CHAPTER LXIX.
THE JOYS OF THE SERAGLIO--A GROUP OF PEEPING THOMASES--THE CIRCASSIANSLAVES--TINKER AND BOGEY ARE IN FOR IT--THE ALARM--ATTEMPTEDRESCUE--AWAY WITH THEM--THE IRISHMAN TELLS A FEW WHITE ONES TO APURPOSE.
The slipper merchant had selected a favourable moment for their visitto the Konaki.
The pasha--or to speak more correctly, the pasha's deputy, for it wasthe deputy that had imposed upon the poor orphan--was absent from thehouse temporarily, and so they were able to walk about whither theylisted, thanks to the backstairs influence of which their friend andguide had boasted.
The head of the pasha's household was the person to whom they owed thisunusual privilege.
There was not a great deal to see in the Konaki now that they werethere, and their visit would probably have been cut very short had theynot been attracted by sounds of distant music just as they were uponthe point of leaving.
"What's that?" said Jack.
"That's from the seraglio," returned their conductor; "some Circassiangirls that have just been sent as a present to the pasha are veryclever dancers, it is said."
Jack pricked up his ears at this.
"Come on," he said, moving forward briskly.
"To this seraglio?"
"Aye."
"Why, you rash boy," said the Irish Turk, with a frightened look, "doyou know what you are talking about?"
"Well, yes, I think so," said Jack; "dancing Circassian girls and theseraglio was the topic of the conversation, unless I am wandering in mymind."
"Faith, ye must be mad," said the Irishman, gravely; "why, they'd thinkhanging too good for any man that even looked at the harem."
"So should I," returned Jack; "I've no wish to be hanged; it's too goodfor me. Come on."
"Don't be foolish; it's death, if we're caught."
"All right," said Jack, cheerfully; "it's sure then that we mustn't becaught, but I don't mean to miss the chance all the same."
The Irishman resisted stoutly.
But Jack was more obstinate than he was, and so the Irishman was forcedto yield a point.
"I know where there's a gallery that overlooks the harem, and you cansee all the fun of the fair without being observed."
"You seem to know the place very well," said Jack.
"Very."
"But of course you have never been to this identical gallery before?"said Jack, innocently.
"Never--never."
His eagerness to impress this upon them told its own tale.
"I should think that's true, Jack," said Harry, demurely.
"Oh, yes, quite," said Jack, winking at Harry.
The Irishman led the way along a paved passage, at the end of which wasan arched entrance to an apartment, closed off only by a heavy curtain.
"You see that curtain?" whispered their guide.
"Yes."
"That's the harem."
"Come on, then," said Jack, eagerly.
"Stop, stop!" exclaimed the Irishman. "The other side of the curtainare two----"
Before he could complete the sentence, the curtain was dragged aside,and two armed negroes appeared.
Their appearance was sudden and startling.
Each carried a drawn sword, a scimitar of formidable size.
They looked about as ugly customers as you would wish to see.
"Two eunuchs," whispered the Irishman, "they are guarding the seraglio.Come away."
"Ugly enough for heathen gods," whispered Harry Girdwood.
The two eunuchs stood like statues on guard.
The slipper merchant said something to them in Turkish which appearedto satisfy them.
"Massa Jack," whispered Tinker, who was one of the party, tugging athis young master's sleeve, "Massa Jack."
"What now?"
"Dat one ob de beasts what chuck de pusson in de water alive in desack, sar."
"What!" ejaculated Harry Girdwood.
"Fack, Massa Harry," said Tinker, stoutly. "Guess I know dat ugly brackniggar, sar, a tousan' mile off--beast!"
"Come on. Don't appear to notice them," said the Irishman. "It'sawkward work now. If they had half a suspicion, they would drop on usright and left, and not leave a limb on either one of our blessedbodies."
He led the way until they came to a gallery that overlooked theseraglio.
Their leader now warned them to keep silent.
In the chamber below were about a dozen Turkish ladies, all unveiled.
They were all gorgeously attired, and lolling about in indolentattitudes, as if life were an indescribable bore to them.
