It was terrible to hear the voices of honest men so close to me and to be helpless, and I worked at the rope feverishly.
I heard the princess and her party leave the ship, and almost as the last footstep left the deck one strand of the cord went.

I worked harder yet, with a great hope on me.
"Presently the Norsemen will be full of Howel's mead," I heard Evan say to one of his men.

"Then we will get ashore and leave swiftly.
I think we need not stay to pay Thorgils for the voyage." "Let us tell some of the shore men to bide here to help us," said the other--"we have the Saxon to carry." "That is a good thought." They clattered over the plank ashore, and another strand of the rope went at that time.

I thought it was but one of another turn of the line, however.

Five minutes more of painful sawing and straining and I felt another strand give way.