could be seen.

To make sure of its not descending by any accident of the chains giving,
three massive pieces of squared oak had been thrust through as many of
the openings at the bottom, so that the portcullis rested upon them as
these crossed the long narrow slit through which it descended, and a
little examination showed that if the chains were tightened by turning
the two capstans by means of the bars, and the chains drawn a little
over the great wheels fixed in the ceiling, it would be easy enough to
withdraw the three supports and let the grating down.

"Chains look terribly rusty," said Roy. "Think they'll bear it, Ben?"

"They're rusty, sir, and a good deal eaten away; but they used to put
good work into these sort o' things, because if they hadn't, they'd have
come down and killed some one. Shall we try?"

"Yes; no one can be hurt if a watch is kept below. Go down, one of you,
and see that no one passes under."

One of the men ran down, the old capstan-bars were taken from the
corners, and two men on each side inserted them into the holes, and
waited for the order to tighten the chains round the rollers.

"Ready? All together!" cried Roy; and the men pulled the bars towards
them with a will, the chains tightened, the pulleys creaked and groaned,
and the grating rose an inch or two, sufficient for the pieces of oak
crossing the narrow slit to have been drawn out, when _crack_--_crack_--
two of the bars the men handled snapped short off, and their holders
fell, while the portcullis sank back to its old place with a heavy jar.

"Hundred years, perhaps, since they've been used," said Roy. "Any one
hurt?"

"No, sir," said the men, laughing in spite of a bruise or two; and the
bars being examined, it was found that the tough oak of which they were
composed was completely honeycombed by worms, and powdered away to dust.

"First job, then, sir, to make new bars," said Ben, promptly.

"Yes; we'll have the carpenters in from the village directly, Ben. With
these pulleys well greased, I suppose this will work."

"Ay, sir, no doubt about that; it's the drawbridge I'm afraid of," said
Ben.

"Let's go up and see, then."

Roy led the way again, and the men followed into the dark chamber above,
where the old furnace stood, and in the corners on either side of the
narrow window, with its hollowed-out notches for firing or using
cross-bows from, were two great round chimney-like constructions built
in the st