hand into his breast and drew out his revolver. "Get your weapons
ready."
"What, is there to be a fight?" said Mr Burne excitedly.
"I hope not," said Mr Preston gravely, as he examined the charge of his
double gun, an example followed by Lawrence, whose heart began to beat
heavily.
"You had better halt here, excellencies," said Yussuf. "I will go
forward and see."
"No," said Mr Preston; "we will keep together. It is a time for mutual
support. What do you think it is?"
"The man is timid," said Yussuf. "He is a good driver of horses, but a
little frightens him. The country is wild here; there may be wolves or
a bear on the track which he would not dare to face, though they would
run from him if he did."
They all advanced together with their weapons ready for immediate use,
and Lawrence's hands trembled with eagerness, as he strained his eyes
forward in expectation of a glimpse at bear or wolf, and in the hope of
getting a good shot.
"Why don't you speak? Are you ill?" continued Yussuf as he rode on
forward. But Hamed did not stir; and it was not until the guide could
almost touch him that he was able to see what was the cause of his
alarm, and almost at the same moment the others saw it too.
"We must keep a bold face and retreat," said Yussuf in a quick low tone.
"You, Hamed, take the bridle of that horse and lead him back; the other
will follow."
"No, no, no; they will fire."
"So shall I," said Yussuf, placing the muzzle of his pistol close to the
man's ear. "Obey me; or--"
Hamed shuddered and began to implore, but Yussuf was rigid.
"Go on back," he said forcing himself round the foremost horse, closely
followed by the professor, though there was hardly room for their steeds
to pass, and there was a fall of several hundred feet below, while,
pressed like this, Hamed began to whimper; but he obeyed, and led the
horses past Lawrence and Mr Burne, who now went forward, eager and
excited to know what was wrong, and upon joining their companions it was
to find themselves face to face with a gang of about twenty
fierce-looking men, all mounted, and who were seated with their guns
presented toward the travellers' heads.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.
BROUGHT TO BAY.
The strangers were some fifty yards away, and thoroughly blocked all
further progress. What they were was not open to doubt; but, though
they sat there presenting their guns, they did not attempt to fire, nor
yet to advance, contenting themselves by barring the travellers' way.
"Do you think they are enemies, Yussuf?" said Mr Preston calmly.
"There is no doubt of it, effendi," was the reply.
"But had we not better ride boldly forward? They will not dare to stop
us. Besides, if they do, we are well-armed."
"They are twenty and we are only two, effendi, for we cannot depend upon
three of our party. It would be no use to attack. We must retreat
steadily, and get back to the village; they will not dare to follow us
so far."
"What do you propose doing, then?"
"For one of us to remain here facing them, till the others have got
fifty yards back. Then one is to turn and face the scoundrels till I
have ridden in, and on with the others another fifty yards or so, when I
face round, and the one on duty rides in, and so on by turns. If we
keep a bold front we may hold them off."
"A good plan," said the professor; "but would it not be better for two
to face them, and two to go forward--I mean, to retreat?"
"No, effendi; there is not too much room for the horses. Do as I ask."
Mr Preston obeyed on the instant, and with Hamed in front the retreat
was commenced, all retiring and leaving Yussuf on the projecting corner,
weapon in hand, and a sword hanging from his wrist by the knot.
Then, at about fifty yards, Mr Preston halted and faced round, with gun
presented, and as the others still rode on, Yussuf left his post and
joined the professor, passing him and riding on another fifty yards
behind, where he faced round in turn.
As the professor made his horse face about and rode on, he had only just
reached the guide, when a clattering of horses' hoofs behind him made
him look sharply round.
The enemy had advanced, and about half a dozen men had taken up the
vacated position at the elbow of the track.
There they stopped, looking menacing enough, but making no advance,
merely watching the progress of the little party as they retreated round
the curve towards the other corner which they had passed on their way.
"Had we not better get on faster?" said the professor.
"No," replied Yussuf; "we must go slowly, or they will close in; and
your excellency does not want blood to be shed. Our only chance is by
keeping a bold front, and retreating till we can get help. They will
not dare to attack us if we keep on like this, for they do not care to
risk their lives."
"Go on then," said the professor; and the retreat was kept up for about
ten minutes, and then came to a stop, for Hamed, on reaching the other
corner with his baggage-horses, stopped short suddenly, and on Lawrence
trotting up to him, the professor saw him too stop, and present his gun.
