He understood it now--the three transformed blocks were the outriders coming towards him.
This is what he had seen-- [Drawing of three black blocks] This is what he saw now-- ! ! ! He ran back to Susy to see if she still slept, for his foolish desire to have her saved unconsciously was stronger than ever now that safety seemed so near.

She was still sleeping, although she had moved slightly.
He ran to the front again.
The outriders had apparently halted.

What were they doing?
Why wouldn't they come on?
Suddenly a blinding flash of light seemed to burst from one of them.
Away over his head something whistled like a rushing bird, and sped off invisible.

They had fired a gun; they were signaling to him--Clarence--like a grown-up man.

He would have given his life at that moment to have had a gun.