The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE RIVER OF DARKNESS. 291 the important point, and any concession must be made to secure this. So all idea of making a fight of it was given up. Short and brief would have been the struggle for Guy and Melton, as the three Hindoos were the only ones armed, and they had but a scant supply of ammunition. Makar held a short conversation with three or four Arabs, and then, slipping down from his camel, he walked off a little way from the residency and shouted loudly, ‘‘Inglis men, come down. You no be killed. You prisoners of war.’’ The idea of Makar’s investing this bloody outbreak with all the dignity of legitimate warfare was ridiculous, and the colonel laughed. ‘“‘'What’s that about prisoners ?’’ cried Sir Arthur, coming eagerly for- ward. ‘‘ Will they spare our lives, I wonder? Let me talk to the fellow. Til try to conciliate him.”’ He walked pompously to the parapet and bent over. Perhaps the cham- pagne he had drunk had affected his head. At all events he leaned a little too far, and suddenly losing his balance toppled over and fell with a crash plump on the heads of the two Arab sentries at the door. All three came to the ground in a heap, and it was a great relief to the anxious watchers above to see Sir Arthur stagger to his feet apparently unhurt. The effect on the Arabs was electric. The remaining guards glanced up apprehensively, and very speedily changed their location. As for Makar he evidently believed that Sir Arthur had come down ex- pressly in response to his summons, for he waited for the rest to follow his example. ‘‘ Bless my heart !’’ muttered Sir Arthur. ‘‘ What a narrow escape !’’ He started toward Makar, but two Arabs laid hold of him and pulled him down roughly to one side. ““We'd better go down,” said the colonel, and raising his voice he shouted, ‘“Do you swear to preserve our lives if we come down ?”’ ‘‘ By the shades of Mohammed, I swear it. Come down,’’ replied Makar. ““We’ll have to trust to his word,’’ said the colonel. ‘‘ Put the ladder in position.’’ 3 The ladder, with one end on the ground, failed to reach the top of the parapet by four or five feet. It was a ticklish business to drop down on the upper round, but one by one they accomplished it, and descending to the ground, were speedily seized and relieved of everything on their persons. Perhaps Makar doubted his ability to keep his word, for he hurried his prisoners into the residency, away from the turbulent crowd, and left them in the hall in custody of a dozen armed Arabs. They had not been here five minutes when a commotion was heard out- side, and the shattered doors were pulled apart to admit half a dozen weary, blood stained soldiers of the garrison. "They were the last survivors, and they told a fearful tale of woe. The fortifications had been attacked, they said, at the same time by the population of the town on one side, and on the south bya vast horde of Arabs and Somalis, who suddenly appeared over the sand hills mounted on | CoRmmiclaoolks