r!" Now
coming to the door, he threw it wide open, and drawing a silver
whistle from his robe, blew it long and loud. "What," he laughed,
"do they still sleep? Why, then, I must give a toast that will
rouse them all," and seizing a horn mug, he waved it and
shouted:

"Arouse you, ye drunkards, and drink to the lady Rose of the
World, princess of Baalbec, and niece to my royal master, Yusuf
Salah-ed-din, who sends me to lead her to him!"

"Oh, father," shrieked Rosamund, "the wine was drugged and we are
betrayed!"

As the words passed her lips there rose a sound of running feet,
and through the open door at the far end of the hall burst in a
score or over of armed men. Then at last Sir Andrew saw and
understood.

With a roar of rage like that of a wounded lion, he seized his
daughter and dragged her back with him down the passage into the
solar where a fire burned and lights had been lit ready for their
retiring, flinging to and bolting the door behind them.

"Swift!" he said, as he tore his gown from him, "there is no
escape, but at least I can die fighting for you. Give me my
mail."

She snatched his hauberk from the wall, and while they thundered
at the door, did it on to him--ay, and his steel helm also, and
gave him his long sword and his shield.

"Now," he said, "help me." And they thrust the oak table forward,
and overset it in front of the door, throwing the chairs and
stools on either side, that men might stumble on them.

"There is a bow," he said, "and you can use it as I have taught
you. Get to one side and out of reach of the sword sweeps, and
shoot past me as they rush; it may stay one of them. Oh, that
Godwin and Wulf were here, and we would still teach these Paynim
dogs a lesson!"

Rosamund made no answer but there came into her mind a vision of
the agony of Godwin and of Wulf should they ever wake again to
learn what had chanced to her and them. She looked round. Against
the wall stood a little desk, at which Godwin was wont to write,
and on it lay pen and parchment. She seized them, and as the door
gave slowly inwards, scrawled:

"Follow me to Saladin. In that hope I live on.--Rosamund."

Then as the stout door at length crashed in Rosamund turned what
she had written face downwards on the desk, and seizing the bow,
set an arrow to its string. Now it was down and on rushed the mob
up the six feet of narrow passage. At the end of it, in front of
the overturned table, they halted suddenl