silence,
but
for
the
old
pantaloon
's
ceaseless
mumblings
as
he
rocked
himself
backwards
and
forwards
.
He
had
meant
no
harm
,
he
protested--he
had
conducted
more
affairs
of
the
kind
to
a
decent
ending
than
he
could
well
remember--no
one
could
be
more
discreet--accidents
would
happen--
"
She
is
shot
through
the
lungs
,
"
said
Father
Ninian
,
breaking
the
silence
.
"
There
is
very
little
to
be
done--I--I--
"
He
would
have
said
"
fear
,
"
but
for
Vincent
's
face
of
anguish
.
What
right
had
he
to
feel
sorrow
?
--he
,
the
man
who
had
brought
this
about
.
"
Still
,
I
will
try
.
Akbar
!
bring
the
candles
from
the
altar
.
Stay
!
she
had
better
go
there
.
It
will
save
time
.
You
two
can
carry
her
.
"
But
Vincent
had
her
in
his
arms
,
with
a
brief
"
Where
?
"
"
The
chapel--the
lights
are
lit
.
Lay
her
on
the
cushions
before
the
altar
.
I
will
be
with
you
again
directly
.
"
When
he
returned
from
his
room
with
lint
and
bandages
she
was
lying
there
as
he
had
directed
,
her
long
red
skirt
trailing
down
the
white
steps
.
"
The
candles
,
please
,
--the
smaller
ones
,
Akbar
,
--and
place
them
at
her
head
.
They
will
give
me
a
better
light
.
"
Vincent
shivered
again
at
the
sight
;
she
looked
already
dead
,
with
those
tall
tapers
about
her
.
Ah
!
what
did
it
all
mean
?
Was
he
dreaming
?
How
was
it
possible
?
The
wild
improbability
of
it
stunned
him
;
when
not
three
hours
ago
he
had
had
a
sherry-and-bitters
before
dinner
!
The
curious
irrelevance
of
his
thoughts
made
him
feel
as
if
he
must
wake
soon
.
Yet
there
she
lay
.
Laila
,
whom
he
loved
!
"
Is
she--is
she--
"
he
began
.
"
Not
dead
,
if
you
mean
that
,
"
replied
Father
Ninian
quietly
.
"
But
she
will
not
live
an
hour
.
"
There
was
no
mincing
matters
between
these
two
men--nothing
but
the
brutal
truth
;
yet
this
time
it
was
the
old
priest
who
held
up
his
hand
against
a
passionate
outcry
.
"
Do
n't
make
a
fuss
.
Be
brave
,
at
least
,
and
do
n't
disturb
her
.
She
is
coming
to
herself
again
.
"
To
herself
certainly
.
To
the
old
half-amused
,
half-mysterious
smile
,
as
her
eyes
caught
the
tapers
,
the
lighted
altar
beyond
,
her
lover
kneeling
at
her
side
.
"
It
is
the
wedding
,
I
suppose
,
"
she
said--there
was
a
catch
in
her
breath
now--
"
but
why
have
they
put
the
candles
like
a
bier
?
To
save
time
,
I
suppose
.
But
it
mixes
things
up
;
and--
"
she
gave
a
little
impatient
sigh--
"
Oh
!
tell
him
to
be
quick
,
Romeo
,
for--for
we
always
meant
to
be
married
in
the
end--did
n't
we
?
"
The
words
cut
Vincent
like
a
knife
.
Yes
!
He
had
meant
it
.
Not
always
.
Not
till
,
even
to
one
with
his
past
,
the
perfection
of
this
idyll
in
the
garden
would
have
suffered
without
that
promise
to
himself
.
And
now
,
death
should
not
cheat
him
,
should
not
leave
a
stain
,
a
regret
,
on
the
one
perfect
romance
of
his
life
.
He
stooped
suddenly
and
kissed
her
;
kissed
her
with
more
passion
than
he
had
ever
kissed
her
before
.
"
It
wo
n't
be
long
,
Juliet
;
he
is
just
going
to
begin
,
"
he
whispered
,
then
rose
to
his
feet
unsteadily
.
This
at
least
he
could
do
for
himself
.
And
for
her
?
A
sob
,
almost
of
gratitude
,
of
admiration
,
came
to
his
eyes
as
he
realized
that
it
would
never
,
never--even
if
she
had
lived--have
mattered
to
her
really
.
But
it
had
been
a
part
of
the
play
;
part
of
her
as
Juliet
.
So
it
should
be
.
His
wild
revolt
at
the
sequence
of
improbabilities--for
after
all
that
idyll
in
the
garden
had
been
,
bar
its
environments
,
commonplace
enough--which
had
landed
him
in--
in
an
Adelphi
drama
!
--
(
he
could
not
help
the
thought
,
though
he
despised
it
)
--should
give
way
to
this
.
The
play
should
end
with
a
wedding
.
Juliet
should
have
the
'
statue
of
pure
gold
'
in
the
eyes
of
the
world
.
He
could
ensure
this
by
a
word
;
and
the
word
should
be
spoken
.
He
touched
Father
Ninian
peremptorily
on
the
shoulder
,
as
he
bent
,
busy
with
his
instruments
.
"
I
want
to
speak
to
you
.
Hush
!
she
must
not
hear
.
Father
,
you
say
she
is
dying
.
Well
,
I
claim
my
right
.
I
am
a
Catholic--I
have
sinned--we
will
say
nothing
about
her--that
lies
between
us
.
I
wish
to
marry
her
while
I
can
.
I
ask
it
as
my
right
,
of
you
,
a
priest
.
Do
you
understand
?
I
ask
you
to
marry
us
.
"
Ninian
Bruce
looked
for
an
instant
as
if
he
could
have
killed
the
man
who
stood
before
him
;
then
he
drew
himself
up
,
priest
utterly
.
"
Have
you
the
right
to
claim
it
?
"
"
I
claim
it
as
a
right
,
"
replied
Vincent
,
fiercely
.
"
That
is
enough
,
surely
.
"
"
It
is
not
enough
.
I
will
ask
her
.
"
And
Pidar
Narâyan
knelt
down
beside
the
girl
.
"
My
daughter
,
"
he
began
,
"
Captain
Dering
tells
me--
"
Then
he
gave
way--
"
Cara
mia
,
"
he
whispered
,
laying
his
hand
on
hers
,
"
tell
me--I
have
never
been
unkind
,
surely--tell
me--your
old
guardian
,
who
has
loved
,
who
loves--must
I
marry
you
to--to
him
?
"
Laila
looked
into
his
face
with
a
faintly-wondering
reply
.
"
Must
!
"
she
echoed
dreamily
.
"
It
's
just
as
he
likes
,
of
course
.
I
do
n't
mind
.
I
only
want
him--where
is
he
?
"
"
I
'm
here
,
sweetheart
.
"
Vincent
knelt
down
again
and
took
her
in
his
arms
.
The
faint
querulousness
left
her
voice
.
"
That
's
nice
,
"
she
murmured
.
"
Tell
him
to
begin
quickly
,
Vincent
,
for
I
do
n't
want
to
waste
time
.
I
want
you--you
,
yourself
,
and
me--me
,
myself--nothing
else
.
"
Father
Ninian
gave
a
sort
of
cry
,
and
turned
blindly
to
the
altar
.
If
this
was
not
Love
,
what
was
?
Then
,
monotonously
,
his
voice
began
the
marriage
service
.
"
Have
you
a
ring
?
"
he
asked
,
when
he
came
to
stand
by
those
two
,
the
girl
supported
in
Vincent
's
arms
.
The
latter
shook
his
head
.
"
Go
on
without
it
,
"
he
said
sternly
;
"
she
is
failing
fast
.
"
But
there
was
one
on
the
old
man
's
finger
;
one
that
had
never
left
it
since
it
had
been
put
there
by
a
saint
in
Paradise
.
