the furnace-chamber, where two men seized each chain,
and the ponderous structure slowly rose as the huge weights descended
the stone-work tubes in which they hung, the difficulty of hoisting the
bridge proving to be much lighter than at the former trial.

"Come, sir, that's safe. You won't set sentries to-night?"

"No, of course not," said Roy; "that will be unnecessary till there is
news of some enemy being near."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE COMING OF RECRUITS.

The next morning the carpenter was there with the capstan bars soon
after the bridge was lowered; and upon these being tried, after the
capstans and pulleys had been well greased, the portcullis was lowered
and raised several times with the greatest facility, each time becoming
more easy to move, while old Ben's eyes glistened, and he worked as if
all these preparations for the defence of the place, with the possible
shedding of blood and loss of life, had suddenly added a delightful zest
to his existence.

But he was not alone in this, for Roy found a strange exhilaration in
his new position. There was something so novel in everything, and try
how he would, it was hard to keep down a feeling of vanity, especially
when he came upon his mother busily preparing a scarf for him to wear.

"For me?" he said. "Oh, mother! it's too fine."

"Not at all," she said, quietly. "Your men will like to see their
leader look striking."

"Ah, well," he replied, "I can't wear it while there is so much dirty
work to do."

"That will be done by the men. Roy, my boy, you must rise to your
position, and give orders more for things to be done."

"That's what old Ben says, and I am trying; but it's hard work while
everything is so new, and--"

"And what?"

"It seems as if Master--Oh, no; it's too paltry to be talked about."

"Tell me what it is, and I will be the judge."

"Well, you know how poor Master Pawson was upset with the firing?"

"Yes; and he ought to be very grateful to you for saving his life. Has
he not thanked you?"

"No; unless looking sneeringly at everything I do is thanking me. That
makes it seem so hard to put on a showy thing like that. He'll only
laugh at it."

"Master Pawson is not behaving well," said Lady Royland, coldly. "He
actually had the impertinence to speak to me last night about the
preparations, and objected to the men being taken from their work."

"Said it was absurd?"

"Yes; those were his words, Roy, and I was com