e get her outside the walls. You can be
half way to Ganlook before she is missed from the castle. Nor can she be
found at Ganlook if you follow the instructions I gave last night. It is
now nearly one o'clock, and in half an hour the night will be as dark
as Erebus. Go, men; you have no more time to lose, for this must be
accomplished slowly, carefully, deliberately. There must be no haste
until you are ready for the race to Ganlook. Go, but for God's sake, do
not harm her! And do not fail!"

"Failure means more to us than to you, Michael," half whispered the
hoarse Ostrom.

"Failure means everything to me! I must have her!"

Already the two hirelings were moving off toward the road that ran
west of the castle grounds. Michael watched them for a moment and then
started swiftly in the direction of the city. The watchers had not been
able to distinguish the faces of the conspirators, but they could never
forget the calm, cold voice of Michael, with its quaint, jerky English.

"What shall we do?" whispered Anguish when the men were out of hearing.

"God knows!" answered Lorry. "This is the most damnable thing I ever
heard of. Are we dreaming? Did we really see and hear those men?" He had
risen to his feet, his companion sitting weakly before him.

"There's no question about it! It's a case of abduction, and we have it
in our power to spoil the whole job. By Gad, but this is luck, Gren!"
Anguish was quivering with excitement as he rose to his feet. "Shall we
notify old Dangloss or alarm the steward? There's no time to be lost if
we want to trap these fellows. The chief devil is bound to escape, for
we can't get him and the others, too, and they won't peach on him. Come,
we must be lively! What are you standing there for? Damn it, the trap
must be set!"

"Wait! Why not do the whole job ourselves?"

"How-what do you mean?"

"Why should we alarm anybody? We know the plans as well as these
scoundrels themselves. Why not follow them right into the castle,
capture them red-handed, and then do the alarming? I'm in for saving the
Princess of Graustark with our own hands and right under the noses
of her vaunted guardsmen, as Michael says." Lorry was thrilled by the
spirit of adventure. His hand gripped his friend's arm and his face was
close to his ear. "It is the grandest opportunity two human beings ever
had to distinguish themselves!"

"Great heaven, man! We can't do such a thing!" gasped Anguish.

"It's the easiest