not all of the lights went out - a half hour was n't long and owen had had time to equip only two of the gennies with thermite charges ( all the time muttering 'banbury cross , banbury cross , ride a cock horse to banbury cross ' under his breath ) , but suddenly the fleeing sno-cat was swallowed in moving fire-flecked shadows , and kurtz dropped his rifle into the snow without discharging it .