revolvers, bitterly regretting Yussufs rashness, and fully expecting a
savage attack from the little crowd of men, several of whom were armed.
But they need not have been uneasy; Yussuf knew the people with whom he
had to deal, and he went on belabouring the man till he threw himself
down and howled for mercy, while the crowd looked on as if interested by
the spectacle more than annoyed; and when at last, with a final stroke
across the shoulders, Yussuf threw the man off, the people only came a
little closer and stared.
"Now," said Yussuf haughtily, and he seemed to be some magnate from
Istamboul, instead of an ordinary guide, "get up and show the English
lords into a good room, help unpack the baggage, and make your people
prepare food."
The man rose hastily, screwing himself about and rubbing his shoulders,
for he was evidently in great pain; but he seemed to get rid of a
portion thereof directly by calling up three of his people, two of whom
he kicked savagely for not moving more quickly, and missing the third
because he did display activity enough to get out of his way.
Then obsequiously bowing to the professor and Mr Burne, he led the way
into the best house in the village, his men holding the horses, and
Yussuf stopping back to see that the baggage was taken in, and the
horses carefully stabled in a snug warm place, where plenty of barley
was soon forthcoming.
"Why, Yussuf's stick is a regular magician's wand," said Mr Burne, as
the master of the house showed them into his clean and comfortable best
room, where he bustled about, bringing them rugs and cushions, while,
from the noises to be heard elsewhere, it was evident that he was giving
orders, which resulted in his sending in a lad with a tray of coffee,
fairly hot and good, and wonderfully comforting to the cold and weary
travellers.
"Now," said Mr Burne, "what a chance for him to poison us and finish us
off."
"Have no fear of that. The man would not injure us in that way," said
the professor; "but I must confess to being rather uncomfortable, for I
am sure we are in a nest of hornets."
"Hark!" said Mr Burne, "I can hear a sizzling noise which means
cooking, so pray don't let's have any prophecies of evil till the supper
is over. Then, perhaps, I shall be able to bear them. What do you say,
Lawrence?"
"Supper first," said the latter laughing.
"Very well, then," said Mr Preston smiling; "we will wait till after a
good meal. Perhaps I shall feel more courageous then."
"What is he doing?" said Lawrence quietly, as their host kept walking in
and out, for apparently no other reason than to stare at Mr Burne's
scarlet and yellow head-dress.
"I see," said Mr Preston quietly; "he evidently thinks Mr Burne here
is some great grandee. That fez and its adornments will be a protection
to us as you will see."
"Bah!" ejaculated the old lawyer; "now you are prophesying to another
tune, and one is as bad as the other. Give it up; you are no prophet.
Oh, how hungry I am!"
"And I," cried Lawrence.
"Well," said the professor gravely, "to be perfectly truthful, so am I.
Here, mine host," he said in Arabic, "bring us some more coffee."
The man bowed low, smiled, and left the room with the empty cups, and
returned directly after with them full, and after another glance at the
scarlet and yellow turban, he looked at the swords and pistols and
became more obsequious than ever.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
CATCHING A TARTAR.
If there had been any intention on the part of their host to deal
deceitfully with them, he would have had plenty of opportunity, during
about a couple of hours of the night, when it was the professor's turn
to keep watch, for he fell fast asleep, and was awakened by Yussuf, who
shook his head at him sadly.
Morning came bright and cheery, with the birds singing, and the view
from their window exquisite. Close at hand there were the mountains,
rising one above another, and rich with the glorious tints of the trees
and bushes that clung to their sides, and after gazing at the glorious
prospect, with the clear air and dazzling sunshine, Mr Burne exclaimed:
"Bless me! What an eligible estate to lay out in building plots!
Magnificent health resort! Beats Baden, Spa, Homburg, and all these
places, hollow."
"And where would you get your builders and your tenants?"
"Humph! Hah! I never thought of that. But really, Preston, what a
disgraceful thing it is that such a lovely country should go to ruin!
Hah! here's breakfast."
For at that moment their host came in, and in a short time good bread,
butter, yaourt or curd, coffee, and honey in the comb were placed before
them, and somehow, after a good night's rest, the travellers did not
find the owner of the house so very evil-looking.
