She flung herself face downwards on the edge, and dropped her braid sash straight between the groping hands. "Catch hold!" The hands fumbled blindly, and then gripped. There was a fierce tug on the impromptu rope. Joey dug her toes into the floor, in the effort to escape being pulled in. "That's right, hold on, and get to the ladder," she shouted. "Make haste." She looked at the side where the ladder had been; it was gone! And the water below was still a good long way below the level of the floor, and the trickle washing in would not raise it till too late for Gabrielle and Noreen. Joey looked round desperately for something to which she could secure one end of her sash. At all costs she must hurry to the help of the other two. But there was nothing at all, nothing except the ladder on the farther side of the tower, fixed to the wall; and to reach that would require a sash of treble the length. No, there was only one thing to be done, unless she meant to abandon the young man to his fate--and one couldn't let an enemy drown when one was a soldier's daughter. "It's all right. I'll pull you up; but please keep quiet and don't jerk, or you'll drag me in," she called down, trying to speak confidently. "Don't start to come up till I say 'Now'!" she added hastily, as a frantic jerk to the rope all but had her through the trap. She slithered back over the floor to the farthest extent her sash would give her, and got behind the stone that she had moved with so much difficulty. Then she looped the end of her sash, got a desperate grip, took a long breath, and shrieked "Now!" It was a frightful tug. Her straining body pushed the heavy stone with it nearer and nearer to the edge. Her hands seemed as though they were being wrenched away from her wrists, and her arms from her shoulders. The toes and her knees scraped the stone of the floor as she dug them in fiercely to gain hold, and she was dragged forward all the time. It never occurred to her to let go, but she knew vaguely that it was only a question of seconds before she went through the trap for all her efforts. And then a hand caught the edge of the trap, and the strain slackened suddenly. Joey fell backwards, and lay there panting and speechless for a second, while the young man exhaustedly dragged himself up to safety. But she only lay for one moment; then struggled up and to the door. Her heart was thumping with hammer strokes; she felt sure that she would not see her friends. It seemed such years that she had been wrestling with the trap-door, and trying to grip on to that slippery sash. But they were there; clinging tightly--Noreen with her arm round Gabrielle, both with their heads turned anxiously to the door. Noreen spoke quite cheerfully, though with chattering teeth. "I say, buck up with that sash, you juggins!" she grinned. "We're getting wet."