pencils down to a building that seemed to have been a temple. It was at
the very edge of the tremendous precipice, and must once have been of
noble aspect, for it was adorned with a grand entrance, with handsomely
carved columns supporting the nearly perfect roof, and the wonder was
that the brigands had not utilised it for a dwelling or store. But
there it was, empty, and the professor gazed around it with rapture.
The guards stood at the entrance leaning against the wall watching him
and Lawrence carelessly, and then, going out into the sunshine, they
picked out a sheltered spot, and sat down to smoke.
The professor began to draw. Soon afterwards Mr Burne sat down on a
broken column taking snuff at intervals, and Yussuf seated himself with
his back to the doorway, drew some worsted from his breast, and began to
plait it rapidly, while Lawrence went on investigating the inmost
recesses of the place.
"Come and look here, Yussuf," he cried at the end of a few minutes, and
the Turk followed him to a part of the building behind where an altar
must have stood and pointed down.
"Look here," he said; "this stone is loose, and goes down when I stand
upon that corner. It's hollow, too, underneath."
He stamped as he spoke, and there was a strange echoing sound came up.
"Hush!" said Yussuf quickly, and he glanced round to see if they were
observed; but they were hidden from the other occupants of the place;
and, stooping down, Yussuf brushed away some rubbish, placed his hands
under one side of the stone where it was loose, and lifted the slab
partly up.
The air came up cool and sweet, so that it did not seem to be a vault;
but it was evidently something of the kind, and not a well, for there
was a flight of stone steps leading down into the darkness.
It was but a moment's glance before Yussuf lowered the stone again, and
hastily kicked some rubbish over it, and lowered a piece of an old
figure across it so as to hide it more.
"What is it?" said Lawrence quickly.
"I do not know," replied Yussuf. "It is our discovery. It may be
treasure; it may be anything. Say no word to a soul, and you and I will
get a lamp, escape from the prison to-night, and come and examine it,
and see what it is. It may be a way out."
Lawrence would gladly have gone on at once, but Yussuf signed to him to
be silent; and it was as well, for he had hardly time to throw himself
down on a block of stone, and sham sleep, when the guards came
sauntering in and looked suspiciously round. Then, not seeing two of
their prisoners, they came on cautiously, and peered over the stones
that hid them from where the professor was drawing, to find Yussuf
apparently asleep, and Lawrence sharpening his pocket-knife upon a
stone.
One of the men came forward and snatched the knife away, saying in his
own tongue that boys had no business with knives, after which he stalked
off and returned to his old place outside.
"You see," said Yussuf quietly, "it was no time now for examining the
place; wait till night."
For the first time since he had been a prisoner the hours passed slowly
to Lawrence. It seemed as if it would never be night, and every time he
met the professor's or Mr Burne's eye, they seemed to be taking him to
task for keeping a secret from them.
Then, too, Mrs Chumley appeared to be suspecting him, and Chumley drew
him aside as if to cross-examine him; but it was only to confide a long
story about how severely he had been snubbed that day for wanting to
follow the professor to the ruins where he was making his drawings.
At last, though, the guards had thrust in their villainous faces for the
last time, according to their custom, and all had lain down as if to
sleep.
An hour must have passed, and Lawrence lay with his heart beating,
waiting for a summons from Yussuf; but it seemed as if one would never
come, and the lad was about to give up and conclude that their guide had
decided not to go that night, when a hand came out of the darkness and
touched his face, while a pair of lips almost swept his ear, and a voice
whispered:
"Rise softly, and follow me."
Lawrence needed no second invitation, and, rising quickly, he followed
Yussuf to where the rug hung over the door.
"Bend down low, and follow me," whispered the Turk. "The guards are
nearly asleep."
He drew the rug a little on one side, and Lawrence saw where the two men
were huddled up in their sheepskin cloaks.
"Do as I do," whispered Yussuf.
The moon was shining, and the part where the guards sat was well in the
light; but a black shadow was cast beneath the walls of the great
building, and by stooping down and keeping in this, the evading pair
were able to get beyond the ken of the guards, and though lights shone
out from one ruined building, whether from fire or lamp could not be
told, not a soul was about, and they were able to keep on till the
inhabited part was left behind and the old temple reached.
"It was a dangerous thing to do, Lawrence effendi," said the guide. "I
repented promising to bring you, for the men might have fired."
"Never mind that," whispered Lawrence. "We are safe now. Have you
brought a light?"
