The Rajah's Fortress — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

264 THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. voice, but before the other -culd reply the daccit leader shouted out some order and the enemy poured down over the chests and into the room. The struggle was short and brief. Sabers and daggers were of no use against those long, heavy spears. ‘They made a short defense, but at the very beginning Guy’s saber was struck from his grasp, Loyd was stunned and knocked down by a heavy blow from a spear, and with no serious injury on either side, the conflict ended, the victory with the enemy. The Englishmen had played a desperate game, staking life, home, friends, everything against fear- ful odds, and now they had lost. Nana Sahib was the victor, a victor who would give as much mercy as a wounded tigress would offer to the slayer of her cubs. : ‘*Bind them,’’ said the black giant grimly, and he looked on approvingly as heavy iron manacles were locked on their wrists. The dacoits performed the work with savage ex- ultation, and were only hindered from offensive in- sults by the presence of their dreaded leader. It was a strange scene, the flickering glare of the torches, the yellow light shining fitfully on the heavily curtained walls, the smashed and shattered door, hanging on its hinges, the scattered chests gaping apart, the floor strewn with heaps and heaps of golden coin, the pale faces of the prisoners, the dark, sullen countenances of the foe, and in the background the motionless form of the wounded man lying among his pillows. Carew had been for the moment forgotten, but a low moan attracted the enemy’s attention, and they pulled him out from three or four chests which completely covered him. He was unconscious, and Guy really feared that he was dead. He could not CONMUC WOO SS co