"No!" without taking every previous precaution in his power, was the
answer in the same voice, and Augustus dropped.

So soon as this latter worthy had recovered the shock of his fall, he
lost not a moment in running to the other end of the garden. Paul
followed. By the way Tomlinson stopped at a heap of rubbish, and picked
up an immense stone. When they came to the part of the wall they had
agreed to scale, they found the watchman,--about whom they needed not, by
the by, to have concerned themselves; for had it not been arranged that
he was to have met them, the deep fog would have effectually prevented
him from seeing them. This faithful guardian Augustus knocked down, not
with a stone, but with ten guineas; he then drew forth from his dress a
thickish cord, which he procured some days before from the turnkey, and
fastening the stone firmly to one end, threw that end over the wall. Now
the wall had (as walls of great strength mostly have) an overhanging sort
of battlement on either side; and the stone, when flung over and drawn to
the tether of the cord to which it was attached, necessarily hitched
against this projection; and thus the cord was as it were fastened to the
wall, and Tomlinson was enabled by it to draw himself up to the top of
the barrier. He performed this feat with gymnastic address, like one who
had often practised it; albeit the discreet adventurer had not mentioned
in his narrative to Paul any previous occasion for the practice. As soon
as he had gained the top of the wall, he threw down the cord to his
companion, and, in consideration of Paul's inexperience in that manner of
climbing, gave the fastening of the rope an additional security by
holding it himself. With slowness and labour Paul hoisted himself up;
and then, by transferring the stone to the other side of the wall, where
it made of course a similar hitch, our two adventurers were enabled
successively to slide down, and consummate their escape from the House of