said Anthea.

"But they can't get into the castle even if they do swim over," said
Robert. And as he spoke he heard feet on the stair outside--heavy feet
and the clang of steel. No one breathed for a moment. The steel and the
feet went on up the turret stairs. Then Robert sprang softly to the
door. He pulled off his shoes.

"Wait here," he whispered, and stole quickly and softly after the boots
and the spur-clank. He peeped into the upper room. The man was
there--and it was Jakin, all dripping with moat-water, and he was
fiddling about with the machinery which Robert felt sure worked the
drawbridge. Robert banged the door suddenly, and turned the great key in
the lock, just as Jakin sprang to the inside of the door. Then he tore
downstairs and into the little turret at the foot of the tower where the
biggest window was.

"We ought to have defended _this_!" he cried to the others as they
followed him. He was just in time. Another man had swum over, and his
fingers were on the window-ledge. Robert never knew how the man had
managed to climb up out of the water. But he saw the clinging fingers,
and hit them as hard as he could with an iron bar that he caught up from
the floor. The man fell with a splash into the moat-water. In another
moment Robert was outside the little room, had banged its door and was
shooting home the enormous bolts, and calling to Cyril to lend a hand.

[Illustration: The man fell with a splash into the moat-water]

Then they stood in the arched gate-house, breathing hard and looking at
each other.

Jane's mouth was open.

"Cheer up, Jenny," said Robert,--"it won't last much longer."

There was a creaking above, and something rattled and shook. The
pavement they stood on seemed to tremble. Then a crash told them that
the drawbridge had been lowered to its place.

"That's that beast Jakin," said Robert. "There's still the portcullis;
I'm almost certain that's worked from lower down."

And now the drawbridge rang and echoed hollowly to the hoofs of horses
and the tramp of armed men.

"Up--quick!" cried Robert,--"let's drop things on them."

Even the girls were feeling almost brave now. They followed Robert
quickly, and under his directions began to drop stones out through the
long narrow windows. There was a confused noise below, and some groans.

"Oh dear!" said Anthea, putting down the stone she was just going to
drop out, "I'm afraid we've hurt somebody!"

Robert caught up the stone