"Then," continued Budthorne, "Nadia began to grow alarmed. She tried to avoid him, but every way she turned he seemed to bob up before her. She tried to keep him at a distance without offending him. Before we reached Beirut he proposed outright."
Again Buckhart gurgled.
"He would not take no for an answer. In every way possible he sought to induce her to consider his proposal. At last he seemed to lose control of himself. In an hour we would be in Beirut. He found her alone on the after deck. I came up just in time to see him catch her in his arms and try to kiss her. We had an encounter, and I confess that he got rather the best of it, although I hit him in the face. That blow seemed to arouse a sleeping savage in him, for he cursed me and called me a dog of an infidel, swearing he would make me weep drops of blood for that insult.
"Well, we hastened out of Beirut and away to Damascus; but the day after we reached this city Hafsa Pasha appeared. His manner seemed again altered, and he was very polite and humble. He entreated pardon and begged to have an interview with Nadia. She declined to see him. Before he left, he laughingly told me that she would have to see him before she could get out of this city.
"That was our first annoyance in Damascus. The following day we were shopping in the bazaars when suddenly Hafsa Pasha and a number of men surrounded us. I was jostled aside. Hafsa Pasha talked to Nadia like a man deranged. He tried to plead with her, he offered her wealth and position, and then he threatened. I don"t know what might have happened, but a party of English tourists came along and I appealed to them. There came near being a free fight in that bazaar, but the Turk and his followers finally retired and the Englishmen escorted us back to the hotel.
"Then came the letter that stated you would arrive in a day or two. We have been watching the trains since then, and that is how we happened to be at the station to-day. You know what happened. I am satisfied that Hafsa Pasha was the instigator of this a.s.sault upon us. It seems now that he actually contemplates carrying Nadia off by force. We must get out of Damascus right away, or I fear he will find a way to accomplish his evil purpose."
CHAPTER X-THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER
Brad Buckhart was striding savagely up and down the room, taken by himself and d.i.c.k, at the hotel. There was a black look on his strong face and his square jaw was set.
"I suppose you"ll have to walk it off old man," said d.i.c.k; "but it seems to me you are permitting yourself to become altogether too wrought up."
The Texan stopped, his feet wide apart and his hands on his hips.
"I certain can"t help being some wrought up, partner," he said. "I reckon you would be in my place."
"Without doubt. But we are here now, and we"ll look after Nadia. Hafsa Pasha"s little scheme of abduction won"t go."
"Sure not; but it wasn"t that I was thinking of."
"It wasn"t?"
"No."
"Well, then--"
"Budthorne let the cat out of the bag."
"I don"t understand."
"He didn"t make a clean breast of it when he first told the story. I"ve been talking with him since we arrived here at the hotel. I trapped him by asking questions."
"Why, what do you mean by saying you trapped him?"
"Exactly that, pard. You know a funny thing has been running in my head ever since I trapped him. It"s a toast I heard once. This is it:
""Here is to the love that lies In a woman"s eyes.
Yes, it lies and lies, And keeps on lying.""
d.i.c.k rose instantly and placed a hand on his chum"s shoulder.
"Why, Brad!" he exclaimed, "I never knew you to talk so queerly. What did Budthorne tell you that set you into such a mood?"
"You"re my friend. I wouldn"t talk of it to any one else. You know I was smitten on Nadia Budthorne."
"Well?"
"Of course I was a chump to care for her."
"Oh, I don"t know."
"Yes, I was. I"m a plain sort of chap, although I"m not half as wild and woolly as I pretend to be."
"You don"t have to tell me that, old man. I"ve been able to see under the surface all along. I think I understand you."
"You do, d.i.c.k, and you"re the only one. That"s why I swear by you.
That"s why I"m ready to back you up in anything you do. There is a bond of sympathy between us."
The Texan had dropped his swagger and his Western style of speech. For the time being his mannerisms fell from him like a discarded garment.
"Go ahead and tell me what it was that Budthorne said."
"Why, he let it slip that both he and Nadia were greatly interested in this fine Turkish gentleman and that he encouraged her interest in him.
In short, she carried on a mild flirtation with Hafsa Pasha, who rather dazzled her. Of course, I have no claim on her, and I"m too young to think of such a thing seriously. But she"s seventeen, and lots of girls get married at that age. In this country they marry at ten and eleven."
"Great Scott! You don"t fancy she actually seriously considered marrying the Turk?"
"Why, he"s a very cultured gentleman. Budthorne said so. He is educated, and he has traveled extensively. Besides that, he is in the very prime of life. Such a man might dazzle the eyes of a young girl. There would be something romantic in a flirtation with him. She would be likely to dream of the splendor and power that would come to her as the wife of such a man. Don"t call me a fool, d.i.c.k! I know! I know!"
"If you"re not foolish, then you are crazy!"
"Only jealous, d.i.c.k. I confess it-I"m jealous! Never felt this way before. I have an awful feeling down here inside of me. I"d like to kill somebody!"
"But she threw Hafsa Pasha down, old man."
"After Budthorne was told by the captain of the ship that Hafsa Pasha had a harem in Damascus."
Merriwell gave a great start.
"Is that true?" he demanded.
"Budthorne confessed it."
"Budthorne"s a fool!"
"Oh, we both knew all the time that he was weak. I think he encouraged Nadia in her flirtation with the Turk until he obtained that information from the captain. Then he got his eyes open and forbade her to have anything to do with the man."
"Nadia is young, Brad. Her ideas are not formed yet. You mustn"t be too hard on her. Even if she did flirt with the Turk a little, perhaps she was never serious."