He held a torch, the light of which must have showed him I was not of his people. He opened his mouth to yell an alarm, but I knocked the brand from his hand; then, while he stood still in surprise, I struck him in the face with my fist. He staggered back, but before he could recover, I was at the foot of the palisade. I heard him yell, as I grasped the rope I had left dangling, but there was so much shouting and crying out, that his was unnoticed. As I went up, hand over hand, I saw that the pile was on fire in many places.
Down I jumped inside the stockade. Carteret met me.
“What success?” he asked quickly.
“All is well so far,” I said.
“Edward!” exclaimed a voice.
I turned, to see Lucille standing behind the Captain. I caught her in my arms.
“To the block!” I cried. “The explosion will occur in half a minute.”
Lucille clung in fright to me.
“Are all the men back away from the north wall?” I called to Carteret.
“Yes,” he shouted back.