Meantime de Sigognac, Scapin and Lampourde, having a chance to look
about them, were horrified to find that they were prisoners in the room