They sat for an hour--for two hours, swilling fire and wickedness. The night closed upon itself, and the moon was half-across the sky. The frost without crackled in the very heart of the fearful sentry, so that presently he could stand it no more, and tapped on the casement. “It’s in my roots,” he said, when Brander came to him. “I must be let in or die.” “I can’t have you in his room, Joe. He’s far too cunning a gentleman to trust you with him.” “Then give me a drink. A bucket of schnapps wouldn’t drowse me here.” They handed him out a stiff jorum in a bottle, and closing the window again, resumed their orgy. Another hour passed. Suddenly one beast looked significantly at the other, and both rose. Together they staggered to the door, opened it, and lurched out into the passage. The sentry here came to himself with a start, and stared at them like an owl. They bade him have ears for his only business, and went swaying on to where, by the kitchen, a little stairway led to the floor above. The house was dimly lighted with candles that guttered here and there on brackets. One of these Fern seized in his evil hand, and they ascended softly to a narrow landing. The congested snore of many crapulous ruffians came to them from below; a third sentry nodded at hand on the top step. “Let him be,” whispered Brander. “He shall be breeched for neglect to-morrow.” In a little attic, with barred windows, the girl had been confined. Gently they turned the key in the lock, pushed open the door, and entered. The room was empty as a rifled grave. Stupidly staring, they saw by the hearth a heap of rubbish, an overturned flag; and with bursting oaths they rushed for the place, and, swinging the light down, were aware of a jagged rent, torn through the rotted fabric, that looked into the room below. “_His_ room!” cried Fern, putting his hand to his forehead and staggering back. The next moment they were out on the landing again. The sitting sentry grunted and cocked a bleared eye at them. With a foul curse, and no condescension of question to him, Brander drove his heavy foot at the man with all his force. The fellow started up with a shriek like a neigh, doubled upon himself, and, toppling, went down the whole flight with a noise of snapping, and collapsed in a writhing and coughing heap at the bottom. Immediately there was a humming uproar of waking men, in the midst of which the two bounded into the passage and scrambled for the door of the second prison-chamber. They burst it open. The window was flung wide--the room was empty--a fragment of rope trailed from the fire-place. “Dolts! dogs! bullock-heads!” cried Brander, pelting, screaming with fury, into the passage again. “Where are they? What have you been doing, hearing, overlooking in your damned folly? Let me pass, you worse than curs and maniacs!”