ESCAPED Once more Roy felt helpless and hopeless before the great task which seemed to be laid upon him.

He alone out of all the little Heir-to-Empire's guardians knew the dire danger he was in.

Yet how could he, a poor, prisoned Rajput lad, save the young prince?
Still he had to be saved; he must be saved; and there was no time to be lost.

At dawn the firing would recommence from the Arkaban hill; at dawn the helpless child would be in the half-breached bastion exposed to that fire! Yes! He, Roy, must get out somehow.

If he could only loosen one bar of the window so that he could squeeze through, then he might be able to let himself down by a rope twined out of his long waist-cloth and turban! Thus he might be able to get out of the fort! He might be able to gain the camp on the Arkaban hill before dawn! So he might be able to warn the guns not to fire on the bastion; might be able to tell them that the Heir-to-Empire hung there! What a number of "might be ables"; but would he be able, even for the first task?
He took up his sword and began forthwith on the iron bar; but the mortar was hard, he could scarcely make a mark upon it.