During this extraordinary speech Ranulph had done some rapid thinking.  From the man’s appearance he believed him to be Garin de Biterres.  The castle had evidently been taken by surprise after the Count’s party had escorted the maidens thither and ridden away.  Perhaps the marauders had been lurking somewhere about awaiting the opportunity.  They must know that they could not hold it after the friends of the rightful lord knew what had been done, and their leader was too cool-headed a man to have attempted so bold a raid without some important reason.  The abduction of four young girls, two of whom at least were heiresses, might seem such a reason to such a man.  Evidently he did not suspect Ranulph’s character as a man of some reputation and the confidential messenger of the King of England.  This was a piece of luck.  The chance of his being useful to the captives was all the better.

With the elaborate meekness proper to his supposed low station he answered, “You leave me no choice, my lord.  To resist your will would be suicide, and that is a mortal sin.”

The knight grinned like a sour-tempered dog.  “Take care,” he said, “that you change not your very praise-worthy views.  Have you any little diversion which may enliven a tedious hour at supper-time?”

Ranulph’s quick mind had been turning over plans.  He thanked a hard Fate that his early experience in camps, markets, inn-yards and fairs had been so thorough and so varied.  In those days he had been what Biterres now supposed him—­one of those vagabond singers who sang popular songs and often did tricks of jugglery, or danced, or gave acrobatic exhibitions, wherever they found an audience.  The panier in which the pigeons drowsed was probably taken for a collection of costumes and properties.

The pigeons could not get through the barred window of his room.  If they were let loose in the courtyard and recognized as carriers, a bowman could easily bring them down.  But now he saw a way to elude suspicion.

“I have a trick,” he ventured humbly, “which is most amusing, but it requires a large shell or cofyn of pastry.  When this pie is cut, live birds fly out.  But perhaps it would not be convenient to have your lordship’s cook troubled with this?”

Biterres made an impatient gesture.  “Child’s play—­but it will serve.  The cook shall come for your orders.  Have it ready before the drinking begins or the men will not know whether you have larks or peacocks in the pie.”

Ranulph bowed very low and left the hall.

“Peirol,” he said when he re-entered the cell-like room, “we are prisoners to a caitiff knight who has taken this castle and undoubtedly holds your mistress and her friends also captive.  I think he intends to carry off the ladies, and I am not sure what will happen to the rest of us.  If we can get word to Count Thibaut’s castle we may spoil the fellow’s game.  No one must suspect, of course, that we have carriers with us.  He takes us for strolling mountebanks and desires us to amuse the company at supper.  Now, I have a plan.”