"Row!" I shrieked, turning to see if my fair companion had been hit.
"Keep cool, Excellency," urged the Finn. "See, right away there in the
shadow. We might trick them, for the patrol-boat will be at the head of
the river waiting to cut us off."
Again the guards fired upon us, but in the darkness their aim was
faulty. Lights appeared in the high windows of the castle, and we could
see that the greatest commotion had been caused by the escape of the
prisoner. The men at the door in the tower were shouting to the
patrol-boats, which were nowhere to be seen, calling them to row us down
and capture us, but by plying our oars rapidly we shot straight across
the lake until we got under the deep shadow of the opposite shore, and
then crept gradually along in the direction we had come.
"If we meet the boats, Excellency, we must run ashore and take to the
woods," explained the Finn. "It is our only chance."
Scarcely had he spoken when out in the center of the lake we could just
distinguish a long boat with three rowers going swiftly towards the
entrance to the river, which we so desired to gain.
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