“I don’t mind this so much,” Paolo said.  “I cannot be colder than I am.”

“Don’t try to swim, Paolo; lie on your back, with your mouth just out of water.  I will have you over in no time.”

It was fully fifty yards across; but, accustomed to bathe in almost icy cold water, the swim was nothing to Hector, who was soon across, and who then towed Paolo over as before.  They mounted another glacis, and presently reached the edge of a third moat.

“We need go no farther.  I know that this moat is but some fifteen yards from the foot of the fortifications.  Now, get the arrows out.  Cut off a foot or two of the thin cord, and unravel it.  I must warm my fingers again first, I cannot use them at all.”

“Mine are pretty cold, too.”  And both lads warmed them as before.  Paolo then set to work to string the bow, which required all his strength to accomplish.  While he was doing so, Hector drew from his pouch the six little pellets, and taking the arrows, straightened out each pellet, wrapped it round an arrow, and secured it firmly with a small strand from the string.  When he had done this, he took the bow from Paolo, fitted an arrow to the string, drew it with his full strength, and then, pointing the arrow high, loosed it.  The six arrows were sent off.  Just as the last was discharged there was a shout of “Who is there?  Speak, or I fire!” It was a sentry on the wall, who had caught the sound of the twang of the bow.

“I am a friend, a messenger from the French general,” Hector replied.  “I have just shot six arrows into the fortress; a message is attached to each for the governor.  Report to the officer, and have a search made for them in the morning.

“That is a piece of good luck,” he went on as they turned away.  “I thought of shouting, but we might have got a shot in reply, and I made sure that one or other of the arrows would be picked up.  Still, this makes certain of it.”

“I think I would rather stop out here until morning,” Paolo said, “then they will take me in.  I am afraid I shall never get across the river.”

“Nonsense!  The water is low, and we are not likely to have to swim farther than we did in crossing the last moat.  Getting through the part of the town between us and the river is a more serious matter.  However, it is not very far across, and they are not likely to be very vigilant.”

They turned to the right, and kept along at the edge of the moat, until Hector considered that they had made a fourth of the circuit of the walls, and were now facing the river.  They had decided before that this would be the easiest side on which to leave the town.  The sentinels would not expect that anyone attempting to enter or leave the citadel would try to do so here; as, in addition to passing the wall facing the fortress and that bordering the river, they would be obliged to swim the river itself.  The snow was falling as quickly as ever, and the wind blowing fiercely.