CHAPTER XXVII--THE PROFESSOR'S GAME
Early in the afternoon of the following day, Professor Gunn informedDick and Brad that he was going out with a friend to inspect someancient Egyptian relics.
"Take us with you," urged Merriwell.
"Do take us," implored Buckhart.
"We're interested in relics," said Dick.
"Mightily interested," affirmed Brad.
"No, no, boys," said the old man, holding up his hands; "I can't takeyou."
"Why not?" they both demanded.
"Well--er--hem!--because you have not been invited, you see. Theserelics are a private collection, in a private house, and it is not theprivilege of the general public to view them. I have obtained theprivilege of looking them over only by great effort. It is a greatconcession to me on account of my standing as an educator in my owncountry. What I shall behold to-day will add greatly to my knowledge. Iam sure I shall return, after examining the relics, a much wiser man.Hum! ha!"
"I hope you do, professor," said Dick significantly, although the oldpedagogue failed to note any underlying meaning in his words.
"Yes, I hope so," put in Brad.
From their window, they watched until they saw the professor,accompanied by a small, quick-stepping man in brown, leave the hotel.
"There he goes with the colonel, pard," said Buckhart. "We've got tomove lively to get there ahead of them."
"Colonel Stringer will look out for that. He'll take plenty of time inconducting the professor by a roundabout course. Come on."
They paused a moment to speak to Budthorne and Nadia, who were to remainat the hotel.
Near the hotel a close carriage of English make was waiting. They sprangin and were off. Here and there through the streets of Cairo they went,coming at last to a house in a quiet quarter.
The door of this house, set low and deep in the wall, opened for them assoon as they left the carriage.
A ruddy-faced Englishman, John Coddington by name, the Eastern agent ofa London house, welcomed them as soon as they entered.
"You see I was expecting you, boys," he said. "My friend, Stringer, toldme when you would be likely to arrive."
"Is everything ready?" asked Dick.
"Yes, indeed. I have a lot of prize beauties all ready for the game. Oh,they are fine ones!"
"But you must make us the champion beauties of them all," saidMerriwell.
"That's whatever," chuckled Brad. "We must be the peaches of yourharem."
"I'll do my best. I have a customer waiting. Follow me."
They passed through winding ways and came finally into a room where alittle Frenchman waited, amid a collection of feminine garments.
"Here they are, Louis," said Coddington. "Make them into handsome girls.Show your skill."
"Make us handsome, with the exception of our faces," said Dick "Thosemust be as hideous as possible."
"But ze faces will be covaired by ze veils," protested Louis.
"Not all the time," smiled Dick. "Some one is going to get a peepbeneath my veil."
"Mine, too," nodded Brad. "I want a mug on me that would scare a doginto a fit."
"Vera well; eet s'all be. Get redee."
"In the meantime, boys," said Coddington, "I will be on the watch forthe guest who is on the outlook for a harem."
Some time later Colonel Stringer and Professor Gunn rapped at the doorof the house.
They were not admitted by Coddington himself, but by a black man inflowing garments, who bowed obsequiously before the colonel and badethem follow him.
They were ushered into a large, luxuriously furnished room, with manydivans and Turkish rugs, a fountain playing in the centre of theapartment, and a man in Eastern garments propped up amid some cushions,lazily smoking a hookah.
"My deah Coddington," said Stringer, hastening toward the smoker andbowing low, "delighted! Permit me to present my friend, Professor Gunn,of America."
The professor bowed after the fashion of Stringer.
"Deuced glad to know you, don't you know," drawled Coddington. "Is thisthe gentleman, colonel, who is looking for a harem?"
"The same, suh," nodded Stringer.
"Well, by Jove! I believe I've got the very thing he wants. I have thefinest harem in the East, you know. Fourteen wives, in all, and everyone a pearl. Ya-as."
"But why do you wish to sell out, sir?" questioned Gunn.
"It's become a deuced bore, don't you understand. Besides that, I mustreturn to England soon, and I can't take my beauties with me. It wouldbe quite scandalous there. I'd find myself arrested, don't you know. SoI have to dispose of my dear little doves. It breaks my heart, but Ican't do anything different. If you want a harem, professor, thatoutrivals anything in the East, you'll get it right here, and get it fora song, too."
Now, it is best to confess the actual truth right here. Professor Gunnhad no intention of buying a harem. What the old boy wanted was to getinside a harem--to see it and get a peep at the "Eastern houris," as hehad heard them called. And he took this method of getting in.
