Yussuf the Guide Part 54

"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?"

"Hus.h.!.+ 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 a.s.sistance, 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 s.p.a.ce 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 amba.s.sadors go in and out among the ruins till they pa.s.sed between two immense b.u.t.tresses 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 pa.s.s 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 quant.i.ties of barley being brought in, and some of the old buildings being utilised for stores.

These seemed to be well supplied, and the community was preparing for the coming winter, so Yussuf told Lawrence--for the days when no food would be obtainable perhaps for months.

Everyone seemed to lead a careless nonchalant life, the prisoners they had taken would, no doubt it was considered, bring in sufficient to make this a prosperous year's work, and till the ransoms were paid there was little more to do.

The days glided by, and the watch over the prisoners grew less rigid.

There was apparently only one way out of the stronghold, and that was always carefully guarded; and as it was evident to the captors that the professor and his companions were bent upon studying the place, the guards used to sit down upon some heap of old stones, with their guns across their knees, and smoke and sleep, while drawings were made, and inscriptions copied.