Part 53 (1/2)
The progress Jack and his companions made was very small, and it was evident that unless they could work faster they would be unable to reht Rayner and Oliver searched round the rooht serve the purpose of a chisel
They examined the bedsteads--they were formed entirely of wood There was, of course, no fireplace, or a poker ht have assisted theht the sounds of a fe notes from a violin, played almost directly beneath the to us last evening,” exclaiain silent Rayner and Oliver tried to look through the bars, but could see nothing; all was still Again the notes were heard Jack whistled a few bars of the same air A voice from below, in a suppressed tone asked in French, ”Have you a thin line? Let it down”
”It is Le Duc He has got so for us Maybe just ant,”
cried Jack
”Oui, oui,” he answered ”It will quickly be ready”
The ticking of one of the mattresses was quickly cut up and formed into a line, which was lowered Rayner, who held it, felt a gentle tug, and as he hauled it up, as the delight of the party to find two strong files! There could be no doubt that Le Duc had for, or he would not have come thus furnished
Probably they had to thank Mada it They did not stop, however, to discuss the matter, but set to work i as little noise as possible While two of them were thus ehed and sang, so as to drown the sound of the files Presently they heard fro the loud tones of a fiddle, the player evidently keeping his bow going at a rapid rate Then ca of feet, as if people were dancing
”Why, our guards will be kept awake and we shall have no chance of getting off, I fear,” said Oliver
”If our guards dance they will drink, and sleep afterwards, never fear,”
answered Rayner ”Our friend Le Duc knohat he is about I'm sure that we can trust hi us these files”
The fiddle was kept going, and Brown and Jack kept ti heartily as they did so
”Hurrah!” cried Jack, ”there's one bar through Take a spell here, Tom
You've helped the armourer soer to get out as the rest, worked away better than he did on ain took the file, and in a short tih at the bottom They had next to file the upper bars sufficiently to enable Brown to bend the patience, however, he at last seized one of theainst the , he bent back with all his strength He wasway, down he fell on the floor with a treuards below, had not their attention been drawn off by the fiddle of Le Duc, as scraping aith more vehemence than ever
Rayner and Oliver had in thethe rope by which they hoped to descend to the ground They could th by the small line hich the files had been drawn up, and they had the satisfaction of finding that it was ah for their purpose They now secured it to one of the rereed that it would be wise to descend while the fiddle was going
”Let o first,” said Brown ”I am the heaviest, and if it bearsHishier was to be encountered
Rayner himself had intended to descend first, but the rest of the party begged hio, and at last Oliver led the way
Judging by the still louder scraping of Le Duc's fiddle, he must have suspected what they were about Oliver could hear the notes co All, however, below hie, as he looked dohether he was to alight on hard or soft ground, whether into a ditch or stream, or whether they should have a fence to clio loose in every country house ht discover him and his companions before they could effect their escape
All this passed through hishi with ar with security He soon reached the bottoround appeared to be fire, perfectly level The tower threw a dark shadow, in which he stood listening for any sounds which reed, even should one or two of the gendar theround, he pulled out his handkerchief, ready for the latter object Presently another came down
It was Brown, the best th was equal to any two of the rest No eneth Rayner, who came last, reached the bottom in safety
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
TRAVELLING UNDER DIFFICULTIES
They waited and waited Le Duc kept fiddling aith as much vehemence as at first But they could not ascertain whether their guards were still dancing--the scraping of the fiddle-strings drowning all other sounds