IX. THE EXPLOIT OF LORRY AND ANGUISH
During the half hour spent in the grassy ditch or gutter, they spoke notmore than half a dozen times and in the faintest of whispers. They couldhear the guard pacing the driveway inside the ponderous gate, but asidefrom his footsteps no sound was distinguishable. A sense of oppressioncame over the two watchers as the minutes grew longer and more deathlikein their stillness. Each found himself wondering why the leaves didnot stir in the trees, why there were no nightbirds, no crickets, nocroaking frogs, no sign of life save that steady, clocklike tread insidethe wall. So dark was it that the wall itself was but a deeper shadowagainst the almost opaque blackness beyond. No night, it seemed to them,had ever been so dark, so still. After the oppression came the strangefeeling of dread, the result of an enforced contemplation of the affairin which they were to take a hand, ignorant of everything except thegeneral plan.
They knew nothing of the surroundings. If they failed, there was thedanger of being shot by the guards before an explanation could be made.If they succeeded, it must be through sheer good fortune and not throughprowess of mind or muscle. Once inside the castle, how could they hopeto follow the abductors at a safe distance and still avoid the danger ofbeing lost or of running into trusty guards? The longer they lay therethe more hazardous became the part they had so recklessly ventured toplay. In the heart of each there surged a growing desire to abandonthe plan, yet neither could bring himself to the point of proposing theretreat from the inspired undertaking. Both knew the sensible, judiciousact would be to alarm the guards and thus avoid all possible chance ofa fiasco. With misgivings and doubts in their hearts the twoself-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 theinside and lock the gate. Then how are we to follow?" whispered Anguish.
Lorry was thoughtful for a while. He felt the chill of discouragement inhis heart.
"In that case we must lie outside and wait till they come out with thePrincess. Then make a sudden assault and rescue her. In the darkness wecan make them think there are a dozen rescuers," he whispered at length.After a while Anguish asked another appalling question, the outgrowth ofbrain-racking study:
"Suppose these fellows, who will be in guards' uniform, should turnabout and capture us. What then? We are strangers, and our story wouldnot be believed. They could slip away in the excitement and leave us ina very awkward position."
"Harry, if we are going to hatch up all sorts of possibilities, let'sgive up the thing right now. I have thought of a thousand contingencies,and I realize how desperate the job is to be. We must either castdiscretion to the winds or we must retreat. Which shall we do?"
"Cast aside discretion and hang our fears," said the other, once moreinspired. "We'll take chances and hope for the best. If we see we aregoing to fail we can then call for the guards. The grounds are doubtlessfull of soldiers. The only part I'm worried about is the groping throughthat strange, dark castle."
"We must do some calculating and we must stick close together. Bywatching where they station the two Viennese we can figure about whatdirection we must take to get to the Princess's room. Sh! Isn't thatsome one approaching?"
They strained their ears for a moment and then involuntarily,spasmodically shook hands, each heaving the deep breath of excitement.The stealthy rustle of moving bodies was heard, faint, but positive. Itwas a moment of suspense that would have strained the nerve of a stoneimage. Where were the abductors? On which side of the road and from whatdirection did they come? Oh, for the eyes of a cat!
There was a slight shuffling of feet near the gate, a suppressed "Sh?"and then deathly silence. The gate opened, a faint creaking attestingthe fact, followed by the heavy breathing of men, the noise of subduedactivity, the scent of chloroform. Some whispering, and then thecreaking of the gate.
"They've gone," whispered Anguish. Lorry's form arose to a crouchingposture and a moment later he was crossing the road with the tread ofa cat, his cane gripped firmly in his hard. Anguish followed with drawnrevolver. So still was their approach that they were upon the figure ofa man before they were aware of the fact. In the darkness the foremostAmerican saw the outline of a human figure bending over a long objecton the ground. He could smell chloroform strongly, and grasped thesituation. The Viennese was administering the drug, his companionshaving left that duty for him to perform. No doubt the treacherousguardsman was lying calmly on his back, bound and gagged, welcomingunconsciousness with a smile of security.
As soon as Lorry gained his bearings fully he prepared to fell thewretch who was to stand watch. Anguish heard his friend's figuresuddenly shoot to an erect position. A whirring sound as of disturbedair and then a dull thud. Something rolled over on the ground, and allwas still. He was at Lorry's side in an instant.
"I hope I haven't killed him," whispered, Lorry. "Quick! Here is hisbottle of ether. Hold it beneath his nose. I am going to pile the bodyof this guard crosswise on top of him. He will not be able to arise ifhe should recover consciousness."
All this was done in a moment's time, and the two trackers were headedfor the entrance.
The gate was ajar two or three feet. With turbulent hearts, they stolethrough.
"Keep along the wall," whispered Lorry, "and trust to luck. The castleis to the left."
Without hesitation they crept over the noiseless grass, close besidethe wall. Directly they heard sounds near at hand. The abductors werebinding and chloroforming the guard at the arbor. After waiting for somemoments they heard the party glide away in the darkness, and followed.The body of the guard was lying just outside the mouth of the arbor,and the odor of chloroform was almost overpowering. Once inside the longarbor, the Americans moved slowly and with greater caution. There was adim light in a basement window ahead. Toward the front of the castle andin the second story a faint glow came from another window. They guessedit to be from the Princess' room or from that of the countess.
At last they saw four figures steal past the dim basement light. Oneof them halted near the window, and three crept away in the darkness.Presently one of them returned, and all activity was at an end for thetime being. How near it was to two o'clock the watchers could not tell.They only knew that they were within twenty-five feet of Geddos andOstrom, and that they would not have long to wait.
Soon a bright little blaze of light crossed the basement opening. Thenit returned, crossing a second time, and a third. All was still again.The soft shuffle of a foot, the rustle of arbor vines, and the form of aman crawled up to the window. With inconceivable stealth and carefulnessit glided through the aperture, followed by a companion.