"Oh, no, effendi, he is not a bad fellow. He bears no malice," said
Yussuf, "these men are used to it. They get so terribly robbed by
everyone who comes through the village that they refuse help on
principle till they are obliged to give it, when they become civil."
"He is pleasant enough this morning," said Mr Burne. "The man seems
well off, too."
"Yes, effendi, he is rich for a man of his station. And now I have news
for the effendi Preston."
"News? Not letters surely?" said the professor.
"No, effendi; but there are ruins close by across the valley. An old
city and burying-place is yonder, this man tells me. Nobody ever goes
there, because the people say that it is inhabited by djins and evil
spirits, so that no one dares to go and fetch away the stones."
The professor rubbed his hands gleefully, and Mr Burne dropped the
corners of his lips as he helped himself to some more yaourt.
"How are you getting on with this stuff, Lawrence?" he said.
"I like it," was the reply.
"So do I," said Mr Burne grimly. "It puts me in mind of being a good
little boy, and going for a walk in Saint James's Park with the nurse to
feed the ducks, after which we used to feed ourselves at one of the
lodges where they sold curds and whey. This is more like it than
anything I have had since. I say, gently, young man, don't eat
everything on the table."
"But I feel so hungry up here in the mountains," cried Lawrence
laughing.
"Very likely, sir," said Mr Burne with mock austerity; "but that is no
reason why you should try and create a famine in the land."
"Let him eat; Burne," said the professor; "he wants bone and muscle."
"But he is eating wax," cried Mr Burne sharply. "Let him eat chicken
bone and muscle if he likes, and the flesh as well, but that would be no
reason why he should eat the feathers."
"I am only too glad to see him with a good appetite," said the professor
pushing the butter towards Lawrence with a smile.
"So am I. Of course. But I draw the line at wax. Confound it all,
boy! be content with the honey."
"I would," said Lawrence with his mouth full; "but it is all so mixed
up."
"Humph!" ejaculated Mr Burne. "Are you going to have a look at those
old stones, Preston?"
"Most decidedly."
"In spite of the djins and evil spirits?"
"Yes," replied the professor. "I suppose they will not alarm you,
Yussuf?"
The guide smiled and shook his head.
"I am most alarmed about those other evil spirits, effendi," he said
smiling; "such as haunt these mountains, and who steal horses, and rob
men. I think the effendi will find some curious old ruins, for this
seems to have been a famous place once upon a time. There is an old
theatre just at the back."
"Theatre? Nonsense!" said the old lawyer with a snort.
"I meant amphitheatre, effendi--either Greek or Roman," said Yussuf
politely.
"Here, I say, Yussuf," said Mr Burne, lowering the piece of bread which
he had raised half-way to his mouth; "are you an Englishman in disguise
pretending to be a Turk?"
Yussuf smiled, and then turned and arrested Mr Preston, who was about
to leave his breakfast half finished and get ready to go and see the
amphitheatre.
"Pray, finish first, excellency," he said. "You will not miss it now,
but in a few hours' time you will be growing faint, and suffer for want
of being well prepared."
"You are right," said the professor.
The breakfast was ended, and then, while the horses were being loaded,
the travellers followed their host down the steep slope which formed his
garden, and then by a stiff bit of pathway to where a splendid spring of
water gushed right out of the rock; and the presence of this source
explained a great deal, and made plain why ruins were to be found close
at hand.
In fact, they came upon dressed stones directly, and it was evident that
there had been a kind of temple once close to the spring, for a rough
platform remained which had been cut down level to the edge of the
water. The face of the rock had been levelled too, and upon it there
were remains of a rough kind of inscription, while, upon examining the
dressed stones which lay here and there, several, in spite of their
decay, still retained the shape which showed that they had formed
portions of columns.
But, search how the professor would, he could find nothing to show what
the date of the edifice had been.
Five minutes' climbing amongst broken stones brought them to a clump of
trees and bushes, mingled with which were a few white-looking fragments
which looked so natural that the professor's heart sank with
disappointment. The stones appeared to be live stones, as geologists
call it; in other words, portions of rock which had never been
disturbed.
But their host pushed on through the brambles and roses, which looked as
natural as if they were in an English wilderness, only that the trees
that rose beyond them were strange.
"It's all labour in vain, Yussuf," said Mr Preston in rather a
disappointed tone. "You have not seen this theatre."
