on his arrival; they
cried "Loch Sloy!" with something of theatrical effect, and "Out
with the gentleman! out with Black Andy's murderer!" they demanded in
English.

He craned his head out at the Window and watched the scene. The tall man
who had personally assailed him seemed to lead the band in all except
their clamour, working eagerly, directing in undertones. They had
brought a ladder from the shore, apparently provided for such an
emergency, and placed it against the wall, with a view to an escalade. A
stream of steaming water shot down upon the first who ventured upon the
rounds, and he fell back with ludicrous whimperings. Compelled by the
leader, another ventured on the ladder, and the better to watch his
performance Count Victor leaned farther out at his window, secure from
observation in the darkness. As he did so, he saw for the first time
that on his right there was a lighted window he could almost touch
with his hand as he leaned over. It flashed upon him that here was
the woman's room, and that on the deep moulding running underneath the
windows he could at some little risk gain it, probably to find its door
open, and thus gain the freedom Mungo had so unexpectedly taken from
him. He crept out upon the ledge, only then to realise the hazards of
such a narrow footing. It seemed as he stood with his hands yet grasping
the sides of the window he sought to escape by, that he could never
retain his balance sufficiently to reach the other in safety. The
greatest of his physical fears--greater even than that of drowning which
sometimes whelmed him in dreams and on ships--was the dread of empty
space; a touch of vertigo seized him; the enemy gathered round the torch
beneath suddenly seemed elves, puny impossible things far off, and he
almost slipped into their midst. But he dragged back his senses. "We
must all die," he gasped, "but we need not be precipitate about the
business," and shut his eyes as he stood up, and with feet upon the
moulding stretched to gain grip of the other window. Something fell away
below his right foot and almost plunged him into space. With a terrific
effort he saved himself from that fate, and his senses, grown of a
sudden to miraculous acuteness, heard the crumbled masonry he had
released thud upon the patch of grass at the foot of the tower,
apprising the enemy of his attempt. A wild commingling of commands
and threats came up to him; the night seemed something vast beyond all
former