sts for a few rods," explained
Sigbert. "Now, sir, give your orders. Torches and lanterns, save
Hubert's and nurse's, to be extinguished. We cannot waste them too
soon, but beware of loosing hold on them."

Walter repeated the orders thus dictated to him, and Sigbert
arranged the file. It was absolutely needful that Sigbert should go
first to lead the way. Mabel was to follow him for the sake of his
help, then her brother, next nurse, happily the only other female.
Between two stout and trustworthy men the wounded Roger came. Then
one after another the rest of the men-at-arms and servants, five-
and-twenty in number. The last of the file was Hubert, with a lamp;
the others had to move in darkness. There had been no horse of any
value in the castle, for the knight's charger had been mortally hurt
in his last expedition, and there had been no opportunity of
procuring another. A deerhound, however, pushed and scrambled to
the front, and Sigbert observed that he might be of great use in
running before them. Before entering, however, Sigbert gave the
caution that no word nor cry must be uttered aloud, hap what might,
until permission was given, for they would pass under the Saracen
camp, and there was no knowing whether the sounds would reach the
ears above ground.

A strange plunge it was into the utter darkness, crawling on hands
and knees, with the chill cavernous gloom and rock seeming to press
in upon those who slowly crept along, the dim light of Sigbert's
lamp barely showing as he slowly moved on before. One of the two in
the rear was dropped and extinguished in the dismal passage, a loss
proclaimed by a suppressed groan passing along the line, and a
louder exclamation from Walter, causing Sigbert to utter a sharp
'Hush!' enforced by a thud and tramp above, as if the rock were
coming down on them, but which probably was the trampling of horses
in the camp above.

The smoke of the lamp in front drifted back, and the air was more
and more oppressive. Mabel, with set teeth and compressed lips,
struggled on, clinging tight to the end of the cord which Sigbert
had tied to his body for her to hold by, while in like manner
Walter's hand was upon her dress. It became more and more difficult
to breathe, or crawl on, till at last, just as there was a sense
that it was unbearable, and that it would be easier to lie still and
die than be dragged an inch farther, the air became freer, the roof
seemed to be farthe