casional
frightened face peering from a tiny window.

It was midnight ere they sighted the black towers of Colfax silhouetted
against the starry sky. Drawing his men into the shadows of the forest
a half mile from the castle, Norman of Torn rode forward with Shandy
and some fifty men to a point as close as they could come without being
observed. Here they dismounted and Norman of Torn crept stealthily
forward alone.

Taking advantage of every cover, he approached to the very shadows of
the great gate without being detected. In the castle, a light shone
dimly from the windows of the great hall, but no other sign of life was
apparent. To his intense surprise, Norman of Torn found the drawbridge
lowered and no sign of watchmen at the gate or upon the walls.

As he had sacked this castle some two years since, he was familiar with
its internal plan, and so he knew that through the scullery he could
reach a small antechamber above, which let directly into the great hall.

And so it happened that, as Peter of Colfax wheeled toward the door of
the little room, he stopped short in terror, for there before him stood
a strange knight in armor, with lowered visor and drawn sword. The girl
saw him too, and a look of hope and renewed courage overspread her face.

"Draw!" commanded a low voice in English, "unless you prefer to pray,
for you are about to die."

"Who be ye, varlet?" cried the Baron. "Ho, John! Ho, Guy! To the rescue,
quick!" he shrieked, and drawing his sword, he attempted to back quickly
toward the main doorway of the hall; but the man in armor was upon him
and forcing him to fight ere he had taken three steps.

It had been short shrift for Peter of Colfax that night had not John and
Guy and another of his henchmen rushed into the room with drawn swords.

"Ware! Sir Knight," cried the girl, as she saw the three knaves rushing
to the aid of their master.

Turning to meet their assault, the knight was forced to abandon the
terror-stricken Baron for an instant, and again he had made for the
doorway bent only on escape; but the girl had divined his intentions,
and running quickly to the entrance, she turned the great lock and threw
the key with all her might to the far corner of the hall. In an instant
she regretted her act, for she saw that where she might have reduced
her rescuer's opponents by at least one, she had now forced the cowardly
Baron to remain, and nothing fights more fiercely than a cornered rat.