338
THE SURAKARTA
back to the rightful possessor as often as they were taken away.
The clicking of the box went steadily on; and Hereford's mind, which tried to picture the agent by which the levers moved, saw nothing, but only thought them moving of themselves.
Mechanically, he noted now, he had counted the clicks. One, two, three, four—they were rapid and without hesitation. And he heard Baraka, just in front of him, counting, too, in Javanese with intense, irrepressible aspiration. At ten Baraka involuntarily started forward. Apparently checked by the officer next him, he settled back. At fifteen Hereford felt him, fumbling in his pocket, withdraw his hand; and as the last lever clicked he struck a match against the wall. The match-head broke in
