The Rajah's Fortress — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. 55 as they can move a limb they will press mght up to the muzzles of the guns.” Guy spoke in acareless, flippant tone to encour- age the men, but he knew only too well what a grave aspect the situation had suddenly assumed, and what small chance they had of successfully resisting the enemy. The floor of the pagoda was sprinkled with a whitish sand, and some of this was scattered over the stone frontage so that the men would not slip, for a hand-to-hand struggle was certain to ensue. There was no long delay, no attempt at surprise, nor a stealthy, noiseless approach in the darkness, but Guy’s prediction was fulfilled ina manner that was indeed startling. With a hoarse shouting and a tumult of angry cries, the dacoits began the ascent, their progress marked by the flare of a dozen torches, while two or three brazen gongs, beaten loudly and incessantly, inflamed them almost to madness, to judge by the rising inflection of their voices. “ Just one volley, now!” said Chutney as the torches showed they were half way up, and the front line of soldiers discharged their rifles. Mingled with the savage cries was perhaps a shriek or two of agony, but there was no stop, no pause, and the horde came steadily on up the steps, the torches illuminating, as they passed, the suc- cessive figures of the stone idols that lined the way Another volley was as futile as the first. Several COLUM 1OOO SS co