“Like going through the grave to life,” she murmured to her nurse.
And when the scanty garrison was gathered together, as many as possible provided with brands that might serve as torches, and Sigbert led them, lower and lower, down rugged steps hewn in the rock, through vaults where only a gleam came from above, and then through deeper cavernous places, intensely dark, there was a shudder perceptible by the clank and rattle of the armour which each had donned. In the midst, Walter paused and exclaimed—
“Our banner! How leave it to the Paynim dogs?”
“It’s here, sir,” said Sigbert, showing a bundle on his back.
“Warning to the foe to break in and seek us,” grumbled Gilbert.
“Not so,” replied Sigbert. “I borrowed an old wrapper of nurse’s that will cheat their eyes till we shall be far beyond their ken.”
In the last dungeon a black opening lay before them, just seen by the light of the lamp Sigbert carried, but so low that there was no entrance save on hands and knees.
“That den!” exclaimed Walter. “’Tis a rat-hole. Never can we go that way.”
“I have tried it, sir,” quoth Sigbert. “Where I can go, you can go. Your sister quails not.”
“It is fearful,” said Mabel, unable to repress a shiver; “but, Walter, think what is before us if we stay here! The Saints will guard us.”
“The worst and lowest part only lasts for a few rods,” explained Sigbert. “Now, sir, give your orders. Torches and lanterns, save Hubert’s and nurse’s, to be extinguished. We cannot waste them too soon, but beware of loosing hold on them.”
Walter repeated the orders thus dictated to him, and Sigbert arranged the file. It was absolutely needful that Sigbert should go first to lead the way. Mabel was to follow him for the sake of his help, then her brother, next nurse, happily the only other female. Between two stout and trustworthy men the wounded Roger came. Then one after another the rest of the men-at-arms and servants, five-and-twenty in number. The last of the file was Hubert, with a lamp; the others had to move in darkness. There had been no horse of any value in the castle, for the knight’s charger had been mortally hurt in his last expedition, and there had been no opportunity of procuring another. A deerhound, however, pushed and scrambled to the front, and Sigbert observed that he might be of great use in running before them. Before entering, however, Sigbert gave the caution that no word nor cry must be uttered aloud, hap what might, until permission was given, for they would pass under the Saracen camp, and there was no knowing whether the sounds would reach the ears above ground.
A strange plunge it was into the utter darkness, crawling on hands and knees, with the chill cavernous gloom and rock seeming to press in upon those who slowly crept along, the dim light of Sigbert’s lamp barely showing as he slowly moved on before. One of the two in the rear was dropped and extinguished in the dismal passage, a loss proclaimed by a suppressed groan passing along the line, and a louder exclamation from Walter, causing Sigbert to utter a sharp ‘Hush!’ enforced by a thud and tramp above, as if the rock were coming down on them, but which probably was the trampling of horses in the camp above.