other apertures which time had made in the walls, were
too high up to be reached. It was evident that the building had lately
been put into a state of defence, and that all openings by which an
enemy could enter had been barricaded. This confirmed them in the
belief that the ranee was imprisoned within, and that only by the plan
they proposed could her liberation be effected.

As some time would be occupied in making the pegs as proposed by Dick,
considering they had only their knives for cutting them, they had to
defer the execution of their plan till the next night. They therefore
stole back into the forest, in the far recesses of which they formed
their camp. As, however, it was possible that the garrison might leave
their fortress and carry the ranee with them, just before daylight,
Sambro, who undertook to keep watch, stole back to the border of the
wood,--where, concealed among the thick trees, he had a perfect view of
the building, and could see if anybody went in or came out of it.

As they calculated that the tower was sixty feet in height, it was
considered that thirty pegs, at least, would be required to reach the
top. As soon as it was daylight they searched about for some hard wood,
which, on being found, they set to work diligently to form into pegs.
Its hardness made the operation a slow one, and they had to use great
care for fear of turning the edges of their tools. Buxsoo was totally
unaccustomed to the sort of work. Dick, indeed, had cut three pegs
before either of the rest of the party had completed one. Reginald
constantly looked out in the direction Sambro had taken, in the
expectation of seeing him return with some tidings or other from the
fort. But the day wore on and he did not appear. As he had taken
provisions with him, they knew that he could remain at his post without
any necessity for coming back for food, and they concluded, therefore,
that nothing had occurred worth communicating.

Eager to carry their plan into execution, Reginald proposed returning to
the tower without further delay, when a rustle was heard in the bushes,
and Sambro crept up to the camp. He had seen, he said, several lights
streaming from the upper part of the building, which made him suppose
that there must be a good many people within. Still, as they could have
no suspicion of the attempt about to be made, they would probably not
interfere with their proceedings, and he thought that they might at all
e