er my time of relief."

Then Philip heard his footsteps descending the stairs, while the
man who had relieved him walked briskly up and down in front of the
door. In a minute or two he stopped, then Philip turned with a
start from the window at which he was standing, as he heard through
the keyhole a loud whisper:

"Monsieur Philip, are you asleep? It is I!"

"Why, Pierre!" he exclaimed, running to the door and putting his
mouth to the keyhole; "how did you come here?"

"I will tell you that later, master. The thing is now to get you
out. The bolts here are easy enough to draw, but this lock puzzles
me. I have brought up two thin saws and an auger, and thought to
cut round it; but there is a plate of iron outside."

"And there is one inside too, Pierre. How about the hinges,
Pierre?"

"There is no doing anything with them, master. The ironwork goes
right across the door. There is nothing for it, but to cut right
round the iron plate."

"That won't take very long, if the saws are good, Pierre."

Philip heard a rasping sound and, in a short time, the auger passed
through the woodwork. Two other holes adjoining the first were soon
made, and then the end of a saw was pushed through.

"If you can make a hole large enough at the bottom of the plate,
Pierre, and pass me the other saw through, I can work that way to
meet you."

"It would take too long to make, sir. I have plenty of oil, and it
won't take me long to saw round the plate. I only brought the
second saw in case the first should break. But this oak is pretty
nearly as hard as iron."

It took over an hour's work before the cut was complete. When it
was nearly finished, Pierre said:

"Be ready to seize the piece that is cut out, as soon as I am
through with it, master; otherwise it may fall down, as the door
opens, and make a clatter that will be heard all over the castle."

As the last piece was sawn through Philip pressed the door and, as
it opened, seized the portion cut out, drew it backward, and laid
it gently on the stone floor. Then he rose, and grasped Pierre's
hand.

"My brave Pierre, you have accomplished what I thought was an
impossibility. Now, what is the next thing to be done?"

"The next thing is to unwind this rope from my body. It is lucky I
am so lean that it did not make me look bulky. It is not very
thick, but it is new and strong, and there are knots every two
feet. Roger is waiting for us below, in a boat."

"Where is Jacque