"We are trapped, effendi," said Yussuf sadly.
"Trapped!" cried Mr Preston sharply. "What do you mean?"
"The dogs have another party who have been hidden in that side track,
and they have come out as soon as we passed. We are between two fires.
What shall we do?"
It was plain enough, for the next minute Hamed and Lawrence were seen to
be driven back, and a party similar to that upon the first corner stood
out clearly in the morning air--a gang before, and one behind, and the
precipice above and below. It was either fight or yield now, and Yussuf
had asked the question, what was to be done.
Shut in as they were completely, the little party closed up together on
the curved path, Hamed requiring no telling, while the enemy made no
attempt to advance.
Mr Burne took out his box, had a large pinch of snuff, and then blew
his nose so outrageously that the horses pricked their ears, and Ali
Baba snorted and looked as if he would try another of his wonderful
leaps if that kind of thing were to be continued.
"Well, Yussuf," said the professor, "what is to be done?"
The guide sighed deeply and looked full in his employer's face.
"Excellency," he said softly, "I feel as if all my bones were turned to
water."
"Oh, indeed, sir," cried Mr Burne sharply; "then you had better turn
them back to what they were."
"What is to be done, Yussuf?" continued the professor. "If we make a
stout resistance, shall we beat them off?"
"No, effendi," said Yussuf sadly; "it is impossible. We might kill
several, but they are many, and those who are left do not value life.
Besides, effendi, some of us must fall."
"What are these people, then?"
"Brigands--robbers, excellency."
"Brigands and robbers in the nineteenth century!" cried Mr Burne
angrily; "it is absurd."
"In your country, excellency; but here they are as common as they are in
Greece."
"But the law, sir, the law!" cried Mr Burne. "Confound the scoundrels!
where are the police?"
Yussuf shrugged his shoulders.
"We are far beyond the reach of the law or the police, excellency,
unless a little army of soldiers is sent to take or destroy these
people; and even then what can they do in these terrible fastnesses,
where the brigands have hiding-places and strongholds that cannot be
found out, or if found, where they can set the soldiery at defiance?"
Mr Burne blew his nose again fearfully, and created a series of echoes
that sounded as if old men were blowing their noses from where they
stood right away to Constantinople, so strangely the sounds died away in
the distance.
"Then why, sir, in the name of common sense and common law, did you
bring us into this out-of-the-way place, among these dirty, ragged,
unshaven scoundrels? It is abominable! It is disgraceful! It is--"
"Hush! hush! Burne; be reasonable," said the professor. "Yussuf has
only obeyed orders. If anyone is to blame it is I, for I wished to see
this ruined fastness of the old Roman days."
Yussuf smiled, and gave the professor a grateful look.
"Humph! It's all very well for you to take his part. He ought to have
known," grumbled the old lawyer.
"Travellers are never free from risk in any of the out-of-the-way parts
of the country," said Yussuf quietly.
"And of course we knew that, and accepted the risk," said the professor.
"Come, come, Burne, be reasonable. Yussuf is not to blame. The
question is, What are we to do--fight or give up?"
"Fight," said Mr Burne fiercely. "Hang it all, sir! I never give in
to an opponent. I always say to a client, if he has right upon his
side, `Fight, sir, fight.' And that's what I'm going to do."
"Fight, eh?" said the professor gravely.
"Yes, sir, fight, and I only wish I understood the use of this gun and
long knife as well as I do that of a ruler and a pen."
"Look here, Yussuf, if we fight, what will be the consequences?"
"I will fight for your excellencies to the last," said the Turk calmly;
"but I am afraid that we can do no good."
"Confound you, sir!" cried Mr Burne; "if we give in they will take off
our heads."
"No, no, excellency, they will make us prisoners, and strip us of our
arms and all that we have of value."
"Humph! Is that all?"
"No, excellency. They will demand a heavy ransom for your release--so
many Turkish pounds."
"Then we'll fight," cried Mr Burne furiously. "I never would and I
never will be swindled. Ransom indeed! Why, confound it all, Preston!
is this real, or is it a cock-and-bull story told in a book?"
"It is reality, Burne, sure enough," said the professor calmly; "and I
feel with you, that I would sooner fight than give up a shilling; but,
cowardly as it may seem, I fear that we must give up."
"Give up? Never, sir. I am an Englishman," cried the old lawyer.
