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 a very bad light,' said the
man at the door, peering in. 'Have you no electric light here?'
Then suddenly he turned on an electric torch, and as he did so
Pestovitch sprang forward.
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