He tied it firmly to the last but one rung of the ladder, which seemed quite strong.
"I'm going down the rope now!" he shouted to Anne.
"Don't worry. I'm all right.
Here I go!"
Anne couldn't hear what Dick said after that, for the well-shaft made his words go crooked and she couldn't make out what they were. But she was glad to hear him shouting even though she didn't know what he said.
She yelled down to him too, hoping he could hear her.
Dick slid down the rope, holding on to it with hands, knees and feet, glad that he was so good at gym at school.
He wondered if he was anywhere near the dungeons.
He seemed to have gone down a long way.
He managed to get out his torch. He put it between his teeth after he had switched it on, so that he might have both hands free for the rope.
The light from the torch showed him the walls of the well around him. He couldn't make out if he was above or below the dungeons.
He didn't want to go right down to the bottom of the well!
He decided that he must have just passed the opening into the dungeon-caves.
He climbed back up the rope a little way and to his delight saw that he was right.
The opening on to the dungeons was just by his head.
He climbed up till he was level with it and then swung himself to the side of the well where the small opening was.
He managed to get hold of the bricked edge, and then tried to scramble through the opening into the dungeon.
It was difficult, but luckily Dick was not very big.
He managed it at last and stood up straight with a sigh of relief.
He was in the dungeons!
He could now follow the chalk-marks to the room or cave where the ingots were— and where he felt sure that George and Julian were imprisoned!
He shone his torch on the wall.
Yes— there were the chalk-marks. Good!
He put his head into the well-opening and yelled at the top of his voice.
"Anne! I'm in the dungeons!
Watch out that the men don't come back!"
Then he began to follow the white chalk-marks, his heart beating fast.
After a while he came to the door of the store-room.
As he had expected, it was fastened so that George and Julian couldn't get out.
Big bolts had been driven home at the top and bottom, and the children inside could not possibly get out.
They had tried their hardest to batter down the door, but it was no good at all.
They were sitting inside the store-cave, feeling angry and exhausted.
The man had brought them food and drink, but they had not touched it.
Tim was with them, lying down with his head on his paws, half-angry with George because she hadn't let him fly at the men as he had so badly wanted to.
But George felt certain that Tim would be shot if he tried biting or snapping.
"Anyway, the other two had sense enough not to come down and be made prisoners too," said George.
"They must have known there was something funny about that note when they saw I had signed myself Georgina instead of George.
I wonder what they are doing.
They must be hiding."
Tim suddenly gave a growl.
He leapt to his feet and went to the closed door, his head on one side.
He had heard something, that was certain.
"I hope it's not those men back again already," said George.
Then she looked at Tim in surprise, flashing her torch on to him.
He was wagging his tail!
A great bang at the door made them all jump out of their skins!
Then came Dick's cheerful voice.
"Hi, Julian! Hi, George! Are you here?"
"Wuffffff!" barked Tim, joyfully and scratched at the door.
"Dick! Open the door!" yelled Julian in delight.