He
took
it
off
now
,
and
gave
it
to
the
man
whom
at
that
moment
he
hated
and
despised
more
than
any
man
on
earth
.
So
,
swiftly
,
the
prayers
went
on
,
and
old
Akbar
paused
in
his
rockings
to
say
"
Amen
"
with
the
others
.
He
had
learnt
thus
much
in
these
latter
days
of
grace
.
The
last
one
came
as
a
step
resounded
down
the
passage
;
Lance
Carlyon
's
step
as
he
sought
the
light
he
had
seen--sought
his
Captain
.
He
seemed
to
bring
a
breath
of
fresh
air
into
the
passion-laden
atmosphere
,
a
solid
reality
into
the
shadows
.
"
Vincent
!
"
he
cried
,
as
he
caught
sight
of
the
scarlet
and
gold
.
"
Thank
God
!
you
're
here
.
The
troopers
have
seized
the
Fort--
"
He
paused
suddenly
,
horror-struck
at
what
had
caught
his
eye
.
"
I
beg
your
pardon--I
did
n't
know--is
she--is
she--hurt
?
--
"
Vincent
stood
up
suddenly
.
"
Hush
!
that
has
nothing
to
do
with
it
.
Leave
that
to
me
.
The
troopers
have
risen
?
When
?
"
Lance
,
with
his
eyes
still
on
that
pitiful
sight
,
shook
his
head
.
"
There
was
a
pistol-shot--you
must
have
heard
it
!
"
"
Heard
it
!
"
echoed
Vincent
,
wildly
.
"
Yes
!
I
heard
it
.
Go
on
!
What
then
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know--I
know
nothing
in
this
infernal
nightmare
that
's
got
hold
of
us
all
!
"
cried
Lance
.
"
I
only
know
that
if
we
do
n't
get
to
the
gaol
before
they
do--they
've
gone
to
set
the
prisoners
free--there
will
be
the
devil
of
a
row
.
So
you
must
come
at
once
,
Vincent--you
must
come
at
once
!
"
Captain
Dering
gave
an
irresolute
look
at
the
dying
girl
.
She
had
saved
his
life--he
loved
her--could
he
leave
her
?
Was
anything
worth
that
sacrifice
?
"
You
must
go
!
"
said
a
stern
voice
.
It
was
Father
Ninian
's
,
who
had
taken
Vincent
's
place
and
was
now
holding
Laila
in
his
arms
.
"
You
must
go
,
Captain
Dering
,
and
prevent
worse
from
befalling
;
if
you
can--if
you
can
!
"
There
was
almost
a
triumph
in
his
voice
.
Lance
looked
from
one
to
the
other
in
sheer
despair
.
"
Well
!
if
you
wo
n't
come
,
I
'm
off--oh
!
come
along
,
Vincent
,
and
do
n't
be
a
fool
!
It--it
is
n't
worth
it
;
it
never
is
!
"
Vincent
Dering
stood
still
irresolute
.
"
You
'll
stay
,
sir
,
"
he
said
,
"
and--and
look
after--
"
Father
Ninian
drew
the
unconscious
girl
closer
to
him
.
"
I
will
look
after--
Margherita
.
"
The
last
word
came
in
a
half
whisper
to
himself
and
his
eyes
met
Vincent
's
with
a
curious
dazed
defiance
.
The
latter
gave
the
defiance
back
,
as
their
owner
stooped
for
a
second
over
Laila
's
indifferent
face
,
and
kissed
it
.
"
Good-by
,
Juliet
,
"
he
said
;
and
the
last
word
came
also
in
a
half
whisper
to
himself
.
The
next
moment
he
was
following
Lance
down
the
dim
passage
,
full
of
a
vague
relief
,
and
realizing
for
the
first
time
that
the
mist
,
which
for
the
last
half
hour
had
dimmed
the
reality
of
all
things
,
was
due
,
not
to
any
aberration
of
his
brain
,
but
to
the
simple
fact
that
an
electrical
dust-storm
was
in
full
blast
.
He
realized
it
with
relief
.
That
was
at
least
real
,
tangible
.
Almost
too
much
so
;
and
as
the
hot
wind
,
charged
with
those
aspiring
atoms
of
earth
,
met
him
fiercely
,
he
realized
also
that
the
storm
would
fight
against
him
in
his
efforts
to
prevent
worse
from
happening
.
If
,
indeed
,
anything
could
be
worse
than
what
had
happened
;
worse
than
Laila's--
He
broke
off
in
his
thought
,
incredulous
.
It
could
not
be
true
.
He
would
come
back
to
find
her
better--well
!
--
But
that
other
dream
was
true
.
His
men
had
risen
.
The
one
thing
necessary
,
therefore
,
was
to
get
to
the
gaol
before
any
decided
action
took
place
;
and
this
he
realised
still
more
clearly
from
Lance
's
curt
explanation
as
they
ran
down
the
river
steps
.
Once
there
,
the
sight
of
the
canoe
he
had
left
suggested
the
feasibility
of
getting
to
the
gaol
in
it
.
His
personal
influence
might
avail
.
If
that
failed
,
he
would
at
least
be
able
to
save
time
by
choosing
a
suitable
place
for
the
raft
to
come
ashore
.
The
great
thing
was
to
be
on
the
spot
,
to
be
within
reach
of
action
at
once
;
to
wait
for
the
raft
meant
needless
delay
.
So
,
a
minute
after
,
the
faint
splash
of
his
paddle
was
lost
in
the
rising
hum
of
the
storm
,
and
Lance
was
left
looking
anxiously
for
sound
or
sight
of
the
raft
,
which
,
if
all
had
gone
well
,
should
by
now
have
started
.
But
neither
came
,
so
,
seeing
from
the
light
he
had
snatched
up
as
he
passed
through
the
balcony
that
the
air
was
growing
darker
,
more
impenetrable
than
ever
,
he
shoved
off
his
strange
craft
,
to
wait
further
out
in
the
stream
where
there
was
less
chance
of
the
raft
passing
him
unseen
,
unheard
.
For
this
reason
also
,
he
paddled
up
along
the
wall
a
bit
into
the
faint
glow
of
light
which
showed
still
from
the
arches
of
the
chapel
.
And
as
he
lay
in
it
,
his
ears
and
eyes
strained
for
the
least
sound
,
he
could
hear
as
a
kind
of
background
to
that
muffled
drumming
of
the
storm
,
the
sound
of
the
pilgrims
chanting
as
they
waited
for
the
dawn
.
The
dawn
which
would
bring--what
?
Who
could
tell
?
The
sound
of
other
prayers
,
echoing
from
the
chapel
,
made
him
shake
his
head
,
feeling
that
it
was
hopeless
to
look
forward--or
backward
for
that
matter
!
Why
had
Roshan
shot
the
girl--if
he
had
!
And
why
had
Pidar
Narâyan
called
her
Margherita
,
and
Vincent
called
her
Juliet
?
The
whole
thing
was
exactly
as
he
had
said--an
infernal
nightmare
!
Then
a
faint
sound
in
front
of
him
made
his
strong
arms
sweep
the
paddle
through
the
stream
as
he
shot
into
the
darkness
in
search
of
the
raft
;
in
search
of
Erda
.
Not
that
she
needed
him
,
really
.
The
memory
of
her
in
that
red-and-gold
mess
jacket
above
her
wedding
dress
,
giving
orders
to
the
men
squarely
,
came
back
to
make
him
smile
.
God
bless
her
!
She
could
do
well
enough
without
him
.
That
was
one
comfort
.
And
Dillon
could
hold
his
own
too
,
without
much
help
,
for
a
time--that
was
another
;
for
what
with
this
and
that
,
help
was
bound
to
be
over-long
in
coming
.
