Part 34 (1/2)

So it was Erda who recalled him to the wider issue. ”What are you going to do, if Dr. Dillon doesn't hear?”

She had to raise her voice a little, for something--either coming wind or far-distant thunder--had brought a curious, faint reverberation to the air.

It seemed to come from all quarters, scarcely distinguishable, yet unmistakable, like the roll of a half-m.u.f.fled drum, or a deep organ note quivering into silence.

The darkness all about them grew thicker and thicker. Lance, close beside her in that red lamp circle, showed as if seen through gauze.

How unreal it all was! Herself, most of all, in a mess jacket, and, of course--but this thought came second--her wedding dress! And then it struck her that she, herself, was more unreal than anything else. To be there at dead of night, feeling no fear, only a sort of savage interest--

”But if he doesn't hear,” she persisted, ”you will have to go down the river and warn him.”

He nodded. And yet his thought went first to the fact that, if he had to do this, if Roshan Khan had to be left in charge of the relief, it would be still more awkward for Vincent Dering.

_Tring-a-tring-tring!_

The answering tinkle brought a little breath of joy to them both; but Erda felt inclined to stamp her feet at the slow precision with which Lance--who had to remember each equivalent sign--spelt out his message.

He could not be quicker, of course, and yet surely he might! She longed to s.n.a.t.c.h at the handles herself, though she could not signal at all.

”There, that's done!” she cried, as a continuous short rattle followed from the other end, which Lance translated into--”_All right, await you_.” ”Now! what is to be done next?”

”Roshan Khan--he'll get the men together,” answered Lance, already on his way to the wicket in the gate. To his surprise, it was closed. He knocked, no answer came. Erda, holding the lamp, looked at him startled.

”Sentry!” he called. ”Sentry! Open the door! _Miracle!_'”

It was the pa.s.sword for the night, given by Captain Dering in contemptuous memory of the day; but it produced no result. The wicket remained obstinately closed.

”They've locked us in!” whispered Erda; the lowering of her voice being due to a swift instinct that the less fuss made the better; the less chance of interruption.

Lance bent his ear to the keyhole to listen. Those dull, m.u.f.fled reverberations--either distant thunder, or faint, ineffective explosions of electricity close at hand--were louder now; but he could hear no sound above them. He shook his head.

Erda had the lamp on the ground in a second, and was beside it, her red-gold hair in the dust, as she peered through a three-inch iron grating between the iron-rimmed door and the iron lintel.

When she rose up her face was like the iron also.

”They've trapped us!” she whispered. ”There is a sentry outside--I saw his feet. Come away, and let us settle what to do. And say something, something angry--you know what I mean.”

”d.a.m.n that brute!” said Lance, cordially, in a loud voice, ”where the deuce has the sentry gone to? I'll have it out with him to-morrow, the infernal--”

Erda, ahead with the lamp, turned to look back, and put her finger on her lips reproachfully. ”That's quite enough,” she said; but she said it with a smile. That vigorous delight in action which some women feel was making her blood race through her veins.

”Now what's to be done?” she said swiftly, as she put the lamp down on the mess table again. ”Let's think hard.”

The gate was closed against interference with--with--_something!_

That was evident. Proof positive, therefore, that Am-ma's tale was true.

So it followed that the most urgent need for help was at the gaol.

But how to reach it, and with whom?