his opponent panted. And abruptly he released his grip.

"Geneva!"

"I know you!" The man was one of the guard who, in the alarm, had
escaped into the stairway. "I know you! You live in the Corraterie!"

Claude wasted not a second. "Up!" he cried. "We can hold the roof! Up,
man, for your life! For your life! It is our only chance!"

With the fear of death upon him, the other needed no second telling. He
turned, and groped upwards in haste; and Claude followed, treading on
his heels; nor a moment too soon. While they were still within the
staircase, which their elbows rubbed on either side, they heard the
enemy swarm into the room below. Cries of triumph, of "Savoy! Savoy!" of
"Ville gagnee! gagnee!" hummed dully up to them, and proclaimed the
narrowness of their escape. Then the night air met their faces, they
bent their heads and passed out upon the leads; they had above them the
stars, and below them all the world of night, with its tramp of hidden
feet, its swaying lights so tiny and distant, and here and there its cry
of "Savoy! Savoy!" that showed that the enemy, relying on their capture
of the Porte Neuve, were casting off disguise.

Claude heard and saw all, but lost not a moment. He had not made this
haste for his life only: before he had risen to his knees or set foot in
the gate, he had formed his plan. "The Portcullis!" he cried. "The
Portcullis! Where are the chains? On this side?" Less than a week
before he had stood and watched the guard as they released it and raised
it again for practice.

The soldier, familiar with the tower, should have been able to go to the
chains at once. But though he had struggled for his life and was ready
to struggle for it again, he had not recovered his nerve, and he shrank
from leaving the stairs, in holding which their one chance consisted. He
muttered, however, that the winch was on such and such a side, and, with
his head in the stairway, indicated the direction with his hand. Claude
groped his way to the spot, his breath coming fast; fortunately he laid
his hand almost at once on the chains and felt for the spike, which he
knew he must draw or knock out. That done, the winch would fly round,
and the huge machine fall by its own weight.

On a sudden, "They are coming!" the soldier cried in a terrified
whisper. "My God, they are coming! Come back! Come back!" For Claude had
their only weapon, and the guard was defenceless. Defenceless by the
side of the stairs up whi