g to set his thoughts into some order that
should work out a better device, a glare shone over the next hill
against the falling flakes.

"Quick!" said Elaine.

She withdrew into the cellar on the instant, and the great door closed
between them. Geoffrey stood looking at it very anxiously, and then
walked backwards, keeping close to the walls, and so round the tower
and into the court, whence he turned and ploughed as fast as he could
through the deep drifts till he was inside the trees. "If they spy my
steps," he thought, "it will seem as though some one of the house had
gone in there to secure the door."

Once more the glare flashed against the swiftly-descending curtains of
the storm. Slowly it approached, sometimes illuminating a tree-trunk
for a moment, then suddenly gleaming on the white mounds where rocks
lay deeply cloaked.

"He is pretty slow," said Geoffrey, shifting the leg he was leaning
on.

[Illustration: The Dragon thinketh to slake his thirst]

A black mass moved into sight, and from it came spoutings of fire that
showed dark, jagged wings heavily flapping. It walked a little and
stopped; then walked again. Geoffrey could see a great snout and head
rocking and turning. Dismal and unspeakable sounds proceeded from the
creature as it made towards the cellar-door. After it had got close
and leaned against the panels in a toppling, swaying fashion, came a
noise of creaking and fumbling, and then the door rolled aside upon
its hinges. Next, the blurred white ridge towards Oyster-le-Main was
darkened with moving specks that came steadily near; and man by man of
the Guild reached the open door crouching, whispered a word or two,
and crept inside. They made no sound that could be heard above the
hissing of the downward flakes and the wind that moaned always, but
louder sometimes. Only Elaine, with her ear to the cold iron key-hole
of the passage-door, could mark the clink of armour, and shivered as
she stood in the dark. And now the cellar is full,--but not of gray
gowns. The candle flames show little glistening sparks in the black
coats of mail, and the sight of themselves cased in steel, and each
bearing an empty keg, stirred a laughter among them. Then the kegs
were set down without noise on the earthy floor among the bins. The
Dragon was standing on his crooked scaly hind-legs; and to see the
grim, changeless jaw and eyes brought a dead feeling around the
heart. But the two bungling fore-paws moved u