"But look at our position. We are completely at their mercy. Here we
are in the centre of this half-moon curve, and the scoundrels hold the
two horns in force."
"Then we'll dash up the mountain."
"It is impossible, excellency," said Yussuf.
"Then we'll go downwards."
"To death, Burne?" said the professor smiling.
"Confound it all!" cried Mr Burne, "we are in a complete trap. Here,
you, Yussuf, this is your doing, and you are in league with these
rascals to rob us."
"Excellency!"
"Oh, Mr Burne!" cried Lawrence, with his face scarlet; and he leaned
towards Yussuf, and held out his hand to the Turk, who sat with angry,
lowering countenance upon his horse.
"Mr Burne is angry, Yussuf," said the professor in a quiet, stern
manner. "He does not mean what he says, and I am sure he will apologise
as an English gentleman should."
Yussuf bowed coldly, and Mr Preston continued:
"I have the most perfect confidence in your integrity, sir, and as we
are brothers in misfortune, and you know these people better than we--"
"Of course," said Mr Burne, with an angry ejaculation.
"I ask you," said Mr Preston, "to give us your advice. What had we
better do--fight or give up?"
Yussuf's face brightened, and he turned to the old lawyer.
"Effendi," he said gravely, "you will know me better before we part, and
you will tell me you are sorry for what you have said."
"I won't, sir! No, confound me, never!" cried the old lawyer; and he
blew his nose like a challenge upon a trumpet.
"I am deeply grieved, effendi," continued Yussuf, smiling as he turned
to the professor, "for this is a terrible misfortune, and you will be
disappointed of your visit to the old city. But it would be madness to
light. We should be throwing away our lives, and that of the young
effendi here, who has shown us of late that he has a long and useful
life to lead. It is our fate. We must give up."
"Never!" cried Mr Burne, cocking his gun.
"Don't be foolish, my dear Burne," said the professor. "I would say,
let us fight like men; but what can we do against fifty well-armed
scoundrels, who can shelter themselves and pick us off at their ease?
Come, keep that gun still, or you will shoot one of us instead of an
enemy."
"Now, that's cruel!" cried Mr Burne with an air of comical vexation.
"Well, I suppose you are right. Here, Yussuf, old fellow, I beg your
pardon. I was only in a savage temper. I suppose we must give in; but
before I'll pay a shilling of ransom they shall take off my head."
Yussuf smiled.
"Confound you, sir, don't grin at a man when he's down," cried Mr
Burne. "You've got the better of me, but you need not rejoice like
that."
"I do not rejoice, excellency, only that you believe in me once more."
"Here! hi! you black-muzzled, unbelieving scoundrels, leave off, will
you! Don't point your guns at us, or, by George and the dragon and the
other champions of Christendom, I will fight."
He had looked at the two points of the half-moon road, and seen that
about a dozen men were now dismounted, and were apparently taking aim at
them.
"Well, Yussuf, we give up," said the professor. "Perhaps, after all,
they may be honest people. Will you go to them and ask what they want
with us?"
"They are brigands, excellency."
"Well, ask them what they will take to let us continue our journey in
peace," cried Mr Burne. "Offer 'em five shillings all round; I suppose
there are about fifty--or, no, say we will give them ten pounds to go
about their business; and a precious good day's work for the ragged
jacks."
"I will go forward," said Yussuf. "Excellency," he continued to the
professor, "trust me, and I will make the best bargain I can."
"Go on, then," said the professor; "but is there any risk to yourself?"
"Oh, no, effendi, none at all. I have no fear. They will know I come
as an ambassador."
"Go on, then," said the professor; and the Turk rode slowly forward to
the men, who blocked their way, and who still held their guns menacingly
before them as if about to fire.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
GOOD OUT OF EVIL.
"We've brought our pigs to a pretty market," grumbled Mr Burne, as they
sat watching Yussuf ride up to the brigands. "It means ruin, sir,
ruin."
"There's no help for it, Burne," said the professor calmly; "it is of no
use to complain."
"I am an Englishman, sir, and I shall grumble as much and as long as I
please," cried the old gentleman snappishly; "and you, Lawrence, if you
laugh at me, sir, I'll knock you off your horse. Here, what was the use
of our buying weapons of war, if we are not going to use them?"
"Their conversation has been short," said the professor. "I suppose it
is settled. So vexatious too, when we were quite near the ancient
stronghold."
