The leader explained to Yussuf that the earthquake shocks had all been on this side of the little river, the village having completely escaped. About a couple of hours after the shocks the party of people who had been digging for treasure returned to the village, and upon the head-man learning that the travellers had been left up there he had organised a party to come in search.

There was no mistaking the cordiality of the head-man or his joy at having found them, and after helping to repack the horses he led the way back confidently enough, and in the walk explained that the mischief done was very slight. No gaps had opened, as far as he knew, but at all events the road from the old ruins to the village was safe.

"Your cudgel seems to have been a regular genii's wand, Yussuf," said Mr Burne softly. "You would not find it have so good an effect upon Englishmen."

"It and your payments, effendi, have taught the man that we are people of importance, and not to be trifled with," replied Yussuf smiling; and Mr Burne nodded and took snuff.

In an hour they were safely back at the head-man's house, where hot coffee and then a good meal prepared all for their night's rest amidst the warm rugs which were spread for them; and feeling that no watch was necessary here, all were soon in a deep sleep, Lawrence being too tired even to think of the danger to which they had been exposed.

Directly after breakfast next morning the head-man came to them with a very serious look upon his countenance.

The people of the village were angry, he said to Yussuf, and were uttering threats against the strangers, for it was due to them that the earthquake had taken place. Every one knew that the old ruins were the homes of djins and evil spirits. The strangers had been interfering with those ruins, and the djins and evil spirits had resented it.

"But," said Yussuf, "your people did more than their excellencies."

"Yes, perhaps so," said the head-man; "but they are fools and pigs. Let the English effendis go, and not touch the ruins again."

Yussuf explained, and the professor made a gesture full of annoyance.

"Ask him, Yussuf, if he believes this nonsense."

"Not when I am with you, excellencies," he said smiling; "but when I am with my people, I do. If I did not think as they do I could not live with them. I am head-man, but if they turn against me they are the masters, and I am obliged to do as they wish."

There was nothing for it but to go, and they left the village with all its interesting surroundings as soon as the horses were packed, the people uttering more than one menacing growl till they were out of hearing.

"So vexatious!" exclaimed the professor. "I feel as if we have done wrong in giving up. The firman ought to have been sufficient. We shall never find such a place again—so rich in antiquities. I have a good mind to turn back."

"No, no, effendi," said Yussuf, "it would only mean trouble. I can take you to fifty places as full of old remains. Trust to me and I will show you the way."

They journeyed on for days, finding good, bad, and indifferent lodgings. Sometimes they were received by the people with civility, at others with suspicion, for Yussuf was taking them farther and farther into the mountains, where the peasants were ignorant and superstitious to a degree; but, save where they crossed some plain, they were everywhere impressed by the grandeur of the country, and the utter ruin and neglect which prevailed. Roads, cities, land, all seemed to have been allowed to go to decay; and, to make the journey the longer and more arduous, over and over again, where they came to a bridge, it was to find that it had been broken down for years, and this would often mean a journey along the rugged banks perhaps for miles before they found a place where it was wise to try and ford the swollen stream.

There was always something, though, to interest the professor—a watch-tower in ruins at the corner of some defile, the remains of a castle, an aqueduct, a town with nothing visible but a few scattered stones, or a cemetery with the remains of marble tombs.

Day after day fresh ruins to inspect, with the guide proving his value more and more, and relieving the party a great deal from the pertinacious curiosity of the scattered people, who would not believe that the travellers were visiting the country from a desire for knowledge.

It must be for the buried treasures of the old people, they told Yussuf again and again; and they laughed at him derisively as he repeated his assurances.

"Don't tell them any more," Lawrence used to say in a pet; "let the stupids waste their time."

Sometimes this constant examination of old marbles and this digging out of columns or slabs grew wearisome to the lad, but not often, for there was too much exciting incident in their travels through gorge and gully—along shelves where the horses could hardly find foothold, but slipped and scrambled, with terrible precipices beneath, such as at first made the travellers giddy, but at last became so common, and their horses gave them so much confidence, that they ceased to be alarmed.

It was a wonderful country, such as they had not dreamed could exist so near Europe, while everywhere, as the investigations went on, they were impressed with the feeling that, unsafe as it was now, in the past it must have been far worse, for on all hands there were the remains of strongholds, perched upon the top of precipitous heights with the most giddy and perilous of approaches, where, once shut in, a handful of sturdy Greeks or stout Romans could have set an army at defiance. This was the more easy from the fact that ammunition was plentiful in the shape of rocks and stones, which the defenders could have sent crashing down upon their foes.

It was one evening when the difficulties of the day's journey had been unusually great that they were on their way toward a village beyond which, high up in the mountains, Yussuf spoke of a ruined city that he had only visited once, some twenty years before. He had reserved it as one of the choicest bits for his employers, and whenever Lawrence had been enraptured over some fine view or unusually grand remains Yussuf had smiled and said, "Wait."

Their progress that day had been interrupted by a storm, which forced them to take shelter for a couple of hours, during which the hail had fallen in great lumps as big as walnuts, and when this was over it lay on the ridges in white beds and crunched beneath the feet of their horses.

Their way lay along one of the defiles where the road had been made to follow the edge of the stream, keeping to its windings; but as they descended a slope, and came near the little river, Yussuf drew rein.

"It is impossible, excellencies," he said; "the path is covered by the torrent, and the water is rising fast."

"But is there no other way—a mile or two round?" said the professor.

Yussuf shook his head as he pointed to the mountains that rose on every side.

"It is only here and there that there is a pass," he said. "There is no other way for three days' journey. We must go back to the place where we sheltered and wait till the river flows back to its bed."

"How long?" asked Mr Burne; "an hour or two?"

"Perhaps longer, effendi," said Yussuf. "Mind how you turn round; there is very little room."

They had become so accustomed to ride along shelves worn and cut in the mountain sides that they had paid little heed to this one as they descended, their attention having been taken by the hail that whitened the ledges; but now, as they were turning to ascend the steep slope cut diagonally along the precipitous side of the defile, the dangerous nature of the way became evident.

But no one spoke for fear of calling the attention of his companions to the risky nature of the ride back; so, giving their horses the rein, the docile beasts planted their feet together, and turned as if upon a pivot before beginning to ascend.

