Late next night I rose from table, where Flavia had sat by me, and
conducted her to the door of her apartments. There I kissed her hand,
and bade her sleep sound and wake to happy days. Then I changed my
clothes and went out. Sapt and Fritz were waiting for me with six men
and the horses. Over his saddle Sapt carried a long coil of rope, and
both were heavily armed. I had with me a short stout cudgel and a long
knife. Making a circuit, we avoided the town, and in an hour found
ourselves slowly mounting the hill that led to the Castle of Zenda. The
night was dark and very stormy; gusts of wind and spits of rain caught
us as we breasted the incline, and the great trees moaned and sighed.
When we came to a thick clump, about a quarter of a mile from the
Castle, we bade our six friends hide there with the horses. Sapt had a
whistle, and they could rejoin us in a few moments if danger came: but,
up to now, we had met no one. I hoped that Michael was still off his
guard, believing me to be safe in bed. However that might be, we gained
the top of the hill without accident, and found ourselves on the edge of
the moat where it sweeps under the road, separating the Old Castle
from it. A tree stood on the edge of the bank, and Sapt, silently and
diligently, set to make fast the rope.
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