y jovial laugh,
"call for my services, friend. And now, you two scarecrows! the five
minutes are over. Jan will be here in a moment."

But they formed up the circle once more, kind and compassionate. Jan was
not yet here, and the rogues had had a warning: they were not like to be
at their tricks again.

"Never mind about me," whispered Diogenes hurriedly as Pythagoras and
Socrates, baffled and furious, were giving forth samples of their
choicest vocabularies. "You see that Chance alone can favour me an she
choose, if not ... 'tis no matter. What you can do for me is far more
important than cheating the gallows of my carcase."

"What is it?" they asked simply.

"The jongejuffrouw," he said, "you know where she is?"

"In the hut--close by," replied Socrates, "we saw the sledge draw up
there...."

"But the house is well guarded," murmured Pythagoras.

"Nor would I ask you to run your heads in the same noose wherein mine
will swing to-morrow. But keep the hut well in sight. At any hour--any
moment now there may be a call of _sauve qui peut_. Every man for
himself and the greatest luck to the swiftest runner."

"But why?"

"Never mind why. It is sure to happen. Any minute you may hear the
cry ... confusion, terror ... a scramble and a rush for the open."

"And our opportunity," came in a hoarse whisper from Socrates. "I think
that I begin to understand."

"We lie low for the present and when _sauve qui peut_ is called we come
straight back here and free you ... in the confusion they will have
forgotten you."

"If the confusion occurs in time," quoth Diogenes with his habitual
carelessness, "you may still find me here trussed like a fowl to this
verdommte beam. But I have an idea that the Lord of Stoutenburg will
presently be consumed with impatience to see me hang ... he has just
finished some important work by the bridge on the Schie ... he won't be
able to sleep and the devil will be suggesting some mischief for his
idle hands to do. There will be many hours to kill before daylight, one
of them might be well employed in hanging me."

"Then we'll not leave you an instant," asserted Pythagoras firmly.

"What can you do, you two old scarecrows, against the Lord of
Stoutenburg who has thirty men here paid to do his bidding?"

"We are not going to lie low and play the part of cowards while you are
being slaughtered."

"You will do just what I ask, faithful old compeers," rejoined Diogenes
more earnestly tha