"No, excellency; but the man described it so exactly, that I felt he
must be right; and--yes, he is."
As he spoke, he drew aside some bushes, and they found themselves gazing
across heap upon heap of loose fragments of very pure white stone that
was not unlike marble, and the cause of whose overthrow had most likely
been the strong growth of the abundant trees, for the roots had
interlaced and undermined them till they were completely forced out of
place. Beyond this chaos, that lay nearly buried in greenery, rose up
one above the other what seemed to Lawrence at the first glance to be
the ruins of a huge flight of steps built in a semicircular form, but
which he recognised at once, from pictures which he had seen, as an
amphitheatre.
There was no mistaking it. The steps, as he had thought them to be,
were the seats of stone rising tier above tier, now broken, mouldering,
and dislodged in many places, but in others curiously perfect.
Where they, the travellers, stood must have been occupied by the actors,
far back in the past perhaps a couple of thousand years ago; and these
remains were all that was left to tell of the greatness of the people
who once ruled in the land--great indeed, since they left such relics as
these.
Mr Burne said "Humph!" sat down, and lit a cigar, while their host
rested upon a stone at a short distance, to admire the scarlet and
yellow turban. Yussuf followed the professor, whose eyes flashed with
pleasure, while the old lawyer muttered derisively:
"Come all the way, to see a place like this! Why, I could have taken
him to the end of Holborn in a cab, and shown him the ruins of Temple
Bar all neatly numbered and piled-up, without all these pains."
The professor did not hear his remark, for he was too intent upon his
examination of the carefully built place, which he was ready to
pronounce of Greek workmanship; but there was no one but Yussuf to hear.
For Lawrence had noted that, where the stones lay baking in the sun,
innumerable lizards were glancing about, their grey and sometimes green
armoured skins glistening in the brilliant sunshine, and sending off
flashes every time they moved. Some were of a brownish hue clouded with
pale yellow; and as they darted in and out of the crevices and holes
among the stonework, they raised their heads on the look-out for danger,
or to catch some heedless fly before darting again beneath the levelled
stones or amongst the grass and clinging plants which were covering them
here and there.
Poisonous or not poisonous? that was the question Lawrence asked himself
as he crept closer and watched the actions of the nimble bright-eyed
creatures, longing to capture one or two, but hesitating.
A reference to Yussuf solved the doubt.
"Oh, no; perfectly harmless as to poison," he said; "but some of the
larger ones can nip pretty sharply."
"And draw blood?"
"The largest would," he said; "but you need have no fear," he added
dryly; "catch all you can. I should be careful, though, for sometimes
there are snakes lurking amongst the stones, and some of them are
venomous. But you know the difference between a snake and a lizard?"
"Oh, yes," cried Lawrence laughing, "that's easy enough to tell."
"Not always, effendi, when they are half hidden in the grass."
Lawrence nodded, and went away to try and stalk one of the lizards. The
professor was busy making measurements and taking notes, while Mr Burne
smoked on peaceably, and the Turk, who had led them here, crouched down
and stared at the scarlet and yellow turban as if it fascinated him,
while overhead the sun poured down its scorching beams and there was a
stillness in the air that was broken by the low buzz and hum of flies,
and the deep murmur of the spring below.
Lawrence crept softly along to one white stone upon which three lizards
were basking; and after a moment's hesitation thrust out his hand,
making sure that he had seized one by the neck, but there were three
streaks upon the white stone like so many darting shadows, and there was
nothing.
"Wasn't quick enough," he said to himself, and he went softly to another
stone upon which there was only one, a handsome reptile, which looked as
if it had been painted by nature to imitate polished tortoise-shell.
The sun flashed from its back and seemed to be hot enough to cook the
little creature, which did not stir, but lay as if fast asleep.
"I shall have you easy enough," said Lawrence, as he gradually stepped
up to the place and stooped and poised himself ready for the spring.
He was not hasty this time, and the reptile was perfectly unsuspicious
of danger. There was no doubt about the matter--it must be asleep. He
had so arranged that the sun did not cast the shadow of his arm across
the stone, and drawing in his breath, he once more made a dart at the
lizard, meaning if he did not catch it to sweep it away from its hole,
and so make the capture more easy.
_Snatch_!
A brown streak that faded out as breath does from a blade of steel; and
Lawrence hurt his hand upon the lichened stone.
