“It is for her, though you do not see how,” said a voice within.
Gradually he grew calmer, so that by a supreme effort he forced himself to tie the broken rope and again stand up. He stooped over to the left, where the branch turned, and holding on with both hands he kicked the branch till he broke the bark a little and roughened it. Then he raised himself upright and putting every ounce of strength and will into the leap, he cleared the space and landed in a crenellation. He fell and hurt himself considerably, but what did that matter?
Untying the rope from himself, he slipped it from the tree and cautiously made his way round the parapet. He had to climb three gables and there were other difficulties, but at last he was over Wilfred’s window. He slipped the rope round a merlon[19] and climbed down and knocked at the window.
[19] The merlons are the projecting upright portions of a battlement.
The boy, who was sleeping a light nervous sleep, woke at once and luckily had the good sense to make no noise. Clearly any one at the window was a friend; enemies came to the door.
He rose and went to the window and opened it. “Gramercy, Master Mitchell, is that you?”
“Hush, yes,” said Ian, and stepped into the room. He pulled down the rope by one end and, before doing anything else, properly spliced the broken piece lest it should catch.
They then set the bed a trifle nearer to the window and looped the rope round the bed post.
“Can you swim, Willie?” said Ian.
“No, Master.”