Upon a square fringed carpet in the middle of the room a Circassiangirl of rare beauty and perfect symmetry was gliding through a gracefuldance, to a low, melodious measure, which another girl of her owncountry was chanting.
The dance resembled nothing that Jack and Harry had seen before.
As she turned round, the shawl she waved was made to describe a seriesof circles.
And then, as she came to a sudden stop, it fell around her in gracefulfolds and she looked like a very beautiful sculptured figure.
But before you could fairly admire her graceful form and beauteousface, she had bounded off again in the mazy dance, to the intensegratification of the idle lookers-on.
"What do you think of that?" whispered the Irishman.
"Lovely," returned Jack, enthusiastically.
"Beautiful," added Harry Girdwood. "What would little Emily say, Jack,if she knew you were looking with loving eyes at that little beauty?"
The mention of little Emily's name made Jack silent for a minute ortwo.
Presently he asked--
"Are these professional performers?"
"The dancer and the singer are two out of three Circassian slaves thathave been sent to the pasha as a present during his journey. He will bepleased with the new acquisition when he returns, although one has metan untimely end."
"Slaves! Is it possible?" said young Jack.
"Rather, my boy."
"What will they do with these slaves?"
"Various things. Perhaps keep them to amuse the ladies of the harem, asyou see now; perhaps make them beasts of burden; perhaps make morewives of them. His excellency is not particular to a wife or two."
"He's a beast!" said young Jack; "and I should like to kick him."
"Gently, gently; it's the system of the country, dear boys, nothingmore."
"But," said Jack, "when you speak of the Circassian girl being sent asa present to the pasha, do you mean the real pasha or the deputy? Forthis Turk is the one that cheated the poor orphan out of his money."
"This is only the deputy; I mean the pasha himself," returned the IrishTurk. "The deputy would like to appropriate the slaves himself."
"Do you think so?"
"I know it, and he does not mind what you would call murder now andthen."
"Perhaps that would account for what we saw in the bay, for thehorrible business with the sack."
"More than likely," said the Irish Turk, gravely. "But a slave, more orless, even if it's a lovely girl, doesn't count for much in theseparts."
The boys gave a shudder.
They were not used to hearing murder discussed in such a cold-bloodedfashion.
"Tinker," said Jack, by way of changing the topic suddenly, "do youthink that you or Bogey could dance like that girl?"
"Go an' dance like dat," he said contemptuously. "Me an' dat niggerdance a lot better, sar. Bogey!"
"Wall!"
"Over wid you."
And then, to the surprise and dismay of all the rest, the two darkeysvaulted over the balustrade and dropped into the room beneath.
Had a bombshell fallen into the midst of the ladies of the harem, theycould not have been more surprised.
There was a half-stifled shriek from one, and they all flew into acorner, where they stood huddled up together for protection.
But Tinker and his man were not at all put out by these strangedemonstrations upon the part of the
ladies.
"Bogey."
"Yes, Massa Tinker."
"We'll jest take the floor togeder and show dem female gals what depoetry of motion is like."
"Yah, yah!" grinned Bogey; "go it, my hunkey boy."
And they did go it.
There was not much of the poetry of motion about it, their dance beingof the breakdown genus.
And to tell the truth, the ladies appeared more frightened than pleasedwith the darkeys' extraordinary evolutions.
The double shuffle excited wonderment.
When Bogey and Tinker brought down their respective hoofs with a bang,great alarm was manifested.
By degrees, however, they appeared to grow more accustomed to theeccentric evolutions of the young negroes, and presently one of themlaughed aloud at the quaint capers the boys were cutting.
This set them all laughing, and the mirth of the ladies was at itsheight, when certain alarming sounds were heard without.
"By the holy fly," ejaculated the Irishman. "there's a row in thehouse, and our frisky black boys'll lose their lives if they don'twatch it."
"What's the matter?" demanded young Jack.
"The deputy-pasha is back," whispered the Irishman, in evident anxiety."He has discovered the presence of strangers in the house. He's comingalong here with his guards, and there'll be the very devil to pay."
"What, about Tinker and Bogey?"
"They're dead as door-nails. There is an unwritten law which sentencesany man to death who violates the sanctity of a Turkish harem."
