I dropped over the side, walked cautiously down the road up which but an hour or so before we had struggled so desperately; paced farther and farther with an increasing confidence and a growing wonder. Gone was that soul of loneliness; vanished the whirlpool of despair that had striven to drag us down to death. The bowl was nothing but a quiet, smiling lovely little hollow in the hills. I looked back. Even the ruins had lost their sinister shape; were time-worn, crumbling piles--nothing more. I saw Ruth and Drake run out upon the ledge and beckon me; made my way back to them, running. “It's all right,” I shouted. “The place is all right.” I stumbled up the side; joined them. “It's empty,” I cried. “Get Martin and Chiu-Ming quick! While the way's open--” A rifle-shot rang out above us; another and another. From the portal scampered Chiu-Ming, his robe tucked up about his knees. “They come!” he gasped. “They come!” There was a flashing of spears high up the winding mountain path. Down it was pouring an avalanche of men. I caught the glint of helmets and corselets. Those in the van were mounted, galloping two abreast upon sure-footed mountain ponies. Their short swords, lifted high, flickered. After the horsemen swarmed foot soldiers, a forest of shining points and dully gleaming pikes above them. Clearly to us came their battlecries. Again Ventnor's rifle cracked. One of the foremost riders went down; another stumbled over him, fell. The rush was checked for an instant, milling upon the road. “Dick,” I cried, “rush Ruth over to the tunnel mouth. We'll follow. We can hold them there. I'll get Martin. Chiu-Ming, after the pony, quick.” I pushed the two over the rim of the hollow. Side by side the Chinaman and I ran back through the gateway. I pointed to the animal and rushed back into the fortress. “Quick, Mart!” I shouted up the shattered stairway. “We can get through the hollow. Ruth and Drake are on their way to the break we came through. Hurry!” “All right. Just a minute,” he called. I heard him empty his magazine with almost machine-gun quickness. There was a short pause, and down the broken steps he leaped, gray eyes blazing. “The pony?” He ran beside me toward the portal. “All my ammunition is on him.” “Chiu-Ming's taking care of that,” I gasped. We darted out of the gateway. A good five hundred yards away were Ruth and Drake, running straight to the green tunnel's mouth. Between them and us was Chiu-Ming urging on the pony. As we sped after him I looked back. The horsemen had recovered, were now a scant half-mile from where the road swept past the fortress. I saw that with their swords the horsemen bore great bows. A little cloud of arrows sparkled from them; fell far short. “Don't look back,” grunted Ventnor. “Stretch yourself, Walter. There's a surprise coming. Hope to God I judged the time right.” We turned off the ruined way; raced over the sward.