The professor was congratulating himself on his cleverness.
"Eh, eh, ahem!" coughed the old pedagogue. "I've always been somewhatshy of bargains that can be obtained for a mere song. I always favorinspecting whatever I purchase."
"Then be seated," invited Coddington, motioning toward the heaped-upcushions at his side. "Sit here, professor, and you shall see some ofthe sights of the harem."
The professor hastened to deposit himself amid the cushions, chucklinginwardly over his success.
Colonel Stringer accepted a seat on the opposite side of the professedowner of the harem.
Coddington clapped his hands.
Immediately a huge black man, dressed in gaudy, barbaric clothes, hishead turbaned, his feet bare, appeared from somewhere and bowed lowbefore the Englishman.
"Bring hookahs for my visitors," said Coddington, "and bid my dancinggirls appear and dance for me."
The black man bowed sweepingly again, and hastily disappeared.
Almost immediately two boys, clothed in purple, entered, bearinghookahs, which they placed before the professor and the colonel. Whenthe visitors were ready to smoke, the boys lighted the hookahs.
"He! he!" laughed Zenas, as he puffed away. "Makes one feel decidedlykinky and chipper. I'm not much of a smoker, but I--ough! ugah! ugah!agoo-ugah!--hah! Whew!"
He had taken some of the smoke into his lungs, and it nearly strangledhim. He continued to cough for some time, but suddenly stopped andrubbed the water from his eyes.
Out upon the tiled floor before them glided a number of gracefulfigures, girls in diaphanous draperies, which fluttered in the air,light as azure. These girls were swaying, bending, dancing, their armswaving in the air, their feet moving swiftly to the sound of tiny,tinkling bells and the throb of a strange, unnatural music. The musicwas produced by a number of musicians who mysteriously appeared, seatedon the floor at one side.
The faces of the girls were hidden by veils, which were bound downlightly, to keep them from fluttering aside with their swaying movementsand exposing their features.
Zenas gazed and gasped.
"Great Caesar!" he muttered. "This being the proprietor of a harem isgreat!"
The girls continued their dance, and to the old pedagogue every movementwas full of poetry. They advanced, retreated, pirouetted, their armswaving from side to side above their heads, their heads swaying, theirgarments fluttering, their veils hiding their features, yet seeming toshow glimpses of dark, flashing eyes beyond.
The professor forgot to smoke; he forgot to breathe; he forgot to doanything but stare.
How long the dance continued, he was unable to say, but finallyCoddington clapped his hands, and away glided the girls, as graceful asphantoms, and like phantoms they vanished.
The musicians vanished in the same silent manner.
A great sigh of regret came from Gunn.
"Well, professor," said Coddington, "how did that hit you?"
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"Great!" was the enthusiastic answer. "How often do they perform?"
"Whenever I bid them. I keep them to amuse me."
"Shade of Absalom! If I owned this harem, I'd tire them out dancing.What's next on the program?"
"I will call in some of my wives."
"Were there any in that bevy?"
"Oh, no; those are nothing but dancing girls. The ladies of the haremare more select and beautiful."
"Call them! You can't hurry them too much to suit me."
"But there are certain rules to which I must conform, else I forfeit myrights. You know, the ladies of the harem never enter this room whenmore than one man is present. If I call them, it will be necessary forthe colonel and myself to retire."
"And leave me alone with them?" gasped Zenas.
"Yes. I will send you my two favorites, the greatest beauties of theharem. I have taught them both to speak English, although they do sosomewhat imperfectly, and they have picked up several expressions ofwhich I do not approve. No matter what they say, you must understandthat they are complimenting you."
"All right," said the professor, a bit doubtfully. "But are there onlytwo?"
"Only two? How many do you want? There are plenty of them, but youunderstand that the two I shall send are the reigning belles of theharem. They are marvelously beautiful."
"Well, I--I don't know about being left alone," muttered the old fellownervously. "Can't it be arranged some other way?"
"Why, I thought you might wish to be alone with them. As I have said,the colonel and I must leave the room, as no man save yourself may bepresent; but I can send in the dancing girls again and let them dancewhile you are chatting with my favorites."
"Do so, do so," urged Zenas, in relief. "That is a good idea."
"Very well. I hope you may be pleased; and do not forget that I amwilling and ready to dispose of my harem at a most reasonable price. ByJove! I'll almost give the whole outfit away!"
Coddington and Stringer retired, having seen the professor take the seatof honor in the midst of the cushions.
The old man was rather nervous, but he endeavored to remain calm anddignified.
