In an astonishingly brief time Assouan returned, with the old Jew at his
heels.
Abraham was carrying a heavy bundle. He looked rather pale and
frightened.
"My tear poy," he said, "vy haf you got yourself indo such a pad scrape?
If I hat known last nighdt vat you vas intending to do, I would nefer
hat anyt'ing to do vit id. So helup me, I vos in dancher to pe murtered
vor id. If id vos voundt oudt I had somedings to do vid disguisin' you
as a girl, and that you dit vool der Pasha that vay, dey vould tear mine
shop down un drag me t'rough der streets. I haf peen in terror off my
life efer since I heardt vot had habbened. I vould gif somedings
handsome if you vos a t'ousandt miles vrom Damascus this minute. Id vos
to helup you get avay that I came ven Assouan toldt me an' gafe me your
writings. I haf peen to Enklandt and America, and I read your writings
vell."
"Then don't lose time in talk," said Dick; "but get about the job of
rigging us up. Fix us so we can escape, and you will be in no danger of
exposure."
The boy realized that it was fear, more than anything else, that had
brought Abraham to them in this time of trouble. The Jew believed that
Dick, should he be seized by the officers of the city, as an accomplice
in the murder of Hafsa Pasha, would then tell how, disguised as a girl,
he had deceived the Pasha. He would be compelled to state where he
obtained the disguise, and that would turn the wrath of the enraged
Moslems against old Abraham.
"You said dere vas fife peoples to be disguised," said the Jew.
"Yes."
"I see only t'ree."
"Brad, call Budthorne and his sister."
Dunbar and Nadia appeared in a few minutes, and Dick explained his plan
of escaping in disguise.
"Do you think it necessary?" asked Dunbar. "It seems to me that we are
safe now, for the soldiers are guarding the hotel, and the mob is held
in check."
Then Dick was compelled to tell that the soldiers were guarding the
hotel while waiting for the governing Pasha's order to arrest the
foreigners supposed to be concerned in the murder of Hafsa Pasha.
"It is Nadia we must get out of here, first," said Dick. "You should be
ready to take any risk to get her away."
When Budthorne was satisfied that Merriwell was not mistaken he
immediately urged his sister to permit herself to be disguised and to
follow the advice of the clear-headed American lad.
Realizing her own frightful peril at last, the girl willingly consented.
"It will pe easy to disguise her," declared Abraham.
"Then," said Dick, "lose no time in making her up. Disguise Budthorne,
also, and let Assouan conduct them from the hotel while you are rigging
the rest of us up. He should be able to conduct them to some place of
safety and then return for us. Can you do so, Assouan?"
The black man declared that he could.
The old Jew opened his pack and spread out his supply of costumes. He
swiftly prepared for work.
In truth, it was an easy matter to disguise Nadia. Over her regular
clothes he hastily fastened a loose dress, like that worn by a Turkish
woman of middle class, placed a high fezlike cap on her head, and
arranged a heavy veil over her face below the eyes, the brows and lashes
of which he had touched up with pencils, giving them the peculiar cast
seen in those of Moslem women.
All this was done so swiftly and so completely changed Nadia that the
watchers were astounded.
Abraham lost no time.
"Nexdt," he called.
Dick pushed Budthorne forward.
Buckhart improved the opportunity to take charge of the girl. They
stepped outside the room, while Abraham went to work on Dunbar without
delay.
Excited people were still moving about in the hotel. The sound of many
voices came to the boy and girl. Some one was at the foot of the stairs.
Brad urged Nadia into her own room, the door of which was standing ajar.
She grasped his hand and drew him after her, whispering:
"I am terribly frightened now, Brad. Don't leave me alone."
"All right," said the Texan. "Don't you be frightened. We're going to
get you out of this scrape all right. My pard has a long head on his
shoulders."
"Dick is a wonderful boy," declared the girl.
Again Buckhart felt a thrill of jealousy, but he resolutely thrust such
a feeling from his heart.
"He's a corker!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "See how quick he caught
onto the plan of old Ras al Had and turned it to the benefit of us all."
They were in the room, but the door was still left ajar.
"I know I'm a big blunderer beside Dick," Buckhart went on. "Of course
you're not to blame for liking him best, Nadia. It's only natural you
should, and----"
"But I don't like him best," she hastily cut in.
"You can't help it."
"You're mistaken, Brad. I admire him for his courage, his
resourcefulness, his loyalty and all that; but you are just as brave and
just as loyal, and I--I like you--even better."
He caught her hand again and gave it a squeeze.
"I don't see how that can be," he muttered huskily.
"It's true. You don't think I would deceive you, do you?"
"No, but----"
"But what?"
"I'm going to confess," he said, almost defiantly. "I know I made a fool
of myself after we joined you here in Damascus. I never felt that way
before, and I hope I never shall again. It's an awful mean feeling. I
was jealous."
"Jealous, Brad?"
"Yes, I was. First I was jealous because I thought you had taken too
much interest in Hafsa Pasha. Then I was jealous of my pard, as I
couldn't see any reason why you should care more for him than for me.
And through my fool actions I brought all this trouble on us. If I had
not gone off by myself, kind of eating my heart out, and then ran away
when you and Dick saw me and tried to overtake me, you would not have
been lost in the streets, would not have enraged the Moslems by entering
one of their temples, and would not have given Hafsa Pasha's tools a
chance to seize and imprison you. Oh, I was all to blame, and I know it.
I'm a big----"
She placed a soft hand over his mouth.
"I won't listen to such a defamation of the character of my dearest
friend!" she whispered.
He kissed her fingers.
