Again Buckhart felt a thrill of jealousy, but he resolutely thrust such a feeling from his heart.
"He"s a corker!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "See how quick he caught onto the plan of old Ras al Had and turned it to the benefit of us all."
They were in the room, but the door was still left ajar.
"I know I"m a big blunderer beside d.i.c.k," Buckhart went on. "Of course you"re not to blame for liking him best, Nadia. It"s only natural you should, and--"
"But I don"t like him best," she hastily cut in.
"You can"t help it."
"You"re mistaken, Brad. I admire him for his courage, his resourcefulness, his loyalty and all that; but you are just as brave and just as loyal, and I-I like you-even better."
He caught her hand again and gave it a squeeze.
"I don"t see how that can be," he muttered huskily.
"It"s true. You don"t think I would deceive you, do you?"
"No, but--"
"But what?"
"I"m going to confess," he said, almost defiantly. "I know I made a fool of myself after we joined you here in Damascus. I never felt that way before, and I hope I never shall again. It"s an awful mean feeling. I was jealous."
"Jealous, Brad?"
"Yes, I was. First I was jealous because I thought you had taken too much interest in Hafsa Pasha. Then I was jealous of my pard, as I couldn"t see any reason why you should care more for him than for me.
And through my fool actions I brought all this trouble on us. If I had not gone off by myself, kind of eating my heart out, and then ran away when you and d.i.c.k saw me and tried to overtake me, you would not have been lost in the streets, would not have enraged the Moslems by entering one of their temples, and would not have given Hafsa Pasha"s tools a chance to seize and imprison you. Oh, I was all to blame, and I know it.
I"m a big--"
She placed a soft hand over his mouth.
"I won"t listen to such a defamation of the character of my dearest friend!" she whispered.
He kissed her fingers.
"But it"s the truth," he a.s.serted. "I hope you"ll forgive me and forget it, Nadia."
"Why, you dear fellow, you talk as if you had committed a crime!"
"I feel that way. If we get out of this sc.r.a.pe alive, Nadia, I"ll try to prove to you that I"m not such a fool as I seem. You see!"
"Oh, hush!"
"You see!" he repeated.
"But we may none of us escape. Isn"t it terrible! I don"t like d.i.c.k"s plan for Dunbar and I to leave first. I think we had better wait and all go together. If we--"
She stopped, checked by a dull, m.u.f.fled, murmuring roar that seemed to come from the streets not far away. The sound made her tremble.
"The mob has not dispersed!" she whispered. "It has been driven away, but it is returning! I fear we"re lost!"
He did his best to cheer her and give her courage. Somehow she was overcome by a great weakness, and suddenly he found her in his arms. The situation thrilled him, and he held her tight, while he continued to speak earnest words of rea.s.surance.
A sound behind them startled them. Brad turned his head, still holding Nadia.
A befezzed Turk had quietly entered the room. His eyes seemed to glitter triumphantly. Lifting a hand and pointing at them, he exclaimed:
"I have found you! I have come to take that girl away!"
Nadia uttered a low cry of terror.
Swinging her onto his left arm, Buckhart suddenly whipped out a pistol and covered the Turk.
"Stand back!" he growled. "Advance a step and I"ll blow a hole through you!"
The man was startled and alarmed by this quick action on the part of the Texan. He fell back, exclaiming:
"Don"t shoot!"
"I certain shall," said Buckhart, "if you move another inch. Stand there and lift your dirty paws above your head!"
The threatened man hastily put up his hands, at the same time spluttering:
"Great Scott! You"re altogether too handy with your pistol! Put it up, Brad! Don"t you know me? I"m Budthorne!"
Nadia gave a start, straightened up a little, and stared at the speaker.
"Dunbar," she gasped; "Dunbar, is it you?"
"Of course it is," was the answer. "I wanted to see if my disguise was any good; but I didn"t care to have Buckhart jab a pistol at me so promptly."
"Great horn spoon!" muttered the Texan, recognizing Budthorne"s voice and manner of speaking. "I sure was fooled all right. Say, you certain look an Allah worshiper to the life. If you ever get outside of the hotel in that rig, you"ll be all right."
a.s.souan now appeared.
"We should lose no time," he said. "Abraham is disguising the others. I must lead you to a place of safety and return for them. The mob is again trying to approach the hotel, and the soldiers do not seem strong enough to hold them back much longer."
"It doesn"t seem right for us to go until all are ready," said the girl.
"I think we should not."
d.i.c.k appeared now.
"You must go at once," he insisted. "It is better so. Were we all to attempt to pa.s.s through the streets together it would add to the danger of being detected. Abraham is disguising Professor Gunn. a.s.souan can conduct Nadia. She will seem to be a Turkish woman with an escort.
Budthorne can follow at a little distance, keeping them in sight.
a.s.souan will return for us the moment he has placed you where you will be safe. By the time he gets back, we"ll be ready to start. Do not hesitate, Nadia-go!"
"It is best, sister," said her brother.