So close was the wall of rock in places that the baggage brushed the side, and threatened to thrust off the horses and send them headlong down the slope, that began by being a hundred feet, and gradually increased till it was five, then ten, and then at least fifteen hundred feet above the narrow rift, where the stream rushed foaming along, sending up a dull echoing roar that seemed to quiver in the air.

How it happened no one knew. They had plodded on, reaching the highest part, with Hamed and the baggage-horses in front, for there had been no room to pass them. First Yussuf, then the professor, Mr Burne and Lawrence on Ali Baba, of course counting from the rear. There was a good deal of hail upon the path, but melting so fast in the hot sun that it was forgotten, and all were riding slowly on, when the second baggage horse must have caught its load against the rock, with the result that it nearly fell over the side. The clever beast managed to save itself, and all would have been well had it not startled Ali Baba, who made a plunge, stepped upon a heap of the hail, and slipped, the left fore-hoof gliding off the ledge.

The brave little animal made a desperate effort to recover itself, but it had lost its balance, and in its agony it made a bound, which took it ten feet forward, and along the rapid slope, where it seemed to stand for a moment, and then, to the horror of all, it began to slip and stumble rapidly down the steep side of the ravine towards a part that was nearly perpendicular, and where horse and rider must be hurled down to immediate death.

Everyone remained motionless as if changed to stone, while the clattering of the little horse's hoofs went on, and great fragments went rattling off beneath it to increase their pace and go plunging down into the abyss as if to show the way for the horse to follow to destruction.

It was all a matter of moments, with the gallant little beast making bound after bound downward, as it felt that it could not retain its position, while Lawrence sat well back in his saddle, gripping it tightly with his knees, and holding the loosened rein.

Another bound, and another, but no foothold for the horse, and then, after one of its daring leaps, which were more those of a mountain sheep or goat than of a horse, Ali Baba alighted at the very edge of the perpendicular portion of the valley side, and those above saw him totter for a moment, and then leap right off into space.



CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

ANOTHER SERPENT.

The professor uttered a groan, and covered his eyes.

But only for a moment. The next he was descending from his horse, and beginning to clamber down the side of the precipice, but a cry from Yussuf stopped him.

"No, no, effendi. We must go back down to the side of the river and climb up. We cannot descend."

It was so plain that the professor said nothing; but, as if yielding to the command of a superior officer, clambered back to the pathway, and all stood gazing down to where the slope ended and the perpendicular wall began.

There was nothing to see but the top of the wall of rock: nothing to hear but the hissing, roaring rush of the water far below.

"Come," said Yussuf, turning his horse, and taking the lead in the descent along the path they had just reascended, down which, scrambling and slipping over the thawing ice, they crept slowly, looking in the midst of the stupendous chasm little bigger than flies.

The old lawyer trembled, while the professor's cheeks looked sunken, his eyes hollow. No one spoke, and as they went on, the crunching of the half-melted hailstones and the click of the horses' hoofs against the loosened stones sounded loudly in the clear air.

It was a perilous descent, for the horses were constantly slipping; but at last the bottom of the defile was reached, and the steeds being left in charge of Hamed, Yussuf turned sharply to the right, closely followed by Mr Preston and Mr Burne, to climb along the steep stone-burdened slope, where the flooded mountain torrent was just beneath them and threatening to sweep them away.

Yussuf turned from time to time to look at his companions, half expecting that they would not follow, for the way he took was extremely perilous, and he fully expected to see Mr Preston give up in despair. But, experienced as he was in the ways of Englishmen, he did not quite understand their nature, for not only was the professor toiling on over the mossy stones just behind him, but Mr Burne, with his face glistening in perspiration and a set look of determination in his features, was clambering up and sliding down with unwonted agility, but with a piteous look in his eyes which told how painfully he felt the position in which they were placed.

No one spoke, every effort being needed for the toilsome task, as they clambered along, now down in narrow rifts, now dragging themselves painfully over the rugged masses of rock which lay as they had fallen from the side of the defile, a couple of thousand feet above them. The scene would have appeared magnificent at another time; the colours of the rocks, the tufts of verdant bushes, the gloriously-mossed stones, the patches of white hail, and the glancing, rushing, and gleaming torrent, which was here deep and dark, there one sheet of white effervescing foam. But the hearts of all were too full, and their imaginations were painting the spectacle upon which they soon expected to gaze, namely, the terribly mutilated body of poor Lawrence, battered by his fall out of recognition.

One moment Mr Preston was asking himself how he could make arrangements for taking the remains of the poor lad home. At another he was thinking that it would be impossible, and that he must leave him sleeping in this far-off land. While, again, the course of his thoughts changed, and he found himself believing that poor Lawrence would have fallen and rolled on, and then, in company with the avalanche of loose stones set in motion by his horse's hoof's, have been plunged into the furious torrent, and been borne away never to be seen again.

A curious dimness came over the professor's eyes, as he paused for a moment or two upon the top of a rock, to gaze before him. But there was nothing visible, for the defile at the bottom curved and zigzagged so that they could not see thirty yards before them, and where it was most straight the abundant foliage of the trees growing out of the cliffs rendered seeing difficult.

"It must have been somewhere here, effendi," said Yussuf at last, pausing for the others to overtake him, and pointing upwards. "Let us separate now, and search about. You, Mr Burne, keep close down by the river; you, Mr Preston, go forward here; and I will climb up—it is more difficult—and search there. I will shout if I have anything to say."

The professor looked up to find that he was at the foot of a mass of rock, high up on whose side there seemed to be a ledge, and then another steep ascent, broken by shelves of rock and masses which seemed to be ready to crumble down upon their heads.

Each man felt as if he ought to shout the lad's name, and ask him to give some token of his whereabouts, but no one dared open his lips for the dread of the answer to the calls being only the echoes from the rocks above, while beneath there was the dull, hurrying roar of the torrent which rose and fell, seeming to fill the air with a curious hissing sound, and making the earth vibrate beneath their feet.

They were separating, with the tension of pain upon their minds seeming more than they could bear, when, all at once, from far above, there was a cry which made them start and gaze upward.

"Ahoy-y-oy!"

There was nothing visible, and they remained perfectly silent— listening, and feeling that they must have been mistaken; but just then a stone came bounding down, to fall some fifty feet in front, right on to a mass of rock, and split into a score of fragments.

Then again:

"Ahoy! Where are you all?"

"Lawrence, ahoy!" shouted the professor, with his hands to his mouth.

"Ahoy!" came again from directly overhead. "Here. How am I to get down?"

