The Rajah's Fortress — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

202 THE BAJAH’S FORTRESS. “T gee,” said Guy. “We must lose no time in starting. It’s a forlorn hope at the best.” ‘It is indeed,” returned Loyd. But say noth- ing about that. The men will fight all the better, and if we fail we shall have no cause to blame ourselves.” Guy called his comrades together and addressed. them with a few brief words of encouragement. Topee alone showed any nervousness. He wasstill partly under the impression, however, that Pandy was to be captured, and the thought of the 50,000 rupees overbalanced his fears. The enemy remained quiet, so Jung placed him- self at the mouth of the cavern with his rifle anda pocket full of shells, and then, in single file and headed by Guy, the rest marched past him into the darkness of the cavern. Never in the records of England’s wars had men been in a more desperate position. Shut up ina narrow underground passage, a howling, relentless band of foes behind them, and in front, a fortress which, for aught they knew, was also filled with armed dacoits. And through these perils they had to fight their way, and if perchance fortune favored them and they gained the open air with the released prisoner, they must flee straight into the bosom of the swampy mountainous region that stretched away for miles towards the western coast, a wilderness infested with treacherous beasts, and more treacherous natives. CONMUC WOO SS co