He had been on his knees feeling about, and, evidently satisfied, began to unwind the rope from my chest.
“Did you make the end quite fast?” he whispered, just as I was wondering how he had found the window from up here on the roof.
“Yes.”
“Don’t stop to untie it,” he said, “but slip it over your arms and head as soon as you are down. No; it is long enough; hold it fast till I join you. I’ll pass it round this post and slide down the other end.”
“What’s that?” I whispered, as a shout arose; and involuntarily we both crossed the roof again to look.
But we did not look down into the court, but across the fountain in the centre to where lights shone brightly from three windows opposite, while at one of them, open, I could see two figures, one of which held up a shaded lamp above his head, while the other, who I could plainly see was the rajah, without his voice endorsing the fact, roared forth his commands to the guards in the court and at the gate—orders which were followed by hurrying feet, and shouts could be heard, answered in all directions.
“Rajah—come back—too soon,” said Dost, hurriedly. “Quick, sahib.”
“But they will be all on the watch.”
“So shall we be, sahib,” he whispered eagerly, as he pressed me toward the outer parapet close by the low stone projection. “Quick! Go down.”
I was obliged to let him help me over the parapet, so as to get my arm clear, and then, with the lamps moving about in all directions, and every now and then meeting and gliding away again, Dost began to lower me rapidly.