quarter-hour from that. A few minutes will suffice to clothe him in
bullet-proof and get on his belt. I shall not be away from the Tower
more than a very few minutes, and, please God, long before eleven we
shall be safe. Then the Tower can be won in an attack by our
mountaineers. Perhaps, when the guns are heard on the ship of war--
for there is sure to be firing--the Captain may try to land a shore
party. But Rooke will stand in the way, and if I know the man and
The Lady, we shall not be troubled with many Turks to-night. By
midnight you and your father can be on the way to Vissarion. I can
interview the naval Captain in the morning."

My wife's marvellous courage and self-possession stood to her. At
half an hour before the time fixed she was ready for our adventure.
She had improved the scheme in one detail. She had put on her own
belt and coiled the rope round her waist, so the only delay would be
in bringing her father's belt. She would keep the bullet-proof dress
intended to be his strapped in a packet on her back, so that if
occasion should be favourable he would not want to put it on till he
and she should have reached the platform of the aeroplane. In such
case, I should not steer away from the Tower at all, but would pass
slowly across it and take up the captive and his brave daughter
before leaving. I had learned from local sources that the Tower was
in several stories. Entrance was by the foot, where the great iron-
clad door was; then came living-rooms and storage, and an open space
at the top. This would probably be thought the best place for the
prisoner, for it was deep-sunk within the massive walls, wherein was
no loophole of any kind. This, if it should so happen, would be the
disposition of things best for our plan. The guards would at this
time be all inside the Tower--probably resting, most of them--so that
it was possible that no one might notice the coming of the airship.