THE ENDING OF WAR
plucked his brother back. For a time all five men stood still. It seemed that light would never go and then abruptly it was turned off, leaving them blinded. "Now," said the king uneasily, "now shut the door."
"Not completely," cried Pestovitch. "Leave a chink for us to go out by. . . ."
It was hot work shifting those bombs, and the king worked for a time like a common man. Kurt and Abel carried the great things up and Peter brought them to the carts, and the king and Pestovitch helped him to place them among the hay. They made as little noise as they could. . . .
"Ssh!" cried the king. "What's that?"
But Kurt and Abel did not hear, and came blundering up the ladder with the last of the load.
"Ssh!" Peter ran forward to them with a whispered remonstrance. Now they were still.
The barn door opened a little wider, and against the dim blue light outside they saw the black shape of a man.
"Any one here?" he asked, speaking with an Italian accent.
The king broke into a cold perspiration. Then Pestovitch answered; "Only a poor farmer loading hay," he said, and picked up a huge hay fork and went forward softly.
"You load your hay at a very bad time and in
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