omtom and the tumult of the people, rang out a harsh rattle of
alarm-drums that swelled and spread until every oval watch-turret on the
town walls was sounding the tocsin announcing to the subjects of Rao
Khan the escape of the hated Englishmen.

CHAPTER XV.

THE PURSUIT.

"Now for it," cried Canaris. "Don't be scared. In two minutes we'll be
out of reach of these fiends."

His appearance belied his words, for he was trembling with fright. The
rope about Melton's legs had not been loosened, and he was instantly
lowered on the other side. In less time than it takes to tell, Guy and
Canaris had joined him, and all three felt the solid earth beneath their
feet again.

The situation was now extremely critical. The tomtom still rang out from
the palace, and the drums were beating in the watch-towers, though their
volume of sound could be heard but faintly above the constantly
increasing roar of the maddened people.

The fugitives had scaled the wall at a point on the western side of
the city very close to the southern angle; the western gate was still
more remote, and from these gates the pursuit must come.

That it would come quickly no one could doubt, for the rabble of
Somalis who had led the chase through the market-place had by this time
reached the gates with the tidings of the fugitives' escape over the
wall.

Canaris took a bag and a rifle and Guy followed his example.

Not a second of time was lost, but, turning to the southwest, they
dashed down the long, slanting hill toward the valley that opened clear
and distinct at their feet. Their ears rang with the horrid din and
turmoil, and this spurred them on to greater efforts as they plunged
forward with great strides.

At the angle of the wall stood a watch-tower, and from this coign of
vantage the guards saw the fleeing fugitives, outlined by the
treacherous moonlight.

Crack! crack! crack! rang their rifles, and the bullets whistled keenly
through the air, but the flying figures went straight on and speedily
vanished over the crest of the hill.

The valley beneath the town was skimmed across, and then, scaling a low
stone wall, they plunged into the shadow of a big plantation and ran on
between rows of limes and coffee trees.

Guy feared that the Arabs who owned these orchards would join in the
pursuit, but Canaris assured him that there was little danger of that.
An uproar in the