ooked round. There was the gate, twelve feet away, and to his delight
no sentry was to be seen. He was about to whisper Surajah to join him,
when he heard voices. They came from above, and he at once understood
that, instead of a man being posted behind the gate, two were on guard
on the wall above it. He beckoned to Surajah to join him, and when he
did so, whispered what he had discovered.

"If the gate is only barred, we are all right now, Surajah; except
that we shall have to run the risk of being shot by those fellows on
the wall. We shall be a pretty easy mark, on that white road by
moonlight. Our only plan will be to keep close to the wall, when we
are through the gate, get down into the bed of the stream again, and
then crawl along among the rocks. The bottom will be in shadow, and we
may get off without being noticed. The only fear is that we shall make
a noise in opening the gate.

"Now, let us try it."

Keeping close to the wall, they crept to the gateway. This projected
two feet beyond the gate itself, and standing against the latter they
could not be seen, even in the unlikely event of one of the sentries
looking down. The only risk was of anyone in the guard house coming
out. This, however, could not be avoided, and they at once began to
examine the fastenings of the gate, which consisted of two massive
bars of wood, running across it. These, by their united strength, they
removed one after another. But when they tried it, they found the gate
still immovable.

"The beastly thing is locked," Dick said. "There is nothing to do, but
to blow it open."

He broke off the ends of three cartridges, poured the powder in at the
keyhole, and then inserted the slow match.

"Stand in the corner there, Surajah. I will go down to the stream
again, to light the tinder. The noise is less likely to be heard
there."

He stole back again, sat down at the edge of the water, placed his
tinder box in his lap, took his turban off and put it over his hands,
so as to deaden the sound, and then struck the steel sharply against
the flint. The first blow was successful. The spark fell on the
tinder, and at once began to extend.

He listened intently. The men on the wall were still talking, and the
sound had evidently not reached their ears.

Chapter 7: Besieged.

Dick hastily clambered up the wall, ran to the gate, blew the tinder,
and then applied it to the slow match. A moment later, this began to
fizz.

"Round