A
MONOPOLY
Lance
Carlyon
was
right
in
trusting
Dr.
Dillon
's
power
of
doing
without
help
until
Providence
chose
to
send
some
.
This
was
the
easier
task
,
in
that
he
had
made
up
his
mind
deliberately
beforehand
as
to
what
his
best
course
of
action
would
be
should
an
alarm
of
this
sort
occur
.
Therefore
that
imperative
kling-kling
of
the
telegraph
bell
which
roused
him
in
a
second
from
his
bed
,
where
,
ready
dressed
for
any
such
emergency
,
he
was
sleeping
the
sleep
of
the
just
,
found
him
alert
,
prepared
for
anything
and
everything
.
So
it
has
come
,
he
thought
,
as
he
hastily
wired
back
the
comprehensive
reply
,
"
All
right
,
await
you
.
"
He
felt
as
a
doctor
does
when
a
dangerous
symptom
which
he
has
foreseen
as
a
possibility
,
shows
itself
.
He
had
been
on
the
lookout
for
this
for
days
,
but
as
the
dawn
would
end
the
period
during
which
it
might
be
expected
,
he
had
,
as
in
the
outbreak
of
the
cholera
,
had
hopes
that
danger
was
over
.
His
last
thought
,
as
he
slept
,
had
been
this
;
he
woke
to
find
that
the
complication
must
be
faced
.
Woke
with
a
strong
regret
,
but
a
stronger
instinct
of
fight
.
So
he
slipped
his
feet
into
his
shoes
,
jammed
his
big
mushroom
hat
on
his
head
out
of
pure
habit
,
and
so
,
armed
cap-à-pie
,
with
a
brain
quick
to
work
,
and
a
body
ready
to
follow
and
obey
,
he
ran
across
the
sandy
road
to
the
Smiths
'
bungalow
,
realizing
as
he
did
so
that
a
dust-storm
was
just
beginning
.
That
would
delay
both
attack
and
relief
.
On
the
whole
,
this
would
be
an
advantage
,
since
,
once
things
were
secure
,
half
an
hour
or
so
would
make
no
difference
in
the
latter
;
whereas
,
he
wanted
every
minute
he
could
get
now
for
preparation
.
He
had
not
warned
Eugene
Smith
of
his
fears
.
There
was
never
any
use
alarming
people
by
mere
probabilities
,
unless
by
so
doing
you
could
forearm
them
.
And
this
was
not
the
case
here
;
since
the
safest--in
fact
the
only--place
of
refuge
for
Mrs.
Smith
and
the
child
,
should
trouble
arise
,
was
the
semi-fortified
roof
above
the
gate
of
the
gaol
;
and
that
he
knew
to
be
ready
for
use
.
He
had
,
therefore
,
only
to
wake
them
,
as
quietly
as
might
be
,
so
as
not
to
give
the
alarm
to
the
servants
.
Fortune
favoured
him
in
this
;
for
,
just
outside
the
verandah
,
he
ran
full
tilt
upon
Eugene
himself
,
tall
,
gaunt
,
in
his
sleeping-suit
,
carrying
a
roll
of
bedding
on
his
back
like
a
snail
's
shell
.
The
heat
of
the
evening
had
enticed
him
to
sleep
outside
,
as
he
preferred
,
à
la
Robinson
Crusoe
,
and
the
dust-storm
was
sending
him
in
.
"
Hello
,
Dillon
!
"
he
cried
,
"
what
's
up
?
--nothing
wrong
with
my
wife
or
the
child--I
hope--No
!
--
"
he
gave
a
sigh
of
relief
,
"
then
it
's
the
beastly
dust-storm
disturbed
you
,
I
suppose
.
Is
n't
it
sickening
to
think
how
many
times
in
the
next
six
months
we
shall
have
to
take
up
our
beds
and
walk
.
"
"
H
'm
!
Hope
I
shall
have
the
chance
,
"
replied
the
doctor
,
dryly
,
recovering
his
breath
.
"
No
,
it
is
n't
the
storm
.
They
're
going
to
try
a
row
,
Smith
.
Just
had
a
wire
from
the
Fort
.
There
's
a
plot
on
,
to
come
here
and
set
the
prisoners
free
,
and
that
's
dangerous
.
So
,
till
the
troops
come
,
I
think
you
'd
better
bring
Mrs.
Smith
and
Gladys
to
the
gate--it
's
the
safest
place
,
and
I
've
got
everything
ready
.
It
may
n't
be
much
;
but
the
devils
,
whoever
they
are
,
might
turn
and
rend
you--especially
if
they
fail
with
me
.
"
Eugene
Smith
had
dropped
his
snail-shell
and
sat
down
on
it
,
aghast
,
in
surprise
;
but
he
was
up
again
before
the
doctor
finished
.
"
By
Jove
!
"
he
said
rapidly
,
calmly
as
the
doctor
himself
.
"
That
's
a
taking
up
one
's
bed
with
a
vengeance
.
I
'll
have
'
em
both
ready
in
a
jiffy--anything
else
?
"
"
No.
I
'll
rummage
round
till
you
return--one
forgets
things
to
the
last
,
sometimes
.
And
I
shall
want
your
Remington
and
such
like--I
know
where
to
find
'
em
.
"
A
moment
after
he
was
striking
a
match
to
light
the
tall
floor-lamp
in
Mrs.
Smith
's
drawing-room
.
She
had
turned
it
out
herself
a
few
hours
before
,
thinking
,
as
she
looked
round
the
room
,
full
of
soft
rose-shaded
light
,
how
pretty
,
how
cosey
it
was
.
It
had
the
same
air
of
refined
security
now
.
Everything
,
down
to
a
copy
of
the
last
'
Queen
'
lying
on
an
inlaid
table
by
her
favourite
chair
,
was
so
exactly
what
one
would
have
expected
to
find
in
her
room
;
the
room
of
a
delicate
,
cultivated
,
civilized
,
society
woman
.
And
now
?
Now
the
delicacy
,
the
culture
,
the
civilization
,
the
society
,
and
the
security
belonging
to
them
,
had
been
invaded
in
an
instant
.
By
what
?
The
dust--you
could
almost
see
it
springing
into
the
air
in
these
sandy
stretches--had
already
settled
thick
over
the
dainty
furniture
,
and
as
Dr.
Dillon
,
standing
by
the
table
in
the
pink
glow
of
the
lamp
,
asked
himself
the
question
,
he
yielded
to
the
imperious
fascination
which
a
smooth
sand-surface
has
for
humanity
.
But
he
did
not
write
his
name
upon
it
;
only
the
idle
answer
to
the
question
.
"
God
knows
.
"
The
writing
lay
upon
the
table
beside
the
latest
fashions
,
staring
up
into
the
pink
paper
shade
,
after
George
Dillon
had
passed
rapidly
to
Eugene
's
office
to
choose
this
,
that
,
and
the
other
,
and
make
them
into
a
bundle
with
a
table-cloth
.
When
he
returned
to
the
drawing-room
,
Muriel
Smith
was
standing
by
that
writing
in
the
sand
:
a
fragile
figure
in
a
blue
dressing-gown
,
all
frilled
and
embroidered
like
the
pictures
in
the
paper
.
She
looked
more
forlorn
than
frightened
;
forlorn
and
pathetic
.
"
Is
it
warm
enough
?
"
said
the
doctor
,
as
he
entered
.
"
Your
dress
,
I
mean
.
There
's
a
storm
on
,
and
it
generally
brings
rain
.
"
"
It
is
flannel
,
"
she
answered
,
and
he
nodded
.
There
was
no
excitement
,
no
heroics
.
Only
that
.
That
,
and
the
writing
on
the
sand
,
and
her
forlornness--the
forlornness
of
a
delicate
Dresden
shepherdess
set
to
drive
a
flock
of
real
sheep
to
the
shambles
.
