hat the advancing men must run
into them.
"Come quietly," she whispered at length, putting warm lips to his
ear. Her hand dropped along his arm till she grasped his fingers. She
led him swiftly away from the place, having waited till the police
should be so near that the noise they made would drown their own
retreat.
On they went, then, as before, swishing through the foulness
underfoot, and without speaking. Only at times the woman's hold on
his hand would tighten, and, meeting with no response, would slacken
again, and she would draw him on ever more quickly.
"Where are we going?" he ventured to ask.
"We are escaping," she answered, with a brief tinkle of laughter. "If
you knew from what we are escaping, you would not care where. But
hurry, always!"
Soon, however, she paused, still holding his hand. Again they heard
footsteps, and this time the woman turned to him desperately.
"There is a door near by," she breathed. "We must find it, or----"
again the unspoken word. "Feel always along the wall there.
Farther, go farther. It should be here."
They sprang on, with hands to the rough plaster on the wall, till
Dawson encountered the door, set level with the wall, for which they
sought.
"Push," panted the woman, heaving at it with futile hands. Even in
the darkness he could see the gleam of her naked arms and shoulders.
"Push it in."
Dawson laid his shoulder to it, his arms folded, and shoved
desperately till his head buzzed. As he eased up he heard the near
feet of the menacing police again.
"You must push it in!" cried the woman. "It is the only way. If
not--"
"Here, catch hold of this," said Dawson, and she found the bronze
image in her hands. "Let me come," he said, and standing back a
little, he flung his twelve stone of bone and muscle heavily on the
door. It creaked, and some fastening within broke and fell to the
ground.
Once again he assaulted it, and it was open. They passed rapidly
within, and closed it behind them, and with the woman's hand guiding,
Dawson stumbled up a long, narrow, sloppy stair that gave on to the
flat roof of the building. Above them was sky again. The rain had
passed, and the frosty stars of Mozambique shone faintly. He took a
deep breath as he received the image from the hands of the woman.
"You hear them?" she said, and he listened with a shudder to the
passing of the men below.
"But we must go on," she said. "We are not safe yet. Over the wall to
the n
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