"Catch hold, Ralph!" he exclaimed; "there is just a chance, and we may as well be drowned as killed." They grasped the rope and jumped off. The bucket began to descend with frightful velocity. Faster and faster it went and yet it seemed a long time before they plunged into the water, which was nigh a hundred feet below the surface. Fortunately the rope was considerably longer than was necessary, and they sank many feet into the water, still retaining their hold. Then clinging to the rope they hauled themselves to the surface. "We cannot hold on here five minutes," Ralph exclaimed; "my armor is dragging me down." "We will soon get rid of that," Walter said. "There go our helmets; now I will hold on with one hand and help you to unbuckle your breast and back pieces; you do the same for me." With great efforts they managed to rid themselves of their armor, and then held on with ease to the rope. They hauled the bucket to the surface and tied a knot in the slack of the rope, so that the bucket hung four feet below the level of the water. Putting their feet in this, they were able to stand with their heads above the surface without difficulty. "This is a nice fix," Ralph exclaimed. "I think it would have been just as well to have been killed at once. They are sure to find us here, and if they don't we shall die of cold before to-morrow morning." "I don't think they will find us," Walter said cheerfully. "When they have searched the castle thoroughly it may occur to some of them that we have jumped down the well, but it will be no particular business of any one to look for us, and they will all be too anxious to get at the wine butts to trouble their heads about the matter; besides, it must be a heavy job to wind up this bucket, and it is not likely there will be such urgent need of water that any one will undertake the task." "But we are no better off if they don't," Ralph remarked, "for we must die here if we are not hauled out. I suppose you don't intend to try and climb that rope. I might do twenty feet or so on a pinch, but I could no more get up to the top there than I could fly." "We must think it over," Walter rejoined; "where there is a will there's a way, you know. We will take it by turns to watch that little patch of light overhead; if we see any one looking down we must leave the bucket and swim to the side without making the least noise. They may give a few turns of the windlass to see if any one has hold of the rope below; be sure you do not make the slightest splashing or noise, for the sound would be heard above to a certainty." Ten minutes later they saw two heads appear above, and instantly withdrew their feet from the bucket and made a stroke to the side, which was but four feet distant, being careful as they did so that no motion was imparted to the rope. Then, though it was too dark to see anything, they heard the bucket lifted from the water. A minute later it fell back again with a splash, then all was quiet.