But
the
needlessness
,
the
pity
of
it
,
made
Dr.
Dillon
set
his
teeth
.
"
Eugene
will
be
here
directly
with
Gladys
,
"
she
said
.
"
We
thought
it
best
not
to
wake
her
,
and
he
said
we
had
better
start
at
once
;
for
you
see
I
ca
n't
walk
nearly
so
fast
as
he
does
.
"
There
was
no
trace
of
fear
in
her
voice
,
but
there
was
none
of
resistance
either
,
and
she
turned
at
the
door
to
look
back
with
an
almost
reproachful
acquiescence
.
"
Poor
room
,
"
she
said
softly
,
"
it
seems
so
strange--such
a
pity
;
but
I
suppose
it
ca
n't
be
helped
.
"
She
turned
to
the
darkness
again
with
a
little
shiver
,
and
went
on
,
"
Vincent
sent
the
wire
,
I
suppose
.
"
"
I
did
n't
ask
,
"
replied
Dr.
Dillon
curtly
;
then
,
repenting
him
,
added
,
"
I
suppose
so
.
He
will
be
here
directly
I
expect
.
And--and
we
will
all
take
care
of
you
and
Gladys
,
as
long
as
we
can
.
You
know
that
;
and
we
ca
n't
do
more--can
we
?
"
She
smiled
quite
tenderly
.
"
Of
course
you
will
.
And
I
am
really
not
a
bit
afraid--except
of
being
in
the
way
.
"
She
seemed
to
accept
the
necessity
of
this
;
perhaps
rightly
.
For
the
storm
itself
was
no
joke
in
these
desert
stretches
,
where
the
sand
rose
in
choking
clouds
,
yet
left
enough
to
make
each
step
a
toil
.
Muriel
stumbled
along
breathlessly
,
but
so
slowly
that
,
when
her
husband
joined
them
,
striding
along
with
Gladys
,
still
sleeping
,
wrapped
in
a
blanket
in
his
arms
,
the
doctor
bade
them
come
at
their
leisure
and
wait
until
he
gave
the
signal
before
entering
,
then
ran
on
swiftly
to
the
gaol
.
For
there
was
no
time
to
lose
;
though
,
on
the
other
hand
,
there
was
very
little
to
be
done
.
The
less
the
better
,
if
his
plan
was
to
be
successful
;
since
that
involved
the
utmost
quiet
,
and
the
keeping
of
the
prisoners
from
all
knowledge
of
what
was
going
on
as
long
as
possible
.
As
he
faced
the
choking
darkness
,
the
hot
blasts
of
causeless
wind
,
blowing
all
ways
at
once
,
George
Dillon
reckoned
up
his
chances
fairly
.
The
storm
would
certainly
make
it
easier
to
keep
such
knowledge
from
those
within
,
and
make
it
more
difficult
for
those
without
to
establish
communication
with
the
former
.
So
far
,
good
.
On
the
other
hand
,
no
amount
of
the
light
at
his
command
would
enable
him
to
see
,
even
from
his
coign
of
vantage
on
the
gateway
roof
,
what
was
going
on
,
either
outside
or
inside
.
And
darkness
was
the
diggers
'
best
friend
;
while
digging
was
the
recognized
enemy
of
mud
walls
.
Especially
of
those
inside
walls
which
divided
the
gaol
into
sections
.
Yet
the
best
,
the
only
chance
of
keeping
the
prisoners
quiet
,
lay
in
preserving
their
segregation
into
companies
.
For
the
gaol
was
of
the
cart-wheel
pattern
.
That
is
,
a
huge
circle
of
outside
wall
,
thick
as
an
earthwork
,
the
felloes
of
the
wheel
,
as
it
were
.
Then
a
small
central
cylinder
of
brick
,
like
a
lime
kiln
,
the
nave
of
the
wheel
,
as
it
were
.
Between
these
two
the
spokes
.
Spokes
of
twelve
feet
high
mud
wall
,
dividing
the
whole
into
seven
wedges
of
prison
,
absolutely
distinct
,
blank
,
aperture-less
,
save
for
one
heavily
stanchioned
door
in
the
apex
of
each
wedge
,
leading
into
the
central
tower
.
Exit
or
entry
was
therefore
impossible
to
six
of
these
wedges
,
except
through
the
tower
;
that
is
the
citadel
,
the
key
,
as
it
were
,
of
the
gaol
proper
.
The
seventh
wedge
,
however
,
gave
,
at
its
wider
end
,
on
the
entrance-gate
,
which
was
a
square
,
semi-fortified
building
,
pierced
by
a
tunnel
,
gated
at
each
end
,
and
further
protected
by
an
outside
yard
,
or
roofless
porch
,
also
gated
.
The
inmost
of
these
three
gates
opened
on
to
a
small
courtyard
,
and
this
narrowed
again
into
an
alley
which
gave
access
to
the
central
tower
.
Briefly
then
the
whole
gaol
consisted
of
six
wedges
opening
,
by
a
door
in
their
narrow
end
,
into
the
central
cylinder
;
and
a
seventh
wedge
split
in
two
by
an
alley
leading
between
high
mud
walls
from
the
gateway
to
that
central
tower
;
the
key
to
the
position
.
In
the
two
halves
of
the
split
wedge
lay
the
warders
'
barracks
,
the
solitary
cells
,
the
cook
rooms
,
the
hospital
;
and
the
entry
to
these
was
by
a
door
on
either
side
of
the
little
courtyard
,
just
beyond
the
inner
gate
.
From
the
corner
of
this
,
also
,
rose
the
outside
stair
leading
to
the
roof
of
the
square
,
brick
gateway
.
Thus
the
fifteen
hundred
prisoners
were
broken
up
into
companies
of
about
two
hundred
each
,
and
were
absolutely
without
possibility
of
communication
so
long
as
the
central
tower
was
in
the
hands
of
authority
.
Unless
there
was
time
to
undermine
the
mud
walls
,
and
tools
,
also
,
wherewith
to
work
.
Of
these
,
however
,
there
were
none
in
the
gaol
.
Nothing
,
even
,
that
could
be
used
to
take
their
place
,
except
in
that
seventh
section
which
held
the
executive
of
the
gaol
;
and
there
Dr.
Dillon
meant
to
leave
no
hands
to
use
them
,
if
he
could
compass
it
.
As
he
pulled
up
to
regain
his
breath
before
walking
up
to
the
gate
and
giving
the
countersign
,
the
whole
place
lay
quiet
and
dark
.
So
far
,
good
.
There
was
the
risk
,
however
,
of
the
plot
being
known
,
and
of
the
sentry
refusing
him
entrance
.
It
was
not
,
however
,
and
the
next
moment
,
calmly
as
if
he
was
merely
on
one
of
his
not
infrequent
rounds
of
unexpected
night
inspections
,
Dr.
Dillon
passed
from
the
outer
porch
to
the
tunnel
,
and
told
the
sentry
at
the
inner
gate
to
light
the
lamp
in
the
little
office
room
to
one
side
.
"
Call
the
superintendent
,
"
he
said
to
the
first
man
,
"
and
you
can
tell
him
I
am
going
to
inspect
the
solitary
cells
.
"
He
added
this
because
he
knew
it
would
give
time
,
since
the
superintendent
would
be
sure
to
give
a
private
look
round
,
first
,
to
see
all
was
in
order
,
and
remove
possible
traces
of
tobacco
or
opium
,
--those
luxuries
out
of
which
so
much
money
can
be
made
by
gaol
officials
.
No
sooner
,
however
,
had
the
first
sentry
gone
through
the
door
to
the
left
section
,
than
he
sent
the
second
one
on
a
similar
message
to
the
right
,
where
the
hospital
lay
.
