Guy took a hasty glance at the roofs and battlements spread before them on one side, the moonlit landscape on the other, and then he whispered down, "All right, Melton?"
"Yes, go ahead," came the faint reply.
"Quick, they are coming!" cried Canaris in sudden excitement, and as he spoke a yell went up close at hand, and three or four dark figures turned the corner of the nearest slave-prison.
A big Somali was in the lead, and, spying Melton, he raised his spear.
"You fiend!" cried Guy, and, lifting a loose stone from the wall, he hurled it down.
It struck the spear from the rascal"s hand, and, before he could recover himself, Guy and Canaris had dragged Melton to the top of the wall by a prodigious effort.
"Down, down!" cried Canaris, and as they crouched low three or four spears went over their heads and a hoa.r.s.e shout of rage went up from the baffled Somalis that was caught up and repeated far back into the town.
"Keep cool," cautioned Canaris; "the ropes are up; they can"t reach us.
Five minutes more, and----" The words froze on his lips. Loud above the shouts of the savages rose a harsh, metallic sound that vibrated in shuddering echoes through the night air. It was the beating of the tomtom at the Emir"s palace.
An electric circuit could not have more speedily roused the town. A vast, sullen roar went up instantly, and then, mingled with the clang of the tomtom and the tumult of the people, rang out a harsh rattle of alarm-drums that swelled and spread until every oval watch-turret on the town walls was sounding the tocsin announcing to the subjects of Rao Khan the escape of the hated Englishmen.
CHAPTER XV.
THE PURSUIT.
"Now for it," cried Canaris. "Don"t be scared. In two minutes we"ll be out of reach of these fiends."
His appearance belied his words, for he was trembling with fright. The rope about Melton"s legs had not been loosened, and he was instantly lowered on the other side. In less time than it takes to tell, Guy and Canaris had joined him, and all three felt the solid earth beneath their feet again.
The situation was now extremely critical. The tomtom still rang out from the palace, and the drums were beating in the watch-towers, though their volume of sound could be heard but faintly above the constantly increasing roar of the maddened people.
The fugitives had scaled the wall at a point on the western side of the city very close to the southern angle; the western gate was still more remote, and from these gates the pursuit must come.
That it would come quickly no one could doubt, for the rabble of Somalis who had led the chase through the market-place had by this time reached the gates with the tidings of the fugitives" escape over the wall.
Canaris took a bag and a rifle and Guy followed his example.
Not a second of time was lost, but, turning to the southwest, they dashed down the long, slanting hill toward the valley that opened clear and distinct at their feet. Their ears rang with the horrid din and turmoil, and this spurred them on to greater efforts as they plunged forward with great strides.
At the angle of the wall stood a watch-tower, and from this coign of vantage the guards saw the fleeing fugitives, outlined by the treacherous moonlight.
Crack! crack! crack! rang their rifles, and the bullets whistled keenly through the air, but the flying figures went straight on and speedily vanished over the crest of the hill.
The valley beneath the town was skimmed across, and then, scaling a low stone wall, they plunged into the shadow of a big plantation and ran on between rows of limes and coffee trees.
Guy feared that the Arabs who owned these orchards would join in the pursuit, but Canaris a.s.sured him that there was little danger of that.
An uproar in the town, he declared, was always the signal for the dwellers outside the walls to shut themselves in their houses.
A danger from another source, however, threatened them, for with a furious growl a great dog came bounding on behind, and by his loud outcry made the location of the fugitives very plain to their enemies.
The brute persistently followed them up, snapping at their heels, and baying loudly. No stones could be found, and to use firearms would only make matters worse. On the farther side of the plantation, however, the dog stopped and uttered a long-drawn howl that was caught up in echoes across the valley.
"I"m giving out," cried Melton faintly. "You"ll have to leave me."
Canaris turned on him fiercely.
"Do you hear the mad fiends howling behind us? They are scattering over the country, and if we are caught, good by," and he whipped his hand across his throat. "You must keep up, only half a mile more, and I"ll hide you so securely that the fiends can never find us."
"Year hear?" added Guy. "Only half a mile more, Melton, and then rest."
But all this encouragement was of little use. Forbes was suffering now from the reaction, and his strength was almost gone. A sound of shouting suddenly rose from the valley, and taking Melton by the arms they fairly dragged him along.
A hill now loomed up before them, and clutching stones and limbs of trees they made their way painfully to the summit.
Looking toward the town they could see torches moving to and fro across the valley, and twinkling through the leafy avenues of the plantation.
Their old enemy, the dog, began to howl again, but a rifle-shot speedily cut his career short.
As they hastened down the western slope of the hill the sound of water broke on their hearing, and then the stream came in view, a swift and narrow torrent brawling over rocks and ledges.
Guy ran ahead, and filling his helmet, offered it to Melton, who drank deeply.
"I feel like a new man," he cried; "that was splendid."
Canaris now led them down the stream for some distance until a shallow place permitted them to wade across. The valley had become a gorge. The sloping hills gave way to great frowning ma.s.ses of rock so high and so close that no moonlight pierced the shadows. Finally the Greek stopped and pointed above his head.
"We must climb the rocks," he said. "Are you equal to it?"
Melton looked dubiously at the steep side of the gorge, but before he could reply Canaris started up, and he had no alternative but to follow.
Guy came close behind to catch his friend if he should give out.
The ascent, however, was not so bad as it looked. Canaris picked his way with great skill, winding along the face of the cliff in a zigzag manner. Had it been daylight dizziness would have caused them to lose their heads, for the gulf below grew deeper every moment, and at places the path was but a foot wide.
At length Canaris climbed over a big rock that barred the way, and then a.s.sisted Melton and Guy to the top.
"Here we are," he said cheerily, "and just as safe as though we were in the Acropolis at Athens."
They stood on a small plateau, protected by a low parapet of jagged rocks that extended in a half circle. The top of the cliff was close over their heads, and behind them was a natural grotto scooped concavely out of the solid rock. It was a perfect hiding place and a splendid point of defense in case of an attack.
Melton dropped feebly on the stone floor, and Guy and the Greek sat down against the parapet. Reaction had come to all of them. Now they were really safe, the terror and excitement of the flight was visible on their faces. Their clothes were soaking wet, and the perspiration rolled down their cheeks.
"Look," exclaimed Canaris, leaning over the parapet, "look down there!"
He pointed into the gorge, and Guy, glancing down, saw torches flaring against the rocky walls, revealing in their glow dark, swiftly-moving figures, and weird shadows dancing on the waters of the torrent.
Canaris observed Guy"s expression of alarm, for he said calmly: "Don"t fear. We are perfectly safe; try and sleep some; you need rest badly."