I keep my doublet buttoned well up and over. You
begin at one end and I will start at the other corner, so that, if we
are pressed for time, we can break the threads off and join yours and
mine together, and have twice the length we should get otherwise."

Roger stripped his jerkin off, replaced his doublet, and both set to
work. By this time the daylight had nearly gone, but, as fortune would
have it, a full moon rode high in the sky, and one shaft of light
filtered in through the barred window. The court below, however, was in
darkness, as the walls were so high that the moonbeams never struck
lower than about half-way down them. In this small patch of light,
then, the two lads worked for their lives.

When they began their task they considered that about three hours would
suffice to complete the work. As time passed, however, it seemed to
them as though their fingers were made of lead, so slow did they appear
to move, to the lads' excited imagination. Yard by yard the silk became
unravelled, and was rolled carefully round Roger's finger, so that, when
the time came, there might be no hitch in paying it out.

Every yard that they unravelled seemed to take them an hour in the
process, and so occupied were they that it was some few moments before
they became aware that at least two small pebbles had been thrown
through the window, and then they only noticed it because one of the
stones happened to fall directly upon the remnant of the garment upon
which they were employed.

"Roger, Roger, there he is," whispered Harry in great excitement.
"Quick, quick! unwind that silk from your finger, and--Where can we find
anything to tie on the end for a weight?" he added.

Roger unwound the silk as fast as he knew how, and Harry desperately
searched every nook and cranny of the cell for something to secure to
the end.

"I have it," said Roger in a low tone, as he finished unwinding the silk
and coiled it carefully on the stone table, so that it might run free
without being entangled. "I have it. We will secure your knife to the
end, Harry; it will bear that weight, I should say, and we can haul it
up again when the stouter line is attached."

"Very well," answered Harry, producing the article in question, which
was soon tied firmly to the end of the unravelled silk.

The two stools were then dragged to the window, and on these Roger
mounted, whilst Harry handed up the knife with the silk tied to it.

"God grant