Then
,
the
coast
being
clear
,
he
rapidly
unlocked
the
private
safe
in
the
office
which
held
his
set
of
keys
in
case
of
accidents
,
and
locked
both
the
right
and
left
doors
.
Secure
for
a
moment
,
therefore
,
from
interruption
,
he
ran
outside
,
saw
that
the
tool
rooms
,
etc.
,
were
closed
,
gave
the
signal
to
Eugene
Smith
,
hurried
the
refugees
up
the
stairs
;
and
then
,
after
unlocking
the
two
doors
again
on
his
way
back
to
the
office
,
sat
down
in
his
usual
chair
and
began
to
look
over
a
register
.
He
was
engaged
in
this
calm
occupation
when
,
a
minute
or
two
after
,
the
native
superintendent--a
big
,
dignified
person
,
in
a
blatant
undress
due
largely
to
his
bulk--arrived
breathless
.
"
Darogah-jee
!
"
began
Dr.
Dillon
,
instantly
,
and
the
mere
tone
of
the
title
made
the
man
quiver
,
"
I
've
had
constantly
to
complain
of
the
tobacco
and
opium
smuggling
that
is
going
on
among
the
warders
,
and
I
mean
to
stop
it
.
I
've
had
information
to-night
which
will
clinch
the
business
.
So
take
the
night
guard
,
rouse
every
warder
,
bring
everyone
here
,
even
those
on
guard
in
the
sections--the
hospital
orderlies--everyone
,
in
fact
,
who
is
free
to
go
out
of
the
gaol
.
They
are
to
come
at
once
.
No
time
allowed
for
arrangements
.
If
they
are
not
all
here
in
five
minutes
I
shall
think
you
are
in
league
with
the
smugglers
.
"
The
darogah
's
fat
flesh
shook
,
yet
he
winked
as
he
went
off
.
If
the
doctor-
sahib
expected
to
find
anything
in
this
fashion
except
,
maybe
,
a
smell
of
the
forbidden
drugs
,
he
was
mistaken
.
On
such
a
night
,
too
,
when
the
dust
was
in
everyone
's
eyes
.
Well
!
it
might
have
been
worse
;
for
,
though
he
knew
nothing
definitely
of
any
plot
,
he
could
not
fail
to
know
that
there
was
more
to
excite
men
in
the
gaol
,
that
night
,
than
tobacco
or
opium
!
So
he
went
about
his
summons
with
a
sigh
of
relief
,
and
before
the
five
minutes
were
over
had
his
posse
of
minor
officials
together
,
including
a
file
of
unfettered
prisoners
,
with
good
conduct
badges
,
who
were
used
as
gang
leaders
.
He
himself
finally
coming
down
the
alley
,
with
a
stupendous
bunch
of
keys
,
followed
by
the
little
group
of
night
warders
he
had
collected
from
the
other
sections
.
"
All
here
?
"
asked
Dr.
Dillon
,
lighting
a
cigar
.
"
The
register
,
please
,
darogah
.
They
will
answer
to
their
names
,
pass
out
through
the
wicket
into
the
porch
,
and
stay
there
until
I
've
tallied
the
lot
.
I
'm
going
to
have
it
pakka
[
11
]
this
time
.
"
Some
of
the
men
grinned
,
some
looked
uneasy
,
and
some
few
frowned
;
but
all
obeyed
,
though
they
cuddled
themselves
into
their
blankets
as
they
slipped
through
the
wicket
,
and
faced
the
whirling
,
swirling
storm
in
the
open
porch
,
the
doors
of
which
were
barred
,
not
solid
.
"
Kishen
Rao
?
"
came
Dr.
Dillon
's
voice
,
after
a
long
series
of
names
,
followed
by
brief
"
presents
!
"
and
swift
exits
.
There
was
no
answer
.
He
turned
to
the
darogah
for
explanation
.
"
Absent
!
"
explained
the
latter
,
timorously
.
A
little
more
decision
might
have
saved
him
the
quick
question
,
"
With
or
without
leave
?
"
"
Huzoor
"
palpitated
the
fat
man
,
"
he
went
out
to
bathe
in
the
Holy
Pool
by
permission
this
morning
.
He
is
of
the
utmost
sobriety
.
A
Brahmin
,
promoted
by
your
Honour
to
,
as
your
Honour
knows
,
general
head
ward-keeper
.
He
is
not
to
be
suspected
.
"
"
Leave
till
5
P.M.
,
"
commented
the
doctor
,
looking
over
the
register
.
"
Mark
him
down
absent
without
leave
.
Go
on
.
"
So
,
rapidly
,
the
last
man
ducked
under
the
wicket
.
"
Is
that
the
lot
?
"
"
Everyone
,
Protector
of
the
Poor
,
"
protested
the
burly
official
,
with
smiles
.
"
The
prison
is
empty
of
the
unfettered
.
"
"
Then
let
it
remain
so
for
the
present
,
"
said
Dr.
Dillon
,
coolly
,
as
he
stepped
forward
,
closed
the
wicket
,
slid
the
bolt
to
its
place
,
and
turned
on
the
darogah
,
all
in
one
swift
sequence
.
"
Now
,
then
!
"
he
went
on
sharply
,
"
you
and
I
have
to
settle
a
bit
of
business
.
Your
keys--
"
he
took
out
a
revolver
,
and
laid
it
on
the
table
beside
him--
"
every
key
you
have
;
duplicates
,
triplicates
,
everything
!
I
'm
going
to
keep
this
gaol
myself
for
a
bit
.
Do
you
understand
?
"
"
Huzoor
!
"
bleated
the
man
,
helplessly
,
putting
his
big
bunch
on
the
table
.
Dr.
Dillon
smiled
sarcastically
.
"
Wo
n't
do
,
my
friend
.
I
want
the
lot
by
the
list
.
Where
's
the
register
?
"
When
it
came
he
ticked
them
off
rapidly
by
it
.
"
Sections
B
and
C
,
warder
's
duplicate
;
where
's
that
?
"
he
asked
.
The
official
grew
green
.
"
Kishen
Rao--
"
he
began--
"
but
he
is
of
the
utmost--
"
Dr.
Dillon
turned
on
him
like
lightning
.
"
You
're
a
damned
scoundrel
,
sir
!
What
else
is
missing
?
"
He
ran
over
the
rest
swiftly
,
then
looked
up
suddenly
with
a
scowl
that
made
the
man
literally
collapse
.
"
So
that
's
it
,
is
it
?
Duplicate
of
B
and
C
sections
missing
,
and
duplicate
of
the
alley
doors
.
A
pretty
little
game
!
"
he
laughed
sardonically
.
"
Kishen
Rao--
"
gurgled
the
darogah
--
"
by
your
Honour
's
promotion--of
the
utmost--
"
"
But
it
wo
n't
play
,
my
friend
;
it
wo
n't
play
!
"
went
on
the
doctor
,
with
a
curious
elation
.
"
I
hold
the
thirteenth
trump
,
now
.
You
go
in
there
,
"
--he
pointed
to
an
inner
store-room
behind
the
slip
of
an
office
;
a
windowless
place
,
pitch
dark
,
where
the
clothes
in
which
the
prisoners
arrived
awaited
their
release
in
piles--
"
and
thank
your
stars
you
're
in
such
good
quarters
.
"
All
but
that
brief
order
,
"
You
go
in
there
,
"
was
spoken
in
English
,
as
a
sort
of
outlet
for
the
intense
satisfaction
which
was
filling
him
at
his
own
success
,
--
so
far
.
The
next
minute
he
had
turned
the
key
on
the
darogah
,
and
was
up
the
stairs
calling
Eugene
Smith
in
a
low
voice
to
come
down
and
help
to
bolt
and
bar
;
but
to
come
as
quietly
as
he
could
.
