? ? ? ? The man had entered and was standing facing the centre of the room, so that his back was toward me. Five feet above me was the top of a partition wall separating our cell from the next.
? ? ? ? There was my only chance to escape detection. If the fellow turned, I was lost; nor could I have dropped to the floor undetected, since he was no nearly below me that I would have struck him had I done so.
? ? ? ? "Where is the white man?" cried the guard of Xodar. "Issus commands his presence." He started to turn to see if I were in another part of the cell.
? ? ? ? I scrambled up the iron grating of the window until I could catch a good footing on the sill with one foot; then I let go my hold and sprang for the partition top.
? ? ? ? "What was that?" I heard the deep voice of the black bellow as my metal grated against the stone wall as I slipped over. Then I dropped lightly to the floor of the cell beyond.
? ? ? ? "Where is the white slave?" again cried the guard.
? ? ? ? "I know not," replied Xodar. "He was here even as you entered. I am not his keeper--go find him."
? ? ? ? The black grumbled something that I could not understand, and then I heard him unlocking the door into one of the other cells on the further side.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180