I judged that the moment was come, and passed
the word in a whisper to open the gates. Unfortunately, they
creaked, and I feared for a moment that I had been premature; but
before they were more than ajar a harsh whistle startled the
silence, a flare blazed up on the road, and a voice cried to
charge.
On the instant the ground shook under the assailants' rush, but
the barricade, which doubtless took the rogues by surprise,
brought them to a sudden stop, and gave us time to file out. The
heavy rain which was failing served to cover our movements almost
as well as the baggage horses which we had posted for the
purpose; while we ran the less risk, inasmuch as the flare they
had kindled lit up the upper part of the house but left the
courtyard in perfect darkness.
Naturally, once outside, we did not linger to see what happened,
but, filing in a line and like ghosts up the bank of the stream,
were glad to hit on the road a hundred and fifty paces away,
where it entered the gorge. Here, where it was as dark as pitch,
we whipped our horses into a canter and made a good pace for half
a league, then, drawing rein, let our horses trot until the
league was out.
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