It was a desperate struggle to get through, for it was only just wide enough for his head to pass, and he was so squarely built that his body with difficulty followed.

The wall was four feet wide, and as the loophole widened considerably without, there was, when he had once passed through from the inside, space enough for him to kneel down and lower one end of the strap to Walter.

The latter speedily climbed up, and getting through the slit with much less trouble than Ralph had experienced--for although in height and width of shoulder he was his equal, he was less in depth than his follower--he joined him in the opening; Ralph sitting with his feet in the water in order to make room for him.
The dungeon was upon the western side of the castle, and consequently the stream would be with them in making for shore.

It was pitch dark, but they knew that the distance they would have to swim could not exceed forty or fifty yards.
"Keep along close by the wall, Ralph, if we once get out in the stream we might lose our way; we will skirt the wall until it ends, then there is a cut, for as you saw when we entered, the moat runs right across this neck.

If we keep a bit farther down and then land, we shall be fairly beyond the outworks." Ralph slipped down into the water, and followed by Walter swam along at the foot of the wall.