All started back as far as they could to gaze upward, and then remained silent, too much overcome by their emotion to speak, for there, perched up at least a thousand feet above them, stood Lawrence in an opening among the trees, right upon a shelf of rock. They could see his horse's head beside him, and the feeling of awe and wonder at the escape had an effect upon the party below as if they had been stunned.

"How—am—I—to—get—down?" shouted Lawrence again.

Yussuf started out of his trance and answered:

"Stay where you are. I will try and climb up."

"All right," cried Lawrence from his eyrie.

"Are you hurt, my boy?" cried Mr Preston; and his voice was repeated from the face of the rock on the other side.

"No, not much," came back faintly, for the boy's voice was lost in the immensity of the place around.

"We will come to you," cried the professor, and he began to follow Yussuf, who was going forward to find the end of the mass of rock wall, and try to discover some way of reaching the shelf where the boy was standing with his horse.

"Are you coming too, effendi?" said Yussuf at the end of a few minutes' walking.

"Yes," said the professor. "You will wait here, will you not, Burne?"

"Of course I shall—not," said the old lawyer. "You don't suppose that I am going to stand still and not make any effort to help the boy, do you, Preston? Hang it all, sir! he is as much interest to me as to you."

It was evident that Mr Burne was suffering from exhaustion, but he would not give in, and for the next two hours he clambered on after his companions, till it seemed hopeless to attempt farther progress along the defile in that direction, and they were about to go back in the other, to try and find a way up there, when Yussuf, who was ahead, suddenly turned a corner and uttered a cry of delight which brought his companions to his side.

There was nothing very attractive to see when they reached him, only a rushing little torrent at the bottom of a rift hurrying to join the stream below; but it was full of moment to Yussuf, for it led upward, and it was a break in the great wall of rock.

Yussuf explained this clearly, and, plunging down, he was in a few minutes holding out his hand to his companions, and pointing out that the path was easier a few yards on.

So it proved, for the stream grew less, and they were able to climb up its bed with ease, finding, too, that it led in the direction they wanted to take, as well as upward, till, at the end of an hour, they were able to turn off along a steep slope with a wall of rock above them and another below.

The obstacles they met with were plentiful enough, but not great; and at last, when they felt that they were fully a thousand feet above the torrent, and somewhere near the spot on which they had hailed Lawrence, Yussuf stopped, but no one was to be seen.

"That must be the shelf below us yonder, effendi," said the guide. "I seem to know it because of the big tree across the valley. Yes; that must be the shelf."

He led the way to try and descend to it, but that proved impossible, though it was only some fifty feet below.

Retracing their steps they were still defeated, but, upon going forward once more, Yussuf found what was quite a crack in the rocks, some huge earthquake split which proved to be passable, in spite of the bushes and stones with which it was choked, and after a struggle they found themselves upon an extensive ledge of the mountain, but no Lawrence.

"The wrong place, Yussuf," said the professor, as Mr Burne seated himself, panting, upon a block of stone, and wiped his face.

"No, effendi; but I am sure it was here," said the Turk quietly. "Hush! what is that?"

The sound came from beyond a mass of rock, which projected from the shelf over the edge of the precipice, the perpendicular rock seeming to fall from here sheer to the torrent, that looked small and silvery now from where they stood.

"It is a horse feeding," said Yussuf smiling. "They are over yonder."

The next minute they were by the projecting rock which cut the shelf in two.

Yussuf went close to the edge, rested his hand upon the stone, and peered over.

"Only a bird could get round there," he said, shaking his head, and going to the slope above the ledge. "We must climb over."

Mr Burne looked up at the place where they were expected to climb with a lugubrious expression of countenance; but he jumped up directly, quite willing to make the attempt, and followed his companions.

The climb proved less difficult than it seemed, and on reaching the top, some fifty feet above where they had previously stood, there below them stood Ali Baba, cropping the tender shoots of a large bush, and as soon as he caught sight of them he set up a loud neigh.

There was no sign of Lawrence, though, until they had descended to the shelf on that side, when they found him lying upon the short growth fast asleep, evidently tired out with waiting.

"My dear boy!" was on the professor's lips; and he was about to start forward, but Yussuf caught him roughly by the shoulder, and held him back.

"Hist! Look!" he whispered.

Both the professor and Mr Burne stood chilled to the heart, for they could see the head of an ugly grey coarsely scaled viper raised above its coil, and gazing at them threateningly, after having been evidently alarmed by the noise which they had made.

The little serpent had settled itself upon the lad's bare throat, and a reckless movement upon the part of the spectators, a hasty waking on the sleeper's part might end in a venomous bite from the awakened beast.

"What shall we do, Yussuf?" whispered, the professor in a hoarse whisper. "I dare not fire."

"Be silent, effendi, and leave it to me," was whispered back; and, while the two Englishmen looked on with their hearts beating anxiously, the Turk slowly advanced, taking the attention of the serpent more and more.

As he approached, the venomous little creature crept from the boy's neck on to his chest, and there paused, waving its head to and fro, and menacingly thrusting out its forked tongue.

The danger to be apprehended was a movement upon the part of Lawrence, who appeared to be sleeping soundly, but who might at any moment awaken. Yussuf, however, was ready to meet the emergency, for he slowly continued to advance with his staff thrown back and held ready to strike, while, as he came nearer, the serpent seemed to accept the challenge, and crawled slowly forward, till it was upon a level with the lad's hips.

That was near enough for Yussuf, who noted how Lawrence's hands were well out of danger, being beneath his head.

He hesitated no longer, but advanced quickly, his companions watching his movements with the most intense interest, till the serpent raised itself higher, threw back its head, and seemed about to throw itself upon its advancing enemy.

The rest was done in a flash, for there was a loud whizz in the air as Yussuf's staff swept over Lawrence, striking the serpent, rapid as was its action, low down in the body, and the virulent little creature, broken and helpless, was driven over the edge of the precipice to fall far away among the bushes below.

"Hallo! what's that?" cried Lawrence, starting up. "Oh, you've got here, then."

"Yes; we are here, my lad," cried the professor, catching one hand, as the old lawyer took the other. "Are you much hurt?"

"Only stiff and shaken. Ali made such a tremendous leap—I don't know how far it was; and then he came down like an india-rubber ball, and bounded again and again till he could find good foothold, and then we slipped slowly till we could stop here, and it seemed as if we could go no farther."

"What an escape!" muttered Mr Burne, looking up.

