Explore "The Traitor's Gate" by Edgar Wallace on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
IT WAS PAST one o'clock when a motor-wherry stole out of the darkness of the Surrey shore and, describing a wide circle east of London Bridge, moved past Billingsgate, edged slowly toward the northern bank. With its engine shut off; the boat came to the stone-faced wharf of the Tower. The four men who formed her crew gripped the wharf edge, and pulled the boat along until they had passed St. Thomas's Tower and were almost opposite the sentry-box of the wharf sentry. Peering over, the leader of the party saw the sentry leave his shelter and, bringing his rifle to his shoulder, walk briskly towards the eastern end of his beat. The rain had ceased for the moment, but the respite would not be long. One of the men leapt up, crossed the rail, and, stooping, ran noiselessly towards the sentry-box, disappearing into the gloom. Presently they heard the nailed boots of the wharf sentry returning. He stopped before his box and brought his rifle butt to the ground. What seemed to be an eternity of waiting, and then there was a muffled cry, the clatter of a falling rifle, and silence.
Another of the men lifted from the deck of the boat a light ladder, pushed it over the rails and vaulted across, followed by the other two.