She grasped Brad"s hand once more and gave it a pressure, looking into his eyes, which smiled at her rea.s.suringly, although his heart was heavy with dread.
"Come quickly, Brad," she whispered. "I shall be in mortal terror for you until I see you again."
a.s.souan led the way downstairs, the brother and sister following.
From a distance again came an outburst of sullen muttering, like the growling of wild animals held in check. The Moslem mob was growing impatient. The streets in the vicinity of the hotel were choked. At any moment the crowd might break from the control of the soldiers.
"It certain puzzles me up a plenty to know how a.s.souan is going to get them out of this building and away from here," said Brad, following d.i.c.k back into the room where the old Jew was at work.
Already Abraham had transformed Professor Gunn into an apparently dirty and ragged old Armenian. He was putting on the finishing touches when the boys entered.
"Waugh!" grunted Brad. "Is that Professor Zenas Gunn, of Fardale Academy? Why, I feel a whole lot like kicking that old beggar."
"I know I"m a shameful sight," moaned Gunn; "but to save my life I have permitted myself to be changed into a scarecrow."
"Ven you get der street indo," said the old Jew, "it will pe vell vor you to keep your mouth still and haf nothing to say. If you talk you vill betray yourseluf. Now you vos done. I vill attend to der poys."
d.i.c.k pushed Brad forward, and Abraham began on him. With marvelous rapidity he turned the boy into a young Greek. The work of the Jew was of the most skillful sort, yet it was performed so rapidly that it actually seemed careless and slipshod. The results attained, however, spoke for themselves.
d.i.c.k"s trousers were turned up, his shoes stripped off, coa.r.s.e and dirty socks pulled on over those he wore. He was given a pair of trousers which came to his ankles, a long, loose, dirty blouse that fell to the knees, a coa.r.s.e, heavy pair of slipper-like shoes, and finally a battered and soiled fez, with a ta.s.sle that hung down over one ear. His face was bedaubed and rubbed with grease paint until his complexion changed to dirty yellow. The Jew touched his features here and there with a pencil, and last the contour of his nose was altered by a bit of nose putty. This seemed to be an afterthought on the part of Abraham, but it finished the effect and altered a handsome boy into a slouching, disreputable-appearing young rascal, such as Merriwell had noticed occasionally on the streets of Damascus.
Outside the hotel there was a sudden great shouting.
"Some one has arrived," announced Brad, who had ventured to peep from the window.
The tall form of a.s.souan appeared in the doorway.
"Hasten!" he exclaimed. "The Pasha"s officer has come to take you! He is at the door."
CHAPTER XX-THE FLIGHT
"Too late!" groaned the professor, almost collapsing. "I feared it!"
"Thank goodness Nadia got out of the trap!" muttered Buckhart.
"If you do nod escape now id vas der death of Abraham!" groaned the frightened Jew.
d.i.c.k sprang past a.s.souan and reached the door. He looked out and then turned.
"What do you mean?" he demanded. "There is no one here."
"He is below," said the black man. "Be quick! There is still a small chance for you."
"Come on, then!" exclaimed Brad.
But d.i.c.k saw the old professor had sunk down weakly on the couch, and he leaped to the side of Zenas.
"Come, professor!" he breathed, grasping the hand of the unnerved man.
"Go!" gasped the old pedagogue weakly. "Save yourself, if you can. Leave me. My strength is gone. G.o.d bless you, Richard! If I am beheaded by these fanatics, tell my wife-tell the boys--"
In spite of Professor Gunn"s lack of nerve, in spite of the spells of trepidation which seized him, in spite of his many weaknesses, the old man had won a warm corner in d.i.c.k Merriwell"s heart, and d.i.c.k was not the boy to desert in time of peril any one for whom he had the slightest regard.
"I"ll not tell them anything!" he said grimly. "If you do not brace up and attempt to escape, I"ll remain here with you, and you know what that means. You may not be harmed, for you were not present when Hafsa Pasha was slain; but as surely as I fall into the hands of the sultan"s officers, there will be very little show for me. Unless you brace up now, you may destroy me."
d.i.c.k spoke in this manner thinking it might be the best way to arouse the old man, and he made no mistake.
"I-I-I--" stammered the professor.
Brad urged them to hasten.
Suddenly d.i.c.k picked the professor up by main strength and placed him on his feet. Supporting the old man, he hurried him toward the door.
a.s.souan had grown impatient and seemed ready to dart away. His eyes were rolling, showing the whites in a manner that betokened the man"s nervousness and increasing fear. He urged them not to waste another moment.
Abraham was left praying in the room.
"Lead on," said d.i.c.k.
Suddenly Professor Gunn displayed an astonishing burst of energy. He broke from d.i.c.k and ran to a.s.souan, imploring the messenger of the sheik to make all haste.
Down the stairs sprang a.s.souan, and what seemed to be a trembling old beggar kept close at his heels. Buckhart came next, with d.i.c.k bringing up the rear.
At the foot of the stairs suddenly appeared a Turkish officer with a drawn sword. He did not attempt to stop a.s.souan, but lifted his sword and placed the point against the breast of the disguised professor, commanding him to halt.
At the same instant, it seemed, a human figure fairly shot over the head and shoulders of Buckhart, over the professor, and landed with full force on the officer, hurling the latter to the floor.
It was d.i.c.k Merriwell, who had acted with lightning-like swiftness.
The Turk was knocked senseless, and lay stretched on the floor at the foot of the stairs, his sword beneath him.
d.i.c.k leaped up.
"Come on, professor!" he hissed. "Come on, Brad!"
He caught hold of Gunn once more, and away they went, finding it no simple matter to keep track of the black man, who was now fleeing for his own life.
Other inmates of the hotel, all in great alarm, got in their way, but were thrust aside. They rushed through several rooms. Twice some one tried to stop them. They stumbled down some dark steps. Doors were flung open before them and slammed behind them. Some curtains were thrust aside, disclosing a dark pa.s.sage. Into this they plunged. It brought them quickly to other rooms and other doors that yielded to the hand of the black leader. They were bewildered, for none save a.s.souan knew whither they were going. Their wild rush hither and thither seemed aimless. At last, in a storeroom, where there were boxes and bales and casks, the sheik"s messenger thrust a bale aside and seized an iron ring that seemed set in the floor. With a surge, he lifted a trapdoor, beneath which was a place of utter darkness.
"Down!" he sibilated, pointing into the darkness. "Down, and wait for me to follow!"
Brad dropped through recklessly and disappeared. The professor followed, breathing a prayer.
Behind them there were cries and the sound of many feet. Their flight had attracted attention. Several persons were coming, and they might be Turkish officers.