THE PIRATES OF SEGNA. 367 



case ended in a small passage round an angle, beyond 

 which he discovered a similar descent, followed by 

 another angle and staircase, proving that this secret 

 issue from the castle penetrated through each of the 

 four massive walls which formed the tower. At 

 length their further progress was stopped by a door, 

 originally strong and plated with iron, but now so 

 much decayed, that although fastened by bolts with- 

 out, the joint strength of the two captives forced it 

 from its hinges. They now entered a vaulted passage 

 of hewn stone, low and narrow, and with no visible 

 termination. As they advanced, the long pent-up 

 and dank unwholesome vapours made it difficult to 

 breathe, and compelled Ibrahim to pause repeatedly 

 and trim his lamp, which burned so dimly in this 

 oppressive atmosphere as to be nearly extinguished. 

 After a while the path began to slope upwards, and 

 ere long they distinguished moonlight faintly stream- 

 ing through a tangled mass of ivy which concealed 

 the remains of an iron grating, broken probably in 

 his patron's successful attempt to escape by this secret 

 passage from the prison above. Gazing through the 

 aperture, they perceived, not many feet below, what 

 had once been the castle ditch, now dry, and forming 

 a portion of the archduke's gardens. "With a joyous 

 heart and an elastic bound, Ibrahim reached the soft 

 turf beneath. The more timid and helpless Hassan 

 lowered himself by clinging to a remaining iron bar, 

 and with the aid of his companion was soon on his 



