The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-03
CHAPTER Xxx.
nnEtD OH, ,t,f3 IsA CE ERIY.

Il 49,
worse than that" groaned Manrao
| Punt.
"Worse2" echoed the young officer.
Look for yourselves, sahibs"
| He held the lamp at arms length, and
his companions. peering over his shout
| ders, saw that the tunnel was checked
from floor to ceiling by mass of In
| tcrmingled earth and tmbers. Their
| further progress was hopelessly blocked.
What cursed luckl muttered Est
court, blandly. 1.-THE top has caved In.
And perhaps Govind Punt lies buried
underneath"
cried furiously. ''By the soul Of Silva
the Destroyer, may the seventeen curses
rest on the head Of my brother. He hath
dono this thing-it was no accident"
Manrao Punt's eyes famed with such
wrathful fire that his companions
shranls from him as II from n mailman.
II speak the truth, sahibs," he con-
tinued. .This subterranean passage
was dug in perilous times many years
ago, but 1t was who arranged the tim
| bered roof In such manner that 1t
could be brought down by the fall Of a
single upright post. to which ltng
rope was attached. Govind Punt knew
umn, in order that we should be left
here to die by the sword and tho bullet"
"The black hearted scoundrell'' ex-
| claimed Estcourt. ''By heavens. I wish
I had my fingers on his throat this
minute''
I'VE should have watched him more
Closely said Jack. II always suspected
thing out of revenge-because he hated
us for being under your protection"
"No, sahibs. his first thought was self
preservation. seflshness and cowardlce
were Govind's worst faults, ever since
he was a youth. And now he has earned
immunity, should he DO charged with
fighting against the rajah's men, He
will either take flight to Delhi. or Join
Eniram Khan's force"
IT suppose there Is no digging through
that mass OF debrs2" suggested Est
court
1T wouldspe days labor. sahib. even
with proper tools"
face was as pale as the glow of tho lamp.
and yet It wns stamped with supreme
heroism. with wornanly resignation.
"Remember," she whispered. Don't
let them take mo alive
ASK mo anything but that retract
my PROMISE Jack replied fiercely.
'-They will at least spare your llfel They
will not even dare to harm you"
His voice faltered and broke, as
choking lump rose in his throat.
TT may be that am wrong and that
we accuse my brother unjustly." said
Manrao Punt, In q calmer tone. Per-
haps tho roof fell by accident, and not
by his hand. At all events. our last
hope is gone. It Is fate-the will Of
heaven. Let us meet our end with foru-
tude. sahibs, as brave men should"
eve won't have long to wait" e1-
claimed Estcourt. "Hark. they are com
ing! But would rather die anywhere
than herein this dark, sitting hole"
Ths muffled clamor in the distance
was suddenly ringing shrill and loud.
With dull crash tho ladder was
dropped through tho open trap In the
floor, and 1t was scarcely In position
when dusky forms came scrambling
down the rungs as nimbly as monkeys.
They assembled at tho bottom for an
instant half q score strong, and with
two blazing torches among them. Then
they started forward. giving tongue like
bloodhounds on a hot scent.
The last moment had all but arrived
and the fugitlves hastily took up their
position in corner Of the large pas.
sage Just to the right of the entrance to
the tunnel Jack planted himself in front
Of Madge, bidding he rcrouch down. He
had run out OF cartridges, but he had
two loaded pistols-hs own and tho
girl's-while Estcourt was armed with a
rife. Manrao Punt had retained only
short sword and he held this in one hand.
the lamp in the other.
"Sahibs, 1t Is In vain to expect mercy
from these wretches." he said hoarsely.
The enemy was halfway down the
passage now, advancing In disorderly
mass, and shouting eagerly to one an
other They caught sight Of the little
group crouching In the shadows, and with
savage yells OF exultation they broke into
a run.
"Fire!" cried Jack.
He discharged his pistol and the report
of Estcourt's rifle rang almost stimuli
taneously 1t was next to impossible to
miss, and two men dropped. Some OF the
others at once fred a volley from their
matchlocks, and, alas, with no uncer-
tain aim
AS the heavy discharges crashed and
reverberated through the cavern, Est
courts right arm fell Imply to his side,
and his rife slipped from his singing
fingers. A bullet hit Manrao Punt fairly
between the eyes, and he toppled over
dead, martyr to the cause of an alien
race.
No more shots were fired by either
party, and the enemy believed that re-
sistance was at an end. They leaped
forward like tigers. with fierce shouts
led by Bairam Khan and Joel Spanish
who were the first to loom out OF the ed
dying wreaths of smoke.
When the zemindar fell the lamp was
upset on the floor. and pool of oil ran
out and burst into flame. The lurid red
glare revealed tragtv scene-Estcourt
leaning family against the wall, with
blood trickling from his wounded elbow;
Jack confronting the foe with look of
mental agony on his powder-grimed face.
and Madge clinging to her lover. while
she urged him to deed that he dared
not do
The young officer had one loaded pistol
left but whether ito fire at Spanish. or
TO turn 1t on the girls papitating heart.
was choice from which he shrank III
that terrible moment.
"God help me, I can't do it'll he
groaned. "And yet II they should take
her alive"