Be as smart as you can.
The master'll give us something decent for a job like this." The man addressed called the dogs to him, and was unwillingly obeyed, but a few stones thrown by the rest overcame the animals' objections, and they trotted off, leaving the prisoner relapsed into a sulky silence; his captors chatted pleasantly together about his fate, banteringly telling him that for certain he would be hung over the castle wall.
Ralph paid no heed to what was said, and after a time the men grew tired of their banter, and began to wonder among themselves whether their companion would say anything to those whom he might meet.
"He'll like enough be doing it," said the leader.

"I tilled him to fetch a rope, and if he does anything else, he'll hear of it from me.
What we wants is to take our prisoner up proper to the master, and get our reward." Then they began muttering in a low voice among themselves, taking care that their prisoner should not hear, as he lay upon his back, staring straight up at the blue sky, and thinking of how soon it had come upon him to be suffering Mark Eden's reverse.
At last a hail came from below, and the man panted breathlessly up to them, throwing down a coil of thin rope, with which, after turning him over upon his face, the men, in spite of his struggles, tightly and cruelly tied their prisoner's arms behind him, and then his ankles and knees.

They were about to lift him up, when there was a sharp barking heard again.
"Here, you, Tom," cried the leader, who had been most savage in dragging the knots as tightly as possible, "I told you to take those dogs back." "Well, so I did.

I didn't bring 'em." "They've come all the same," cried the other.

"Well, it don't matter now.