"
I
've
got
rid
of
the
lot
,
"
he
said
joyously
,
after
he
had
explained
the
position
in
a
few
rapid
words
;
"
there
is
n't
a
soul
in
this
section
except
the
solitary
cellers--who
,
of
course
,
are
ironed--a
few
sick
people
,
and
the
assistant
surgeon
;
but
baboo-jee
is
an
agnostic
,
and
is
so
confoundedly
afraid
of
the
possibility
of
a
future
life
that
he
may
be
trusted
to
go
into
green
collapse
if
he
hears
a
shot
fired
.
"
So
,
rapidly
,
the
two
men
set
to
work
,
undisturbed
by
more
than
a
protesting
"
Huzoor
,
what
shall
we
do
?
"
from
the
posse
outside
the
first
gate
,
and
a
low
knocking
at
the
wicket
.
There
were
double
doors
here
,
however
,
and
of
the
sort
which
it
would
need
time
to
negotiate
,
without
powder
.
"
They
will
hold
out
for
an
hour
,
at
least
,
"
said
the
doctor
;
"
then
there
will
be
the
inner
one
,
and
after
that
the
alley
door--unless--
"
he
remembered
Kishen
Rao
,
and
frowned
.
That
was
the
only
weak
spot
in
his
armour
.
"
We
can
count
on
an
hour
and
a
half
,
at
least
,
"
he
continued
,
carefully
allowing
for
the
worst
;
"
longer
,
perhaps
.
Now
then
,
Smith
,
for
the
toughest
job
!
I
've
got
a
couple
of
crowbars
here
.
Those
first
six
steps--eight
if
we
can--of
the
stairs
must
come
down
.
There
are
n't
enough
of
us
to
hold
them
.
"
So
,
for
fully
a
quarter
of
an
hour
,
no
sound
was
heard
above
the
curious
vibration
of
the
storm
except
the
grinding
and
crushing
of
the
bricks
as
they
were
rapidly
eased
out
,
one
by
one
,
from
the
mud
mortar
.
The
light
of
one
of
the
office
lamps
,
set
on
the
ground
,
showed
by
that
time
a
sheer
drop
of
eight
or
ten
feet
,
and
Eugene
Smith
,
working
above
,
jammed
his
crowbar
into
a
crevice
of
the
wall
against
which
the
steps
clung
like
a
swallow
's
nest
,
and
gave
Dr.
Dillon
,
who
had
been
working
below
,
a
rope
and
a
hand
up
.
The
latter
set
down
the
keys
and
the
lamp
he
had
brought
up
with
him
,
and
deliberately
dusted
the
knees
of
his
trousers
.
"
There
,
that
's
done
,
"
he
said
.
"
Could
n't
be
better
.
"
"
Yes
,
it
seems
pretty
safe
,
"
assented
Eugene
Smith
,
a
trifle
dubiously
.
"
Safe
!
"
echoed
the
doctor
,
enthusiastically
,
"
I
have
n't
felt
so
safe
for
the
last
fortnight
.
Hullo
!
what
's
that
?
"
That
was
a
sudden
bugle-call
.
The
doctor
's
face
fell
.
"
What
,
already
!
I
did
n't
expect
relief
so
soon
.
However
,
it
ca
n't
be
helped
.
I
'll
just
go
up
and
tell
Dering
what
I
've
done
,
so
that
he
may
be
prepared
for
the
locked
out
ones
!
"
He
took
the
light
in
his
hand
and
crossed
to
the
outer
parapet
.
"
Hello
,
Dering
!
"
he
began
,
peering
down
.
Then
a
couple
of
shots
whizzed
past
his
head
and
he
ducked
.
At
the
same
moment
,
as
if
roused
by
the
concussion
,
the
first
crackling
thunderclap
of
the
dust-storm
,
sounding
muffled
through
the
thick
air
,
followed
like
a
roll-call
,
and
reverberated
dully
,
sluggishly
,
through
the
black
darkness
.
When
it
passed
,
Dr.
Dillon
's
voice
rose
quietly
.
"
There
will
be
no
relief
,
Smith
;
those
are
the
troopers
,
and
they
're
against
us
.
So
now--we
've
got
it
to
ourselves
,
Smith
,
for
some
time
.
"
There
was
a
certain
satisfaction
at
the
monopoly
in
his
voice
.
THE
SEARCH-LIGHT
The
sound
of
those
two
shots
greeted
Vincent
Dering
as
,
after
infinite
difficulty
,
owing
to
the
darkness
,
the
fitful
gusts
of
wind
,
and
the
sand-banks
,
he
drew
up
the
canoe
against
what
he
knew
must
be
the
high
bank
below
the
off-take
of
the
canal
.
It
had
only
been
by
trusting
the
stream
to
guide
him
,
and
refraining
at
times
from
the
use
of
his
paddle
,
that
he
had
managed
to
steer
his
way
at
all
.
So
he
knew
he
was
late
;
felt
,
indeed
,
that
he
must
be
too
late
to
use
his
influence
with
the
men
,
and
yet
,
despite
this
knowledge
,
a
keen
disappointment
filled
him
when
those
shots
proved
him
to
be
so
;
since
by
long
experience
he
knew
that
once
open
resistance
began
,
there
could
be
no
more
question
of
words
.
What
then
,
was
there
for
him
to
do
?
If
he
,
in
his
light
canoe
,
helped
,
wherever
possible
,
by
every
atom
of
strength
his
arms
possessed
,
had
taken
so
long
to
come
down
that
mile
or
two
of
stream
,
the
raft
could
not
possibly
arrive
for
another
half
hour
.
He
could
not
sit
still
for
half
an
hour
;
he
felt
,
indeed
,
as
if
he
could
not
sit
still
for
half
a
minute
.
A
passion
to
act
,
to
sweep
away
the
past
,
to
forget
,
was
upon
him
.
He
had
had
time
during
his
strange
journey--so
often
idle
perforce--to
realize
his
position
;
time
to
piece
the
still
stranger
events
preceding
his
journey
into
a
reasonable
sequence
;
so
that
he
had
,
by
now
,
arrived
at
a
fairly
accurate
guess
as
to
the
cause
of
much
,
that
,
when
it
happened
,
had
seemed
causeless
.
For
instance
,
Laila
's
dress
,
"
given
her
by
someone
.
"
That
,
joined
to
the
knowledge
that
she
was
connected
with
the
late
Nawab
's
family
,
of
which
Roshan
Khân
might
with
justice
claim
the
headship
,
had
brought
the
latter
's
action
within
the
bounds
of
credibility
.
Jealousy
!
revenge
!
these
were
potent
causes
.
Laila
,
then
,
must
have
been
playing
with
Roshan
's
pretensions
.
Playing
like
a
child
with
a
toy
;
playing
,
rather
,
like
a
woman
who
hesitates
at
nothing
for
the
sake
of
the
man
she
loves
.
And
she
had
hesitated
at
nothing
;
not
even
at
this
,
to
give
him
pleasure
,
to
make
things
match
with
his
passion
!
The
thought
,
the
remembrance
,
made
him
for
a
moment
feel
inclined
to
fling
up
his
hands
,
and
let
the
canoe
take
him
where
it
chose
;
take
him
down
stream
utterly
.
Then
a
half
choking
,
yet
wholly
strenuous
desire
to
escape
from
the
whole
story
,
a
wild
instinctive
effort
for
a
more
wholesome
atmosphere
,
like
that
of
a
drowning
man
for
a
breath
of
fresh
air
,
had
sent
the
canoe
bounding
on
his
way
;
his
way
and
none
other
's
,
in
swift
obedience
.
With
a
rush
,
he
had
grasped
that
there
was
more
in
life--that
he
had
allowed
himself
to
be
a
slave
!
But
that
was
past
,
--he
would
shake
himself
together--he
would
forget
the
thraldom
of
sex--and
he
would
forget
the
past
.
