long the line of the port, with orders to bring in
word should anyone come down and take boat, or should they hear any
noise in the town. He himself with the sailors loosed the ropes which
fastened the boat to shore, got out the oars, and prepared to put off at
a moment's notice.

He was of course ignorant whether the abductor would try to carry the
princess off by water, or would hide her in one of the convents of the
town; but he was inclined to think that the former would be the course
adopted; for the king in his wrath would be ready to lay the town in
flames, and to search every convent from top to bottom for the princess.
Besides, there would be too many aware of the secret.

Cuthbert was not wrong in his supposition.

Soon the man he had sent to the extreme right came running up with the
news that a boat had embarked at the further end with a party of some
ten men on board. As he came along he had warned the others, and in five
minutes the whole party were collected in the craft, numbering in all
twelve of Cuthbert's men and six sailors. They instantly put out, and
rowed in the direction in which the boat would have gone, the boatmen
expressing their opinion that probably the party would make for a vessel
which was lying anchored at some little distance from shore. The
bearings of the position of this ship was known to the boatmen, but the
night was so dark that they were quite unable to find it. Orders had
been given that no sound or whisper was to be heard on board the boat;
and after rowing as far as they could the boatmen said they were in the
direction of the ship.

The boatmen all lay on their oars, and all listened intently. Presently
the creaking of a pulley was heard in the still night, at a distance of
a few hundred yards. This was enough. It was clear that the vessel was
getting up sail. The boat's head was turned in that direction; the crew
rowed steadily but noiselessly, and in a few minutes the tall mast of a
vessel could be seen faintly against the sky. Just as they perceived the
situation, a hail from on board showed that their approach was now
observed.

"Stretch to your oars," Cuthbert said, "we must make a dash for it now."

The rowers bent to their work and in a minute the boat ran alongside the
craft.

As Cuthbert and his followers scrambled upon the deck they were attacked
by those of the crew and passengers who were standing near; but it was
evident at once that the chiefs of the ex