With a growl, Pasquale came out and stood on the pavement a moment, and
Giovanni went in. Instantly, the man who had lingered made a step
towards the porter, whispered something in his ear, and then made off as
fast as he could in the direction taken by the archers. Pasquale looked
after him in surprise, only half understanding the meaning of what he
had said. Then he went in, but left the door ajar. The people who had
been looking out of the windows of Beroviero's house had disappeared,
when they had seen that Giovanni was on the footway. All was silent now;
only, far off, the tramp of the archers could still be heard.
They could not go very fast, with Zorzi in their midst, but the two men
who were busy unfastening the bundle of halberds lagged in the rear,
talking in a low voice. They did not notice quick footsteps behind them,
but they heard a low whistle, answered instantly by another, just as the
main party was nearing the corner by the church of San Piero. That was
the last the two loiterers remembered, for at the next instant they lay
in a heap upon the halberds, which had fallen upon the pavement with a
tremendous clatter. A couple of well-delivered blows with a stout stick
had thoroughly stunned them almost at the same instant.
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