"Help! Murder! Help!"
And immediately, to my great joy, I heard an answering shout!
"Donner und blitzen!" cried Saumarez, "he has attracted their attention! Stop his mouth!"
Immediately I felt a handkerchief being rammed into my mouth, but from far below came the sound of hard knocking on the door of the tower, and men's voices shouting.
Saumarez rapped out a fearful oath, and gave an order to the men.
"You must carry him down below and drop him through the trap door into the vaults," he cried. "You will have plenty of time to do it if you are quick. Unbind him, sharp now!"
The two men commenced to do as he told them and very soon had the straps off me, then they carried me between them towards the door after firmly securing the gag in my mouth.
They had got about half-way down the spiral staircase with me, Saumarez following behind, and I was in an agony of mind that they would succeed in reaching the vaults with me, when I heard the door burst in below, and a cheer from several voices, followed by rapid footsteps on the steps.
"It's no good," cried Saumarez with another oath, "drop him and follow me up to the roof."
They did drop me very roughly on the stone stairs, but before they went
I heard one of the men cry out—