s
hard as an English brick. The spearhead was of the small sort, and
really little better than a large arrowhead; fortunately it was almost
new, and well sharpened. Nick began working at the floor level, and
the first part of the process was to work the three feet odd along the
base of the wall and back into it until only a thin shell was left on
the outer side. The work could only progress slowly, for there must be
little sound of scraping or ringing of iron on the stone-like clay, and
all dust from the working must be dispersed about the floor. Two
watched at the window all the time. Interruptions were many and
sometimes lengthy, and after three hours of broken labour the workers
had only got some two inches back into the wall along the floor line.
But noon and the death-like stillness of "siesta" gave them a better
opportunity. A shaft that had been procured some days previously was
fished out from its hiding-place, and fitted to the spearhead. Working
in short shifts, by the space of an hour the floor line was worked
through so that daylight was visible in one or two places, and the
upright line in the angle of the wall was worked full depth back to a
height of half a foot. In the late afternoon, after the visit of the
jailer, a groove sufficiently deep to guide them in the darkness was
made all round. The work was to be finished when castle and town sank
to silence after nightfall.

The oppressive heat of the past weeks was broken just after sunset by a
terrific thunderstorm, and the fury of the elemental outburst covered
all noises and allowed the toilers to work without any precaution.
But, alas! their very haste was their undoing. The head, blunted and
worn, broke off short in the depth of the wall. Attempts to extricate
it in the darkness only wedged it in more tightly. With a groan of
despair, the wearied men gave up their task, and sought slumber.

The first gleams of stormy daylight found some of them awake,
feverishly at work stuffing the tell-tale grooves with dust moistened
by the last drains of the water in their pitcher. As yet the great
block was quite immovable, and another implement must be obtained to
complete the task. The flood waters from the courtyard had trickled in
through the apertures made near the floor, and under-garments were
taken off, and the betraying waters swabbed up. Some of the little
band huddled in the corner when the jailer came in with breakfast, and
he went ou