"Yes," was the reply; and, by the moonlight which shone through a gap,
Yussuf led the way among the broken stones to the back of the old altar,
where, after feeling about, he found the side of the stone, lifted it
right up, and leaned it against a broken column.
Then, after a word of warning, he stooped down and struck a match, but
the draught that blew up the opening extinguished it on the instant.
Another and another shared the same fate, after giving them a glimpse of
a ragged set of stone steps; and as it was evident that no light could
be obtained that way, Yussuf took the little lamp he had brought into a
corner of the building, lit it, and sheltering it inside his loose
garment, he came back to where Lawrence waited listening.
"I'll go first," said Yussuf. "Mind how you come."
He lowered himself into the hole, and descended a few steps.
"It is quite safe," he said. "Come down;" and Lawrence descended to
stand by his side.
"Shelter this lamp a minute," whispered Yussuf. "I must close the
stone, or the light will be out."
Lawrence took the lamp, the perspiration standing on his forehead the
while, as he felt that this was something like being Aladdin, and
descending into the cave in search of the wonderful lamp.
"Suppose," he thought, "that Yussuf should step out and leave him in
this horrible place to starve and die. Nobody would ever guess that he
was there, and no one would hear his cries. What was the place--a tomb?
And had Yussuf gone and left him?"
There was a low dull hollow sound as the stone descended into its place,
and a cry rose to the lad's lips, but it had no utterance, for Yussuf
said softly from above:
"Now you may show the light, and we can see where we are."
Lawrence drew a breath of relief as he took the light from his breast,
and saw that he was standing upon a very rough flight of stone steps,
with the rugged wall of rock on either side.
Yussuf took the lamp and held it up, showing a rough arch of great
stones over their heads, and the square opening over a rough landing
where they had descended, while on either side the rock looked as if at
some time it had been split, and left a space varying from four to six
feet wide, the two sides being such that, if by some convulsion of
nature they were closed, they would have fitted one into the other.
"Follow close behind me," said Yussuf. "This must lead into some vault
or perhaps burial-place. You are not frightened?"
"Yes, I am," said Lawrence in a low tone.
"Shall we go back?"
"No, but I cannot help being a little alarmed."
Yussuf laughed softly.
"No wonder," he said. "I feel a little strange myself. But listen,
Lawrence; what we have to fear is a hole or crack in the rock into which
we might fall, so keep your eyes on the ground."
But their path proved very easy, always a steep descent, sometimes cut
into stairs, sometimes merely a rugged slope, and always arched over by
big uncemented stones.
No vault came in sight, no passage broke off to right or left; it was
always the same steep descent--a way to some particular pine made by the
ancients, who had utilised the crevice or split in the rock, and arched
it over to make this rugged passage.
"I think I understand," said Yussuf, when they had gone on descending
for quite three hundred yards.
"What is it?" said Lawrence; "a tomb?"
"No."
"A treasure chamber?"
"No."
"What, then?"
"There must be a spring of good water somewhere down at the bottom, and
this was of great value to the people who built this place on the rock.
Shall we go any farther?"
"Yes, I want to see the spring," said Lawrence. "I am not so frightened
now."
"There is quite a current of air here," said Yussuf, when they had
descended another hundred yards or so. "The spring must be in the open
air, and out by the mountain side."
Lawrence was too intent upon his feet to answer, and they descended
another fifty yards, when Yussuf stopped, for the way was impeded by a
piled-up mass of fallen stones, and on looking up to see if they were
from the roof they found that the arching had ceased, and that the roof
was the natural rock of wedged-in masses fallen from above.
"We can get no farther," said Yussuf, holding the lamp above his head.
"Look, look!" said Lawrence softly; "there is a light out there."
Yussuf looked straight before him; and placing the lamp upon the ground,
and shading it with his coat, there, sure enough, not more than a dozen
yards away, was a patch of light--blight moonlight.
"I was wrong," said Yussuf calmly; "this is not the way to a spring, but
a road from that temple down to some pathway along by the side of the
mountain, and closed up by these fallen stones. Lawrence effendi, we
shall not want my ropes to descend from the walls. You have found a way
out of the old place that has lain hidden for hundreds of years."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes; and that we have only to set to work and clear away these stones
sufficiently to reach the entrance, and then we can escape."
"Let us begin, then, at once," cried Lawrence joyously.