"Why don't they run out?" inquired Harry, anxiously.
"What for? To be cutdown by the armed eunuchs. No; better take theirchance where they are."
"I'm not going to leave them to die," said Jack; "I'll have a shy, forit, if----"
"Hold your tongue," interrupted the Irishman, anxiously; "but look,what the dooce are the girls up to with your black boys?"
Tinker and Bogey laboured under a very great disadvantage.
They could neither understand nor make themselves understood by thefair creatures by whom they were surrounded.
However, they managed to glean that they were in danger, and that atemporary haven of safety was to be found in an inner room beyond thecurtain facing the chief entrance, which was guarded by the twoeunuchs.
They were bustled into that apartment by the ladies of the harem to achorus of excited whisperings.
"Whatever are they going to do?" whispered Jack.
"Silence, not a word. Look there!" said the Irish Turk.
The heavy drapery before the chief entrance was drawn aside, and inmarched the fierce-looking Turk, that had tried to rob the orphan andhis cash-box, closely followed by the two eunuchs, who stood sentry atthe doorway.
"Now, there'll be the devil to pay," whispered the Irishman.
Osmond, the ruling bashaw for the time, had heard that strangers werewithin the palace, and he hurried there with all speed.
When first he was apprised of this, his greed excited him, for some ofthe chief sweets of his office were the presents.
The deputy-pasha was ready to accept as many as he could send.
"Strangers are present," he exclaimed, addressing one of the favouriteladies; "now, by the beard of the Prophet, the intruders shall suffer!"
"What intruders?" said the lady.
The deputy-governor made towards the curtain.
But before he could enter, the lady with whom he had been talkingplaced herself in his way.
"Stand aside----"
"Restrain your temper here," returned the lady; "his excellency wouldnot be pleased to hear of this."
These words appeared to cool the ferocity of the deputy-governor alittle.
"Let the strangers come forth then," he growled.
"It shall be done."
She passed to the further chamber.
A few moments later the curtain was dragged aside, and the two fairCircassians came forth, each leading a veiled girl by the hand.
Strapping girls they were too; but so closely veiled that it wasimpossible to see what their features were like.
"Were these the strangers?"
"Yes."
The deputy-governor glared at the new-comers, and then dismissed theCircassian girls.
They refused to go at first, upon which he grew rabid with anger.
"Your sister Selika opposed my wishes once," he said, with cruelsignificance; "she will never oppose me more. Begone!"
They tremblingly obeyed the tyrant.
This done, he sent the two armed eunuchs off with a wave of the hand.
* * * *
"What's up now, I wonder?" whispered Jack.
"Wait."
The Irishman had an odd suspicion.
And his suspicion was very soon realised.
* * * *
"Remove your veil," said Osmond, the deputy-pasha, peremptorily.
But he might as well have addressed a stone wall.
The tyrant waited a moment.
Then he seized one of the girls and dragged her aside, tearing down herveil as he did so, and--
Oh, what a roar.
A wild ejaculation of disgust escaped him, for the face under the veilwas black.
Black as night, with huge, saucer-like eyes, and a huge mouth wearing agrin that was alarming.
"Yah, yah! don't you like me, old man? Tink I do for you? Yah, yah!"
And Tinker stood with his tongue out, grinning at the fierce Turk.
The deputy-governor, enraged, made a rush at poor Tinker, and gave hima spiteful, if undignified back hander.
"Golly!" cried Tinker. "Cantankerous immense beast, old Turkey."
"Oh!"
Just then the tyrant was greeted with a stinging spank on the side ofhis face, and turning round, there was another negress--as he thought.
Or was it the same?
It looked the very identical face and form.
"Yah, yah!" grinned Bogey.
The deputy-governor looked round with a puzzled air.
"Yah, yah!" grinned Bogey, again.
"Yah, yah!" shouted Tinker, poking his fist into the ribs of the Turk,and nearly doubling him up.
The Turk heard the derisive laugh, and he felt the tingling of his earand the poke in his ribs.
So he dashed at Bogey first.
Bogey feinted and dodged him.
But his petticoats got between his legs, and over he went sprawling.
The Turk sprang after him, and if Tinker had not been there, goodnessknows what would have been the result.