"I'm not going to be beaten," he said to himself. "I can catch them,
and I will."
He glanced at his companions, who were occupied in the amphitheatre;
and, having scared away the lizards from the stones there, the lad went
outside to find that there were plenty of remains about, and nearly all
of them showed a lizard or two basking on the top.
He kept on trying time after time, till he grew hot and impatient, and
of course, as his most careful efforts were useless, it was only natural
to expect that his more careless trials would be in vain.
He was about to give the task up in despair, when all at once he caught
sight of a good-sized reptile lying with its head and neck protruded
from beneath a stone, and in such a position as tempted him to have one
more trial.
This time it seemed to be so easy, and the reptile appeared to be one of
the kind he was most eager to capture--the silvery grey, for, as they
lay upon the stones, they looked as if made of oxidised metal, frosted
and damascened in the most beautiful manner.
Lawrence glanced at the ground so as to be sure of his footing among the
loose stones and growth, and he congratulated himself upon his
foresight. For as he peered about he saw a good-sized virulent-looking
serpent lying right in his way, and as if ready to strike at anybody who
should pass.
Lawrence looked round for a stone wherewith to crush the creature, but
he felt that if he did this he should alarm the lizard and lose it, so
he drew back and picked up a few scraps, and kept on throwing first one
and then another at the serpent, gently, till he roused it, and in a
sluggish way it raised its head and hissed.
Then he threw another, and it again hissed menacingly, and moved itself,
but all in a sluggish manner as if it were half asleep.
Another stone fell so near, though, that it made an angry dart with its
head, and then glided out of sight.
Lawrence took care not to go near where it had disappeared, but
approached the lizard on the stone from a little to the left, which gave
him a better opportunity for seizing it.
It had not moved, and he drew nearer and nearer, to get within reach,
noting the while that its body was not in a crack from which the
creature had partly crept, but concealed by some light fine grass that
he knew would yield to his touch.
As he was about to dart his hand down and catch it by the neck and
shoulders, he saw that it was a finer one than he had imagined, with
flattish head, and very large scales, lying loosely over one another--
quite a natural history prize, he felt.
They were moments of critical anxiety, as he softly extended his hand,
balancing himself firmly, and holding his breath, while he hesitated for
a moment as to whether he should trust to the grass giving way as he
snatched at the body, or seize the reptile by the head and neck, and so
make sure.
He had met with so many disappointments that he determined upon the
latter, and making a quick dart down with his hand, he seized the little
creature by the neck and head, grasping it tightly, and snatching it up,
to find to his horror that he had been deceived by the similarity of the
reptile's head, and instead of catching a lizard he had seized a little
serpent about eighteen inches long, whose head he felt moving within his
hand, while the body, which was flat and thick for the length, wound
tightly round his wrist, and compressed it with more force than could
have been expected from so small a creature.
He had uttered a shout of triumph as he caught his prize, but his voice
died out upon his lips, his blood seemed to rush to his heart, and a
horrible sensation of fear oppressed him, and made the cold dank
perspiration ooze out upon his brow.
For he knew as well as if he had been told that he had caught up one of
the dangerous serpents of the land.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
HOW TO DEAL WITH AN ASP.
For some minutes Lawrence Grange stood motionless as if turned to stone,
and though the sun was shining down with tremendous power, he felt cold
to a degree. His eyes were fixed upon the scaly creature which he held
out at arm's length, and he could neither withdraw them nor move his
arm, while the reptile twined and heaved and undulated in its efforts to
withdraw its head from the tightly closed hand.
The boy could think little, and yet, strange as it may sound, he thought
a great deal. But it was of people who had been bitten by reptiles of
this kind, and who had died in a few minutes or an hour or two at most.
He could not think of the best means of disembarrassing himself of the
deadly creature. He could do nothing but stand with his eyes fixed upon
the writhing beast.
It was an asp. He knew it was from the descriptions he had read of such
creatures, and then the desire to throw it off--as far as he could, came
over him, and his nerve began to return.
But only for a moment, and he shivered as he thought of the consequences
of opening his hand. He saw, in imagination, the serpent clinging
tightly with its body and striking him with its fangs over and over
again.
But had it not already bitten him on the hand as he held that vicious
head within his palm.
