you ordered me. They are regular arrows, but I made the man shorten
them so as to suit the bow, and then repoint them. I have got them
inside my doublet. I tied them together, made a hole in the lining
under the arm, and put them in."

"You have not forgotten the cord, I hope, Paolo?"

"Not I, master. I should have deserved having my ears cut off if
I had done so."

They were in no hurry, and walked only fast enough to keep themselves
warm. In two hours and a half they arrived at the main road and
turned to the right. "Now we will go another couple of miles, Paolo,
and then look out for a sleeping place. An empty barn or stable
or a stack of fodder is what we want. We may as well sleep warm
as cold. We shall not want to be moving on till seven o'clock."

After walking three miles they came upon a small village.

"Do you stay here, master, I will go round and see if I can find
a place. I am more accustomed to these villages than you are."

In five minutes he returned. "I have found a capital place," he
said. "It is a stable, but it is empty. No doubt the Spaniards
have taken the horses, and are using them in their transport wagons."

"It is enough for us that the place is empty, Paolo."

The door stood ajar. They entered and closed it behind them, and
they then felt about until they found a pile of rough fodder.