“But the guards, Nessus?”
“I have killed them,” Nessus said in a tone of indifference.
“But I am chained to them by the ankles.”
Nessus gave a little exclamation of impatience, and then in the darkness felt the irons to discover the nature of the fastenings. In a minute there was a sound of a dull crashing blow, then Nessus moved to the other side and the sound was repeated. With two blows of his short heavy sword the Arab had cut off the feet of the dead Romans at the ankle, and the chains were free.
“Put on the clothes of this man, my lord, and take his arms; I will take those of the other.”
As soon as this was done Nessus wrapped some folds of cloth round each of the chains to prevent their clanking, then passing a band through the ends he fastened them to Malchus' waist.
“Quick, my lord,” he said as he finished the work; “daylight is beginning to break.”
They stepped over the dead sentry at the door of the tent and were going on when Malchus said:
“Best lift him inside, Nessus; it may be some little time before it is noticed that he is missing from his post.”
This was quickly done, and they then moved away quietly among the tents till they approached the rear of the camp. It was now light enough to enable them to see dimly the figures of the Roman sentries placed at short intervals round the camp.