Yussuf the Guide Part 53

"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, Ha.s.san, 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 bra.s.s 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 pa.s.sed 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 a.s.sistance."

"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 b.r.e.a.s.t.s, 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 pa.s.s 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 st.u.r.dy scoundrels seized him, one on each side, and the snuff-box was s.n.a.t.c.hed 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?"