A lofty ladder had been placed against the central scaffold, and up this Demdike, having cast off his houppeland, mounted and adjusted the rope.

His tall gaunt figure, fully displayed in his tight-fitting red garb, made him look like a hideous scarecrow.

His appearance was greeted by the mob with a perfect hurricane of indignant outcries and yells.

But he heeded them not, but calmly pursued his task.

Above him wheeled the two ravens, who had never quitted the place since daybreak, uttering their discordant cries.