"Oh, it wasn't there," said Lawrence patting his little horse's neck. "It must have been quite a quarter of a mile from here. But how did you come?"

Yussuf explained, and then Mr Preston looked aghast at the rock they had climbed over.

"Why, we shall have to leave the pony," he said.

"Oh, no, effendi," replied Yussuf; "leave him to me. He can climb like a goat."

And so it proved, for the brave little beast, as soon as it was led to the task by the rein passed over its head, climbed after Yussuf, and in fact showed itself the better mountaineer of the two, while, after the rock was surmounted, and a descent made upon the other side, it followed its master in the arduous walk, slipping and gliding down the torrent-bed when they reached it, till at last they reached the greater stream, which to their delight had fallen to its regular summer volume, the effects of the storm having passed away, and the sandy bed being nearly bare.

Theirs proved quite an easy task now, in spite of weariness; and as evening fell, they reached Hamed, camped by the roadside, with the horses grazing on the bushes and herbage, all being ready to salute Ali Baba with a friendly neigh.

They had a long journey before them still; but there was only one thing to be done now—unpack the provisions, light a fire, make coffee, and try to restore some of their vigour exhausted by so many hours of toil.



CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

A FORMIDABLE PARTY.

Fortunately for the travellers a glorious moonlight night followed the glowing evening, and they reached in safety a mountain village, where, awed by their appearance and display of arms, the rather surly people found them a resting-place.

For days and days after this their way was on and on, among the mountains, deeper and deeper in the grand wild country. Sometimes they encountered good and sometimes surly treatment, but the beauty of the scenery and the wonderful remains of ancient occupation recompensed the professor, while Mr Burne in his snappish manner seemed to be satisfied in seeing Lawrence's interest in everything around him, his relish for the various objects increasing every hour.

For the change was unmistakable; he was making rapid progress back to health; and instead of the rough life and privations of hunger, thirst, and exposure having a bad effect, they seemed to rouse up in his nature a determination that rapidly resulted in vigour.

"What are you going to show us to-day, Yussuf?" asked the lad, one glorious autumn morning, when the little party were winding along one of the many mountain tracks, so like others they had passed that they might have been repeating their journey.

"Before long we shall reach the great ruins of which I have so often spoken," replied Yussuf, smiling at the boy's eager look.

"At last!" cried Lawrence. "I began to think that we were never going to get there. But is there nothing to see to-day?"

"Yes," replied Yussuf. "We are approaching a village now. It lies yonder low down in this rift—where the cedars are half-way up on that shelf in the mountain side."

"Yes; I see," replied Lawrence; "but what a place! Why, they must be without sun half their time."

"Oh, no, effendi," said Yussuf; "certainly they are in shadow at times, but though the village seems to lie low, we are high up in the mountains, and when it is scorching in the plains, and the grass withers for want of water, and down near the sea people die of fever and sunstroke, up here it is cool and pleasant, and the flowers are blossoming, and the people gather in their fruit and tend their bees."

"And in the winter, Yussuf?" said the professor, who had been listening to the conversation.

"Ah, yes, in the winter, effendi, it is cold. There is the snow, and the wolves and the bears come down from the mountains. It is a bad time then. But what will you?—is it always summer and sunshine everywhere? Ah! look, effendi Lawrence," he cried, pointing across the narrow gorge, "you can see from here."

"See what?" cried Lawrence. "I can only see some holes."

"Yes; those are the caves where the people here keep their bees. The hives are in yonder."

"What, in those caves?"

"Yes; the people are great keepers of bees, for they thrive well, and there is abundance of blossom for the making of honey."

"But why do they put the hives in yonder?"

"In the caves? Because they are out of the sun, which would make the honey pour down and run out in the hot summer time, and in the winter the caverns are not so cold. It does not freeze hard there, and the hives are away out of the snow, which lies so heavy here in the mountains. It is very beautiful up here, and in the spring among the trees there is no such place anywhere in the country for nightingales; they till the whole valley with their song. Now, effendi, look before you."

They had reached a turn in the valley, where once more a grand view of the mountain chain spread before them, far as eye could reach, purple mountains, and beyond them mountains that seemed to be of silver, where the snow-capped their summits.

But among them were several whose regular form took the professor's attention directly, and he pointed them out.

"Old volcanoes," he said quietly.

"Where?" cried Lawrence. "I want above all things to see a burning mountain."

"You can see mountains that once burned," said the professor; "but there are none here burning now."

"How disappointing!" cried Lawrence. "I should like to see one burn."

"Then we must go and see Vesuvius," cried Mr Burne decisively. "He shall not be disappointed."

"I think the young effendi may perhaps see one burning a little here," said Yussuf quietly. "There are times when a curious light is seen floating up high among the mountains. The peasants call it a spirit light, but it must be the sulphurous glare rising from one of the old cones, above some of which I have seen smoke hanging at times."

"Why, Yussuf, you are quite a professor yourself, with your cones, and sulphurous, and arguments," cried Mr Burne.

"A man cannot be wandering all his life among nature's wonders, effendi, and showing English, and French, and German men of wisdom the way, without learning something. But I will watch each night and see if I can make out the light over the mountains."

"Do, Yussuf," cried the professor eagerly.

Yussuf bowed.

"I will, excellency, but it is not often seen—only now and then."

They began to descend the side of the defile, and before long came upon a fine grove of ancient planes, upon some of whose leafless limbs tall long-necked storks were standing, placidly gazing down at them unmoved; and it was not until the party were close by that they spread their wings, gave a kind of bound, and floated off, the protection accorded to them making them fearless in the extreme.

"Stop!" cried the professor suddenly, and the little party came to a stand by a rough craggy portion of the way where many stones lay bare.

"Well, what is it?" cried Mr Burne impatiently, "I'm sure those are natural or live stones, as you call them."

"Yes," said the professor; "it was not the stones which attracted me, but the spring."

"Well, we have passed hundreds of better springs than that, and besides it is bad water; see, my horse will not touch it."

"I thought I was right," cried the professor dismounting. "Look here, Lawrence, that decides it; here is our first hot spring."

"Hot?" cried Lawrence, leaping off and bending over the spring. "Why, so it is."

"Yes, a pretty good heat. This is interesting."

"It is a volcanic country, then," said Lawrence eagerly. "Oh, Mr Preston, we must see a burning mountain."

"It does not follow that there are burning mountains now," said the professor smiling, "because we find hot springs."