"Bah! you've seen old stones and ruins enough, man. I wish to goodness
we were back in London. Well, Yussuf, what do they say?"
"That if your excellencies will surrender peaceably, you shall not be
hurt. There is nothing else for us to do but give up."
"And you advise it, Yussuf?" said the professor.
"Yes, your excellency, we must give up; and perhaps if you are patient I
may find a means for us to escape."
"Hah! that's better," cried Mr Burne; "now you are speaking like a man.
Come along, then, and let's get it over. Can the brutes speak
English?"
"No, excellency, I think not. Shall I lead?"
"No," said Mr Burne. "I shall go first, just to show the miserable
ruffians that we are not afraid of them if we do give up. Come along,
Preston. Confound them! how I do hate thieves."
He took a pinch of snuff, and then rode slowly on with an angry
contemptuous look, closely followed by his companions, to where the
brigands were awaiting them with guns presented ready to fire if there
was any resistance.
As they advanced, the party behind closed up quickly, all being in the
same state of readiness with their weapons till the travellers found
themselves completely hemmed in by as evil-looking a body of scoundrels
as could be conceived. Every man had his belt stuck full of knives and
pistols, and carried a dangerous-looking gun--that is to say, a piece
that was risky to both enemy and friend.
One man, who seemed to hold pre-eminence from the fact that he was half
a head taller than his companions, said a few words in a sharp fierce
manner, and Yussuf spoke.
"The captain says we are to give up all our arms," he said; and the
professor handed his gun and sword without a word, the appearance of the
weapons apparently giving great satisfaction to the chief.
"Here, take 'em," growled Mr Burne; "you ugly-looking unwashed animal.
I hope the gun will go off of itself, and shoot you. I say, Preston,
you haven't given them your revolver."
"Hush! neither am I going to without they ask for it. Yussuf is keeping
his."
"Oh, I see," said the old lawyer brightening.
Lawrence had to resign his handsome gun and sword next, the beauty of
their workmanship causing quite a buzz of excitement.
After this, as Lawrence sat suffering a bitter pang at losing his
treasured weapons, the chief said a few words to Yussuf.
"The captain says, excellencies, that if you will ride quietly to their
place, he will not have you bound. I have said that you will go."
"Yes," said the professor, "we will go quietly."
The chief seemed satisfied, and the prisoners being placed in the
middle, the whole band went off along the mountain path, higher and
higher hour after hour.
There was no attempt made to separate them, nor yet to hinder their
conversation; and the brigands seemed less ferocious now that the
business of the day had had so satisfactory a finish, for they were
congratulating themselves upon having made a very valuable haul, and the
captives, after a time, began to look upon their seizure as more
interesting and novel than troublesome. That is to say, all but the
professor, who bemoaned bitterly the fact that he should miss seeing the
old ruined, stronghold in the mountains, which was said to be the
highest ruin in the land.
"It seems so vexatious, Yussuf," he said towards evening, after a very
long and tedious ride through scenery that was wild and grand in the
extreme; "just, too, as we were so near the aim of all my desire."
"Bother!" said Mr Burne, "I wish they would stop and cook some dinner.
Are they going to starve us?"
"No, excellency; and before an hour has passed, if I think rightly, we
shall have reached the brigands' stronghold. They will not starve you,
but you will have to pay dearly for all you have."
"I don't care," said Mr Burne recklessly. "I'd give a five-pound note
now for a chop, and a sovereign a-piece for mealy potatoes. This
mountain air makes me ravenous, and ugh! how cold it is."
"We are so high up, excellency," said Yussuf; and then smiling, "Yes, I
am right."
"What do you mean?" said the professor.
"I did not like to speak before, effendi," he said excitedly, "for I was
not sure; but it is as I thought; they have now turned into the right
road. Everything points to it."
"Look here," grumbled Mr Burne, "I'm not in a humour to guess
conundrums and charades; speak out, man. What do you mean?"
"I mean, excellency, that I have been wondering where the brigands'
strong place could be, and I believe I have found out."
"Well, where is it? A cave, of course?"
"No, excellency; and you, effendi," he continued, turning to the
professor, "will be delighted."
"What do you mean, my good fellow?" said the professor warmly.
"That you will have your wish. There is no other place likely, and it
seems to me that this band of men have made the old ruined stronghold
their lurking-place, and you will see the ruins after all."
"What?" cried Mr Preston excitedly.
