The Rajah's Fortress — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

222 THE RAJAH’'S FORTRESS. stantly nerved himself totry theforlorn hope that yet remained. The dacoit raised the curtain, and witha sinking heart Guy saw the flickering gleam from Topee’s fire far down the passage. The dacoit saw it, too. Perfectly incapable of making any noise or outcry, he stood petrified in mute wonder, still holding up the curtain as he bent low and gazed into the flame- lit cavern. Probably no thought of danger entered his head. If he had been drinking, as was probably the case, he may have believed himself under the influence of an acute attack of delirzwm tremens. Whatever his emotions, curiosity was plainly on top, for he continued to strain his eyes into the cavern, en- tirely oblivious to the fact that an unseen enemy was approaching from the rear ; for Guy, resolved to make a bold stroke for success, was moving with cat-like tread toward his stooping enemy. It was a terrible moment. The fate of all was trembling in the balance. A backward glance from the dacoit, and—farewell to home and friends, and yetin this trying emergency Guy felt critically cool and collected. Only a yard intervened between them now. Guy set his teeth hard, uttered a silent prayer, and, with all the desperate strength that he could sum- mon, darted out his arms with a lightning-like mo- tion, and, gripping the dacoit’s bony throat between his quivering fingers, bore him, face downward, to the ground. CONMUC WOO SS co