THE WORLD SET FREE
He bruised his shin against something, and then all three men were inside the huge steel-girdered barn in which stood the two motor hay lorries that were to take the bombs away. Kurt and Abel, the two brothers of Peter, had brought the lorries thither in daylight. They had the upper half of the loads of hay thrown off, ready to cover the bombs, so soon as the king should show the hiding-place. "There's a sort of pit here," said the king. "Don't light another lantern. This key of mine releases a ring. . . ."
For a time scarcely a word was spoken in the darkness of the barn. There was the sound of a slab being lifted and then of feet descending a ladder into a pit. Then whispering and then heavy breathing as Kurt came struggling up with the first of the hidden bombs.
"We shall do it yet," said the king. And then he gasped. "Curse that light. Why in the name of Heaven didn't we shut the barn door?" For the great door stood wide open and all the empty, lifeless yard outside and the door and six feet of the floor of the barn were in the blue glare of an inquiring searchlight. "Shut the door, Peter," said Pestovitch.
"No!" cried the king, too late, as Peter went forward into the light. "Don't show yourself!" cried the king. Kurt made a step forward and
204