"No; we will go back now, and examine the way, so as to make sure that
our course up and down is safe. Then we will get back, and be satisfied
with our night's work."
"Yes," said Yussuf, when he reached the stone again; "it is all quite
plain. I could come up and down here in the dark, and there will be
light enough at the bottom in the daytime to see what to do."
He raised the stone after extinguishing his lamp, and they both stepped
out; the stone was lowered into its place, a little earth and dust
thrown over it and a few fragments of rubbish, and then the midnight
wanderers stole back to the prison, but only to stop short in the shadow
with Lawrence chilled by horror. For, as they were about to step up to
the portal, one of the guards yawned loudly, rose, and walked to the
rug, drew it aside, and looked in.
He stood there gazing in so long, that it seemed as if he must have
discovered that there were absentees; but, just as Lawrence was in
despair, he dropped the curtain, walked back to his companion, and sat
down with his back to the portal.
Yussuf wasted no time, but glided along in the shadow, and Lawrence
followed; but as he reached the portal he kicked against a piece of
loose stone and the guards sprang up.
Lawrence would have stood there petrified, but Yussuf dragged him in,
hurried him across the interior, threw him down, and took his place
behind him.
"Pretend to be asleep," he whispered; and he turned his face away, as
the steps of the guards were heard, and they lifted the rug curtain and
came in with a primitive kind of lantern, to look round and see if all
were there, being satisfied on finding them apparently asleep, and going
back evidently believing it was a false alarm.
"Safe this time, Yussuf," whispered Lawrence.
"Yes," said the guide. "Now sleep in peace, for you have discovered a
way to escape."
CHAPTER FORTY ONE.
THE TIME FOR FLIGHT.
"And you are sure, Yussuf?" said Mr Preston two days later.
"Yes, effendi. I have been there alone twice since, and in a few hours
I had moved enough stones to let me through to the light, and in a few
hours more I can make the passage so easy that a lady can go through."
"And where the light shines in?"
"Is just over a narrow rugged path leading down the mountain--a way that
has been forgotten. Effendi, after I have been there once again the way
is open, and though the path is dangerous it will lead to safety, and we
must escape."
"When?" said Mr Preston eagerly.
"As soon as we can collect a little food--not much, but enough to carry
us to the nearest village where we can get help."
"And our goods--our property?"
"Must stay, excellency. Once you are all safe we can send the soldiery
by the path by which we left, for the brigands will not know how we have
escaped."
"Well, I can save my drawings," said the professor, "and they will be
worth all the journey, as we have no ransom to pay."
The next day Mr Burne was let into the secret, but it was decided not
to tell the Chumleys till they were awakened on the night of the
attempt.
It was hard work to keep down the feeling of elation so as not to let
the chief see that the captives were full of hope, for he came day by
day to visit them and complain about the length of time his messengers
were gone.
But the secret was well kept, and those who shared it, in obedience to
Yussuf's suggestion, began to store away portions of their provisions so
as to be prepared at any moment for a journey which might take them for
many days through the mountains away from village or beaten track.
"I shall leave this place with regret," the professor said with a sigh;
"but I must say I do not relish paying for my stay with every shilling I
have scraped together during my life."
"No. Let's get away, Preston," said Mr Burne. "Oh, if I could only
commence an action against these scoundrels for our imprisonment! I'd
make them smart."
They were sitting together among the ruins, and their thoughts naturally
reverted to Yussuf and his reticent ways, for two days had passed since
he had made any communication, and he had seemed to be more retiring
than ever.
The sun was shining brightly, and warmed the stones where they sat, but
the air seemed to be piercingly cold, and Mr Burne shivered more than
once, and got up to walk about.
"I shall not be sorry to get down out of the mountains," he said. "What
do you say, Lawrence?"
"Oh! I've liked the stay up here very well, it has all been so new and
different; and besides, I have been so well, and I feel so strong."
"Yes, you are better, my boy," said Mr Burne, nodding his head
approvingly.
"I used to feel tired directly I moved," continued Lawrence, "but now I
scarcely ever feel tired till quite night. Yussuf says it is the
mountain air."
"Yes," said the professor dryly, "it is the mountain air. Where is
Yussuf?"
"Here, excellency," said their guide; and they all started with
surprise, he had approached so quietly. "I was coming to tell you that
I have been up to the top of the old temple, and have at length traced
the ancient path. I have only seen parts of it here and there, but I
can make out the direction it takes, and it is right opposite to that by
which we came."
