It soared some forty feet in air, up past the black silken curtain, then unaccountably stopped, level with the Ka'aba roof.
"Up! Up!" yelled Bohannan, frantically.

The spud of bullets against the steel basket tingled the bodies of the men crouching against the metal-work.
All at once Dr.Lombardo stood up, pick-axe in hand, fully exposed to rifle-fire.
"Down, you blazing idiot!" commanded the major, dragging at him with hands that shook.

The doctor thrust him away, and turned toward the Ka'aba, the roof of which was not three feet distant.
"The golden spout--see ?" he cried, pointing.

"_Dio mio_, what a treasure!" On to the edge of the nacelle he clambered.
"Don't be a damn fool, Doctor!" the major shouted; but already Lombardo had leaped.

Pick in hand, he jumped, landing on the flat roof of the temple.
Ferocious howls and execrations swelled into a screaming chorus of hate, of rage.