Presently they came to a flight of steps.
"We must now be near the castle," Cnut said.

"In fact, methinks I can hear confused noises ahead." Mounting the steps, they came to a third door; this was thickly studded with iron, and appeared of very great strength.

Fortunately the lock was upon their side, and they were enabled to shoot the bolt; but upon the other side the door was firmly secured by large bolts, and it was fully five minutes before the foresters could succeed in opening it.

It was not without a good deal of noise that they at last did so; and several times they paused, fearing that the alarm must have been given in the castle.

As, however, the door remained closed, they supposed that the occupants were fully engaged in defending themselves from the attacks of the earl's party.
When the door gave way they found hanging across in front of them a very thick arras, and pressing this aside they entered a small room in the thickness of the wall of the keep.