Yussuf the Guide Part 13

"A great deal, gentlemen. Shall I see if I can get him to go?"

"By all means," cried the two elders in a breath.

"If he consents I will bring him to you. I beg pardon, I am wrong. I must bring him to see you first before he will consent."

"Then, as I said before, he is to be the master, not we," said the professor.

"No, no, sir, you must not take it like that. The man is independent, and need not undertake this journey without he likes. Is it surprising, then, that if he should come and see you, and not liking your appearance, or the prospect of being comfortable in your service, he should decline to go?"

"You are quite right," said Mr Burne. "I would not."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

YUSSUF THE GUIDE.

At breakfast-time the next morning the landlord came and announced that Yussuf was in waiting. A few minutes later he ushered in a rather plain-looking, deeply-bronzed, middle-aged man, who, at the first glance, seemed to have nothing whatever to recommend him. As a nation his people are good-looking and dignified. Yussuf was rather ill-looking and decidedly undignified. He did not seem muscular, or active, or clever, or agreeable, or to have good eyes. He was not even well dressed. But upon further examination there was a hardened wiry look about the man, and a stern determined appearance in the lines of his countenance, while the eyes that did not seem to be good, so sunken were they beneath his brow, and so deeply shaded, were evidently keen and piercing. They seemed to flash as they met those of the old lawyer, to look defiant as they encountered the professor's searching gaze, and then to soften as they were turned upon Lawrence, as he lay back in his chair rather exhausted by the heat.

A few questions were asked on either side, the newcomer speaking very good English, and also grasping the professor's Arabic at once. In fact, it appeared evident that he was about to decline to accompany the party; but the words spoken sonorously by the professor seemed to make him hesitate, as if the fact of one of the party speaking the familiar tongue gratified him, but still he hesitated.

Just then, he hardly knew why, but attracted by the eyes of the Turk, which were fixed upon him gravely, and in a half-pitying manner, Lawrence rose and approached.

"I hope you will go with us," he said quickly.

Yussuf took his hand and held it, gazing in the lad's face earnestly, as a pleasant smile illumined his own.

"You are weak and ill," he said softly. "The wind that blows in the mountains will make you strong."

Then turning slowly to the others he saluted them gravely.

"Effendis," he said, "I am thy servant. Allah be with us in all our journeyings to and fro. I will go."

"I am glad!" cried Lawrence.

"And so am I," said the professor, hesitating for a moment, and then holding out his hand, which Yussuf took respectfully, held for a moment, and then turned to Mr Burne.

"Oh, all right, shake hands," said the latter, "if it's the custom of the country; and now about terms."

"Leave me to settle that with Yussuf," said the landlord hastily, and he and the Muslim left the room.

"Seems queer to begin by being inspected, and then shaking hands with the servant we engage, eh, professor?" said Mr Burne.

"The man is to be more than servant," replied Mr Preston; "he is to be our guide and companion for months. He repelled me at first, but directly he spoke in that soft deep voice there seemed to me to be truth in every accent. He is a gentleman at heart, and I believe we have found a pearl. What do you say, Lawrence?"

"He made me like him directly he looked in my eyes, and I am very glad he is going."

"I repeat my words," said the professor.

"Well, I mustn't quarrel, I suppose. My back's too bad; so I throw in my lot with you, and say I am glad, and good luck to us."

"Amen," said the professor gravely; "but I like our guide's way of wishing success the better of the two."

CHAPTER NINE.

YUSSUF IS SUSPICIOUS.

Lawrence watched anxiously for the arrival of the new guide Yussuf on the day appointed for sailing. There had been one more disappointment, the Greek having declared that he must have another day before he would be ready, but there was no further delay.

Yussuf came to say that he had examined the boat, that it was good, seaworthy, and well manned by a stout little crew of sailors, but that he was very much dissatisfied with the accommodation prepared for the gentlemen.

He had not been told to report upon this matter, and his evident quiet eagerness to serve his employers well was satisfactory.

"We expect to rough it," said the professor. "It will not be for long."

Yussuf shrugged his shoulders, and said as he looked hard at Lawrence:

"It may be long, effendi. The winds perhaps light, and there are storms."

"I am afraid we must risk these troubles; and besides, it is a coasting trip, and we should be able to run into some port."

Yussuf bowed.

"I thought it my duty to tell his excellency of the state of the boat,"

he said; and then, in an earnest busy way, he asked about the baggage to go on board, and provisions, promising to bring up a couple of the Greek sailors to carry down what was necessary.

In the course of the afternoon this was done, the consul visited and parted from in the most friendly manner, Lawrence's eyes brightening as the official rested his hand upon his shoulder, and declared in all sincerity that he could see an improvement in him already.

The landlord endorsed this remark too on parting, and he as well as the consul a.s.sured the little party that, if anything could be done to help them, a message would receive the most earnest attention.

"You think we shall get into trouble, then?" Lawrence ventured to say, but shrank back directly he had spoken, with his cheeks flushed and heart beating, for his long illness had made him effeminate.

"I think it possible," said the landlord smiling; "but I sincerely hope you will not. In fact, with a man like Yussuf your risks are greatly reduced. Good-bye, gentlemen, and I shall look forward to seeing you again on your way back."

"Bravo, Lawrence!" cried the professor, clapping him on the shoulder.

"I had been thinking the same thing; now I am sure of it."

"I don't understand you," said the lad wiping his face, for the perspiration was standing in a fine dew all over his brow.

"Why, both Mr Thompson and the landlord here said that you were better, and you have just shown me that you are."

"How, Mr Preston?" said the lad bashfully.

"By the way in which you just now spoke out, my boy," said Mr Burne, joining in. "Why, you couldn't have spoken like that before we started.

You are not much better now; but when we settled to come on this trip you were as weak and bashful as a delicate girl. Preston, we shall make a man of him after all."