That he could not tell, only that he could feel the rough head of the
hideous creature, and the scales pressing into his wrist. But the
probability was that the creature had not bitten him, though it was
heaving and straining with all its force, which, like that of all these
creatures, is remarkably great for their size.
Once, as he stood there staring wildly, a peculiar swimming sensation
came over him, and he felt as if he must fall; but if he did, it
occurred to him that he must be at the mercy of this horrible beast, and
by an effort he mastered the giddiness and stood firm.
How long he stood there he could not tell, only that the horror of being
poisoned by the reptile seemed more than he could bear, especially now
that life was beginning to open out with a new interest for him, and the
world, instead of being embraced by the dull walls of a sick-chamber,
was hourly growing more beautiful and vast.
All at once he started as it were from a dream, in which before his
misty eyes the hideous little serpent was assuming vast proportions, and
gradually forcing open his hand by the expansion of what seemed to be
growing into a huge head. For from just behind him there was a hoarse
cry, and then a rush of feet, and he found himself surrounded by the
professor, Mr Burne, Yussuf, and the Turk at whose house they stayed.
"Good heavens, Lawrence! what are you doing?" cried the professor.
"Hush! don't speak to him," cried Yussuf in a voice full of authority.
"Let me."
As he spoke he drew his knife from his girdle. "Lawrence effendi," he
said quickly, "has it bitten you?"
The lad looked at him wildly, and his voice was a mere whisper as he
faltered:
"I do not know."
"Tell me," cried Yussuf, "have you tight hold of it by the head?"
There was a pause, and Lawrence's eyes seemed fixed and staring, but at
last he spoke.
"Yes."
Only that word; and as the others looked on, Yussuf caught Lawrence's
right hand in his left, and compressed it more tightly on the asp's
head.
"There, effendi," he said as he stood ready with his keen bare knife in
his right hand, "the serpent is harmless now. Take hold of it by the
tail, and unwind it from his wrist."
A momentary repugnance thrilled Mr Preston. Then he seized the little
reptile, and proceeded to untwine it from its constriction of Lawrence's
wrist.
It seemed a little thing to do, but it was surprising how tightly it
clung, and undulated, contracting itself, but all in vain, for Mr
Preston tore it off and held it out as straight as he could get the
heaving body, encouraged in his efforts by Yussuf's declaration that the
head was safe.
Had it not been for his strong grasp the asp would have been torn from
Lawrence's failing grasp, for he was evidently growing giddy and faint,
when, placing his knife as close to the neck as he could get it, Yussuf
gave one bold upward cut and divided the reptile, Mr Preston throwing
down the writhing body while the head was still held tightly within
Lawrence's hand.
"Do not give way, Lawrence effendi," said Yussuf in the same stern
commanding voice as he had used before. "Hold up your hand--so. That
is well."
He twisted the lad's clasped hand, thumb upwards, as he spoke; and those
who looked on saw a few drops of blood fall from the serpent's neck as
it moved feebly, the strength being now in the body that writhed among
the stones.
"Let him throw it down now," cried Mr Preston. "He may be bitten, and
we must see to him."
"No," said Yussuf; "he must not open his hand yet. The head may have
strength to bite even now. A few minutes, effendi, and we will see."
He watched Lawrence curiously, and with a satisfied air, for instead of
growing more faint, the lad seemed to be recovering fast--so fast,
indeed, that he looked up at Yussuf and exclaimed:
"Let me throw the horrid thing away."
"It did not bite you?" said Yussuf quickly.
"No, I think not. It had no time," replied Lawrence.
Yussuf said something to himself, and then, as he retained the hand
within his, he exclaimed:
"Tell us how you came to seize the dangerous beast."
"I took it for a lizard," said the lad, who was nearly himself again,
and then he related the whole of the circumstances.
"Hah! An easy mistake to make," said Yussuf loosening his grasp. "Now,
effendi, keep tight hold and raise your hand high like this; now, quick
as lightning, dash the head down upon that stone."
Lawrence obeyed, and the asp's head fell with a dull pat, moved
slightly, and the jaws slowly opened, and remained gaping.
"Let me look at your hand, Lawrence," cried Mr Preston excitedly.
"Be not alarmed, excellency," said Yussuf respectfully, his commanding
authoritative manner gone. "If the young effendi had been bitten he
would not look and speak like this."