"
"I suppose that would be the best way," Roger said regretfully; "but I
should like to have struck two good blows; one for the sake of Dame
Armstrong, and one for Allan. However, your plan is the best. The only
difficulty will be the trapdoor."
"Well, we must look about today, and get a couple of bits of iron that
we can use as a prise. Still, I hope that it will not be needed. I saw
a bit of iron, in the stables, that I think I can bend into a hook for
the rope; and if I can't, I have no doubt that you can.
"That is all. You had better move away now. People will be stirring,
directly."
That night, at ten o'clock, when all in the hold had been asleep half
an hour, Oswald rose quietly from the rushes, on which he and a dozen
of his comrades were sleeping, and made his way noiselessly out of the
room; went into the stables and fetched the piece of iron, which he
had, during the day, placed so that he could feel it in the dark; took
the coil of rope in his hands, and ascended the steps. The top was but
some ten feet from the turret. He stood quiet, until he heard the
sentry moving away from him, then he mounted the last steps, and in a
moment reached the foot of the turret stairs.
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