Oswald bent the man's legs and, trussing him up, fastened the rope from
the ankles to that which bound the wrists. Roger now relaxed his grip
of the man's throat, thrust a piece of wood between his teeth, and
fastened it, by a string going round the back of the head. He then took
off his steel cap, and laid it some distance away.
"That will do for him, master. I reckon that he will be an hour or two,
before he will get breath enough to holloa, even without that gag."
The other man was captured as silently as the former had been. When he
was bound, Roger said:
"Now for the hook, master."
"Here is the iron. It was too strong for me to bend."
Roger took it and, exerting his great strength, bent it across his
knee. Then he took the coil of rope, and tied a knot at the end, and
with some smaller cord lashed it securely along the whole length of the
hook.
"Now, Master, do you get on to my shoulders, and I think you will be
able to hook it to the battlements. It is not above twelve feet. If you
find that you cannot, step on my head."
"I am sure I can reach it without that, Roger."
And indeed, he found that he could do so easily; and having fixed it
firmly, he got hold of the rope, and hoisted himself to the top of the
turret.
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