The Rajah's Fortress — page 230: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. 217 throbbing hearts awaited the result of their rash- ness. One minute passed and then another, but no sound came from within. Guy ventured back, and feeling cautiously with his hand, discovered that the slab had been moved up along the inside wall half way, and a space was thus opened fully large enough to crawl through. His next move made all plain, for thrusting his hand forward into what he supposed was the black darkness of the arsenal he felt a soft, silky fabric that gave way tothetouch. He drew back his hand, and after a moment’s deliberation crept partly into the opening and with the greatest care slowly raised the cloth from the bottom. Inch by inch he gathered up the folds until he was able to see the interior of the chamber. There was nothing alarming apparently in the sight that met his eyes. On the left was the cor- ridor Loyd had mentioned, and through the narrow doorway a faint light shone into the chamber from an unseen lamp. The corridor itself, what little of it was in view, seemed to be empty. A hasty glance showed him this, and then he turned his attention to the cham- ber before him. Coming from the darkness of the cavern he was able to distinguish the dim objects in the room with tolerable accuracy. The first thing that rivet- ed his attention was the cannon, a ghostly-looking COLUM 1OOO SS co