The dense smoke eddied and circled round the court, and the Danes were gone, leaving us in a ring of fire on three sides.

The wooden buildings were blazing higher every moment, and the heat seemed to scorch my head and hands till I could scarcely bear it.

But as the wind drove aside the smoke I could see that the way to the rear gate, the last we had barred, was clear.
So I slid down and hung opposite the chamber.

The monks looked out at me with white faces.
"It may be done," I said.

"Come quickly! it is the only chance." The prior gave me the rope-ladder end without a word, not needing to be asked for it; nor did I wait to say more, for at that moment a roof fell in with a great crash, and a red glare filled the well as the flames shot up, and the sparks and bits of burning timber came down the shaft and hissed into the water below me.
I clomb up, fixed the ladder, and called down to the prior to bring my arms with him.