toward midnight when Tom Peel woke me up; that man seemed
to sleep neither night nor day; and there he stood by my bed, looking
like a giant in the flicker of the candle-light.
"Your honour," he said, "I think there's something going on at the
mouth of the tunnel. Twice I've caught the glimpse of a light there,
although they're evidently trying to conceal it."
I sat up in bed and said:
"What do you propose to do?"
"Well, there's a man inside here that knows the tunnel just as well as
I do,--every inch of it,--and he's up near the other end now. If a
company begins coming in, my man will run back without being seen and
let us know. Now, sir, shall I timber this end, or shall we deal with
them at the top of the stair one by one as they come up. One good
swordsman at the top of the stair will prevent a thousand getting into
the house."
"Peel," said I, "are there any stones outside, at the other end of the
tunnel?"
"Plenty. There's a dyke of loose stones fronting it."
"Very well; if your man reports that any have entered the tunnel,
they'll have left one or two at the other end on guard; take you five
of your most trusted men, and go you cautiously a roundabout way
until you are within striking distance of the men on guard. Watch the
front upper windows of this house; and if you see two lights
displayed, you will know they are in the tunnel. If you waited here
till your man comes back, you would be too late; so go now, and, if
you see the two lights, overpower the men at the mouth of the tunnel
unless they are too many for you. If they are, then there's nothing to
do but retreat. When you have captured the guard, make them go down
into the tunnel; then you and your men tear down the dyke and fill the
hole full of stones; I will guard this end of the passage."
Tom Peel pulled his forelock and was gone at once, delighted with his
task. I knew that if I got them once in the tunnel there would no
longer be any question of a compromise, even if Lord Strepp himself
was leading them. I took two lighted candles with me and sat patiently
at the head of the stone stairway that led, in circular fashion, down
into the depths. Half an hour passed, but nothing happened, and I
began to wonder whether or not they had captured our man, when
suddenly his face appeared.
"They are coming, sir," he cried, "by the dozen. Lord Strepp is
leading them."
"Will they be here soon, do you think?"
"I cannot tell. First I saw t
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