The manufacture of this rope took them some hours, during which time they expected every minute that the enemy would attempt to force the entrance with a great log of wood or bar iron; fortunately, however, little dreaming that there was the most remote possibility of escape for the boys, the enemy had resolved to starve them into a surrender. It was near dusk when they had completed their labor. Nothing could be better, for if they could escape now they would reach the town before the closing of the gates; therefore, resolving upon the attempt, they pulled aside one of the boards and listened again. Fortune was in their favor, for, by the conversation that was going on among the men, they heard, that, tired of waiting, the soldier was gone in search of some heavy instrument that would force an entrance. Then Nicholas longed for a couple of big bamboos, that they might fight their way through them; not, however, being able to command the use of such weapons, they determined to make use of the rope the minute the men returned. Having arrived at this determination, Nicholas reascended the roof and watched until he saw the soldier coming toward the pagoda, carrying a huge block of wood, when throwing the rope around the centre column or spire, so that they could pull it after them, leaving no trace of their means of escape, he signaled to Chow to follow. He swung on to the rope, keeping both ends in his hands, and lowered himself on to the projecting canopy or fringe of the second story, and by a swing of the body reached the terrace, where he waited for Chow, whose legs he guided in his descent, after which they pulled down the rope, and by performing the same feat at each story, reached the ground at the portion of the building opposite to the door, and as he had calculated, where there were no openings by which they could be seen from within. Once upon the ground, Chow gave a caper of joy, and proposed to scamper off immediately. Nicholas, however, having effected the escape, like a wise general, wished to protect his retreat from pursuit. To do this, they entered the lower apartment of the pagoda, which, as they had expected, they found empty; then ascending the next story, they could see the enemy above them in consultation. It was the story with the loose ladder. So removing their only means of descent, they carried it with them some distance from the pagoda, and hastened toward the town, heartily rejoicing at the success of their scheme, and laughing merrily at the plight of their pursuers, who, when found in the pagoda, would be punished as thieves, or if they dared to explain the cause of their presence in the pagoda, would be severely bambooed for not informing the nearest mandarin of the escape of such an important prisoner as the runaway Christian.