Finally a low burst of musical laughter came to his ears, causing him tobrace up. A moment later, hand in hand, two persons entered the room andadvanced swiftly, bowing low before the professor, their foreheadstouching the tiling.
"Ah, these are the favorites!" murmured Zenas, his eyes shining. "Arise,my dears, and come here. Be seated beside me."
They needed no second invitation to sit beside the professor, however.Cooing in a coy manner, they plumped themselves down amid the cushionson either hand.
"He nice!" said one.
"Him fine!" murmured the other.
Then both giggled.
"He! he!" laughed the professor nervously, as the one on his rightleaned against his shoulder. "What's your name, my dear?"
"Fraud," was the answer.
"Fraud? Well, that's an odd name! How do you happen to have such a nameas that?"
"Effendi, him give it. Effendi, him husband. Him call me Little Fraud."
"Ah, I see; sort of a pet name." Then he turned to the other one, on hisright. "And what is your name, darling?" he asked.
"Fake."
"Hey? Fake?"
"Sure. Effendi, him call me Big Fake."
"Well, surely he has peculiar names for his wives. Do you love Effendi?"
"Oh, so, so. Him better no husband. Much tired now. Like change."
"Well, you're frank about it, to say the least. How many times have youchanged husbands?"
"Sev'teen time."
"What's that? Great Scott! Seventeen times?"
"Maybe more."
"Christopher! You've had seventeen different husbands--or more?Goodness, but that's a record!"
At this juncture, Fake threw her arms round the professor.
"You be next one?" she asked. "Like you much. You be old Lobster."
"What's that? Old Lobster?"
"Pretty name," cooed Fraud, from the other side, cuddling on hisshoulder. "We like old Lobster, Fake."
"You bet your back teeth!" elegantly retorted Fake. "We like him lot.Pull his leg."
"Well, you're frank in proclaiming your intentions, at least!" gaspedZenas.
At this moment the strange music began again, and the dancing girlsreappeared, posing and pirouetting, the tiny bells on their bare anklestinkling in a lively manner.
Zenas tried to untangle himself from the twining arms of the twofavorites, but they declined to be thrust aside.
"No! no!" they cried. "Keep so. Like it, old Lobster."
"Old Lobster!" grated Gunn. "Say, my dears, you'll please me if you callme something else. I don't like the name you have selected for me."
"No like it?" questioned Fake, in apparent surprise. "Pretty name."
"Sweet name," gurgled Fraud. "We like it."
"But I object! You'll have to call me something else. I won't stand forit."
"All right," said Fraud, in apparent disappointment.
Then she tried to get a strangle hold on Zenas, who was beginning toperspire and wish himself a thousand miles away.
"Well, you have a mighty queer notion about pretty names!" snapped theold man. "Don't choke me! Those dancing girls are laughing--I know theyare! I can see them laughing behind their veils!"
But they clung to him more closely than ever, and all his squirming wasuseless.
"Where's the boss of this house?" he spluttered. "Be careful, both ofyou! I'm a respectable married man!"
"Nobody ever think it," snickered Fraud.
"You be married lots more when you get us," observed Fake.
"Christopher! I should say so! I'd be too much married."
"We not all you have," said Fraud. "You get lots more like us."
"Only not so nice--not so pretty," declared Fake.
"Well, I'll have to think this thing over before I close the bargain.I'm beginning to think that one wife is enough for any man--too much insome cases."
"How silly!" commented Fake.
"Awful chump," said Fraud.
"But we love him," purred Fake. "Him old. Him not last long. Then wehave 'nother husband."
"That fun," giggled Fraud.
"Say, you're beginning to make me sick!" snapped the distressed victim."Call the boss of the house--call him! He can keep his harem!"
"You nervous," said Fake. "See girls dance. Be still."
"I see them," groaned Gunn, "and they see us. They're making sport ofus! I didn't come here to be laughed at! I won't stand it."
"No stand--sit still," advised Fraud.
He gave over his efforts and fell to watching the dancers. They werevery graceful, but he remembered that Coddington had spoken carelesslyof them, declaring that the favorites of the harem were far morebeautiful. To Zenas it seemed that the so-called favorites were big,husky ladies, while their free-and-easy manners, and their slang, filledhim with aversion. He had fancied the beauties of a harem to besomething entirely different from the ones who were boldly embracinghim. And one of them had confessed that she had changed husbands sixteentimes--or more! This in a land where he had supposed a man could have anumber of wives, but that no wife ever had more than one husband.
