ered
the passage.

Cuthbert had had some misgivings as to his mother's injunctions to take
no part in the fray, and it cannot be said that in accompanying the
foresters he obeyed the letter of her instructions. At the same time as
he felt sure that the effect of a surprise would be complete and
crushing, and that the party would gain the top of the keep without any
serious resistance, he considered the risk was so small as to justify
him in accompanying the foresters.

The passage was some five feet high, and little more than two feet wide.
It was dry and dusty, and save the marks on the ground of a human foot
going and returning, doubtless that of the man who had oiled the lock
the day before, the passage appeared to have been unused from the time
that it left the hands of its builders.

Passing along for some distance they came to another strong oaken door.
This, like the last, yielded to the efforts of the crowbars of the
foresters, and they again advanced. Presently they came to a flight of
steps.

"We must now be near the castle," Cnut said. "In fact, methinks I can
hear confused noises ahead."

Mounting the steps, they came to a third door; this was thickly studded
with iron, and appeared of very great strength. Fortunately the lock was
upon their side, and they were enabled to shoot the bolt; but upon the
other side the door was firmly secured by large bolts, and it was fully
five minutes before the foresters could succeed in opening it. It was
not without a good deal of noise that they at last did so; and several
times they paused, fearing that the alarm must have been given in the
castle. As, however, the door remained closed, they supposed that the
occupants were fully engaged in defending themselves from the attacks of
the earl's party.

When the door gave way they found hanging across in front of them a very
thick arras, and pressing this aside they entered a small room in the
thickness of the wall of the keep. It contained the merest slit for
light, and was clearly unused. Another door, this time unfastened, led
into a larger apartment, which was also at present unoccupied. They
could hear now the shouts of the combatants without, the loud orders
given by the leaders on the walls, the crack, as the stones hurled by
the mangonels struck the walls, and the ring of steel as the arrows
struck against steel cap and cuirass.

"It is fortunate that all were so well engaged, or they would certainly
have h