ilers. They would have been better engaged eating their supper.
Yah! I'm gettin' sleepy, Monsieur."

"Helas! helas!" ejaculated the merchant. "You prick my memory, mon noble
Innerkepple. My poor mules! They have got no souper. Ah! cruel master
that I am to forget the _pauvre_ animals that have got no language to
tell their wants."

("So, so--the time approaches," ejaculated Kate, mentally, as she
watched behind the door.)

"Pardon me, _mon cher_ baron," he continued, "I vill go and give them
one leetle feed, and return to you _a present_. I have got beans in my
hampers."

"Humanity needs nae pardon, man," replied the baron, nodding with sleep.
"Awa and feed the puir creatures; but tak care an' no tramp on an' kill
ony o' my brave men in yer effort to save the lives o' yer mules."

"Never fear," said the other, taking from his pocket a small lantern,
which he lighted. "Travellers stand in grand need of this machine," he
continued. "I will return on the instant."

He now left the baron to his sleep, and crept stealthily along the
passage to the door leading to the court. He was followed, unseen, by
Katherine, who watched every motion. He felt some difficulty in avoiding
the men, who still lay on the ground; but with careful steps he reached
the wall, and suddenly sprung on the parapet.

"Prepare!" whispered Katherine into the ears of the prostrate retainers;
"the time approaches."

While thus engaged, she kept her eye upon the dark shadow of the
merchant, and saw with surprise a blue light flash up from the top of
the wall, and throw its ominous glare on the surrounding objects. A
scream of the birds on the castle walls announced their wonder at the
strange vision, and Katherine concluded that the merchant had thus
produced his signal from some phosphorescent mixture, which he had
ignited by the aid of the lantern. The light was followed instantly by a
shrill blast of a horn. With a bound he reached the floor of the court,
and, hastening to the warder's post, threw off the guard of the wheel,
and, with all the art and rapidity of a seneschal, prepared for letting
down the bridge. All was still as death; there seemed to be no
interruption to his proceedings; but he started as he saw the rays of a
lamp thrown from a loophole over his head, upon that part of the moat
which the bridge covered. He had gone too far to recede, the creaking of
the hinges grated, and down came the bridge with a hollow sound. A rush
was n