The glamour of the harem was fast wearing off, as far as Zenas Gunn, ofFardale, was concerned. Already he was beginning to think he had seenquite enough of it.
Fake and Fraud were not inclined to keep still long. The former began todally with the professor's whiskers, running her fingers through themand pulling them playfully.
"Pretty! pretty!" she cooed.
"Ba-a-a-a!" bleated Fraud, like a goat. "Wind go z-z-z-z-z."
"Quit your fooling!" half snarled the fretted old fellow, pushing Fake'shand away.
Her gloved fingers seemed to catch in his whiskers and give them afearful yank, as he thrust her hand aside.
He howled with pain.
"Nice hair," commented Fraud, giving
a pull at the professor's wig andjerking it off. "Oh, see! Hair all loose! He look funny now!"
"Gimme that!" panted the professor, snatching at the wig; but Fraudthrust it back of her, laughing mockingly behind her heavy veil.
She was strong, astonishingly strong. He found he could not recover thewig by force, so he gave over the attempt.
"That nice," said Fake. "Behave, old Lobster. Pretty teeth. Bite Fake'slittle finger."
Before he even suspected her purpose she thrust her finger into hismouth. In some manner she caught hold of his upper set of false teethand jerked them out.
Then both favorites uttered exclamations of seeming surprise andmerriment, while the triumphant Fake held the extracted set of teethabove her head.
"Him fine!" she cried. "Hair come off! Teeth come out! Old Lobster lotsfunny!"
"We take old Lobster all to pieces," said Fraud. "Come on, Fake. Takehim eyes out next."
"Hold on, both of you!" frothed Zenas. "Don't you dare carry thish thingany farsher! Gimme my wig! Gimme me my teesh! Hand 'em over, orshomebody going to get hurt!"
By this time he was greatly enraged, but he found himself almosthelpless in the hands of the favorites.
The dancing girls were continuing their gyrations, but he knew they werelaughing.
He felt that he had been robbed of his dignity and humiliated, and hewas eager to take flight from the harem. Again and again he sought tostruggle up, but Fake and Fraud pulled him back and held him.
"Oh, good old Lobster!" they cooed. "We love old Lobster. Him greatjoke."
"I demand to be released!" gasped the professor. "If you hang onto meyou'll regret it! I'm a desperate man! I'm dangerous!"
He had managed to recover his teeth and thrust them back into his mouth,and now Fraud sought to mollify him by restoring his wig, which sheplaced on his head, hind side foremost.
"If this is what the owner of a harem has to endure, I'm thankful Idon't own one," declared Zenas.
Then they patted his cheeks and sought in various ways to pacify him.
"We like you," they protested.
"Well, you both have hanged queer ways of showing your affection, that'sall I've got to say!" he retorted.
"Maybe old Lobster like to kiss me?" questioned Fraud.
"No; old Lobster like to kiss me," declared Fake.
"Who told you so much?" sneered Gunn.
"We say so, old Lobster have to kiss us," asserted Fake.
"Have to?" gasped the perspiring pedagogue. "Why should I?"
"That rule," explained Fraud. "We want it, no man get away less he doso."
A groan of genuine distress escaped the lips of Zenas.
"I'm sure you don't want it," he hastened to say. "Just call Mr.Coddington. I'm very ill! I must see a physician at once! Please let meoff!"
But they were obdurate, both insisting on receiving a kiss from him.
"It's foolishness," he declared. "You have veils on."
"Oh, we move um," Fake hastened to say.
"We move um," echoed Fraud.
"And then will you call the boss of the house?"
"We have him called then," they promised.
"If this ever gets out, my reputation is blasted," sighed the professor;"but I see no other way to escape from these creatures. I'll have tosubmit."
He signified his willingness, whereupon both favorites again clasped himabout the neck with an arm, while they prepared to lift their veils withtheir free hands.
"Here goes!" he muttered, turning to Fraud.
She lifted her veil.
A squawk of astonishment and horror burst from Professor Gunn, for Fraudwas black as midnight, with huge red lips, which were parted in ahorrible grin. Brass rings dangled from her ears and her nose.
"Heavens and earth deliver me!" panted the professor.
Then he turned and saw the face of Fake. It was that of an old, haglikecreature, wrinkled and hideous, while her mouth was filled with horribleblack teeth.
A shriek escaped the old man. Like a maniac he tore himself free fromtheir clutches.
"Help! Murder!" he yelled.
"Come back, old Lobster!" they implored.
