while with two up-cuts of my right I sent his lies down his throat in
company, as I deem, with certain of his teeth.

He dropped his halberd against the wooden fence of the bridge, and felt
for his dagger. I caught at his right hand with mine; cries were in my
ears--St. Denis for France! St. Andrew for Scotland!--as the other men
on guard came running forth to see the sport.

We gripped and swayed for a moment, then the staff of his fauchard coming
between his legs, he tripped and fell, I above him; our weight soused
against the low pales of the bridge side, that were crazy and old; there
was a crash, and I felt myself in mid-air, failing to the moat far below
us. Down and down I whirled, and then the deep water closed over me.

CHAPTER VI--HOW NORMAN LESLIE ESCAPED OUT OF CHINON CASTLE

Down and down I sank, the water surging up into my nostrils and sounding
in my ears; but, being in water, I was safe if it were but deep enough.
Presently I struck out, and, with a stroke or two, came to the surface.
But no sooner did my head show above, and I draw a deep breath or twain,
looking for my enemy, than an arbalest bolt cleft the water with a
clipping sound, missing me but narrowly. I had but time to see that
there was a tumult on the bridge, and swords out (the Scots, as I
afterwards heard, knocking up the arbalests that the French soldiers
levelled at me). Then I dived again, and swam under water, making
towards the right and the castle rock, which ran sheer down to the moat.
This course I chose because I had often noted, from the drawbridge, a
jutting buttress of rock, behind which, at least, I should be out of
arrow-shot. My craft was to give myself all the semblance of a drowning
man, throwing up my arms, when I rose to see whereabout I was and to take
breath, as men toss their limbs who cannot swim. On the second time of
rising thus, I saw myself close to the jut of rock. My next dive took me
behind it, and I let down my feet, close under the side of this natural
buttress, to look around, being myself now concealed from the sight of
those who were on the bridge.

To my surprise I touched bottom, for I had deemed that the water was very
deep thereby. Next I found that I was standing on a step of hewn stone,
and that a concealed staircase, cut in the rock, goes down, in that
place, to the very bottom of the moat; for what purpose I know not, but
so it is. {11} I climbed up the steps, shook myself,