."
Presently, when the flames were brighter, I saw him, in the midst of a
crowd of his admirers, singing his foul song, another verse of it about
Maqueda, which I will not repeat, and by good fortune managed to put a
bullet through his head. It was not a bad shot considering the light and
circumstances, and the only one I fired that night. I trust also that it
will be the last I shall ever fire at any human being.

Just as I was about to leave Maqueda and return with her message to
Orme, to the effect that she would not move, the final catastrophe
occurred. Amongst the stables was a large shed filled with dry fodder
for the palace horses and camels. Suddenly this burst into a mass of
flame that spread in all directions. Then came the last, hideous panic.
From every part of the palace, the Mountaineers, men and officers
together, rushed down to the gateway. In a minute, with the single
exception of Japhet, we four and Maqueda were left alone upon the
roof, where we stood overwhelmed, not knowing what to do. We heard
the drawbridge fall; we heard the great doors burst upon beneath the
pressure of a mob of men; we heard a coarse voice--I thought it was that
of Joshua--yell:

"Kill whom you will, my children, but death to him who harms the Child
of Kings. She is my spoil!"

Then followed terrible sights and sounds. The cunning Abati had
stretched ropes outside the doors; it was the noise they made at this
work which had reached Roderick's ears earlier during the darkness. The
terrified soldiers, flying from the fire, stumbled and fell over these
ropes, nor could they rise again because of those who pressed behind.
What happened to them all I am sure I do not know, but doubtless many
were crushed to death and many more killed by Joshua's men. I trust,
however, that some of them escaped, since, compared to the rest of the
Abati, they were as lions are to cats, although, like all their race,
they lacked the stamina to fight an uphill game.

It was at the commencement of this terrific scene that I shot the
foul-mouthed singer.

"You shouldn't have done that, old fellow," screamed Higgs in his high
voice, striving to make himself heard above the tumult, "as it will show
those swine where we are."

"I don't think they will look for us here, anyway," I answered.

Then we watched awhile in silence.

"Come," said Orme at length, taking Maqueda by the hand.

"Where are you going, O Oliver?" she asked, hanging back. "Sooner