Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/170

  and hewed away at the door, till all at once, even as I saw a squad of men running toward us, it fell away, and Rosenthal, throwing aside his pick, leaped into the casemate, and from the blackness within I heard a fierce sob as he gathered his dying brother to his breast.

"For me there was no time for sentiment. As the first group of soldiers drew near there arose from the landward side a strident blast. I recognized the whistle of the Dutch steamer, which was going out. In sight of the soldiers I sprang to the open door of the casemate, peered within, then rushed to meet them.

" 'Some prisoners have escaped!' I howled. 'See, the door of the casemate has been torn away! Did you not hear the noise, sluggards! Look!' I pointed toward the town, where, above the farther wall, we could see the mast head-light of the steamer. 'They have fled to the Hollandez!'

"The cry was taken up: 'They have fled to the Hollandez!' and the soldiers, with a glance at the dark entrance of the casemate, [ 154 ]