saint george for england-第44部分

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ll　take　every　precaution　and　come　well　armed。　It　may　be；　too；　that　they　will　not　come　at　all；　but　that　they　intend　us　to　die　of　starvation；　or　perchance　to　be　drowned　by　the　floods；　which　it　is　easy　to　see　often　make　their　way　in　here。　No；　our　escape；　if　escape　there　be；　must　be　made　through　that　loophole　above。　Were　that　bar　removed；　methinks　it　is　wide　enough　for　us　to　squeeze　through。　Doubtless　such　a　hazard　has　not　occurred　to　them；　seeing　that　it　is　nigh　twelve　feet　above　the　floor；　and　that　a　single　man　could　by　no　possibility　reach　it；　but　with　two　of　us　there　is　no　difficulty。　Now；　Ralph；　do　you　stand　against　the　wall。　I　will　climb　upon　your　shoulders；　and　standing　there　can　reach　the　bar；　and　so　haul　myself　up　and　look　out。〃

This　was　soon　done；　and　Walter　seizing　the　bar；　hauled　himself　up　so　that　he　could　see　through　the　loophole。

〃It　is　as　I　thought；〃　he　said。　〃The　waters　of　the　Somme　are　but　a　foot　below　the　level　of　this　window；　the　river　is　yellow　and　swollen；　and　a　few　hours'　heavy　rain　would　bring　it　above　the　level　of　this　sill。　Stand　steady；　Ralph；　I　am　coming　down　again。〃

When　he　reached　the　ground；　he　said：

〃Take　off　your　belt；　Ralph；　if　we　buckle　that　and　mine　together；　passing　it　round　the　bar；　it　will　make　a　loop　upon　which　we　can　stand　at　the　window　and　see　how　best　we　can　loosen　the　bar。　Constantly　wet　as　it　is；　it　is　likely　that　the　mortar　will　have　softened；　in　which　case　we　shall　have　little　difficulty　in　working　it　out。〃

The　plan　was　at　once　put　into　execution；　the　belts　were　fastened　together　and　Walter　standing　on　Ralph's　shoulders　passed　one　end　around　the　bar　and　buckled　it　to　the　other；　thus　making　a　loop　some　three　feet　in　length；　putting　a　foot　in　this　he　was　able　to　stand　easily　at　the　loophole。

〃It　is　put　in　with　mortar　at　the　top；　Ralph；　and　the　mortar　has　rotted　with　the　wet；　but　at　the　bottom　lead　was　poured　in　when　the　bar　was　set　and　this　must　be　scooped　out　before　it　can　be　moved。　Fortunately　the　knight　gave　no　orders　to　his　men　to　remove　our　daggers　when　we　were　thrust　in　here；　and　these　will　speedily　dig　out　the　lead；　but　I　must　come　down　first；　for　the　strap　prevents　my　working　at　the　foot　of　the　bar。　We　must　tear　off　a　strip　of　our　clothing　and　make　a　shift　to　fasten　the　strap　half…way　up　the　bar　so　as　not　to　slip　down　with　our　weight。〃

In　order　to　accomplish　this　Walter　had　to　stand　upon　Ralph's　head　to　gain　additional　height。　He　presently；　after　several　attempts；　succeeded　in　fixing　the　strap　firmly　against　the　bar　half…way　up；　and　then　placing　one　knee　in　the　loop　and　putting　an　arm　through　the　bar　to　steady　himself；　he　set　to　work　at　the　lead。　The　sharp　point　of　the　dagger　quickly　cut　out　that　near　the　surface；　but　farther　down　the　hole　narrowed　and　the　task　was　much　more　difficult。　Several　times　Ralph　relieved　him　at　the　work；　but　at　last　it　was　accomplished；　and　the　bar　was　found　to　move　slightly　when　they　shook　it。　　There　now　remained　only　to　loosen　the　cement　above；　and　this　was　a　comparatively　easy　task；　it　crumbled　quickly　before　the　points　of　their　daggers；　and　the　bar　was　soon　free　to　move。

