CHAPTER XVI
WHEN THE WIND CHANGED
ALL the next day the children bent every effort toward sawing and digging away at their window bars, but the hours wore away and only one had been completely loosened, while another was unfastened at the bottom. The knife-blade was becoming dull with this rough usage, and their courage dropped in proportion as their strength gave out and night approached. Well on in the afternoon, Gysbert again removed the tiles and planking, for both had imagined they heard unusual sounds in the room below. They were not mistaken. A moment’s listening convinced them that it was Dirk and the wife of Joachim Hansleer, holding an animated conversation in low tones.
“Give me my share now, Dirk!” they
229
