He said something to the two men--a few sharp words in an authoritative tone--and they retired.
Jack recognised the voice in an instant.
It was Osmond.
"What is he up to now?" muttered Jack, to himself.
A scene of intense excitement followed.
The Turk unfastened the cord which fastened the neck of the second sack, and dragged it open.
Then, raising the sack on end, he proceeded hastily to drag it down, revealing in the dim light the well-remembered form of one of the Circa.s.sian girls.
"Lolo," said Osmond, "I come to give you one last chance."
"I defy and despise you!" said the girl.
"Reflect."
"I have."
"You know well, as I have seen again and again by your looks, that I do not hate you----"
"Would you have me love the murderer of my sister?"
"Silence, slave!"
"I fear not your menaces," retorted the brave girl; "you must have seen that. The triumph is yours now--mine is to come."
"When?"
"Hereafter. Murder is against your creed as it is against mine. Do your worst."
Jack listened.
Osmond seized the girl by the wrist.
But she twisted himself free from his clutch without any particular effort.
Thereupon the Turk, with a growl of rage, drew his sword, and would have cut her down.
But Jack could stand no more.
Bounding forward from his hiding-place, he seized the uplifted hand and wrenched the sword from his grasp.
Then, without a word, Jack struck the man with the flat of his sword upon the back of the head.
The Turk sank to the ground with a hollow groan.
It was all so momentary that the beautiful Circa.s.sian girl looked on as one in a dream.
Hearing footsteps now, Jack ran to the doorway and peered out.
"Quick!" exclaimed Jack. "Lend me a hand, or we are lost."
She could not understand his words, but his meaning was plain enough.
They pulled the body into the sack as quickly as possible.
Then they hastily tied the cord around the neck of it.
This done, Jack extinguished the lamp.
There was no time to be lost.
He took the girl by the hand, and pulled her back into the nook where he had been hiding, just as the two villainous eunuchs entered the chamber.
The two eunuchs came slowly along the corridor.
Finding the place, as they thought, deserted, they simply raised the sack from the ground, thinking the body of the young Circa.s.sian girl was in it, and bore it to the opening.
One swing and over it went.
As it fell, a hollow groan came from the sack.
The two men stared at each other aghast, and looked over the opening.
But before they could utter a word, a stealthy form had crept up behind them, and with a vigorous drive, hurled them both over after the sack.
A wild, despairing yell, and the waters closed over these wholesale butchers.
CHAPTER LXXI.
LOLO"S GRAt.i.tUDE AND JACK"S DELIGHT--THE SIGNAL--UNEXPECTED TURN OF LUCK--A FAMILIAR VOICE--WHO IS IT?--"SURELY! NEVER!"--READ AND LEARN.
"That"s a good job done!" said Jack, looking after the wretches he had pushed over.
The fair Circa.s.sian burst into tears now that the peril was over.
Falling upon her knees, she seized Jack"s hands and pressed them to her lips.
She poured out a long string of thanks in the most eloquent language.
Although the language was so far wasted upon Jack, he could not fail to comprehend her meaning.