The Rajah's Fortress — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

60 THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. and it seemed to the wondering men like a sacrilege when Forbes suddenly shouted out: ‘¢ By Jove, I havea plan! I[’ll save you yet!” He thereupon rushed into the pagoda, followed by Chutney and Terril. ‘“ The stone bases of the idols,” he cried exult- antly. ‘“ Do you see them? And do you see what forms the foundation for the pagoda?” Chutney looked at him as though doubting his sanity, and then a light broke over him as Forbes cried wildly : “+ Are you blind, Chutney? Don’t you see what I mean? Can the dacoits come up in the face of those great stones rolled down the steps? Why, they'll be crushed to a jelly.” “ Forbes, you have saved our lives, I really be- lieve,” cried Guy, clasping the other’s hand warmly. “ And now to work, quick! The scoundrels are nearly half-way up.” Melton’s idea was indeed a brilliant one. The idols, themselves carved of stone and wood, and very tall, rested on greatstone cylinders, four feet high and probably two feet in diameter, and the pagoda itself was built on a foundation of these stone pillars. With feverish haste the men tore down the idols, and rolled the cylinders out to the edge of the steps. Three men could barely move one of them, so massive and solid were they. Soon the whole dozen stood poised on the edge, CONMUC WOO SS co