Part 3 (2/2)
”You mean Torres?” exclaimed Melton ”I know the villain He is a partner of Makar Makalo's But coarrison”
Alas! too late! Bang--bang, bang--bang, a fusillade of rifle-fire rang out froled with cries of despair and agony, and over the garrison walls floated a constantly increasing cloud of white s deepened, and a hoarse yell arose as the English flag, shot fro sarrison!” cried Melton
He grasped a revolver in each hand, and would have gone madly forward, but at thatdown the crooked street, curving in and out through the tents and heaped-up stalls, ca rifles and spears, and yelling like ten thousand fiends
”On board for your lives!” shouted the captain, and as Guy and Melton dashed over the gang-plank, followed by Mo down into the water
Providentially steaines started, the screw revolved, and just as the steaed e they let fly showers of spears and a scattering rifle-fire that pierced and shattered the ork of the vessel, but fortunately without effect, for every ot safely below
CHAPTER IV
THE ALARM
They rushed upon deck again as soon as the steamer was beyond rifle-shot A distant roar, like the blended shouts of thousands of people, floated across the water from the town, and at intervals a shot was fired
Sarrison The last arrison thehad been directed against the British troops alone
”This is a terrible thing,” said Melton, ”and there is so back of it all I can't understand it Can it be possible the wretches have designs on Zaila, I wonder? It's a pity you interfered with that leopard, Chutney If Makar Makalo had perished, this revolt ht never have broken out Makar is at the head of it, I know, and possibly he has influence behind him He is an ally of that fanatical despot, Rao Khan, the Elish worse than poison, and--”
Guy started at the mention of this name
”I want to see you aMelton to one side, he pulled out the despatches from his pocket, and said, ”You have co to confide a secret to you, and you can tell what had best be done
These papers were intrusted to me for delivery into the hands of Sir Arthur Ashby, at Zaila, and they contain instructions bearing on the very matter you have just mentioned The authorities at the colonial office in London told me in secret that the E the capture of Zaila, and these despatches contain Sir Arthur's orders in case of that eency”
”By Jove, that explains it!” cried Melton ”The eency has come I see it all Makar had collected his Arabs and Somalis at Berbera by the E the arrival of that villainous Portuguese with the rifles They have put the garrison at Berbera out of the way, and now they will march on to Zaila”
”Then what can be done?” deet the captain to steam direct for Aden and collect all the available troops?”
”No, no,” groaned Forbes ”That would be useless Zaila is sixty et there in tiarrison is wretchedly small, but they will have to hold out until assistance can come from Aden”
Melton was stillof the despatches
”Then Torres knows their contents,” he said, ”and he will act accordingly This is certainly a bad business, Chutney Those papers h, to tell the truth, I fear Zaila is doo must be done at once”