登陆注册
14924500000102

第102章 In the Alcove.(5)

In the center of the room was a pool of considerable size, the level of the water being but a few inches below the floor.

Those behind the fleeing prince and his captive entered the chamber in time to see Metak leap into the water with the girl and disappear beneath the surface taking his captive with him, nor, though they waited excitedly around the rim of the pool, did either of the two again emerge.

When Smith-Oldwick turned to investigate his hiding place, his hands, groping upon the rear wall, immediately came in contact with the wooden panels of a door and a bolt such as that which secured the door of the outer room. Cautiously and silently drawing the wooden bar he pushed gently against the panel to find that the door swung easily and noiselessly outward into utter darkness. Moving carefully and feeling forward for each step he passed out of the niche, closing the door behind him.

Peeling about, he discovered that he was in a narrow cor-ridor which he followed cautiously for a few yards to be brought up suddenly by what appeared to be a ladder across the passageway. He felt of the obstruction carefully with his hands until he was assured that it was indeed a ladder and that a solid wall was just beyond it, ending the corridor.

Therefore, as he could not go forward and as the ladder ended at the floor upon which he stood, and as he did not care to retrace his steps, there was no alternative but to climb up-ward, and this he did, his pistol ready in a side pocket of his blouse.

He had ascended but two or three rungs when his head came suddenly and painfully in contact with a hard surface above him. Groping about with one hand over his head he discovered that the obstacle seemed to be the covering to a trap door in the ceiling which, with a little effort, he succeeded in raising a couple of inches, revealing through the cracks the stars of a clear African night.

With a sigh of relief, but with unabated caution, he gently slid the trapdoor to one side far enough to permit him to raise his eyes above the level of the roof. A quick glance assured him that there was none near enough to observe his move-ments, nor, in fact, as far as he could see, was anyone in sight.

Drawing himself quickly through the aperture he replaced the cover and endeavored to regain his bearings. Directly to the south of him the low roof he stood upon adjoined a much loftier portion of the building, which rose several stories above his head. A few yards to the west he could see the flickering light of the flares of a winding street, and toward this he made his way.

From the edge of the roof he looked down upon the night life of the mad city. He saw men and women and children and lions, and of all that he saw it was quite evident to him that only the lions were sane. With the aid of the stars he easily picked out the points of the compass, and following carefully in his memory the steps that had led him into the city and to the roof upon which he now stood, he knew that the thoroughfare upon which he looked was the same along which he and Bertha Kircher had been led as prisoners earlier in the day.

If he could reach this he might be able to pass undetected in the shadows of the arcade to the city gate. He had already given up as futile the thought of seeking out the girl and attempting to succor her, for he knew that alone and with the few remaining rounds of ammunition he possessed, he could do nothing against this city-full of armed men. That he could live to cross the lion-infested forest beyond the city was doubtful, and having, by some miracle, won to the desert beyond, his fate would be certainly sealed; but yet he was consumed with but one desire -- to leave behind him as far as possible this horrid city of maniacs.

He saw that the roofs rose to the same level as that upon which he stood unbroken to the north to the next street inter-section. Directly below him was a flare. To reach the pave-ment in safety it was necessary that he find as dark a portion of the avenue as possible. And so he sought along the edge of the roofs for a place where he might descend in comparative concealment.

He had proceeded some little way beyond a point where the street curved abruptly to the east before he discovered a location sufficiently to his liking. But even here he was com-pelled to wait a considerable time for a satisfactory moment for his descent, which he had decided to make down one of the pillars of the arcade. Each time he prepared to lower himself over the edge of the roofs, footsteps approaching in one direction or another deterred him until at last he had almost come to the conclusion that he would have to wait for the entire city to sleep before continuing his flight.

But finally came a moment which he felt propitious and though with inward qualms, it was with outward calm that he commenced the descent to the street below.

When at last he stood beneath the arcade he was con-gratulating himself upon the success that had attended his efforts up to this point when, at a slight sound behind him, he turned to see a tall figure in the yellow tunic of a warrior confronting him.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 繁星点点伴明月

    繁星点点伴明月

    星星语:陪伴是最长情的告白。明月语:你是我的唯一。
  • 红颜劫之亡妃天下

    红颜劫之亡妃天下

    佛曰:“人生有八苦:生、老、病、死,爱别离,怨长久,求不得,放不下。“相看桃花盛满天,惟愿长相与君老,怎奈!繁华落尽,曲终人散,往日总总,空如一场梦。血染城,红遍天。桃花映血,血泪洒江。是天意难违,还是命运既定。服下血红,练就神功,只为灭门之仇,踏着血河,持剑逼城,红衣翩翩,妖娆邪魅,犹如来自地狱的曼珠沙华般美丽但却充满死亡的气息。爱、恨、情、仇、暗杀复国、阴谋诡谲,当真相浮出水面,他们又将何去何从。
  • 明伦汇编官常典巡检部

    明伦汇编官常典巡检部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 非我薄幸

    非我薄幸

    身为一名可爱的仙使为何如此倒霉,先是被天帝以奇怪的理由贬下凡间,又因为吃错仙药搞得需要一尊看起来很牛掰但是不明身份的大神来帮忙,可是大神啊大神你为何要虐我?不是说好了是帮忙吗!
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 巧逢奇遇

    巧逢奇遇

    几个年轻人在某中巧合下相遇,从陌生逐渐又走向成熟!男女主人公之间的感情交错复杂,大起大落。一个不平凡的创业,一份纯真而又离奇的感情!
  • 一个傀儡师的传说

    一个傀儡师的传说

    神魂大陆,一个被武与术所统治的大陆。魂师,这个世界上被称作邪恶的存在。但一个少年却因为天生体质的原因不得不修练魂术成为魂师。这是一个曾经因为一位魂师与一具傀儡将整个职业引向灭亡,又因为一个魂师与一具傀儡再次欲撼动整个世界的故事。
  • 旋风十一人之三年后

    旋风十一人之三年后

    又是我剑。这次续写旋风十一人希望大家喜欢。推荐票
  • 至尊狂兵

    至尊狂兵

    酒吧里的一次小小的冲突,牵扯出了一个来历神秘的小保安!龙有逆鳞触之即死,狼生暗刺窥之则杀!血溅五步,只为了捍卫心中那个信仰!誓要用双手为自己的女人撑起一片没有委屈的天空!一个小人物,却缔造了大人物的传奇,美人江湖,繁华背后,那是一片血雨腥风,风起乱世……
  • 复仇公主之恋爱之路

    复仇公主之恋爱之路

    三个小女孩,陂自己的家族抛弃,无依无靠,一个好心的爷爷收养了她们,十年后,她们开始复仇..........