Yet
,
as
he
cast
about
in
his
mind
for
the
best
method
of
applying
the
half
hour
's
leisure
,
the
remembrance
of
a
woman
came
to
him
,
as
if
to
mock
at
his
resolution
.
Muriel
,
and
dear
little
Gladys
who
called
him
"
Derin
'
darling
"
;
where
were
they
?
His
eyes
grew
soft
in
the
remembrance
,
stern
at
the
probability
of
their
being
in
danger
.
Why
had
he
not
thought
of
it
before
?
How
could
he
ever
have
paused
,
wondering
what
to
do
?
He
set
the
red
light
,
which
he
had
taken
from
the
fateful
balcony
,
carefully
in
the
canoe--though
,
even
should
some
gust
of
the
rising
wind
not
blow
the
light
out
,
it
could
scarcely
be
of
any
use
in
that
outer
darkness--as
a
signal
to
the
raft
should
it
,
by
an
off
chance
,
drift
past
in
his
absence
,
then
struck
across
the
sand
in
the
direction
in
which
he
knew
the
Smiths
'
bungalow
must
lie
;
that
was
,
a
little
to
the
rear
of
the
gaol
.
The
storm
,
as
he
faced
it
,
was
so
fierce
that
the
doubt
rose
inevitably
if
an
unwieldy
raft
could
make
way
against
it
.
If
so
,
then
there
would
be
no
help
.
The
only
thing
would
be
to
defend
himself
and
others
until
the
end
came
;
the
end
which
would
at
least
end
the
past
.
He
had
almost
to
feel
his
way
,
the
darkness
was
so
intense
.
It
was
a
relief
to
stumble
against
something
which
he
knew
must
be
the
low
mud
fence
of
Muriel
's
garden
;
that
garden
in
which
she
tried
to
defy
Providence
,
and
rear
English
flowers
.
He
knew
his
feet
must
be
crushing
her
treasures
as
he
passed
on
towards
a
faint
glow
,
a
red
glow
.
But
everything
that
was
not
the
blackness
of
outer
darkness
to-night
seemed
red--blood
red
.
A
minute
after
,
with
a
vast
relief
at
the
silence
,
the
solitude
,
he
was
in
Muriel
's
pretty
drawing-room
.
The
pink-shaded
lamp
was
still
alight
,
showing
red
through
the
fog
of
dust
.
He
passed
to
it
instinctively
,
and
as
he
did
so
,
noticed
the
writing
on
the
table
.
But
many
an
earth-atom
had
fallen
on
that
confession
of
ignorance
since
George
Dillon
had
made
it
idly
,
and
so
,
as
Vincent
Dering
bent
quickly
to
see
if
by
chance
it
was
some
message
left
for
those
who
might
come
after
,
he
also
had
to
frown
and
say
,
"
God
knows
!
"
Was
it
possible
that
Eugene
and
his
wife
were
still
asleep
?
The
doors
stood
open
,
but
that
was
to
be
expected
at
that
season
of
the
year
,
unless
someone
had
been
awake
to
close
them
against
the
storm
.
He
must
make
sure
,
however
.
But
there
was
no
one
to
be
found
in
any
of
the
rooms
.
It
occurred
to
him
,
then
,
that
they
must
have
taken
refuge
in
the
gaol
,
and
he
told
himself
he
was
a
fool
not
to
have
thought
of
that
before
.
Dillon
would
,
of
course
,
have
seen
to
that
.
He
,
Vincent
,
might
have
remembered
so
much
,
at
least
;
might
have
remembered
that
he
himself
was
not
the
only
slave
.
Then
he
gave
an
odd
,
bitter
little
laugh
.
Was
it
never
possible
to
get
beyond
a
woman
's
apron-strings
?
And
here
he
was
wasting
time
over
the
question
,
when
he
ought
to
be
doing
something
better
.
But
what
?
Go
back
and
wait
for
the
raft
,
or
on
to
the
gaol
?
There
was
a
big
tamarisk
tree
at
the
end
of
the
garden
.
Only
two
days
before
he
had
pointed
it
out
to
Muriel
and
said
that
an
active
man
accustomed
to
trapeze
work
might
swing
himself
from
it
astride
the
high
mud
wall
of
the
gaol
,
and
so
gain
the
roof
of
the
gate
.
Dillon
had
denied
it
;
and
she
had
said
,
laughingly
,
that
no
one
ever
tried
to
break
into
a
gaol
,
only
out
of
one
.
Curious
;
still
,
if
it
had
only
been
light
,
it
would
have
been
worth
the
risking
.
But
it
was
impossible
now
in
the
dark
.
So
,
suddenly
,
a
remembrance
came
to
him
.
The
search-light
!
Was
it
only
last
night
he
had
been
dining
here
,
in
this
house
,
after
bringing
Muriel
home
from
the
Mission
,
where
they
had
seen
that
huge
ray
piercing
the
shadows
?
Was
it
only
yesterday
that
he
had
listened
to
Eugene
's
lamentations
over
his
unused
electricity
,
which
was
sure
,
he
said
,
to
vanish
into
space
from
his
rude
contrivances
.
Was
it
only
yesterday
that
,
in
obedience
to
that
pathetic
look
of
martyrdom
on
Muriel
's
face
,
which
still
seemed--to
one
part
of
Vincent
's
nature--to
call
for
instant
sympathy
,
he
had
,
to
appease
the
honest
inventor
,
shown
an
interest
in
search-lights
which
was
purely
fictitious
,
and
learned
a
variety
of
facts
about
buttons
and
stop-cocks
?
And
had
all
this
happened
yesterday
on
purpose
that
to-day
,
when
he
was
in
need
of
light--
He
was
up
on
the
roof
with
the
thought
.
If
only
the
blessed
thing
had
go
enough
for
that
!
As
he
picked
his
way
rapidly
through
the
litter
,
three
or
four
cigar-ends
,
a
half-finished
whiskey-and-soda
,
seen
by
the
flash
of
the
hurricane
lantern
he
had
sought
out
and
lit
,
told
him
that
Eugene
must
have
been
at
work
over
his
new
toy
till
late
.
So
much
the
better
for
his
chance--for
everybody
's
chance
;
since
a
signal
like
that
might
make
all
the
difference
to
the
raft
;
all
the
difference
to
Dillon
in
the
gaol--
George
Dillon
was
,
indeed
,
beginning
to
realize
this
himself
.
His
almost
triumphant
mood
had
passed
;
it
had
come
home
to
him
that
the
unexpected
revelation
of
the
troopers
'
complicity
in
the
plot
,
whatever
it
was
,
had
changed
the
whole
aspect
of
affairs
.
Now
,
there
was
no
question
of
keeping
the
gaol
quiet
until
help
should
arrive
.
He
was
face
to
face
,
now
,
with
the
fact
that
he
must
not
rely
on
any
aid
at
all
.
What
had
really
happened
,
he
could
not
guess
.
For
all
he
knew
,
the
troopers
and
pioneers
might
have
risen
and
killed
their
officers
,
killed
everybody
who
would
be
likely
to
help
.
His
aim
,
now
,
was
to
sell
his
life
,
and--and
hers--as
dearly
as
he
could
;
but
in
the
dead
darkness
,
like
a
rat
in
a
hole
,
what
could
be
done
?
Except
wait--wait
for
the
walls
to
be
dug
through
,
the
gates
to
be
mined
,
that
poor
eight
or
ten
feet
drop
at
the
foot
of
the
stairs
scaled
.
Then
a
rush
,
still
in
the
dark
,
and--the
greatest
Darkness
of
all
!
Not
even
the
chance
of
a
shot
;
and
he
had
plenty
of
ammunition
.
It
would
at
least
have
passed
the
time
to
take
pot-shots
at
the
devils
;
and
though
these
would
have
brought
retaliation
,
there
would
have
been
no
need
for
exposure
.