"Doesn't it?" said Lawrence in a disappointed tone.

"Certainly not. You would be puzzled to find a volcano in England, and yet you have hot springs in Bath."

"Effendi, be on your guard. I do not like the look of these people," said Yussuf quickly, for a party of mounted men, all well-armed, was seen coming from the opposite direction; but they passed on scowling, and examining the little group by the hot spring suspiciously.

"A false alarm, Yussuf," said the professor smiling.

"No, effendi," he replied; "these are evil men. Let us get on and not stop at this village, but make our way to the next by another track which I know, so as to reach the old ruined city, and they may not follow. If they do, I think they will not suspect the way we have gone."

There seemed to be reasons for Yussuf's suspicions, the men having a peculiarly evil aspect. A perfectly honest man sometimes belies his looks, but when a dozen or so of individuals mounted upon shabby Turkish ponies, all well-armed, and wearing an eager sinister look upon their countenances, are seen together, if they are suspected of being a dishonest lot, there is every excuse for those who suspect them.

"'Pon my word, Preston," said Mr Burne, "I think we had better get off as soon as possible."

"Oh, I don't know," replied the professor; "the men cannot help their looks. We must not think everyone we see is a brigand."

"You may think that those are, effendi," said Yussuf in his quiet way. "Let us get on. You go to the front and follow the track beyond the village—you can make no mistake, and I will hang back and try and find out whether we are followed."

"Do you think there is danger, then?" whispered the professor.

"I cannot say, effendi; it may be so. If you hear me fire, be on your guard, and if I do not return to you, hasten on to the next village, and stay till you have sent messengers to find an escort to take you back."

"Yussuf! is it so serious as that?"

"I don't know, effendi. I hope not, but we must be prepared."



CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

A STARTLING CHECK.

Yussuf's suspicions seemed to be without reason, for the rest of that day's journey was finished without adventure, and the party reached a village and found good quarters for the night.

So comfortable were they that the scare was laughed at, and it seemed to all three that Yussuf was rather ashamed of his timidity.

Contrary to their experience of many nights past they found the head-man of the village civil and even bumble; but it did not excite the suspicion of the travellers, who congratulated themselves upon their good fortune.

The only drawback to their comfort was the fact that Lawrence was suffering somewhat from the shock of his descent from the rocky shelf.

At first he had merely felt a little stiff, the excitement of the whole adventure tending to keep his thoughts from his personal discomfort; but by degrees he found that he had received a peculiar jar of the whole system, which made the recumbent position the most comfortable that he could occupy.

It was no wonder, for the leaps which the pony had made were tremendous, and it was as remarkable that the little animal had kept its feet as that Lawrence had retained his seat in the saddle.

The next morning, a memorable one in their journey, broke bright and clear; and Lawrence, after a hearty breakfast of bread, yaourt, and honey, supplemented by coffee which might have been better, and peaches which could not have been excelled, mounted Ali Baba in the highest of spirits, feeling as he did far better for his night's rest. The sun was shining gloriously and lighting up the sides of the mountains and flashing from the streams that trickled down their sides. Low down in the deep defiles there were hanging mists which looked like veils of silver decked with opalescent tints of the most delicate transparency, as they floated slowly before the morning breeze.

Their host of the night wished them good speed with a smiling face, and they were riding off when Lawrence happened to look back and saw that the man had taken off his turban and was making a derisive gesture, to the great delight of the group of people who were gathered round.

Lawrence thought it beneath his notice and turned away, but this once more seemed to give strength to Yussuf's suspicions.

But a bright morning in the midst of the exhilarating mountain air is not a time for bearing in mind suspicions, or thinking of anything but the beauty of all around. They were higher up in the mountains now, with more rugged scenery and grand pine-woods; and as they rode along another of the curious shelf-like tracks by the defile there was constantly something fresh to see.

They had not been an hour on the road before Yussuf stopped to point across the gorge to an object which had taken his attention on the other side.

"Do you see, effendi Lawrence?" he said smiling.

"No."

"Yonder, just to the left of that patch of bushes where the stone looks grey?"

"Oh, yes; I see now," cried the lad—"a black sheep."

"Look again," said Yussuf; and he clapped his hands to his mouth and uttered a tremendous "Ha-ha!"

As the shout ran echoing along the gorge the animal on the farther slope, quite two hundred yards away, went shuffling along at a clumsy trot for some little distance, and then stopped and stood up on its hind-legs and stared at them.

"A curious sheep, Lawrence!" said Mr Preston, adjusting his glass; "what do you make of it now?"

"Why, it can't be a bear, is it?" cried Lawrence eagerly.

"Undoubtedly, and a very fine one," said Mr Preston.

"Let's have a look," said Mr Burne; and he too focussed his glass. "Why, so it is!" he cried—"just such a one as we used to have upon the pomatum pots. Now, from what gardens can he have escaped?"

The professor burst out laughing merrily.

"It is the real wild animal in his native state, Burne," he said.

"Then let's shoot him and take home his skin," cried Lawrence, preparing to fire.

"You could not kill it at this distance, effendi," said Yussuf; "and even if you could, it would be a day's journey to get round to that side and secure the skin. Look!"

The chance to fire was gone as he spoke, for the bear dropped down on all-fours, made clumsily for a pile of rocks, and Mr Preston with his glass saw the animal disappear in a hole that was probably his cave.

"Gone, Lawrence!" said the professor. "Let's get on."

"I should have liked to go on after him," said Lawrence, gazing at the hole in the rocks wistfully; "there's something so strange in seeing a real bear alive on the mountains."

"Perhaps we shall see more yet," said Yussuf, "for we are going into the wildest part we have yet visited. Keep a good look-out high up on each side, and I daresay we shall not go far without finding something."

"Right, Yussuf," cried the professor; "there is another of those grand old watch-towers. Look, Burne!—just like the others we have seen planted at the corner where two defiles meet."

"Ah, to be sure—yes," said the old lawyer. "What! an eagle's nest?"

"And there goes the eagle," cried Lawrence, pointing, as a huge bird swept by them high up on rigid wing, seeming to glide here and there without the slightest effort. "That's an eagle, is it not, Mr Preston?"

"A very near relative, I should say," replied the professor. "The lammergeier, as they call it in the Alpine regions. Yes, it must be. What a magnificent bird!"

"We shall see more and finer ones, I daresay," said Yussuf! quietly; "but the time is passing, excellencies. We have a long journey before us, and I should like to see the better half of a difficult way mastered before mid-day."

