thee!" a hushed voice suddenly resounded from among
the brown bushes and Szilard distinguished by the light of the rising
moon a tall dark shape approaching the mill path. It was blind Juon.

"How did you know anyone was here?" enquired Szilard suspiciously.

"I heard you sigh, sir, once or twice and I knew you were awake for I
warned you beforehand to watch--to-night he will be upon you."

"Who?"

"Who? Why Fatia Negra."

"So you think he will be bold enough?"

"I know that he is already on the way."

"And where were you just now?"

"I was working in the mill-ditch."

"At night! What were you doing there?"

"I have removed the supporting beam underneath the bridge leading across
the reservoir! It was a hard bit of work but I had the strength to do
it."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because he will come from the opposite side and immediately he steps on
the middle of the bridge the plank will give way beneath him and he will
fall into the water like a mouse in a trap."

"What is the good of that, he will only swim out again."

"Yes, but his pistols will then be full of water and he will be unable
to use them against you."

Szilard began to perceive that he had a most determined ally with all
sorts of ideas in his head that had never occurred to himself.

"But surely, my poor fellow, you do not imagine that anybody will be
mad enough to face so many armed men alone."

"I don't know, sir, but I also do not know whether you yourself may not
be alone among so many armed men, for I hear snoring among the very
guard you told off to watch the cellar."

Szilard was startled. He immediately hastened to the place indicated and
there, sure enough, he saw the sentry stretched at full length across
the cellar door. He angrily hastened to arouse him and seized the
sleeper by the arm; but all his efforts were powerless to awake the
fellow,--he might just as well have been dead.

"Try to wake the others, sir," said Juon.

The pandurs lay in long rows stretched out upon the straw in the meal
magazine.

Szilard spoke to them, first gently, then loudly, and at last angrily,
calling them by name, one after the other; but not one of them awoke. He
tore the sleepers away from their places, but they were not aware of it;
as soon as he let them go they rolled back again into their former
positions.

"What has happened?" cried the confounded Szilard.

"There must be a traitor among them, sir, a hireling of Fatia Negra