"
Dick stopped running.
"Why not go the other way, and make for the pass we know?" he said.
"It can't be more than fifteen miles, at the outside, and once below
the fort we know our way, and should get down to the village twelve
hours sooner than if we went round by the other pass."
"It would be the right plan, if we could do it," Surajah agreed; "but
you know the rocks rise straight up on both sides of the fort, and the
road passes up through a narrow cleft, with the fort standing at its
mouth. That is why I proposed the other pass."
"I think we had better try it, nevertheless, Surajah. We should not be
more than three hours in going straight there, and shall have ample
time to follow the edge of the precipice for the last five miles. We
may discover some break, where we can get down. If we should find it
impossible to descend anywhere, we must sleep till sunset, then strike
the road above the fort, go down at night, and manage to slip past the
sentry."
"The only thing is, Sahib, that it seemed as if the fort lay right
across the entrance to the gorge, and the road went through it."
"It did look like that, Surajah. Certainly the road went through a
gateway. But there must be a break somewhere.
Pages:
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185