Somehow, Walter hardly knew how, they made their way through their assailants and dashed in at the castle gate.

A crowd of their assailants were close upon their heels.

Walter glanced round; dashing across the courtyard he ran through some passages into an inner yard, in which, as he knew, was the well.

The bucket hung at the windlass.
"Catch hold, Ralph!" he exclaimed; "there is just a chance, and we may as well be drowned as killed." They grasped the rope and jumped off.

The bucket began to descend with frightful velocity.