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During the half hour spent in the grassy ditch or gutter, they spoke not more than half a dozen tiuard pacing the driveway inside the ponderous gate, but aside frouishable A sense of oppression caer and more deathlike in their stillness Each found hi why the leaves did not stir in the trees, why there were no nightbirds, no crickets, no croaking frogs, no sign of life save that steady, clocklike tread inside the wall So dark was it that the wall itself was but a deeper shadow against the alht, it seemed to them, had ever been so dark, so still After the oppression ca of dread, the result of an enforced contenorant of everything except the general plan

They knew nothing of the surroundings If they failed, there was the danger of being shot by the guards before an explanation could be ood fortune and not through prowess of mind or muscle Once inside the castle, how could they hope to follow the abductors at a safe distance and still avoid the danger of being lost or of running into trusty guards? The longer they lay there the more hazardous became the part they had so recklessly ventured to play In the heart of each there surged a growing desire to abandon the plan, yet neither could bring hi the retreat fro Both knew the sensible, judicious act would be to alaruards and thus avoid all possible chance of a fiasco With uardians 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 the inside and lock the gate Then how are we to follohispered Anguish

Lorry was thoughtful for a while He felt the chill of discouragement in his heart

"In that case we must lie outside and wait till they come out with the Princess Then make a sudden assault and rescue her In the darkness we can make theth After a while Anguish asked another appalling question, the outgrowth of brain-racking study: "Suppose these felloill be in guards' uniforers, and our story would not be believed They could slip away in the excitement and leave us in a very aard position"