o deaden
the sound of the blow that was to fall upon the Vienna man's head. Then
they threw aside their hats, buttoned their coats tightly, and sank down
to wait, with bounding hearts and tingling nerves, the arrival of the
abductors, mutely praying that they were at the right gate.

IX. THE EXPLOIT OF LORRY AND ANGUISH

During the half hour spent in the grassy ditch or gutter, they spoke not
more than half a dozen times and in the faintest of whispers. They could
hear the guard pacing the driveway inside the ponderous gate, but aside
from his footsteps no sound was distinguishable. A sense of oppression
came over the two watchers as the minutes grew longer and more deathlike
in their stillness. Each found himself wondering why the leaves did
not stir in the trees, why there were no nightbirds, no crickets, no
croaking frogs, no sign of life save that steady, clocklike tread inside
the wall. So dark was it that the wall itself was but a deeper shadow
against the almost opaque blackness beyond. No night, it seemed to them,
had ever been so dark, so still. After the oppression came the strange
feeling of dread, the result of an enforced contemplation of the affair
in which they were to take a hand, ignorant of everything except the
general plan.

They knew nothing of the surroundings. If they failed, there was the
danger of being shot by the guards before an explanation could be made.
If they succeeded, it must be through sheer good fortune and not through
prowess of mind or muscle. Once inside the castle, how could they hope
to follow the abductors at a safe distance and still avoid the danger of
being lost or of running into trusty guards? The longer they lay there
the more hazardous became the part they had so recklessly ventured to
play. In the heart of each there surged a growing desire to abandon
the plan, yet neither could bring himself to the point of proposing the
retreat from the inspired undertaking. Both knew the sensible, judicious
act would be to alarm the guards and thus avoid all possible chance of
a fiasco. With misgivings and doubts in their hearts the two
self-appointed guardians of the Princess lay there upon the grass,
afraid to give up the project, yet fearing the outcome.

"The dickens will be to pay, Lorry, if they dispose of this guard on the
inside and lock the gate. Then how are we to follow?" whispered Anguish.

Lorry was thoughtful for a while. He felt the chill of discouragement i