364 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



room, and, by a singular discovery, had been enabled 

 to liberate himself and his fellow-prisoners. The 

 pacha, then a subordinate in rank, in endeavouring to 

 reach the level of one of the embrasures, had mounted 

 upon the shoulders of a comrade, and was supporting 

 himself by a firm grasp of the large boss in the centre 

 of the panel, when suddenly he felt it turning round 

 in his hand. Surprised to find it not a fixture, he 

 pulled it towards him, and found that it slowly 

 yielded to the impulse. Drawing it out of the socket, 

 he saw it followed by an iron chain, which for a time 

 resisted all his efforts, but at length gave way, and he 

 heard a grating sound like the drawing of a rusty bolt 

 Suddenly the entire panel shook, and then the lower 

 end started back sufficiently to betray a recess in 

 the walL Hastily descending from his comrade's 

 shoulders, and pushing back the panel, he discovered 

 that it was supported by hinges, and was doubtless 

 intended to conceal a secret issue from the castle, 

 which he soon ascertained, and effected his escape. 

 These facts were all that the memory of Ibrahim 

 could supply ; but they were enough to guide him in 

 his search, and he immediately proceeded to sound 

 the panels in succession with his fist Commencing 

 with the southern or outer wall, which he supposed 

 more massive and more likely to contain a secret pas- 

 sage, he sounded each panel, and perceiving in the 

 corner one more reverberation than in the others, he 

 roused Hassan from his slumbers. " Hassan ! Has- 



