When he had finished, Hanno without a word
motioned to the jailers, and these, placing themselves one on each side
of Malchus, led him back to his cell.

CHAPTER XVII: THE ESCAPE

For the next two days Malchus was visited only by the Nubian who brought
his food. The third night, as he was lying on his straw, wondering how
long Hanno would be before he decided his fate, he started to his
feet as he heard, apparently close at hand, his name whispered. It was
repeated, and he now perceived that it came from above.

"Yes," he said in a low tone, looking upwards, "I am Malchus. Who speaks
to me?"

"It is I, Nessus," the voice replied. "Thanks to the gods, I have found
my lord."

"How did you get here, Nessus? I feared that you were drowned."

"I swam to shore," the Arab said, "and then watched outside the gate
here. I saw several prisoners brought in, and doubted not that you were
among them. I was at the port when the ship came in, and found that
she brought no passenger. Then I came up here again, soon found friends
among the Arab regiment in the garrison; these obtained me employment
in the stables of the elephants. Each night, when all has been still, I
have crept here, and have whispered your name down each of the gratings.
Tonight you have heard me. Now that I know where you are, I will set to
work to contrive your escape. Is the passage from your cell here wide
enough to admit your being drawn up?"

"Yes," Malchus replied; "it would be a close fit, but with a rope you
could get me up through it."

"I will set to work to loosen these bars at once," Nessus said; "but the
difficulty is not to get you out from here, but to get you beyond the
gates of the citadel. The watch is extremely strict, and the gates
are not opened until nine o'clock. Before that your escape would be
discovered, and it will be impossible for you to pass out undetected. I
must find a hiding place where you can lie concealed until the search
is over, and the vigilance of the sentries is relaxed; but it will be no
easy matter. And now let us speak no more; it is dangerous to breathe,
much less to speak here."

Not another word was spoken for hours. Malchus could hear a low
continuous scraping noise as Nessus with his dagger worked away upon the
stone into which the grating fitted. At last Nessus spoke again. "I have
nearly finished, my lord, the greater part of the grating is loose, and
in half an hour I can complete the work. Daylig