The Rajah's Fortress — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

THE RAJAH'S FORTRESS. 279 “‘You are right,’’ said Guv, solemnly. ‘“‘No one went out by the door, but three people passed out by a secret passage not ten minutes ago, and that secret passage is in this very room ’’ A shiver of fear passed over them as Guy made this startling assertion. Then he briefly related what he had seen from the time the voice woke him until the match went out on that silent struggle. ‘‘It was no treachery on Topee’s part, I assure you,’’ he said. ‘‘He was taken by the throat in or-. der to prevent any outcry.”’ Those two dacoits must have crept in here while we slept and removed all our arms. They were here in hiding when Topee opened the desk, and, as there was danger of detection, they took the China- man along. Now deny if you can that there is a se- cret exit.’’ ‘It baffles me,’’ said Forbes. ‘‘ This is the deep- est mystery I ever struck. The facts won’t recon- cile. See here, now. Granted that there is a secret way out. Tell me why Nana Sahib and Dalo did not make their escape through here yesterday !’’ ‘“ Perhaps they did,’’ said Guy. ‘*Then tell me why they left the door unbarred, the bolts unslipped. Do you suppose they would have given us free access to these private apartments containing the robber’s wealth and proof of his identity with Nana Sahib? No! They did not escape through here. They passed out by some exit from the empty room yonder. ‘*Now,’’ he added, convincingly, ‘‘that settles that. Here comes another problem more puzzling than the other: If there is a secret passage from this very room, why didn’t the enemy swarm in, why didn’t they overpower us while we slept? Why did they only take our arms as we lay here defenseless COLUM 1OOO co