When he turned at last, with his back to the parapet and the moonlight full in his face, he demanded in German: "Wass machen Sie hier ?" I was about to answer him when there came a noise like subterranean thunder from the mouth of the stairway.

They were trying to force that door below and follow us.

The first words I used were in English, for Grim's benefit: "I stuck a stick in the door.

I should say it's good for ten or fifteen minutes unless they use explosives." That gave the whole game away at once.
"So!" said Abdul Ali.

He thrust the wallet into his bosom.