"I do not think so," he said, "she has been trying for some time." "Could he be moved?" "Far?" queried the doctor. "Well, across the river in a boat, and up the hill to my father's house." Wilson winced. "That is rather a responsibility," he said dubiously; "still, the man is unconscious and will probably remain so for many hours. It certainly would be a good thing if we could be rid of him and of that young woman--though in ordinary circumstances we should not be in such a hurry to send her off." He grinned pleasantly, and asked how I proposed to set about the business. I told him it would be easy to get Keller Bey down to the nursery gardens by the waterside. Here I would rout out my friend the patron Arcadius, who would do as much for three or four of his gardeners--Italians all, and not touched with local politics. My boat was there, and the gardener lads would carry the stretcher up the hill. They did harder tasks every day of their lives. "Well, but you see I can't leave all these--where's your doctor?" I told him I could bring down the resident from the college hospital. "Oh, I know him, Vallier, a very decent fellow for an _interne_. He'll do. Well, off with you. I will give you a note for him." "We must wait till we get this stopped." I pointed to Jack Jaikes. "You can't do anything I suppose?" He shook his head. "No, it needs moral authority for that. He would care as little for me as for you--less perhaps. But here comes Mr. Deventer!" "Thank God!" I gasped. "Jaikes," commanded Dennis Deventer, "bring the guns forward." Jack Jaikes staggered to his feet and looked irresolutely about him. Was he going to obey? Did he even understand? For a moment it seemed doubtful. But whether his mind grasped the situation or not he answered the voice of Dennis Deventer. "What guns, sir?" "Allerdyce's, Brown's, and your own!" said Dennis firmly. "Take command. Forward with them into the breach," and the machine guns moved forward, the remnant of their crews being reinforced by men from other posts. "Hold yourself ready there, Jack Jaikes," said Dennis, "this is your business. So far you have done well. We had to fight hard all along our wall, but you have beaten us!" "But you scourged them too?" demanded Jack Jaikes, lowering and truculent. Dennis drew a sigh of relief. His lieutenant was himself again. "Yes, Jack Jaikes, we scourged them!" For answer Jack Jaikes swept his index finger round the half-circle of the Cours of Aramon, dotted with black bodies lying still. "It's a pity ye can't see them all," he said, "they are lying in heaps up in the corner yonder, where we cut the scaling ladders from beneath them!" * * * * *