by a high flight of stone steps. A man-at-arms in breast-plate
and steel cap, and bearing a long pike, paced up and down the
length of this gallery, now and then stopping, leaning over the
edge, and gazing up into the starry sky above; then, with a long
drawn yawn, lazily turning back to the monotonous watch again.

A dark figure crept out from an arched doorway at the lower part
of the long straight building, and some little distance below
the end gallery, but the sentry saw nothing of it, for his back
was turned. As silently and as stealthily as a cat the figure
crawled along by the dark shadowy wall, now and then stopping,
and then again creeping slowly forward toward the gallery where
the man-at-arms moved monotonously up and down. It was One-eyed
Hans in his bare feet.

Inch by inch, foot by foot - the black figure crawled along in
the angle of the wall; inch by inch and foot by foot, but ever
nearer and nearer to the long straight row of stone steps that
led to the covered gallery. At last it crouched at the lowest
step of the flight. Just then the sentinel upon watch came to
the very end of the gallery and stood there leaning upon his
spear. Had he looked down below he could not have failed to have
seen One-eyed Hans lying there motionlessly; but he was gazing
far away over the steep black roofs beyond, and never saw the
unsuspected presence. Minute after minute passed, and the one
stood there looking out into the night and the other lay
crouching by the wall; then with a weary sigh the sentry turned
and began slowly pacing back again toward the farther end of the
gallery.