Знак чотирьох
XII. The Strange Story of Jonathan Small
Ourleadermovedacrosstheriver,therefore,andtookuphispositionintheoldfortatAgra.Idon’tknowifanyofyougentlemenhaveeverreadorheardanythingofthatoldfort.Itisaveryqueerplace,—thequeerestthateverIwasin,andIhavebeeninsomerumcorners,too.Firstofall,itisenormousinsize.Ishouldthinkthattheenclosuremustbeacresandacres.Thereisamodernpart,whichtookallourgarrison,women,children,stores,andeverythingelse,withplentyofroomover.Butthemodernpartisnothinglikethesizeoftheoldquarter,wherenobodygoes,andwhichisgivenovertothescorpionsandthecentipedes.Itisallfullofgreatdesertedhalls,andwindingpassages,andlongcorridorstwistinginandout,sothatitiseasyenoughforfolktogetlostinit.Forthisreasonitwasseldomthatanyonewentintoit,thoughnowandagainapartywithtorchesmightgoexploring.
“Theriverwashesalongthefrontoftheoldfort,andsoprotectsit,butonthesidesandbehindtherearemanydoors,andthesehadtobeguarded,ofcourse,intheoldquarteraswellasinthatwhichwasactuallyheldbyourtroops.Wewereshort-handed,withhardlymenenoughtomantheanglesofthebuildingandtoservetheguns.Itwasimpossibleforus,therefore,tostationastrongguardateveryoneoftheinnumerablegates.Whatwedidwastoorganiseacentralguard-houseinthemiddleofthefort,andtoleaveeachgateunderthechargeofonewhitemanandtwoorthreenatives.
