The Rajah's Fortress — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. 297 Guy moved noiselessly to the cannon’s side, and placed the helmet of lead upon the floor. His nerve had all come back to him, and with a hand that never trembled he drew a small pearl-cased knife from his pocket, and, opening the blade, pressed it by main force down the touchhole. It fitted tightly into place. A hasty glance to- ward the corridor showed no cause for alarm. Ne approaching shadow blurred the dim radiance from the bronze lamp; the coins still clinked, the dice rattled unceasingly. Guy lifted the helmet slowly. It rose to the level of the barrel, and the faint glow from the heated brass plainly revealed the touchhole. With one hand he held it directly over the spot, while with the other he carefully tipped the helmet by means of a bitof wood. Slowly the rim descended, the black scum gathered to the edge, and then be- neath it the molten lead glistened like silver. Closer and closer. It trembled on the verge now, and then, guided by a steady hand, the thin, glit- tering stream trickled down the touchhole. “ Boom!” With a thunderous explosion and a streak of flame the brass monster recoiled on its shaft. The walls, shivered and rent by the mighty force of this underground blast, shattered down a hail-storm of slabs and loose stones and blinding dust; the brazen helmet spattered its liquid burden in all directions, and fell with a crash to the floor, while COLUM 1OOO SS co