〃Now；〃　Walter　said；　〃we　have　to　find　out　whether　the　bar　was　first　put　in　from　below　or　from　above；　one　hole　or　the　other　must　be　a　good　deal　deeper　than　the　iron；　so　that　it　was　either　shoved　up　or　pushed　down　until　the　other　end　could　get　under　or　over　the　other　hole。　I　should　think　most　likely　the　hole　is　below；　as　if　they　held　up　the　bar　against　the　top；　when　the　lead　was　poured　in　it　would　fill　up　the　space；　so　we　will　first　of　all　try　to　lift　it。　I　must　stand　on　your　head　again　to　enable　me　to　be　high　enough　to　try　this。〃

〃My　head　is　strong　enough；　I　warrant；〃　Ralph　replied；　〃but　I　will　fold　up　my　jerkin；　and　put　on　it；　for　in　truth　you　hurt　me　somewhat　when　you　were　tying　the　strap　to　the　bar。〃

All　Walter's　efforts　did　not　succeed　in　raising　the　bar　in　the　slightest；　and　he　therefore　concluded　that　it　had　been　inserted　here　and　lifted　while　the　space　was　filled　with　lead。　　〃It　is　best　so；〃　he　said；　〃we　should　have　to　cut　away　the　stone　either　above　or　below；　and　can　work　much　better　below。　Now　I　will　put　my　knee　in　the　strap　again　and　set　to　work。　The　stone　seems　greatly　softened　by　the　wet；　and　will　yield　to　our　daggers　readily　enough。　It　is　already　getting　dark；　and　as　soon　as　we　have　finished　we　can　start。

As　Walter　had　discovered；　the　stone　was　rotten　with　the　action　of　the　weather；　and　although　as　they　got　deeper　it　became　much　harder；　it　yielded　to　the　constant　chipping　with　their　daggers；　and　in　two　hours　Ralph；　who　at　the　moment　happened　to　be　engaged；　announced　to　Walter　that　his　dagger　had　found　its　way　under　the　bottom　of　the　bar。　　The　groove　was　soon　made　deep　enough　for　the　bar　to　be　moved　out；　but　another　hour's　work　was　necessary；　somewhat　further　to　enlarge　the　upper　hole；　so　as　to　allow　the　bar　to　have　sufficient　play。　　Fortunately　it　was　only　inserted　about　an　inch　and　a　half　in　the　stone；　and　the　amount　to　be　cut　away　to　give　it　sufficient　play　was　therefore　not　large。　Then　at　last　all　was　ready　for　their　flight。



CHAPTER　XVII：　THE　CAPTURE　OF　CALAIS


When　the　bar　was　once　ready　for　removal　the　captives　delayed　not　a　minute；　for　although　it　was　now　so　late　that　there　was　little　chance　of　a　visit　being　paid　them；　it　was　just　possible　that　such　might　be　the　case；　and　that　it　might　occur　to　the　knight　that　it　would　be　safer　to　separate　them。

〃Now；　Ralph；　do　you　go　first；　since　I　am　lighter　and　can　climb　up　by　means　of　the　strap；　which　you　can　hold　from　above；　push　the　bar　out　and　lay　it　down　quietly　on　the　thickness　of　the　wall。　A　splash　might　attract　the　attention　of　the　sentries；　though　I　doubt　whether　it　would；　for　the　wind　is　high　and　the　rain　falling　fast。　Unbuckle　the　strap　before　you　move　the　bar；　as　otherwise　it　might　fall　and　I　should　have　difficulty　in　handing　it　to　you　again。　Now；　I　am　steady　against　the　wall。〃

