In .sheer amazement my captors loosed
I heir hold on me. f ran to the window.
Out there in tin> black darkness I could see
Ihe outline of another boat. There wore
voices, calls <>f encouragement, the thud of
bodies. Were tbe children dead? There was
a sudden heavy bump?one of the boats had
touched the river house.
And then a fisure crawled through the
window. it was Jimmy Barton, smiling,
dehonnaire. aiming tMe cuti lie held in hand
at Peter Raven with an air as perfecly
casual as if he hail just been waiting for the
psychological moment to make his entrance
on the scene.
Raven had crouched back against the wall
? ursiiiK and holding his wounded arm. His
u< complices had seized me acain a moment
before, l?ni at a command from Jimmy they
loosed their hold.
N'ever was forlorn hope saved by rein
forcements more providentially and with less
margin from the ultimate moment or horror
than we.
I heard myself laughing rather hysterl
cally. Jjjiiniy's ?rin put such a Queer period
on thtSJBLiatly horror of that night.
And 6ffltihrouR:h the open window climbed
the det(*-"?jre?a second gunman come to the
rescue of the beleaguered garrison!
Next. In fitting climax, a golden head
showed over the window sill. Billy was
iiuromantically "boosting" his lady-fair back
into the room.
Mis eyes were bright with excitement and
his voice trembled, hut his words were the
completely unroinantic touch needed to give
i be situation its final relief.
