Love

"Now!" he whispered.

She twisted her hands two or three times and found them free.

"Mine, now!" said Bruce. "Hurry!"

It was a simple matter for her to release Bruce.

"God bless those rupees!" he murmured. "There'll be a fine row in a
minute. Keep perfectly still, and when the moment comes follow me into
the cave. They have left their guns in there."

"You are a brave and ready man, Mr. Bruce."

"You called me John once."

"Well, then, John," a ghost of a smile flitting across her lips. Men
were not generally sentimental in the face of death.

"There are nine of us!" screamed one of the brigands.

"And I claim one bag because without my help and brains you would have
had nothing," roared the chief. "Who warned you against the opium?
Ha, pig!"

The first blow was struck. Instantly the chief drew his knife and
lunged at the two nearest him.

"Treachery!"

"Ha! Pigs! Dogs! Come, I'll show you who is master!"

"Thief!"

The remaining brigands closed in upon their leader and bore him upon
his back.

"To the tiger with him!"

"Now!" cried Bruce.

He flung the rope from his hands, caught Kathlyn by the arm, and
running and stumbling, they gained the cave, either ignored or
unobserved by the victorious brigands.

They dragged the stunned leader to his feet and haled him to the cage,
lashing him to a wheel. Next, they seized the rope which operated the
door and retired to the mouth of the cave.