Ralph　seized　the　bar　and　with　a　great　effort　pushed　the　bottom　from　him。　It　moved　through　the　groove　without　much　difficulty；　but　it　needed　a　great　wrench　to　free　the　upper　end。　However；　it　was　done；　and　laying　it　quietly　down　he　pulled　himself　up　and　thrust　himself　through　the　loophole。　　It　was　a　desperate　struggle　to　get　through；　for　it　was　only　just　wide　enough　for　his　head　to　pass；　and　he　was　so　squarely　built　that　his　body　with　difficulty　followed。　The　wall　was　four　feet　wide；　and　as　the　loophole　widened　considerably　without；　there　was；　when　he　had　once　passed　through　from　the　inside；　space　enough　for　him　to　kneel　down　and　lower　one　end　of　the　strap　to　Walter。　The　latter　speedily　climbed　up；　and　getting　through　the　slit　with　much　less　trouble　than　Ralph　had　experienced　…　for　although　in　height　and　width　of　shoulder　he　was　his　equal；　he　was　less　in　depth　than　his　follower　…　he　joined　him　in　the　opening；　Ralph　sitting　with　his　feet　in　the　water　in　order　to　make　room　for　him。

The　dungeon　was　upon　the　western　side　of　the　castle；　and　consequently　the　stream　would　be　with　them　in　making　for　shore。　It　was　pitch　dark；　but　they　knew　that　the　distance　they　would　have　to　swim　could　not　exceed　forty　or　fifty　yards。

〃Keep　along　close　by　the　wall；　Ralph；　if　we　once　get　out　in　the　stream　we　might　lose　our　way；　we　will　skirt　the　wall　until　it　ends；　then　there　is　a　cut；　for　as　you　saw　when　we　entered；　the　moat　runs　right　across　this　neck。　If　we　keep　a　bit　farther　down　and　then　land；　we　shall　be　fairly　beyond　the　outworks。〃

Ralph　slipped　down　into　the　water；　and　followed　by　Walter　swam　along　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。　They　had　already　been　deprived　of　their　armour；　but　had　luckily　contrived　to　retain　their　daggers　in　their　belts；　which　they　had　again　girdled　on　before　entering　the　water。　The　stream　hurried　them　rapidly　along；　and　they　had　only　to　keep　themselves　afloat。　They　were　soon　at　the　corner　of　the　castle。　　A　few　strokes　farther　and　they　again　felt　the　wall　which　lined　the　moat。　The　stream　still　swept　them　along；　they　felt　the　masonry　come　to　an　end；　and　bushes　and　shrubs　lined　the　bank。　They　were　beyond　the　outer　defences　of　the　castle。　　Still　a　little　farther　they　proceeded　down　the　stream　in　order　to　prevent　the　possibility　of　any　noise　they　might　make　in　scrambling　up　being　heard　by　the　sentinels　on　the　outer　postern。　Then　when　they　felt　quite　safe　they　grasped　the　bushes；　and　speedily　climbed　the　bank。　Looking　back　at　the　castle　they　saw　lights　still　burning　there。　Short　as　was　the　time　they　had　been　in　the　water　they　were　both　chilled　to　the　bone；　for　it　was　the　month　of　February；　and　the　water　was　bitterly　cold。

〃It　cannot　be　more　than　nine　o'clock　now；〃　Walter　said；　〃for　it　is　not　more　than　four　hours　since　darkness　fell。　They　are　not　likely　to　visit　the　dungeon　before　eight　or　nine　tomorrow；　so　we　can　rely　upon　twelve　hours'　start；　and　if　we　make　the　best　of　our　time　we　ought　to　be　far　on　travelling　on　a　night　like　this　through　a　strange　country。　I　would　that　the　stars　were　shining。　However；　the　direction　of　the　wind　and　rain　will　be　a　guide　to　us；　and　we　shall　soon　strike　the　road　we　traveled　yesterday；　and　can　follow　that　till　morning。〃

They　were　not　long　before　they　found　the　track；　and　then　started　at　a　brisk　pace　along　it。　All　night　they　struggled　on　through　wind　and　rain　until　the　fir