But Tinker was very much there.
He bobbed his head and shot straight forward, landing hisdeputy-excellency fairly in the stomach, with his bare woolly pate.
"Ugh!" gasped the Turk, and down he went.
Bogey no sooner saw him there than he hammered into the Turk'sfigure-head in the most violent and ungentlemanly way.
Jack and Harry Girdwood laughed until the tears ran down their cheeks.
"Begorra," whispered the Irishman, "it's better than a pantomime, butsome of us will suffer."
* * * *
But the end of the adventure promised to be serious.
The fierce Turk grew frightened, and he called for assistance.
In came the armed eunuchs ready for slaughter.
"Good-bye to your boys," said the Irishman, in a whisper.
"Not if I know it," returned Jack; "I'm on in this scene, old man."
"I'm with you, Jack," cried Harry.
Jack was in danger. Over went Harry to help him.
The fierce Turk was filled with wonder and dismay; the enemies appearedto drop from the clouds.
"Now, old big bags," said young Jack, saucily, "come on, and see how aBoy of England can fight."
The words were not intelligible to the Turks, but the gesture wasthoroughly understood.
There
was a gong-bell close beside the deputy-pasha, and one tap onthis sufficed to bring a whole mob of armed men into the room.
"Seize these Franks!" exclaimed the tyrant, still holding his handsround his sides in pain; "they have earned their fate. Let it be swift.Away with them--oh, I am nearly killed--away with them!"
They resisted stoutly enough, fought like tiger-cats; but what was theuse?
None whatever.
The Irishman waited to hear an ugly order given anent bowstringing, andthen he came down stairs, and made his way artfully (so that hispresence in the gallery overlooking the seraglio might not besuspected) to the corridor, where he once more discovered the two armedeunuchs on guard, looking like ebony statues again, and as calm as ifthey had never taken part in the short but stirring scene justdescribed.
"I wish to see his excellency the pasha," said he, "for I came hereconducting two young Englishman, of great distinction, who brought somerich presents to his excellency."
One of the men went in, and brought out the tyrant.
To him the Irishman repeated his tale with an extravagant show ofrespect and deference.
"Are these the two Franks?" demanded the Turk.
He gave the word as he spoke, and out from the seraglio marched Jackand Harry Girdwood, their arms tightly bound to their sides, between astrong escort of armed men.
"Yes, excellency," answered the Irishman.
"Then they have been there," returned the deputy-pasha; "you know whatthat means?"
"They have erred through ignorance, your excellency."
"Then," replied the Turk, with vindictive significance, "within an hourthey will grow wiser. Away with them!"
And the prisoners were all marched away.
"Begorra," muttered the Irishman to himself, "it's all up."
But he never relaxed his efforts for all this.
"Pardon, O excellency," he said, "but these young gentlemen who haveoffended through ignorance, being princes of the royal blood ofBritain, their continued absence will lead to inquiries, and----"
"They shall die like dogs if they are kings," growled the deputy-pasha.
"Let me entreat humbly that you wait the return of his excellency, forthese Franks are but savages, and the least slight, even to theirprinces, would bring their ships of war along our coast; the town wouldbe razed to the ground."
"Ships of war!" responded the deputy-pasha.
"Yes, excellency," continued the Irishman, with a frightened air,seeing the slight advantage he had got now, "the ship they came in isnow nearing the coast. It is well within range, with the cruel enginesof war these barbarians use. I tremble for the Konaki."
"They would never dare----"
"Pardon, they would dare any thing. The death of the two princes of theblood royal would be the signal for the first shot, and then good-byeto us all."
The deputy-pasha paused.
The Irishman eyed him askance.
"Begorra!" he muttered to himself, "that ought to be sthrong enough forhim. Them boys have made me tell enough lies in ten minutes to last aTurk himself a lifetime. Be jabers, I've pitched it sthrong with apurpose. He who hesitates is lost. He is thinking better of it."
The Irishman was right.
"I will reflect," said the Turk, with a dignified air; "I may not sparetheir lives, but possibly await the return of his highness the pasha."
The Irishman was dismissed.
He bowed and retired.