"But where does it lead?" said the professor.
"Away west, effendi--where, I cannot say; but let us get out of this
place and I will lead you in safety somewhere."
"But the old path--is it very dangerous?" said Mr Burne.
"I went out upon it last night in the darkness, and followed it for a
couple of miles, excellency. It is dangerous, but with care we can get
safely along."
"You have quite cleared the passage, then?" said the professor.
"Right to the mouth, effendi. There, so as not to excite notice, I have
only left a hole big enough to crawl from. Not that anyone could see,
except from the mountain on the other side, and nobody is ever there."
"When do we go, then?" said Lawrence eagerly.
"If their excellencies are willing, to-morrow night," said Yussuf.
"Every hour I am expecting to see the messenger return, and you,
gentlemen, forced to agree to some terms by which in honour you will be
bound to pay heavy amounts, and then it will not be worth while to
escape."
"I say, look here, Yussuf," said Mr Burne, "are you real or only sham?"
Yussuf frowned slightly.
"Your excellency never trusted me," he replied proudly.
"I did not at first, certainly," said the old lawyer. "I'll go so far
as to say that in the full swing of my suspicions I was almost ready to
think that you had been playing into the brigands' hands and had sold
us."
"Oh, Mr Burne!" cried Lawrence reproachfully.
"You hold your tongue, boy. You're out of court. You haven't been a
lawyer for nearly forty years; I have."
"I have tried hard to win Mr Burne's confidence," said Yussuf gravely.
"I am sorry I have failed."
"But you have not failed, my good fellow," cried the old lawyer. "I
only say, Are you a real Turk or a sham?"
"Will your excellency explain?" said Yussuf with dignity. "I speak your
tongue, and understand plain meanings, but when there are two thoughts
in a word I cannot follow."
"I mean, my dear fellow, you so thoroughly understand the thoughts and
ways of English gentlemen that it is hard to think you are a born Turk."
"Oh!" said Yussuf smiling. "I have been so much with them, excellency,
and--I have tried to learn."
"There's a lesson for you, Lawrence," said the professor smiling.
"Well, then, Yussuf, to-morrow night."
"Yes, excellency."
"Then, had we not better tell the Chumleys?"
Yussuf was silent for a few moments.
"I am sorry about them," he said at last. "We cannot leave them behind,
for it would mean their death; but if we fail in our escape, it will be
through them. No, excellency, say no word till we are ready to start,
and then say, `Come!'"
"You are right, Yussuf," said Mr Burne. "That woman would chatter all
over the place if she knew: say nothing, and we must make the best of
them. But I say, isn't it turning very cold?"
"Yes, excellency, we are high up in the mountains. There is no other
place so high as this, and if we do not go soon the winter will be upon
us."
"Winter? not yet," said the professor.
"Your excellency forgets it is winter in the mountains when it may be
only autumn in the plains."
CHAPTER FORTY TWO.
A SAD FAILURE.
At last!
The Chumleys were fast asleep; the wood fire had burned down into a
faint glow that played over the white ashes, and the air seemed to be
piercingly cold.
The guards had looked in according to their custom, and then proved how
cold it was by stopping by the fire for about a quarter of an hour,
talking in a low tone together before going out.
The provisions, principally bread and raisins, were taken out of
Yussuf's hiding-place, where he kept the worsted rope, and this latter
he wore twisted round his chest, beneath his loose garment, ready in
case it might be wanted. The food was made into six packages, and each
took his load, leaving two for the Chumleys, and now a short
conversation ensued about Hamed, whom they had only seen once since
their imprisonment. For the driver had been sent to another part of the
old ruins with the horses.
The professor was saying that they ought to try and get Hamed away with
them; but Yussuf declared it would be impossible, and said that as a
compatriot he was perfectly safe.
Under these circumstances it was decided to leave him; and now, all
being ready, Lawrence was deputed to awaken the Chumleys, and bid them
rise and follow.
"How do you feel, my lad?" said the professor, with his lips to
Lawrence's ears.
"Nervous, sir."
"No wonder. It seems cruel to have to leave so much behind, but never
mind. Now, Burne, are you strung up?"
"Yes, quite," was the reply.
"Ready, Yussuf?"
"Yes, excellency, and mind, once more, all are to follow me close under
the walls. Not a word is to be spoken."
"But you will pause for a few minutes in the subterranean passage,"
whispered the professor. "I must see that."
