It was some time before O'Brien could find out the point exactly above the drawbridge of the first ditch; at last he did--he fixed his crow-bar in, and lowered down the rope.

"Now, Peter, I had better go first again; when I shake the rope from below, all's right." O'Brien descended, and in a few minutes the rope again shook; I followed him, and found myself received in his arms upon the meeting of the drawbridge; but the drawbridge itself was up.

O'Brien led the way across the chains, and I followed him.

When we had crossed the moat, we found a barrier gate locked; this puzzled us.

O'Brien pulled out his picklocks to pick it, but without success; here we were fast.