"I had forgotten this danger of wooden walls," said the prior to
himself, as it were. "Doubtless when this well chamber was made it
was without the inclosure."

Now it seemed to me that this could not be borne much longer, and
that soon the walls he dreaded would fall. So as one might as well
die in one way as another, I thought I would climb to the well's
mouth and see if there were any chance of safety for these two
monks. Yet I had no thought of aught but dying with them, if need
were, though as for myself I had but to walk across the courtyard
and go away. The Danes would but think I lingered yet for the sake
of plunder.

"If we may not stand this smoke, neither can the Danes," I said. "I
am going to see."

So I set down my axe and sword and leapt sailor-wise at the
rope--which the men had dropped again when they had taken the helm
from the bucket--catching it easily and swarming up to the
trapdoor. I only raised myself to the height of my eyes and looked
out.

I could see nothing. The dense smoke eddied and circled round the
court, and the Danes were gone, leaving us in a ring of fire on
three sides. The wooden buildings were blazing higher every moment,
and the heat seemed to scorch my head and hands till I could
scarcely bear it. But as the wind drove aside the smoke I could see
that the way to the rear gate, the last we had barred, was clear.
So I slid down and hung opposite the chamber. The monks looked out