Gil the Gunner Part 79

I was so much startled that I half-drew my sword as I gazed at the curtain, which was barely visible, the only light being that which came from the lamps in the next room, and a trifle from the window as the lanthorns, carried by the guard in the court, moved here and there.

"No, no, sahib," came in a faint whisper, which relieved me, for at that moment I had been ready to fancy it was some curious wild beast.

"Dost!" I whispered back, as I crept softly to the curtain.

"Yes, sahib. But look! Did the men see me come in?"

I peered out of the window, and saw that the guard were marching slowly to and fro, with their lanthorns swinging.

"No; they have seen nothing," I whispered; and then I pa.s.sed through into the next room, crossed it, and made sure that Salaman was not coming.

"It is all safe," I said, as I returned. "How did you manage to get up?"

"It was impossible, sahib," he said, hardly above his breath. "I could not get near for the guard."

"Then how did you manage?" I said.

"I came over the roof, sahib, and let myself down by a cord."

"Then we can escape that way," I whispered.

"Is the sahib strong enough to climb the rope?"

A pang of misery shot through me as I involuntarily applied my right hand to my wounded arm.

"No," I said.

"Then I must pull the sahib up," said Dost, calmly. "We ought to go soon."

"Pst!" I whispered, and I stepped to the window, leaned out, and seemed to be studying the sounds outside, for there was the faint rustle of a curtain, and a light step crossing the next room.

Directly after I heard Salaman's voice.

"Did my lord call?"

"Eh? Call? No," I said, coming from the window, and trying to command my voice, as I walked toward where he stood in the open doorway. "I can't hear any firing now."

"No, my lord; the battle must be over, and at any time his highness will be back."

I made some remark, but what it was I cannot tell now, and went on into the lighted room, noticing that he glanced suspiciously at my sword, but I appeared not to notice it, and went to the window of that room, while Salaman went back.

"He has had strict orders to keep on watching me," I said to myself; and I had hardly thought this, than, to my horror, I heard the regular tramp of feet, and the officer and four men marched into the next room, where I heard them moving about.

I was going to rush into the sleeping-room to warn Dost, when Salaman appeared.

"My lord will not be angry with his servant," he said. "It is his highness's commands that you should be watched carefully, and they are searching the rooms."

"Searching the rooms?" I said aloud.

"Yes, my lord. I am not to blame."

Just then the officer entered bearing a lanthorn, and his four men came behind.

He bowed to me respectfully, and then made a sign to his followers, who carefully searched the room--a simple task, for all that was needed was to look behind the hangings.

My heart felt in my mouth, as people say, for the officer led the way now to my bed and the bath-room, where poor Dost was certain to be discovered if he had not succeeded in making his escape.

Salaman followed the guard, and I sat listening for the first cry of excitement, but none arose, and I breathed freely as the officer came back, lanthorn in hand, followed by his men, to salaam to me again, and pa.s.s out to his station by the far door while Salaman hung back. "My lord has offended his highness, who is angry. That is why the search is made."

I did not answer--I could not; and the man bowed and went out, while I stepped quickly to the window of the bedroom, at which Dost appeared directly after--a dark shadowy figure, and leaped down.

"We must go at once, sahib," he whispered. "It is so dark up here that the guard in the court can see nothing. I shall go up on to the roof, and lower the rope. The sahib will make it quite fast round beneath his arms, and then tug once, and step on to the window-sill. He will then trust to me, and I shall draw him up."

"But can you, Dost?" I said nervously.

"The sahib may believe me. I am very strong."

As he spoke, he placed his hands on my waist, and lifted me up with the greatest ease, setting me down again lightly.

"Now, sahib; ready?"

I could just dimly see him step to the window, and I felt that he must have seized a rope, up which he pa.s.sed with the activity of a monkey, and I saw plainly enough now why he had not been discovered. The next minute, after a faint grating noise, I felt the rope swinging backward and forward. I caught it, and secured it firmly about my waist, climbed on to the window-sill, jerked the rope, and felt it tighten slowly, then more and more, till it lifted me from where I stood, and I felt myself gliding slowly upward, my heart beating violently the while, for I was utterly helpless, and as I was not exerting myself, I suffered the more mentally, wondering whether the rope would hold--whether Dost would have strength enough to haul me right up--whether the guards pacing the court would hear us, and look up and see us by the light of their lanthorns, and give the alarm--whether Salaman would enter the room and miss me.

These thoughts rushed like lightning through my brain as I felt the jerk, jerk of the rope, and gazed skyward. I suppose I must have been about half-way to the roof when I heard a faint click and s.h.i.+vered.

My scabbard had struck against the wall, and I looked wildly down at the guards, but to my great surprise they had not heard it, and were continuing their walk.

Dost paused for a few moments as he heard the sound, and I did not stir, but hung close to the wall, with my heart beating painfully, before I dared to seize the scabbard with one hand and hold on.

Then the jerking motion was begun again, and once more I suffered a kind of martyrdom as I fully expected to find that the rope would slacken, and that I should be precipitated on to the marble flags of the court.

Oh, how long it seemed. For it was a minute of gold drawn out into a wire of what seemed to be endless length.

Then I was at the top, and pa.s.sed my right hand over to seize the parapet, while Dost's hands were busy about my chest, and the next thing I remember is being dragged down on to the flat, Eastern roof, where I lay panting with Dost lying by my side, but with his eyes level with the parapet, as he listened for tokens of alarm.

There was not a sound, and satisfied that all was right so far, Dost whispered to me to sit up, when he rapidly twisted the rope round my breast, and turned in one end, while I looked about me, to try and make out the kind of place we were on. But it was too dark to see much, and I waited for my companion's next order, contenting myself to leave everything in his hands.

"Now, sahib," he whispered, with his lips to my ear, "take my hand, keep in a stooping att.i.tude, and walk with me."

I should have liked to ask, "What are you going to do?" but he was commanding-officer for the moment, and all I had to do was to obey.

I rose, and, bending down as I grasped his hand, walked softly to where we reached the end of that side of the court--the roof seeming perfectly flat--and then we turned off at right angles and walked along till we had reached the end of the building which formed another side. Here the process was repeated till we were about opposite to the spot where I had been drawn up.

Here Dost stopped.

"We must get down here!" he whispered.

"Into the court?"