r and Dr. Mayle looked up with surprise, but Hillyard had
risen quickly, and they raised no objection. Rayne walked down the
stairs first and led the way towards the rear of the building across an
open stretch of ground. The moon had not yet risen, and it was pitch
dark so that Hillyard had not an idea whither he was being led. Colin
Rayne stopped at a small, low door in a high big wall and knocked. A
heavy key grated in a lock and the door was opened by a soldier.
Hillyard found himself standing inside a big compound, in the midst of
which stood some bulky, whitish erection, from which a light gleamed.

Colin Rayne led the way towards the light. It was shining through the
doorway of a chamber of new wood planks with a flat roof and some
strange, dimly-seen superstructure. Hillyard looked through the doorway
and saw a curious scene. Two Sudanese soldiers were present, one of whom
carried the lantern. The other, a gigantic creature with a skin like
polished mahogany, was stripped to the waist and held poised in his
hands a huge wooden mallet with a long handle. He stood measuring his
distance from the stem of a young tree which was wedged tightly between
a small square of stone on the ground and the flat roof above. Standing
apart, and watching everything with quiet eyes was Harry Luttrell.

Even at this first glance in the wavering light of the lantern Hillyard
realised that a change had come in the aspect of his friend. It was not
a look of age, but authority clothed him as with a garment. Rayne and
Hillyard passed into the chamber. Luttrell turned his head and welcomed
Hillyard with a smile. But he did not move and immediately afterwards he
raised his face to the roof.

"Are you ready up there?"

An English voice replied through the planks.

"Yes, sir," and immediately afterwards a dull and heavy weight like a
full sack was dumped upon the platform above their heads.

"Good!"

Luttrell turned towards the giant.

"Are you ready? And you know the signal?"

The Sudanese soldier grinned in delighted anticipation, with a flash of
big white teeth, and took a firmer grip of his mallet and swung it over
his shoulder.

"Good. Now pay attention," said Luttrell, "so that all may be well and
seemly done."

The Sudanese fixed his eyes upon Luttrell's foot and Luttrell began to
talk, rapidly and rather to himself than to his audience. Hillyard could
make neither head nor tail of the strange scene. It was evident that