It was not a look of age, but authority clothed him as with a garment.

Rayne and Hillyard passed into the chamber.

Luttrell turned his head and welcomed Hillyard with a smile.

But he did not move and immediately afterwards he raised his face to the roof.
"Are you ready up there ?" An English voice replied through the planks.
"Yes, sir," and immediately afterwards a dull and heavy weight like a full sack was dumped upon the platform above their heads.
"Good!" Luttrell turned towards the giant.
"Are you ready?
And you know the signal ?" The Sudanese soldier grinned in delighted anticipation, with a flash of big white teeth, and took a firmer grip of his mallet and swung it over his shoulder.
"Good.

Now pay attention," said Luttrell, "so that all may be well and seemly done." The Sudanese fixed his eyes upon Luttrell's foot and Luttrell began to talk, rapidly and rather to himself than to his audience.