Their guide's advice was always so good that they continued their slow progress, the baggage-horses ruling the rate at which they were able to proceed; and for the next hour they went on ascending and zigzagging alone; the rugged mountain track, with defile and gorge and ridge of rock rising fold upon fold, making their path increase in grandeur at every turn, till they were in one of nature's wildest fastnesses, and with the air perceptibly brisker and more keen.

All at once, just as they had turned into the entrance to one of the most savage-looking denies they had yet seen, Yussuf pointed to a distant pile of rock and said sharply:

"Look, there is an animal you may journey for days without seeing. Take the glass, effendi Lawrence, and say what it is."

The lad checked his pony, adjusted his glass, an example followed by the professor, while Mr Burne indulged himself with a pinch of snuff.

"A goat," cried Lawrence, as he got the animal into the field of the glass, and saw it standing erect upon the summit of the rock, and gazing away from them—"A goat! And what fine horns?"

"An ibex, Lawrence, my boy. Goat-like if you like. Ah, there he goes. How easily they take alarm."

For the animal made a bound and seemed to plunge from rock to rock down into a rift, and then up an almost perpendicular wall on the opposite side higher and higher until it disappeared.

"It is no wonder, excellency," said Yussuf as they rode on along the narrow path, "when every hand is against them, and they have been taught that they are not safe from bullets half a mile away, and—Why is Hamed stopping?"

They had been halting to gaze at the ibex, and all such pauses in their journey were utilised for letting Hamed get well on ahead with his slow charge. Experience had taught them that to leave him behind with the necessaries of life was often to miss them altogether till the next morning.

In this case he had got several hundred yards in advance, but had suddenly stopped short, just at the point of a sharp elbow in the track, where they could see him with the two horses standing stock-still, and staring straight before him.

"Let's get on and see," said the professor, and they pressed on to come upon a spot where the track forked directly after, a narrower path leading up a rift in the mountains away to their left, and the sight of this satisfied Yussuf.

"Hamed thinks he may be doing wrong," he said, "and that perhaps he ought to have turned down here. All right, go on!" he shouted in his own tongue, as they rode on past the wild passage among the rocks.

But Hamed did not stir, and as they advanced they could see that he was sheltering himself behind one of his horses, and still staring before him.

The way curved in, and then went out to the shoulder upon which the baggage-horses stood, doubtless bending in again directly on the other side. Hence, then, it was impossible for Yussuf and his party to see what was beyond; neither could they gain a sight by altering their course, for their path was but a shelf with the nearly perpendicular side of the gorge above and below.

They were now some eighty or ninety yards from the corner, and Yussuf shouted again:

"Go on, man; that is right."

But Hamed did not move hand or foot, and Yussuf checked his horse.

"There is something wrong, effendis," he said quietly; and he thrust his 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—"

"Will you be quiet, Charley. Look here, Mr Preston," she continued, "it's just three weeks ago, as we were travelling in this horrible country at least ten miles away, we were seized by these horrid men, and brought here. They've taken everything we had, and given us these miserable clothes, and every night they come to us and say—"

"They'll cut off our heads to-morrow morning."

"Will you be quiet, Charley," cried the lady, stamping her foot. "How am I to explain? Am I not always telling you what a chatter-box you are."

"Yes, my dear, always."

"Silence, sir! Mr Preston," she continued, as her little husband went softly to Lawrence, and drew him aside to go on whispering in his ear—"Mr Preston, no one knows what we have suffered. As I was saying—I hope you are listening, Mr—Mr—Mr—Mr—"

"Burne, ma'am," said the old lawyer bowing.

"Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Mr Burne. I beg your pardon. As I was saying they come every night, and say that to-morrow morning they will cut off our heads and send them to Smyrna as an example, if our ransom does not come."

"Your ransom, madam?" said the professor.

"Yes. Five thousand pounds—three for me and two for poor Charley; and though we have sent for the money, it does not come. Isn't it a shame?"

"Scandalous, madam."

"And you can't tell how glad I am to see you here. Have you brought the money?"

"Brought the money, ma'am? Why, we are prisoners too."

"Oh, dear me, how tiresome!" cried the lady. "I thought you were at first; and then I thought you were sent with our ransom. What are we to do? Mr Burne," she continued, turning to him, "you said you were a lawyer. Pray, send for these people at once, and tell them that they will be very severely punished if they do not set us at liberty."

"My dear madam," said the old lawyer, "I am only just getting myself thawed, and I have had nothing but snuff since breakfast. I must have some food before I can speak or even think."

Meanwhile little Mr Chumley was whispering to Lawrence on the other side of the fire, and relating all his troubles. "Taken everything away, sir," he said—"watch, purse, cigars, and I actually saw the scoundrel who is at the head of them smoking my beautiful partagas that I brought with me from England. I say, what had we better do?"

"Try and escape, I suppose," said Lawrence.

"Escape! Look here, young man; are you a fly, or a bird, or a black beetle?" whispered the little man.

"I think not," said Lawrence laughing.

"Then you can't get away from here, so don't think it. Why, it's impossible."

Just then the fierce-looking chief entered, followed by a man carrying a great smoking dish, and as the leader drew near the fire, Lawrence bit his lip, for he saw that the tall ruffian was wearing his sword, and carrying his handsome gun in the hollow of his arm.

The chief turned to Yussuf, who was seated in one corner of the room, and said a few words to him.

Yussuf rose and addressed his little party in a low voice.

"The brigand captain says, excellencies, that you are to be prepared to send in one of his men to-morrow morning as messenger to your agent where you like. You are to write and say that, if injury is done to the messenger, you will be killed. The messenger is to bring back six thousand pounds—two for each of you—as a ransom, and that, upon the money being paid, you will be set free."

"And if the money be not paid, Yussuf, what then?" said the professor quietly.

"The chief says no more, excellency."

"But he will to-morrow or next day," cried Mr Chumley. "He'll say that if the money is not paid he'll—"

"Will you be quiet, Charley?" cried his wife. "How you do chatter, to be sure! Are you going to send for the money?"

"I don't know yet," said the professor smiling. "I must think over our position first."

"But, Mr Burne!" cried the lady.

"My dear madam," said Mr Burne, "I can say nothing till after supper. Here is a dish of fowl and rice to be discussed before we do anything else. Here, Snooks, Brown, Hassan, Elecampane—what's your name?—lay the cloth and bring some knives and forks."