"But it's the truth," he asserted. "I hope you'll forgive me and forget
it, Nadia."
"Why, you dear fellow, you talk as if you had committed a crime!"
"I feel that way. If we get out of this scrape alive, Nadia, I'll try to
prove to you that I'm not such a fool as I seem. You see!"
"Oh, hush!"
"You see!" he repeated.
"But we may none of us escape. Isn't it terrible! I don't like Dick's
plan for Dunbar and I to leave first. I think we had better wait and all
go together. If we----"
She stopped, checked by a dull, muffled, murmuring roar that seemed to
come from the streets not far away. The sound made her tremble.
"The mob has not dispersed!" she whispered. "It has been driven away,
but it is returning! I fear we're lost!"
He did his best to cheer her and give her courage. Somehow she was
overcome by a great weakness, and suddenly he found her in his arms. The
situation thrilled him, and he held her tight, while he continued to
speak earnest words of reassurance.
A sound behind them startled them. Brad turned his head, still holding
Nadia.
A befezzed Turk had quietly entered the room. His eyes seemed to glitter
triumphantly. Lifting a hand and pointing at them, he exclaimed:
"I have found you! I have come to take that girl away!"
Nadia uttered a low cry of terror.
Swinging her onto his left arm, Buckhart suddenly whipped out a pistol
and covered the Turk.
"Stand back!" he growled. "Advance a step and I'll blow a hole through
you!"
The man was startled and alarmed by this quick action on the part of the
Texan. He fell back, exclaiming:
"Don't shoot!"
"I certain shall," said Buckhart, "if you move another inch. Stand there
and lift your dirty paws above your head!"
The threatened man hastily put up his hands, at the same time
spluttering:
"Great Scott! You're altogether too handy with your pistol! Put it up,
Brad! Don't you know me? I'm Budthorne!"
Nadia gave a start, straightened up a little, and stared at the speaker.
"Dunbar," she gasped; "Dunbar, is it you?"
"Of course it is," was the answer. "I wanted to see if my disguise was
any good; but I didn't care to have Buckhart jab a pistol at me so
promptly."
"Great horn spoon!" muttered the Texan, recognizing Budthorne's voice
and manner of speaking. "I sure was fooled all right. Say, you certain
look an Allah worshiper to the life. If you ever get outside of the
hotel in that rig, you'll be all right."
Assouan now appeared.
"We should lose no time," he said. "Abraham is disguising the others. I
must lead you to a place of safety and return for them. The mob is again
trying to approach the hotel, and the soldiers do not seem strong enough
to hold them back much longer."
"It doesn't seem right for us to go until all are ready," said the girl.
"I think we should not."
Dick appeared now.
"You must go at once," he insisted. "It is better so. Were we all to
attempt to pass through the streets together it would add to the danger
of being detected. Abraham is disguising Professor Gunn. Assouan can
conduct Nadia. She will seem to be a Turkish woman with an escort.
Budthorne can follow at a little distance, keeping them in sight.
Assouan will return for us the moment he has placed you where you will
be safe. By the time he gets back, we'll be ready to start. Do not
hesitate, Nadia--go!"
"It is best, sister," said her brother.
She grasped Brad's hand once more and gave it a pressure, looking into
his eyes, which smiled at her reassuringly, although his heart was heavy
with dread.
"Come quickly, Brad," she whispered. "I shall be in mortal terror for
you until I see you again."
Assouan led the way downstairs, the brother and sister following.
From a distance again came an outburst of sullen muttering, like the
growling of wild animals held in check. The Moslem mob was growing
impatient. The streets in the vicinity of the hotel were choked. At any
moment the crowd might break from the control of the soldiers.
"It certain puzzles me up a plenty to know how Assouan is going to get
them out of this building and away from here," said Brad, following Dick
back into the room where the old Jew was at work.
Already Abraham had transformed Professor Gunn into an apparently dirty
and ragged old Armenian. He was putting on the finishing touches when
the boys entered.
"Waugh!" grunted Brad. "Is that Professor Zenas Gunn, of Fardale
Academy? Why, I feel a whole lot like kicking that old beggar."
"I know I'm a shameful sight," moaned Gunn; "but to save my life I have
permitted myself to be changed into a scarecrow."
"Ven you get der street indo," said the old Jew, "it will pe vell vor
you to keep your mouth still and haf nothing to say. If you talk you
vill betray yourseluf. Now you vos done. I vill attend to der poys."
Dick pushed Brad forward, and Abraham began on him. With marvelous
rapidity he turned the boy into a young Greek. The work of the Jew was
of the most skillful sort, yet it was performed so rapidly that it
actually seemed careless and slipshod. The results attained, however,
spoke for themselves.
Dick's trousers were turned up, his shoes stripped off, coarse and dirty
socks pulled on over those he wore. He was given a pair of trousers
which came to his ankles, a long, loose, dirty blouse that fell to the
knees, a coarse, heavy pair of slipper-like shoes, and finally a
battered and soiled fez, with a tassle that hung down over one ear. His
face was bedaubed and rubbed with grease paint until his complexion
changed to dirty yellow. The Jew touched his features here and there
with a pencil, and last the contour of his nose was altered by a bit of
nose putty. This seemed to be an afterthought on the part of Abraham,
but it finished the effect and altered a handsome boy into a slouching,
disreputable-appearing young rascal, such as Merriwell had noticed
occasionally on the streets of Damascus.
Outside the hotel there was a sudden great shouting.
"Some one has arrived," announced Brad, who had ventured to peep from
the window.
The tall form of Assouan appeared in the doorway.
"Hasten!" he exclaimed. "The Pasha's officer has come to take you! He is
at the door."