He advanced carefully, feeling his way as he went.

At length he was stopped by a door--a small door, studded with iron.

But the wood was in places so much decayed that some of the bolts had dropped out, and he felt sure of being able to open it.

He returned, therefore, to fetch Lina and his mattock.
Arrived at the cleft, his strong miner arms bore him swiftly up along the rope and through the hole into the dungeon.

There he undid the rope from his mattock, and making Lina take the end of it in her teeth, and get through the hole, he lowered her--it was all he could do, she was so heavy.