The man addressed did not stir. He had placed the smoking brass dish upon a stone near the fire, and with that his duties seemed to be ended.

"They won't give you any knives or forks," said little Mr Chumley.

"Will you be quiet, Charley?" cried his lady. "No, gentlemen, you will have to sit down all round the dish like this, and eat with your fingers like pigs."

"Pigs haven't got any fingers," whispered little Chumley to Lawrence. "Come along."

"What is he whispering to you, Master Lawrence?" said the lady sharply. "Don't take any notice of what he says. He talks too much and thinks too little. If he had thought more and said less we should not be in this predicament."

The chief and his follower had passed silently behind the great rug stretched over the doorway, and, led by their hunger, the prisoners all sat down round the dish "like this," to use Mrs Chumley's words—this being tailor fashion, or cross-legged a la Turcque; and then, in very primitive fashion, the supper of poor stringy fowl and ill-cooked rice began.

The food was very poor, the bread being heavy and black; but all were too hungry to be particular, and at last the dish was completely finished, and conversation respecting their position began, while Yussuf sat aside and waited patiently to be questioned.

"Look here, Yussuf," said the professor at last; "what is to be done?"

"I fear, excellency," replied the guide, "that the only way of escape is by paying the ransom."

"But, man, it is ruinous, and they dare not injure us. Why, if the English people knew of our position troops would be sent to our assistance."

"And the brigands would resent their coming by killing you and your friends, excellency."

"They would not dare, Yussuf."

"I'm afraid they would, effendi. They are utterly reckless scoundrels, the sweepings of the country, and they are so powerful, and secure here that they laugh at the law, such law as we have in this unhappy land."

"But such a state of affairs is monstrous, sir," said Mr Burne. "I am a lawyer, sir, and I ought to know."

"It is monstrous, excellency," said Yussuf; "but these men are outlaws. You see what a stronghold they have if it came to a fight; but your friends or the government would not dare to let it come to a fight, for if they did they would be slaying you."

"Tchah!" cried Mr Burne; "this is about the knottiest case I ever did meet. I say, you, Lawrence, a nice position you have placed us all in."

"I, Mr Burne!" cried the lad wonderingly.

"Yes, sir, you. If you had only been quite well, like a reasonable boy of your age, we should not have come out here, and if we hadn't come out here we should not have been in this mess. There, I'm too tired to talk. Good-night."

He threw himself down upon one of the rugs and was asleep directly, while the professor walked to the doorway, and found two fierce-looking sentries outside, one of whom menacingly bade him go back.

He spoke in the Turkish language; but his manner made his meaning plain, so Mr Preston went back to the fireside, and sat talking to the Chumleys and Lawrence till the latter fell fast asleep; and at last, in spite of the peril of his position, the professor grew so weary that the account of the Chumleys' troubles began to sound soothing, and, what with the long day's work, the exposure to the keen mountain air, and the warmth of the fire, he too fell asleep, and silence reigned in the ancient structure that had been made their prison.



CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

SUGGESTIONS OF ESCAPE.

The morning broke so bright and clear, and from the window there were so many wonders of architecture visible in the old stronghold, that the professor and Lawrence forgot for the time that they were prisoners, and stood gazing out at the wonderful scene.

Where they had been placed was evidently a portion of an old castle, and looking down there were traces of huge buildings of the most solid construction, such as seemed to date back a couple of thousand years, and yet to be in parts as strong as on the day they were placed and cemented stone upon stone.

Huge wall, tremendous battlement, and pillared remains of palace or hall were on every side, and as they gazed, it seemed to them that they could easily imagine the presence of the helmeted, armoured warriors who had once owned the land.

The sun was so glorious that the professor proposed a look round before breakfast.

"Never mind the inconvenience, Lawrence," he said, "we have fallen into a wonderful nest of antiquities, worth all our journey and trouble. Here, come along."

They went to the doorway, drew the great rug hanging before it aside, and were stepping out when a couple of guns were presented at their breasts, and they were angrily bidden to go back.

It was a rude reminder that they were no longer upon a touring journey, and the fact was farther impressed upon them, after a breakfast of yaourt or curd, bread, and some very bad coffee, by a visit from the chief and half a dozen men.

Yussuf was called upon to interpret, and that which he had to say was unpalatable enough, for he had to bid them empty their pockets, and pass everything they possessed over to their captors.

Watches, purses, pocket-books, all had to go; but it was in vain to resist, and everything was handed over without a word, till it came to Mr Burne's gold snuff-box, and this he slipped back into his pocket.

The attempt to save it was in vain; two sturdy scoundrels seized him, one on each side, and the snuff-box was snatched away by the chief himself.

He uttered a few guttural sounds as he opened the box, and seemed disappointed as he found therein only a little fine brown dust, into which he thrust his finger and thumb.

He looked puzzled and held it to his nose, giving a good sniff, with the result that he inhaled sufficient of the fine dust to make him sneeze violently, and scatter the remainder of the snuff upon the earth.

Mr Burne made a start forward, but he was roughly held back, and the chief then turned to Yussuf.

"Tell them," he said in his own tongue, "to write to their friends, and ask for the ransom—two thousand pounds each, and to say that if the money is not given their heads will be sent. Bid them write."

The fierce-looking scoundrel turned and stalked out of the place with his booty, and the moment he was free, Mr Burne dropped upon his knees and began sweeping the fallen snuff together in company with a great deal of dust and barley chaff, carefully placing the whole in his handkerchief ready for clearing as well as he could at his leisure.

"That's just how they served us," said Mrs Chumley dolefully. "I thought they would treat you the same."

"So did I," said her husband dolefully. "They've got my gold repeater, and—"

"Now, Charley, don't—don't—don't bother Mr Preston about that miserable watch of yours, and I do wish you wouldn't talk so much."

"But we must talk, madam," cried Mr Burne. "Here, you, Yussuf, what's to be done?"

"I can only give one piece of advice, effendi," said Yussuf gravely; "Write."

"What, and ruin ourselves?"

"Better that than lose your life, effendi," replied the guide. "These people are fierce, and half savage. They believe that you have money, and they will keep their word if it is not sent."

"What, and kill us, Yussuf?" said Lawrence, with a horrified look.

"Not if I can save you, Lawrence effendi," said Yussuf eagerly. "But the letters must be sent. It will make the villains think that we are content to wait, and put them off their guard. Preston effendi, it is a terrible increase of the risk, but you will take the lady?"