The
parapet
walls
were
high
enough
,
and
properly
loopholed
.
So
,
for
a
few
minutes
,
he
sat
almost
sullenly
beside
those
,
for
whom
alone
he
now
felt
responsible
,
in
the
little
turret
,
which
,
as
is
always
the
case
in
India
,
rose
at
one
corner
of
the
flat
roof
giving
fair
shelter
for
the
time
.
In
his
first
hurried
recognition
,
which
had
come
with
the
shots
,
that
not
help
but
attack
lay
outside
,
he
had
blown
out
his
light
,
fearing
lest
Eugene
Smith
might
also
be
exposed
to
similar
attentions
;
so
it
was
pitch
dark
.
And
the
now
almost
constant
reverberations
,
which
seemed
to
send
the
sand-laden
air
in
pulse-beats
on
your
face
,
deadened
all
other
sounds
into
vague
confusion
.
But
he
knew
that
the
warders
within
the
porch
,
the
troopers
without
,
were
trying
to
force
the
barred
gate
.
That
would
not
take
long
;
though
the
two
doors
blocking
the
ends
of
the
tunnel
would
be
a
tougher
job
.
And
he
heard
,
closer
at
hand
,
a
sleepy
whimper
from
the
child
,
a
low
comforting
from
a
mother
's
voice
.
The
sound
made
him
set
his
teeth
.
God
!
if
there
was
only
light
to
kill
withal
.
And
then
,
in
a
second
,
as
if
by
a
miracle
,
it
came
.
A
great
flood
of
shining
light
,
contemptuous
,
at
that
short
distance
,
even
of
that
outer
darkness
.
For
it
was
electricity
against
electricity
;
a
house
divided
against
itself
.
The
first
thing
he
saw
by
it
was
that
fragile
figure
in
its
dainty
blue
frills
,
a
child
's
golden
head
;
and
so
,
naturally
,
the
next
instant
found
his
hand
on
a
rifle
.
"
The
search-light
!
by
all
that
's
lucky
!
Well
!
everyone
has
not
been
killed
,
anyhow
,
"
cried
Eugene
Smith
.
"
Killed
,
"
echoed
Dr.
Dillon
,
savagely
.
"
No
one
has
been
killed
yet
,
but
it
wo
n't
be
long
before
they
are
.
"
It
was
not
;
for
a
trooper
engaged
in
staring
stupidly
at
the
velvety
black
circle
out
of
which
the
intruding
light
seemed
to
spring
,
suddenly
threw
up
his
hands
,
swirled
round
,
and
fell
face
upwards
in
a
crumpled
heap
.
There
was
an
instant
's
scare
in
the
crowd
,
in
that
hundred
and
fifty
or
more
of
troopers
and
conspirators
,
thrown
into
black
and
white
relief
,
like
a
shadow
pantomime
,
about
the
outer
gate
.
Then
the
startled
murmurs
of
"
the
light--the
Dee-puk-râg
"
which
were
passing
from
lip
to
lip
,
changed
into
a
yell
.
The
fight
had
begun
in
earnest
.
"
Shoot
straight
,
"
remarked
Dr.
Dillon
,
a
few
minutes
after
,
"
we
sha
n't
have
such
a
good
chance
long
.
The
gate
is
almost
gone
.
Then
most
of
the
game
will
be
out
of
range--too
close
to
the
wall
.
And
once
they
get
into
the
tunnel
we
shall
have
to
sound
cease
firing
until
they
come
out
on
the
other
side
;
but
then
we
ought
to
do
decent
damage
,
if
the
prisoners
do
n't
get
at
us
first
.
"
He
paused
,
and
shot
on
steadily
till
,
with
a
hoarse
shout
,
the
attackers
surged
inwards
.
Then
he
laid
his
rifle
aside
,
remarking
that
it
would
be
as
well
to
keep
an
eye
gaolwards
,
in
case
of
complications
.
So
far
as
could
be
seen
in
that
curious
chequering
of
dense
darkness
and
sharp
glittering
light
;
light
which
was
palpably
an
intruder
,
which
seemed
absolutely
apart
from
the
things
it
showed--even
from
the
dust-atoms--there
was
none
as
yet
.
At
least
the
uppermost
portion
of
that
vast
wheel
of
wall
stood
out
,
perfect
,
unbroken
.
The
roof
of
the
Smiths
'
bungalow
,
where
the
light
stood
,
being
,
however
,
but
little
higher
than
these
walls
,
much
of
what
lay
below
in
the
sections
themselves
was
necessarily
hidden
in
shadow
;
especially
on
the
side
nearest
the
light
.
But
the
narrow
alley
leading
up
to
the
central
tower
,
being
in
straight
line
with
the
ray
,
showed
clear
as
daylight
,
save
just
under
the
citadel
itself
.
So
did
most
of
the
little
courtyard
,
with
its
doors
opening
to
the
right
and
left
.
George
Dillon
gave
a
sigh
of
satisfaction
at
the
sight
,
since
,
whether
the
foe
elected--when
once
inside
the
gates--to
rush
the
roof
,
or
press
on
to
liberate
the
prisoners
by
those
six
doors
in
the
round
tower
,
there
would
be
fair
chance
of
a
good
bag
,
for
a
straight
shot
!
Or
,
even
if
the
convalescents
in
hospital
were
to
set
free
the
solitary-cell
convicts--a
contingency
which
had
occurred
to
him
too
late
for
any
plan
of
minimizing
the
danger--and
were
to
swarm
into
the
courtyard
to
help
against
the
last
gate
(
which
,
of
course
,
was
partly
barred
from
the
inside
)
,
he
could
settle
their
hash
also
.
And
that
,
now
,
was
his
one
idea
.
The
idea
of
all
brave
men
when
they
find
themselves
in
a
tight
place--to
kill
before
being
killed
.
As
yet
,
however
,
there
was
no
sign
of
life
even
within
the
vast
wheel
,
with
its
rims
and
spokes
of
light
,
its
centre
of
shadow
.
It
lay
dim
,
curiously
still
behind
the
dust-atoms
that
danced
in
the
ray
,
like
motes
in
a
sunbeam
.
There
was
not
a
sound
,
not
a
sign
within
.
Only
the
tumult
of
voices
,
the
intermittent
shots
without
,
rising
above
the
dull
,
muffled
hum
in
the
air
.
Stay
!
that
was
something
.
Half
way
round
the
circle
,
where
the
shadow
of
the
tall
tamarisk
tree
in
the
Smiths
'
garden
cut
a
jagged
gap
in
the
white
rim
of
wall
,
there
was
some
change
,
something
that
had
not
been
there
a
moment
ago
.
The
gap
had
moved
;
had
changed
place
and
form
,
though
for
a
time
the
air
was
still
with
one
of
those
breathless
,
suffocating
pauses
,
when
the
dust
above
seems
to
sink
on
the
dust
below
,
and
fill
one
's
very
lungs
.
And
now
the
gap
was
back
again
,
as
it
had
been
before
.
But
it
had
left
something
clinging
for
a
second
to
the
wall
like
a
limpet
:
the
next
astride
it
safely
.
"
Reach
me
over
my
rifle
,
Smith
,
"
said
the
doctor
,
briefly
;
"
there
's
a
brute
trying
to
sniggle
along
the
wall
;
must
have
come
up
that
tree
in
your
garden
.
Wish
I
'd
taken
Dering
's
advice
and
cut
it
down
.
Thanks
!
I
do
n't
want
to
take
my
eye
off
him
,
for
fear
he
means
to
drop
into
a
section
.
I
'll
shoot
,
if
that
seems
his
game
;
if
not
,
I
'll
wait
till
he
comes
closer
.
"
He
leant
over
the
parapet
