me and see the
casting."

"Go to the devil!" answered Ricarik, coughing fit to strangle and
stepping further away from the threshold. "I am suffocated ... blinded!"

"It is the effect of the casting, dear seigneur," and watching the bunch
of keys at the belt of the intendant, who was rubbing his smarting
eyelids with both hands, Bonaik seized him by the throat and cried:
"This way, boys! He has the keys of the gates!"

At the call of the old man, the apprentices and Amael rushed forward,
precipitated themselves upon the intendant and smothered his cries by
holding his throat tight, while Bonaik, seizing the bunch of keys, said:
"Drag this fellow into the workshop and throw him out of the window into
the moat. That will settle him quickly, and he will no longer punish and
kill poor slaves!"

The old man's orders were immediately executed. Despite the resistance
of the Frank, the noise of his body was soon heard, dropping into the
water.

"Now," cried the old man, "all come here! Follow me and let us run!"

Hardly had the old man taken a few steps in the alley when he saw the
slave who watched the gate approaching from a distance with a lighted
lantern in his hand. "Remain hidden in the shadow," the goldsmith said
in a low voice to the fugitives, and he walked briskly toward the
gateman, who met him with a look of surprise:

"Helloa, old Bonaik! Is not the intendant in your workshop? I do not
know what the man is thinking about. It is two hours since the boat and
oarsmen are waiting for his messenger.... They are growing impatient and
want to go."

"They will not have long to wait; I am the messenger."

"Are you going to fill the functions of messenger?"

"Do you know this bunch of keys?"

"Surely I know this bunch of keys. It is the one the intendant always
carries at his belt."

"He confided it to me so that I could get out of the abbey yard in case
you were not at your lodge. Let us go quick to the boat. Walk ahead."

Convinced by the sincerity of the old man, whose presence of mind seemed
to grow with the difficulties that arose in his way, the gateman marched
ahead of him. Bonaik, however, slackened his pace, and, calling to one
of the apprentices, in a low voice said: "Justin, you and the others
follow me at a distance; the night is dark, the light of the gateman's
lantern will guide us, but the moment you hear me whistle, all run up to
me." Having attended to that, Bonaik addressed the gateman who h