The Rajah's Fortress — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

THE RAJAH'S FORTRESS. 225 forget. He was helpless, unable to move an inch. The dacoit’s bony hand was slowly throttling him, yet he never slackened his vise-like grip on his enemy’s throat, and only pressed the harder as he felt consciousness rapidly leaving him. Then the rascal’s other hand came up, and Guy saw the glitter of a knife. A brief second, an‘ all would be over. The knife was lifted, and just as it was about to descend, a long yellow hand, with pointed nails, snatched the uplifted arm, and then the dacoit was raised bodily into the air, and Guy rose slowly to his feet to find Topee at his side, and his des- perate foe a limp mass upon the stone floor. The Chinaman made a motion of silence, and Guy only pressed his hand warmly. In the corridor the game went quietly on, the players serenely unconscious of the little drama that had just ended so close to them. Ata signal from Topee, Guy squeezed through the opening, and the Chinaman followed, pulling the senseless dacoit behind him. | His first act was to gag the fellow’s mouth with a big wad of greasy linen, and to bind his arms and legs securely. Then, dropping him roughly against the side of the cavern to come to at his leisure, he slid down the rocky descent, motioning to Guy to follow. * No talkee now,” he whispered, when Guy tried to question him; and then he pointed to the fire COLUM 1OOO SS co