It was all plain enough. Purlrose must have gained the information that the mine people were away, and that Sir Edward would be almost without defenders, and, out of revenge for the previous night's attack, have seized the opportunity for a reprisal. "Why, Dummy," he whispered, with his lips close to the other's ear, "if they take the castle, they'll keep it, and turn us out." "Yes, and grab the mine," said the boy hoarsely. "Well, we mustn't let 'em." _Bang_, _bang_, came the reports of a couple of arquebuses from one of the windows, but no harm was done, and the men answered with a derisive cheer and continued their battering of the door, which still resisted their efforts. Another shot was fired, but still without effect, and Mark ground his teeth together as he felt the impotency of his father's efforts now that the enemy had stolen in beyond the gates that would have been admirable for defence. "Well, aren't you going to do something, Master Mark?" "What can I do, Dummy?" cried the lad, in despair. "We might shut these gates, and defend them." "Yes, so we could; but what's the good?" Just then there was a quick flash and a sharp roar close to the doorway, and in the bright light the lads saw the men drop the beam and run back; but no one was hurt, and in answer to a roar of orders from their leader, the enemy seized the beam again and began to drive it against the centre of the great door. "Running away from that," roared Purlrose; "handful of powder rolled up in a bag and thrown at you! Down with it! they've got no more." "Yes, they have," whispered Dummy, excitedly. "Here, Master Mark, quick!" Mark grasped the idea, without explanation, and ran back with his companion, leaving the shouting, cursing, and firing behind, to descend with him to the mouth of the mine, and then downward to the big stone shed, where Dummy tore open the great oaken closet, and drew out a bag of the coarse blasting-powder used in the mine. "Feel in that box, Master Mark; that's it. You know. The fuse cord." Mark had a roll of loose twisted hemp soaked in saltpetre and powder out of the box directly, and armed with a powder-bag each, they hurried trembling back, to reach the gateway, peer round the corner, and see that the attack was going on as fiercely as ever, while the defence was very weak, and they knew that before long the door must yield. In fact, amidst a burst of cheers, a hole had been already driven through, to be made use of by the defenders for sending thrusts out with their pikes. "Up with you," whispered Mark, and the two lads hurried up a little winding staircase on to the top of the inner gate-tower, from whence they could go along one side of the little yard, hidden by the crenellated battlement, till they were about five-and-twenty feet from where the men were carrying on their attack.