The Cubs looked around them in despair. They hadn’t got a rope. Then Nipper caught sight of the chain by which the punt had been moored to the bank. This the Cubs let down through the grating, and then hung on to it for dear life. Soon Danny’s face appeared at the window. It filled them with horror, for he looked years older and as pale as a ghost, with grey shadows under his eyes.
“Oh, how ripping to see you kids!” he said. “You don’t know all I’ve suffered in that damp hole, with the rats, and no food.”
The bars were thin and rusty, but Danny could not manage to break them. Punting themselves back to the other side of the moat, the Cubs collected two enormous stones, and then punted back.
Danny slipped to the ground again, and by dint of a few tremendous blows with the stones, the Cubs smashed in the bars. Letting down the chain, they then hauled Danny up once more. Crawling through the tiny window he stepped into the punt.
“Quick—she’s sinking!” he said, and got her back to the bank only just in time.
“Now,” said Danny, “for home, and then to rescue Mariette!”
Crawling through the narrow window, Danny stepped into the punt.
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