and skilful game, and I tender you my compliments upon it."
My cunning gentleman I could see had been taken off his guard a little by my lowliness of bearing. He did not discern that 'twas in my mind, despite the fact that both the prisoner and myself were utterly at the mercy of his pistol, to attempt quite the boldest stroke of all.
It was now that I withdrew my slipper from the prisoner's breast and walked up in the most natural way one could imagine to within a foot of where the Captain stood upon the ladder, smiling with something of the air of Alexander. I took my steps with such discretion and feigned a simple negligence so well that he suspected nothing. My Lady Barbara being my Lady Barbara, he had of course nothing to suspect.
"I wish to descend if you will allow me, sir," says I, "for I cannot bear to stand by and see my unhappy friend retaken."
He was preparing to accommodate me in this perfectly humane request when, tightening my fingers on the file, I struck the butt of his pistol with all my strength, and straight the weapon dropped from his hand and clattered ten feet to the stones below. The prisoner at my back was marvellously quick. In almost the same instant as the pistol tinkled on the yard the lad was up. He flew at the astonished Captain like a cat, and struck him full and neat just underneath the jaw. 'Twas a murderous blow, and the horrid thud it made quite
