ise or other the features of Cnut, whose tall figure would have
rendered him conspicuous in a crowd. He failed, however, to see any signs
of him, and turning to the executioner, signified by a gesture that he
was ready.

At this instant an arrow from the wall above pierced the brain of the
man, and he fell dead in his tracks. A roar of astonishment burst from
the crowd. Upon the city wall at this point was a small turret, and on
this were five figures. The wall around was deserted, and for the moment
these men were masters of the position.

"Seize those insolent varlets!" the baron shouted, shaking his sword with
a gesture of fury at them.

His words, however, were arrested, for at the moment another arrow struck
him in the throat, and he fell back into the arms of those around him.

Quickly now the arrows of the English archers flew into the courtyard.
The confusion which reigned there was indescribable. The citizens with
shouts of alarm took to their heels. The men-at-arms were powerless
against this rain of missiles, and the knights, hastily closing their
visors, shouted contradictory orders, which no one obeyed.

In the confusion no one noticed the prisoner. Seizing a moment when the
attention of all was fixed upon the wall, he leaped from the platform,
and making his way unnoticed through the excited crowd of men-at-arms,
darted down a narrow lane that divided the castle from the wall. He ran
along until, 100 yards farther, he came to a staircase by which access to
the battlements was obtained. Running lightly up this, he kept along the
wall until he reached the turret.

"Thanks, my noble Cnut!" he exclaimed, "and you, my brave fellows. But I
fear you have forfeited your lives. There is no escape. In a minute the
whole force of the place will recover from their confusion, and be down
upon us from both sides."

"We have prepared for that," Cnut said. "Here is a rope hanging down into
the moat."

Glancing over, Cuthbert saw that the moat was dry; and after a final
discharge of arrows into the crowd, the six men slid one after another
down the rope and made their way at full speed across the country.

CHAPTER XIX.

DRESDEN.

It was some ten minutes before the men-at-arms rallied sufficiently from
their surprise to obey orders. Two bodies were then drawn up, and
proceeded at a rapid pace towards the staircases leading to the wall, one
on each side of the turret in which they believed that the littl