"You will have ample time, excellency. Now, Lawrence effendi, awaken
your friends."
Lawrence drew a long breath, and stooping down, laid his hand upon Mr
Chumley's shoulder.
"Don't!" was the gruff response.
"Mr Chumley, wake up. Hush! Don't speak."
"Eh, what? Time to get up. Why don't you pull aside the rug?"
"Hush, sir! Wake up."
"Eh, what? Is my wife ill?"
"No, no. Are you awake now?"
"Awake? Yes, of course; what is it?"
"We have a way open to escape. Wake your wife. Tell her not to speak."
"But she will. Oceans!" said the little man sadly.
"She must not speak. Wake her; tell her there is a way of escape, and
then you two must carry these parcels of food, and follow in silence."
"I say, Lawrence, old man, is it real?" he whispered.
"Quite! Quick! You are wasting time."
"But won't they shoot at us?"
"Not if you are both silent," whispered Lawrence; and creeping on
all-fours the little man reached over, awakened his wife, and
communicated the news.
To the surprise of all she woke up quite collected, grasped the idea at
once, and rose to her feet. Then putting on her head-dress, and
throwing a shawl over her shoulders and securing the ends--
"I am ready," she said.
"Bravo!" whispered the professor. "Now, silence, for we have to pass
the guards."
"But where are we going?" said Chumley.
"Chumley! Oh, that tongue!" whispered his wife.
"Silence!" said Yussuf decidedly; and then after a pause, "Ready?"
There was no reply, and taking this for consent, he bade the professor
come last, after holding the rugs aside till all had passed, and then he
stepped out, and stepped back again, for a piercingly cold breath of air
had darted into the prison.
"It is snowing," he said in a low whisper.
"Well?" said Mr Burne, "we are going down from the mountain, and we
shall leave it behind, shall we not?"
"Yes, perhaps," said the guide, in a doubting manner. "Shall we risk
it?"
"Yes, certainly," said Mr Preston. "We must go now."
"It is well," said Yussuf, and he stepped out, the others following in
his steps; but when it came to Lawrence's turn, to his intense surprise
he found that his feet sank deep in the softly gathering flakes. He
looked to his left as he kept on by the wall; but the guards were not
visible though their voices could be heard, and it was evident that they
had sheltered themselves among some stones where they were gossiping
together.
Not a sound was heard but the rush of wind as the little party crept
on--their footsteps were effectually muffled, and in a few minutes they
were beyond the hearing of the guards, even had they spoken; but they
had to keep close together, for the drifting snow was blinding, and hid
their footprints almost as soon as they were formed.
Away to their left lay the ruins which formed the robbers' town, and
farther away, and still more to the left, lay the way to the entrance,
where there was quite a grand room, and a goodly fire burned; but the
fugitives could only see snow: the air was thick with it, and they kept
on until Yussuf stopped so suddenly that they struck one against the
other.
"What is it?" said Lawrence, who was next to him now, the Chumleys
having asked him to go before them.
"I have lost my way," said Yussuf angrily; "the snow has deceived me.
The old temple should be here."
"Well, here it is," said Lawrence, who had stretched out his hand.
"Here is one of the columns."
"Ha!" ejaculated Yussuf; "good boy! Yes, the fourth; I know it by this
broken place in the side. Two more steps and we are in shelter."
It was a proof of his admirable powers as a guide to have found the way
in the midst of the blinding snow, but no one thought of that. Every
mind was strained to the greatest pitch of tension; and when Yussuf led
the way into the old temple, and the footsteps were heard upon the
marble floor, Mr Burne started and thought that their pursuers were
upon them.
"Here is the place," said Yussuf. "Lawrence effendi," he continued as
he raised the stone, "you know the way; go first and lead. I must come
last and close the stone, so that they may not know the way we have
come."
"Is there any danger?" said Mrs Chumley excitedly.
"None at all," replied Lawrence. "It is only to walk down some rough
steps."
She said no more, but let herself be helped down through the opening,
and in five minutes they were all in what seemed to be quite a warm
atmosphere, waiting in the intense darkness while Yussuf carefully
closed the stone.
"There is nothing to mind," said Lawrence. "I have been all the way
down here, and I will tell you when the steps end and the rough slopes
begin."
He spoke aloud now, in quite a happy buoyant manner which affected the
rest, and their spirits rose still higher when Yussuf suddenly struck a
match and lit the lamp which his forethought had provided.