If we were to wait longer, we should have
another fellow getting up."

They rose quietly to their feet, made their way to the door, and
opened it noiselessly. The sentry was standing, leaning on his long
matchlock, a few feet away. Suddenly a voice behind exclaimed, "Who is
that?"

The sentry was in the act of turning round, when Dick sprang upon him,
and grasped him by the throat. No cry came from the man's lips, but
the gun fell from his grasp, as he clutched convulsively at Dick's
wrists, and went off as it fell.

"Pick it up," Dick shouted, "and run."

He released his grip from the man's throat, snatched the bandolier
from his shoulder, and, tripping his feet from under him, threw him
heavily to the ground, and then turned to run.

The whole had occupied but a few seconds, but as he started a soldier
ran out from the hut, shouting loudly. He had a gun in his hand. Dick
changed his mind, turned, threw himself upon him, wrenched the gun
from his hold, and, as the man staggered back, struck him with his
right hand under the chin.

The man fell back through the open door, as if shot. Dick seized the
handle and closed it, and then ran, at full speed, towards the foot of
the steps. They were but some twenty yards away.

"Up you go, Surajah. We have not a moment to lose!"

Dick sprang up the steps, Surajah following. As they reached the top
of the wall, a shot was discharged at them by the sentry at the gate,
who, ignorant of the cause of the sudden uproar, had been standing in
readiness to fire. He was, however, too excited to take aim, and the
bullet flew harmlessly over their heads. In another instant, they
sprang over the parapet.

"Lower yourself by your arms, and then drop."

The wall, like many others of its sort, was thicker at the base than
on the top, and the foot projected two feet beyond the upper line, so
that it was a sharp slide, rather than an absolute fall. It was well
that it was so, for although only some twelve feet high inside, it was
eight feet higher on its outer face, as a dry ditch encircled it. Both
came down in a heap on the sand that had crumbled from the face of the
wall.

As soon as they picked themselves up, Dick exclaimed, "Keep along the
foot of the wall, Surajah," and they dashed along until they reached
the angle. As they turned the corner, they heard a burst of voices
from the wall where they had slid down, and several shots were fired.
Dick led the way along the ditch to