"Take the lady?"

"Hush! When we escape. Do not say more now; we may be overheard. Write your letters."

"Then you mean to try and escape."

"Try and escape, effendi?" said Yussuf with a curious laugh; "why, of course."

"What will you do?"

"Wait, excellency, and see. There are walls here, and I think places where we might get down past the guards with ropes."

"And the ropes?"

Yussuf laughed softly, and stared at the rugs as he said quietly:

"I can see the place full of ropes, your excellency; only be patient, and we'll try what can be done in the darkness. Write your letters now."

Mr Preston had to appeal to the sentries, through Yussuf, for the necessary writing materials, and after a good deal of trouble his own writing-case, which had been in the plundered baggage, was brought to him. He wrote to the vice-consul, Mr Thompson, at Smyrna, telling of their state, and asking advice and assistance, telling him, too, how to obtain the money required if diplomacy failed, and the ransom could not be reduced.

This done, and a similar letter being written by Mr Burne, the sentry was again communicated with, and the despatches sent to the chief.

An hour later there was a little bustle in the open space before their prison, and a couple of well-armed men mounted their horses, the chief standing talking to them for a few minutes, as if giving them final instructions.

He then summoned his prisoners, and spoke to Yussuf, bidding him ask Mr Burne, whose wonderful head-dress won for him the distinction of being considered the most important personage present, whether he would like to make any addition to his despatch; for, said he:

"I have told the people that any attempt at rescue means your instant death. I will wait any reasonable time for your ransoms, and you shall be well treated; but I warn you that attempts to escape will be death to you. That is all."

"Wait a minute, Yussuf," said Mr Burne. "Tell him he can keep the snuff-box and welcome, but he has a canister of best snuff in the package that was on the brown pony. Ask him to let me have that."

"Yes," said the chief, on hearing the request, "it is of no use to anyone. He can have it. What a dog of a Christian to take his tobacco like that! Anything else?"

"Yes," said Mr Preston, on hearing the reply, "tell him to send his men to watch me as much as he likes, but I want leave to inspect the old ruins and to make drawings. Tell him I will not attempt to escape."

"No, effendi," said Yussuf, "I will not tell him that, but I will ask the first;" and he made the request.

"What! is he—one of the idiot giaours who waste their time in seeing old stones and imitate them upon paper?"

"Yes, a harmless creature enough," said Yussuf.

"So I suppose, or he would have fought. Well, yes, he can go about, but tell him that if he attempts to leave my men behind they will shoot him. Not that he can get away, unless he has a djin to help him, or can fly," he added with a laugh.

He walked to his men, gave them some further instructions, and they saw the two ambassadors go in and out among the ruins till they passed between two immense buttresses of rock, and then disappear down the perilous zigzag path that led to the shelf-like way.

"Yes," said Yussuf, looking at Mr Preston, and interpreting his thoughts, "that is the only way out, excellency, but I do not despair of making our escape. It must be a long time before arrangements can be made for your release, and the winter comes early here in these high places."

"Winter?" cried Lawrence.

"Yes," said Yussuf. "It is fine and sunny one day, the next the snow has fallen, and a place like this may be shut off from the plains below for months. You do not wish to pass the winter here, Lawrence effendi?"

"I don't think I should mind," replied the lad, "everything is so fresh, and there is so much to see."

"Well, now they are giving me leave to go about," said Mr Preston thoughtfully, "I think I could spend some months in drawing and writing an account of this old city, especially if they would let me make some excavations."

"But his excellency, Mr Burne?" said Yussuf.

"Oh! I've got my snuff—at least I am to have it, and if they will feed us well I don't suppose I should mind very much. The fact is, Preston, I've been working so hard all my life that I like this change. Doing nothing is very pleasant when you are tired."

"Of course it is," said the professor smiling.

"And so long as there's no nonsense about cutting off men's heads, or any of that rubbish, I rather like being taken a prisoner by brigands. I wonder what a London policeman would think of such a state of affairs."

"My masters are submitting wisely to their fate," said Yussuf gravely; "and while we are waiting, and those people think we are quite patient, I shall come with his excellency Preston, and while he draws I shall make plans, not of the city, but how to escape."

Further conversation was cut short by the coming of Mr and Mrs Chumley, who eagerly asked—at least Mr Chumley wished to ask eagerly, but he was stopped by his lady, who retained the right—what arrangements had been made. And she was told.

"Oh, dear!" she sighed, "then that means weary waiting again. Oh, Charley! why would you insist upon coming to this wretched land?"

Mr Chumley opened his mouth in astonishment, but he did not speak then, he only waited a few minutes, and then took Lawrence's arm, and sat whispering to him apart, telling him how Mrs Chumley had insisted upon coming to Turkey when he wanted to go to Paris, and nowhere else, and that he was the most miserable man in the world.

Lawrence heard him in silence, and as he sat he wondered how it was the most miserable man in the world could look so round and happy and grow so fat.



CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

YUSSUF HAS HIS WITS ABOUT HIM.

The weather was cold up there in the mountains, and it froze at night; but the sun was hot in the daytime, and the sky was mostly of a most delicious blue. The chief always seemed to be scowling, watchful, and suspicious, but the prisoners had nothing but their captivity to complain about. Rugs in abundance—every one of them stolen—were supplied for bedding and keeping out the cold night air that would have penetrated by door or window. Upon proper representations being made by Yussuf the food supply was better, the guide installing himself at once as cook, to Mr Chumley's great delight; and agreeable dishes—pilaf, curry, kabobs, and the like—were prepared, with excellent coffee and good bread, while the scowling sentries became more agreeable, and took willingly to their duties, on finding that satisfactory snacks were handed to them, and hot cups of coffee on the bitter nights when they sat watching in their sheepskin or goatskin cloaks.

As for the professor, in two days he had forgotten that he was a prisoner, and Lawrence was the best of friends with the evil-looking guards, who followed them with loaded guns to some old ruinous patch of wall, fortification, or hall. Here the professor was in his element, drawing, planning, and measuring, longing the while to set a dozen strong-armed men to work digging up the stones embedded in the earth—a task which he was sure would be rewarded by the discovery of many objects of antiquity.

Parties of the brigands went out now and then, but it was evident that their object was merely to forage, large quantities of barley being brought in, and some of the old buildings being utilised for stores.