"They will soon be here," said the old servant, springing up the steps and walking after his master, who had already turned back toward the guard-room. "Jacques--curse him!"--putting out his light in obedience to a gesture from the other--"fumbled with the keys; pretended he couldn't find the right ones! So it took longer to open the doors." "The prisoners?" "I left our men working at the last dungeon to come on ahead--to let you know you might soon expect them." "Soon," ironically, "may be too late." "You mean--?" "The hue and cry is out! I have long been expecting it; I do not understand why it didn't come before; unless a mountebank, locked up, was considered safe enough for the night--" "Then some one knew--?" "Some one?" A bitter laugh was quickly suppressed on the young man's lips. "Hark! Listen!" "Sounds below! the soldiers!" exclaimed Sanchez, and started toward the window to look out, only to fall quickly back. "What is it?" With his hand on the other's shoulder, the Black Seigneur whispered the question. "A face! At the window!" "So soon? The hounds are quicker than I thought! Or," drawing his sword, "it may be only one or two in advance. In that case--" But no enemy, single or plural, met their view, either in front, or at the side of the guard-house; only the darkness, void, empty, and the bare rampart wall winding around the head of the Mount like a monster guardian dragon, asleep at his post. "Here is no one!" "No one! Yet am I sure I saw--" "A shadow!" answered the other. "And we have nothing worse to fight!" "Some one was there, Seigneur," stubbornly, "and fled!" "_Eh bien_! He's gone!" "He? It looked like a--" "Back with you, quick! Is this a time for talk? Call those who can come--if they would save their necks!" "Here they are now," exclaimed the servant, and, as he spoke, the first of their men, blowing out the light he carried, ran quickly across the guard-chamber and into the open air. Others hastily followed, until the gathering, swelled by those brought with them from the dungeons, stood expectantly before the little stone structure. "All the prisoners are here?" "All!" "To the wheel-house, then!" But as they hastened across the square and into the narrow way, the Black Seigneur again spoke to the man just ahead: "The hunchback?" "We left him below, locked up in the Devil's Cage!" "The Devil's Cage! _Quelle bonne plaisanterie_! Although," looking back, "it may cost us dear!" And indeed, behind the sound of pursuit came nearer; the clatter of soldiers' feet grew louder, until, reaching the little square and the guard-house, all tumult suddenly ceased. A momentary silence, strange, ominous, was broken by a din of voices, as the flaring here and there of torches threw grotesque reflections high against the grim background of black masonry.