But he scrambled to his feet and fled from the room, yelling forassistance at every step, and pursued by a burst of laughter from thedancing girls.
The professor rushed from the room and into the arms of John Coddingtonand Colonel Stringer. They grasped him and held fast.
"Let go!" he shouted. "Don't let those creatures catch me! Let go!"
"Well, by Jove!" drawled Coddington. "The man is crazy, don't you know!"
"What's the matter with yo', professah?" asked the colonel, in apparentamazement. "Have yo' lost your senses, suh?"
"How dare you insult the favorites of the harem by running away fromthem in such a manner?" sternly demanded the Englishman.
"Insult them!" snarled Zenas, glaring at Coddington as if he longed tothrottle the man. "How dare you insult me by putting such hideous hagsonto me?"
"Hideous hags? Sir, those are the most beautiful ladies in all Cairo, byJove!"
"Beautiful! They would frighten a mummy into a fit! They would give adog hydrophobia."
"Suh," said Colonel Stringer, "I am astonished, suh! My friendCoddington is a fine judge of feminine beauty."
"Bah!" sneered Zenas. "Bah! bah! I've seen his beauties, and they arehorrible things! Let me get out of this house! I wish never to see theinterior of another harem! A man who would have more than one wife isinsane. And a man who thinks such creatures as those beautiful ought tobe locked fast in a home for incurable imbeciles! You're an imbecile,Coddington--that's my opinion of you! Don't talk back! Don't open yourmouth! Want to sell your harem, do you? I don't wonder! You ought to paysomebody about ten million dollars to take it--and then he'd get stuck!Good day, sir! I tell you not to attempt to detain me a moment! I amgoing now!"
And go he did, hurrying forth from the house with trembling steps andalmost running until he was far from that vicinity.
Barely had the professor left the front door when the two "favorites"appeared, both convulsed with laughter.
They were Dick Merriwell and Brad Buckhart, the former having posed asFraud, while the latter had given his name as Fake.
"Oh, great horn spoon!" gasped Buckhart, "I certain won't get over thisin a year!"
"I think the professor has been taught a splendid lesson," laughed Dick."The game worked like a charm."
"I should say it did!" agreed Coddington, who was also laughing. "Wewatched it all. We were behind some curtains, and we dodged out just intime to get ahead of the professor when he took flight. It was deucedlyfunny, don't you know. You boys did your parts very cleverly."
"Did you see Dick remove the professor's wig?" laughed the Texan. "Ithought I'd blow up then, but it gave me an idea, and I managed to getmy digits into his mouth and yank out the upper layer of his storeteeth."
"And then I was on the point of blowing up," confessed Dick. "But theprofessor was so excited he didn't notice it."
"The climax came when yo' invited him to kiss yo'," grinned ColonelStringer. "He'll be ready to shoot me now."
"Don't you think it," said Dick. "He'll be round begging you to keepstill about it. He'll be humble enough."
"We're very much obliged to you, Mr. Coddington, for your assistance,"said Dick. "If you'll give us a bill of expenses, I'll settle it. IfColonel Stringer hadn't known you, I fear we could not have carried outthe plan after we formed it."
"Oh, the expense was nothing compared with the sport I've had," assertedthe Englishman.
"But you had to engage the dancing girls."
"They are professionals, and their services cost a mere nothing. It'snot worth mentioning."
"Oh, yes it is. Then there was the costumer. You had to pay him. Iinsist on settling the bill."
Coddington did his best to get out of taking anything, but Dick wasobdurate and finally compelled the Englishman to state the full expenseof the affair, which he p
aid.
It was nearly an hour later when the boys reappeared at the Shepherd'sHotel, having washed off their make-ups and donned their usual attire.
They found the professor, looking pale and wan, pacing the floor of hisroom, which adjoined theirs. The old man noted their entrance, andpaused to peer at them suspiciously.
"Where have you been, boys?" he asked.
"Oh, out for a little airing," answered Dick, carelessly. "Did you enjoythe afternoon, professor?"
"Well--er--ah--I can't truthfully say that I did," confessed the oldpedagogue.
"That was too bad. Why didn't you enjoy it?"
"Ahem! I can't explain, boys. Don't ask foolish questions."
"But didn't you see that collection of old relics?"
"I did--I saw it!"
"And you were disappointed in it?"
"Very much so."
"Were not the relics very ancient?"
"Well, two of them were, beyond question."
"And did the inspection of them add greatly to your fund of knowledge?"persisted Dick.
