“Lost my way in the sand-storm, and wandered round the wrong side of the hill. I took shelter among those ruins down below, and my horse is there still. When I ventured out to scout a little, I saw the Mission taking a prominent part--and I guessed an unwilling one--in a procession up the hill and into the fortress, so I returned to my hiding-place and planned doughty deeds. But could you get me up this last piece of cliff by any means?--for it’s rather exhausting to carry on a long conversation in a stage-whisper, craning one’s neck upwards all the while. Besides, I have some of your property about me, Miss Keeling, which I should be glad to restore to you. By the bye, did you lose anything about five o’clock this afternoon, when you stood looking over the edge for such a long time? It was that which enabled me to locate you so smartly.” “Yes, I dropped my pet stethoscope, and I shall be extremely grateful if you can find it. It fell on the ledge where you are sitting. But I will just go and send Rahah to see whether it is safe to call the rest to pull you up.” She returned in a few minutes with her arms full of pieces of rope. “We can do nothing at present. Rahah reconnoitred through the key-hole or in some such way, and she says that the gentlemen have got a ‘party.’ Mr Stratford is playing chess with Abd-ur-Rahim, and the other two are talking to his officers. She is to bring us word at once when the party breaks up, and in the meantime I have taken all the ropes from the boxes, and Lady Haigh and I can fasten them together. The rope will be fearfully knotty, but perhaps that will make it safer.” “It will be all the better,” said Fitz, decisively, “for we need not wait for the other fellows to come and pull me up. If you and Lady Haigh will fasten the rope round something firm, and pull at it both together with all your strength to test the knots, you can send me the end, and I will come up hand over hand if you will help to hoist me over the parapet.” The two ladies agreed to this proposition with fear and trembling, and many hopes that Dick and Stratford would arrive before the construction of the rope was completed. But they did not come, and the knots were tied and tested, and the rope fastened with extraordinary care round the stone pillar which formed the central support of the carved lattice-work of the window. With many cautions, the other end was passed down to Fitz, and he came up it in a way which extorted mingled admiration and terror from the watchers. Helping hands assisted him over the parapet, and at last he stood safe and sound upon the terrace.