After running down three streets we passed a place where a courtyard with stables ranged round it was open.

There were none about, and we entered, and taking refuge in a loft hid ourselves beneath some provender.

There we remained all night, and then borrowing some apparel which some of the stablemen had hung upon the walls, we issued into the town.

As we neared the great square we saw some men employed in erecting a platform in the midst, and a suspicion that all might not be right, and that you might have fallen into the hands of these German dogs, beset our minds.

After much consultation we determined to see what the affair meant, and making our way on to the walls which, indeed, were entirely deserted, we took refuge in that turret where you saw us.
Seeing the crowd gather, and being still more convinced that some misfortune was about to occur, I again went back to the stables, where I had noticed a long rope used by the carters for fastening their loads to the wagons.