"Greatly," declared Zenas. "I know much more than I did when I left thishotel."
"Then I fail to understand why you seem so terribly disappointed. Yousaid you expected to return here a much wiser man."
"And if I'm not wiser," said the professor, "I ought to be shot, that'sall! I have this day learned something I'll never forget. Don't askanother question! I decline to discuss the matter further. But I willsay that no man is too old to learn, and sometimes a man who thinkshimself very wise discovers that he's a big fool. I'm going to lie downand rest now, for I need it. I am quite exhausted."
He closed the door between the two rooms.
"I must tell Dunbar and Nadia about it," chuckled Buckhart. "Come on,Dick; let's go see them."
"You go ahead," nodded Merriwell. "I have a letter to write, and I thinkI'll do it now."
Buckhart was not gone long, and there was something of a worried look onhis face when he returned.
"Well, did they appreciate the joke?" questioned Dick, without lookingup.
"I didn' tell them."
"Didn't?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"They're not in."
"Oh, that's it! Where have they gone?"
"I don't know. I inquired and found they left the hotel about two hoursago. They did not take a carriage, or even engage donkeys. They walkedout, without stating whither they intended to go."
"Well, it's likely they'll return soon."
"I hope so."
Buckhart's tone caused Dick to look up quickly.
"What's the matter, Brad?" he asked.
"I'm worried, pard," confessed the Texan.
"About them? Oh, nonsense; they're all right."
"They may be; but you know Budthorne is a mighty poor protector for agirl, and Nadia has been watched by that strange man we observed."
"That is, she thought that man was watching her; but she was not sure ofit."
"She was pretty sure. He was a Turk, and you know what happened to herin Damascus."
"Which, therefore, will not happen again. Don't be foolish, old man."
"You remember that other man--the one we saw join the Turk on CitadelHill?"
"Yes."
"I dreamed about him last night, Dick."
"Did you?"
"Sure; and it was a bad dream. I thought you and I were walking along adark street, in a strange city, when that other man came up behind ussuddenly. I turned just in time to see him drive a knife into your back,but not in time to check him. You fell! Then I sprang on your murdererand flung him to the ground. I had him by the throat and I dragged himto a corner, where there was a light. When I had pulled him into thelight I discovered that he was Chester Arlington."
"Well, you see how foolish dreams are, Brad. Chet Arlington is atFardale, thousands of miles away."
"That's all right. I don't opine the chap we saw was Arlington; butsomehow I have the idea that he's an enemy to you, and just as dangerousan enemy as Chet Arlington."
"If you take stock in dreams, you'll be calling on fortune tellers,next."
"Oh, you laugh! You wait and see! That dream meant something."
Brad relapsed into silence, and Dick went on with his writing.
Ten minutes later they heard the sound of running feet on the stairs andoutside their door. The door was burst open, and Dunbar Budthorne,ghastly white and shaking in every limb, reeled in.
Buckhart made a great leap and seized the fellow.
"For Heaven's sake, Budthorne, what has happened?" he hoarsely demanded.
"Nadia!" gasped the agitated young man, seeming barely able to utter theword.
"Nadia!" grated Brad. "Something has happened to her? Speak, man!"
"We were walking----"
"Go on!"
"Suddenly several men sprang out on us. They tried to seize Nadia. I--Idid my best. I sought to protect her. One fellow snatched her from me.Another hit me on the head and knocked me down. But I saw the one whoseized her--saw him face to face! I knew him. It was Miguel Bunol!"
Brad fell back as if struck in the face. Dick uttered an exclamation ofincredulity.
"You're crazy, Budthorne!" he palpitated. "Your eyes deceived you! Bunolcannot be here, for the Bedouins carried him away to sell him intoslavery in Arabia."
"I don't care about that," declared Budthorne, positively; "Bunol waswith those men who attacked us--he seized Nadia. I know him! I cannot bedeceived!"
"But Nadia," questioned Brad; "what became of her?"
"I was stunned for the time," said Dunbar. "When I recovered the menwere gone and she had disappeared. I ran about aimlessly, but somethingguided me to the river. I saw them in a boat that was rowing off to asmall yacht. I saw them lift my sister from the boat over the rail intothe yacht. Steam was up. The yacht hoisted anchor and away it went upthe river. All this time I was running up and down the bank, trying tohire some one to take me off to the yacht in a boat. No one would. Andwhen the yacht was far up the river I turned and came back here as fastas I could. Oh, Nadia--poor Nadia! How can we save her?"