"I am not sure, excellency, for they may be only going to pass them on
our way elsewhere; but we are now journeying straight for the grand old
remains we sought."
"Then, I don't care what ransom I have to pay," said the professor
eagerly. "Lawrence, my dear boy--Burne--this is not a misfortune, but a
great slice of luck."
"Oh! indeed! is it?" said the old lawyer sarcastically. "I should not
have known."
It proved to be as Yussuf had anticipated, for, just as the sun was
sinking below the mountains, the shelf of a path was continued along by
the brink of a terrible precipice which looked black beneath their feet,
and after many devious windings, it ended as it were before a huge pile
of limestone, at the foot of which rocks were piled-up as if they had
suddenly been dashed down from some tremendous tremor of the mountains.
"Where are we going?" said the professor.
"Up to the top of that great pile," said Yussuf.
"But are the ruins there?"
"Yes, effendi."
"And how are we to set there?"
"You will see, excellency. It is quite right. This is the robbers'
home, where they could set an army at defiance."
"But we can't get up there," said Lawrence, gazing at the dizzy height.
As he spoke, the foremost horseman seemed to disappear, but only to come
into sight again, and then it became evident that there was a zigzag and
winding path right up to the top of the huge mass of rock which towered
up almost perpendicularly in places, and, ten minutes later, Lawrence
was riding up a path with so awful a precipice on his right that he
closed his eyes.
But the next minute the fascination to gaze down was too strong to be
resisted, and he found himself looking round and about him, almost
stunned by the aspect of the place. But the sure-footed Turkish ponies
went steadily on higher and higher round curves and sharply turning
angles and elbows, till at last at a dizzy height the foremost horseman
rode in between two masses of rock surmounted by ruined buildings. Then
on across a hideous gap of several hundred feet deep, a mere split in
the rock bridged with the trunks of pine-trees, but awful to
contemplate, and making the travellers hold their breath till they were
across, and amid the gigantic ruins of an ancient stronghold.
"Stupendous!" cried the professor, as they rode on amidst the traces of
the former grandeur of the place.
"How bitterly cold!" said the professor.
"We are to dismount here," said Yussuf quietly, "and go into this old
building."
They obeyed, glad to descend from their horses, which were taken away,
and then they were ushered to a great stone-built hall where a fire was
burning, which seemed cheery and comfortable after their long ride.
There were rugs on the floor, the roof was sound, and the window was
covered by a screen of straw which made the place dark save for the warm
glow of the fire, near which a little Turkish-looking man was seated,
and a largely proportioned Turkish woman reclined on a rough kind of
divan.
"These are to be our quarters, effendi," said Yussuf, after a brief
colloquy with the chief, who had accompanied them, "and these are our
fellow-prisoners. But he warns me that if we attempt to escape we shall
be shot, for there are sentries on the watch."
"All right," said Mr Burne approaching the fire; "tell him not to
bother us to-night, only to give us the best they've got to eat, or else
to let us have our baggage in and leave us to shift for ourselves."
Just then an exclamation escaped the big Turkish woman, who sprang to
her feet, and ran and caught the professor's hand.
"Mr Preston!" she cried. "Do you not know me?"
"Mrs Chumley!" cried the professor. "You here!"
"Yes, we've been prisoners here for a month. Charley, you lazy fellow,
get up; these are friends."
"Oh, are they?" said the little Turk, rising slowly. "Well, I'm jolly
glad of it, for I'm sick of being here. Hallo, young Lawrence, I've
often thought about you; how are you? Getting better? That's right.
See you are. How do, Preston? How do, Mr Burne? I say! Ha-ha-ha!
You're all in for it now."
"For shame, Charley, to talk like that," cried the lady. "Come up to
the fire all of you. I am very glad to see you here."
"Oh, you are, eh, madam?" said the old lawyer sharply, as he warmed his
hands over the blaze.
"Well, I do not mean that," said the lady; "but it is always pleasant to
meet English people when you are far from home."
Just then the robber chief nodded, said a few words to Yussuf, and the
prisoners were left alone.
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.
A QUESTION OF RANSOM.
"Nice state of affairs this, Mr Preston," said the little prisoner
holding out his arms. "Here's a dress for a gentleman;" and he
displayed the rags of Turkish costume he wore. "Chaps saw me at my club
now."
"Charley, will you hold your tongue," cried his lady angrily. "How am I
to explain our position if you will keep on chattering so?"
"But, my darling--"