I came forward under an imaginary guard of the enemy's soldiers, produced my paper, and read it through.
For answer, Clarence struck the paper out of my hand, pursed up a scornful lip and said with lofty disdain: "Dismember me this animal, and return him in a basket to the base-born knave who sent him; other answer have I none!" How empty is theory in presence of fact! And this was just fact, and nothing else.

It was the thing that would have happened, there was no getting around that.

I tore up the paper and granted my mistimed sentimentalities a permanent rest.
Then, to business.

I tested the electric signals from the gatling platform to the cave, and made sure that they were all right; I tested and retested those which commanded the fences--these were signals whereby I could break and renew the electric current in each fence independently of the others at will.

I placed the brook-connection under the guard and authority of three of my best boys, who would alternate in two-hour watches all night and promptly obey my signal, if I should have occasion to give it -- three revolver-shots in quick succession.