Lorry and Anguish were at the opening a second or two later, lying flaton their stomachs and listening for sounds from within. The dimlight was still there, the window was open, and there was a soundof whispering. Lorry raised his head and peered through, takingcalculations while the light made it possible. He saw an open door onthe opposite side of the low room, with steps beyond, leading upward.Between the window and the door there were no obstacles. Up those stepshe saw three men creep, the leader carrying the dim light. The door wasleft open, doubtless to afford unimpeded exit from the building in caseof emergency. Harry Anguish touched Lorry's arm.
"I took the two pistols from that Vienna man out there. We may needthem. Here is one for yourself. Go first, Lorry," he whispered.
Lorry stuck the revolver in his coat pocket and gently slid throughthe window to the floor below. His friend followed, and they paused tolisten. Taking Anguish by the hand the other led the way straight to thespot where he remembered seeing the door.
Boldly the two men began the breathless ascent of the stone steps. Thetop was reached, and far ahead, down a narrow hall, they saw the threemen and the dim light moving. Two of them wore uniforms of guards.Keeping close to the wall their followers crept after them. Up anotherflight of steps they went, and then through a spa
cious hall. TheAmericans had no time and no desire to inspect their surroundings. Thewide doors at the far side of the room opened softly, and here the triopaused. Down a great marble hallway a dim red light shed its soft glow.It came from the lamp at the foot of the broad staircase.
The cook pointed to the steps, and then gave his thumb a jerk toward theleft. Without the least sign of fear Geddos and Ostrom glided intothe hall and made for the staircase. The watchers could not but feela thrill of admiration for these daring wretches. But now a new dangerconfronted them. The cook remained standing in the doorway, watching hisfellows in crime! How were they to pass him?
There was no time to be lost. The abductors were creeping up the stepsalready, and the cook must be disposed of. He had blown out the lightwhich he carried, and was now a very dim shadow. Lorry glided forwardand in an instant stood before the amazed fellow, jamming a pistol intohis face.
"A sound and you die!" he hissed.
"Don't move!" came another whisper, and a second revolver touched hisear. The cook, perhaps, did not know their language, but he certainlyunderstood its meaning. He trembled, and would have fallen to the floorhad not the strong hand of Lorry pinned him to the wall. The hand was onhis throat, too.
"Chloroform him, Harry, and don't let him make a sound!" whispered theowner of the hand. Anguish's twitching fingers succeeded those of hisfriend on the cook's throat, his pistol was returned to his pocket, andthe little bottle came again into use.
"I'll go ahead. Follow me as soon as you have finished this fellow. Becareful, and turn to the left when you come to the top."
Lorry was off across the marble floor, headed for the stairway, andAnguish was left in charge of the cook, of whom he was to make shortwork. Now came the desperate, uncertain part of the transaction. Supposehe were to meet the two conspirators at the head of the stairs, or inthe hall, or that the other traitor, Dannox, should appear to frustrateall. It was the most trying moment in the whole life of the recklessLorry.
When near the top of the steps he hugged the high balustrade andcautiously peered ahead. He found himself looking down a long hall, atthe far end of which, to his right, a dim light was burning. There wasno sound and there was no sign of the two men, either to the right orto the left. His heart felt like lead! They evidently had entered thePrincess's room! How was he to find that room? Slowly he wriggled acrossthe broad, dark hall, straightening up in the shadow of a great post.From this point he edged along the wall for a distance of ten or twelvefeet to the left. A sound came from farther down the hall, and heimagined he heard some one approaching.
His hand came in contact with a heavy hanging or tapestry, and hequickly squirmed behind its folds, finding himself against a door whichmoved as his body touched it. He felt it swing open slightly and drewback, intending to return to the hall, uncertain and very much undecidedas to the course to pursue. His revolver was in his hand. Just as he wasabout to pull aside the curtain a man glided past, quickly followed byanother. Providence had kept him from running squarely into them.They were going toward the left, and he realized that they were nowapproaching the Princess's room. How he came to be ahead of them hecould not imagine. Strange trembling seized his legs, so great was therelief after the narrow escape. Again he felt the door move slightlyas he pressed against it. The necessity for a partial recovery of hiscomposure before the next and most important step, impelled him softlyto enter the room for an instant's breath.
Holding to the door he stood inside and drew himself to his full height,taking a long and tremulous breath. There was no light in the room, butthrough the door crack to his left came a dim, broad streak. He now knewwhere he was. This room was next to that in which the Princess slept,for had he not seen the light from her window? Perhaps he was now in theroom of the Countess Dagniar. Next door! Next door! Even now thedaring Geddos and Ostrom were crawling towards the bed of the ruler ofGraustark, not twenty feet away. His first impulse was to cross and openthe door leading to the next room, surmising that it would be unlocked,but he remembered Anguish, who was doubtless, by this time, stealing upthe stairs. They must not be separated, for it would require two steady,cool heads to deal with the villains. It was not one man's work. Ashe turned to leave the room he thought how wonderfully well they hadsucceeded in the delicate enterprise so far.
His knees struck the door, and there was a dull thump, not loud inreality, but like the report of a gun to him. A sudden rustle in thedarkness of the room and then a sleepy voice, soft and quick, as of awoman awakening with a start.
"Who is it?"
His heart ceased beating, his body grew stiff and immovable. Again thevoice, a touch of alarm in it now:
"Is that you, Donnox?"
She spoke in German, and the voice came from somewhere in front andto his right. He could not answer, could not move. The paralysis ofindecision was upon him.
"How is it that the outer door is open?"
This time there was something like a reprimand in the tones, still low.He almost could see the wide-open, searching eyes.
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