After that they kept him there until the sun had set and it had become dark. A crackling rifle-fire commenced but nobody moved from the house. This was more important than anything that could happen at the barricades. When it was quite dark, and he had been given a meal, and money in sufficient quantity for a fortnight's food, they started off in a body. To the city wall they all marched quickly, and up the self-same ramp where he had jested and played with the foreign soldiers.
On the city wall a long rope was tied round his waist, an anxious group surrounded him—and some last advice whispered to him which he brushed aside.
"I who have gone up and down with my naked hands am not afraid," he muttered. "Only it is necessary to lower away the rope until all weight is released. When I have cast myself free I shall jerk so, once, twice hard."
"In an hour or so the moon will rise," spoke his master for the last time. "Whether there are soldiery posted at night beneath the city wall we do not know. But some have been seen from time to time at dawn. Be cautious but be quick. By dawn you must be far away. Are you ready?"
For answer the boy climbed on to the parapet, a small lithe figure. With his graceful Oriental hands, he clasped the brickwork for a moment; then with infinite quickness slipped his weight on to the strain of the rope.
"Now," he muttered, balancing himself beautifully.
Quickly they began lowering. The boy, with his rough, powerful toes working through his cloth shoes, played at the brickwork as he descended, always keeping touch so that as the cord lengthened he should not be dashed against the hard rough face. He was down the fifty feet in less than thirty seconds—standing on the sand of the outer city.
He drew a deep breath, untied the loose knots, jerked quickly at the rope twice, saw a dim outline of heads peering over at him, and then without fear or hesitation stole straight into the black night where the enemy lay.