They found the great swing doors fast, bolted from within, and, in
this still dead hour, save for their own soft breathing, not a sound
reached them. Then Barnabas laughed suddenly, and clapped Master
Milo upon his small, rigid shoulder.
"There, Imp,--you see it's all right!" said he, and then paused, and
held his breath.
"Did ye hear anythink?" whispered the boy.
"A chain--rattled, I think."
"And 't was in The Terror's' stall,--there? didn't ye hear somethink
else, sir?"
"No!"
"I did,--it sounded like--" the boy's voice tailed off suddenly and,
upon the silence, a low whistle sounded; then a thud, as of some one
dropping from a height, quickly followed by another,--and thus two
figures darted away, impalpable as ghosts in the dawn, but the alley
was filled with the rush and patter of their flight. Instantly
Barnabas turned in pursuit, then stopped and stood utterly still,
his head turned, his eyes wide, glaring back towards the gloom of
the stables. For, in that moment, above the sudden harsh jangling of
chains from within, above the pattering footsteps of the fugitives
without, was an appalling sound rising high and ever higher--shrill,
unearthly, and full of horror and torment unspeakable.
Pages:
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536