‘Who are you, sir?’ he demanded.
‘My name is Wallace,’ replied Sir Leonard as coolly as he, ‘and, if it is of any interest to you, I am attached to the British diplomatic service.’
‘Indeed? I find it most interesting. I should like to know how you got in, but that can wait. It appears that I am to have another prisoner on my hands.’
Wallace was amused at his calm manner. Here, he thought, was an opponent worthy of his steel.
‘You’ve made a slight mistake,’ he observed. ‘I have come to take the Prince away from you. Do you realise that you have committed the crime of lèse-majesté ?’
The Moor shrugged his shoulders.
‘That means nothing to me,’ he returned contemptuously.
‘I am afraid it will mean a great deal.’ He turned to the Prince. ‘Will your Highness be good enough to dress?’ he requested.
The Moor’s manner changed slightly, as the Prince obeyedwith alacrity, assisted by his equerry. He placed the lamp on a convenient table.
‘I have no objection to that,’ he said, his eyes glittering evilly, ‘but, as none of you will leave this place, it is a waste of time. In two minutes I will call my men, and you will be helpless.’
‘And I will call mine,’ returned Sir Leonard. ‘What then?’
‘Your men! Where are they?’
‘You will soon know.’
He looked towards the door, and the Moor’s eyes followed his. Thus was he tricked for, as he looked away, like lightning Wallace’s torch had disappeared and, in his hand, pointed steadily at the Moor, was a revolver.
‘Drop that gun!’ commanded the Englishman sternly. ‘I shall not have the slightest compunction in shooting you after what you have done, if you give me the chance.’
A look of baffled fury showed for an instant on the Moor’s face, then he smiled.
‘You will be very clever, if you get away from here,’ he observed, and placed his revolver on the table.
‘Not a bit of it,’ retorted Sir Leonard. ‘It is easy. All I want you to remember is that the slightest attempt on your part to sound an alarm will mean your sad demise. I hope you understand me. And if you think that, as soon as we have left this house, you will be able to rouse your men, and attack us before we can get clear, let me remove that impression from your mind at once. You are coming with us!’
With what sounded very much like an oath, El Arish’s hand shot out to grab his revolver, but Wallace stepped quickly across the room, and placed the muzzle of his weapon within a few inches of the other man’s eyes.
‘We’ll have no nonsense, if you please,’ he said sternly.
El Arish broke into voluble protests, half in French, half in Arabic. All his coolness had vanished, and he looked terrified, but Wallace paid little attention to him. As soon as the Prince was dressed, Sir Leonard ordered Cousins to lead the way.
‘Go as quietly as you can, all of you,’ he warned. ‘I will bring up the rear with this gentleman. You will find my three men awaiting us in the archway; they will lead you to the boat.’
Cousins, followed closely by the Prince and his equerry, walked silently along the veranda, and down the steps to the courtyard. El Arish once again began to protest, but the touch of Sir Leonard’s revolver in his back cut him short and, with a shrug, which typified the fatalism of his race, he went after the others, his captor close to his heels. Once, going down the steps, he pretended to stumble, but a low-voiced threat from Wallace showed him the necessity of being more circumspect. After that he gave no further trouble. The shadowy figures of Batty and the two sailors rose from the ground, where they had been sitting, when the others arrived.
‘Here, Batty,’ called Sir Leonard, ‘keep your gun pointed at this fellow while I remove the burnous.’
The disrobing process was quickly accomplished, and he gave a sigh expressive of relief as he threw the voluminous garment down beside its owner.
‘It was a trifle
‘My name is Wallace,’ replied Sir Leonard as coolly as he, ‘and, if it is of any interest to you, I am attached to the British diplomatic service.’
‘Indeed? I find it most interesting. I should like to know how you got in, but that can wait. It appears that I am to have another prisoner on my hands.’
Wallace was amused at his calm manner. Here, he thought, was an opponent worthy of his steel.
‘You’ve made a slight mistake,’ he observed. ‘I have come to take the Prince away from you. Do you realise that you have committed the crime of lèse-majesté ?’
The Moor shrugged his shoulders.
‘That means nothing to me,’ he returned contemptuously.
‘I am afraid it will mean a great deal.’ He turned to the Prince. ‘Will your Highness be good enough to dress?’ he requested.
The Moor’s manner changed slightly, as the Prince obeyedwith alacrity, assisted by his equerry. He placed the lamp on a convenient table.
‘I have no objection to that,’ he said, his eyes glittering evilly, ‘but, as none of you will leave this place, it is a waste of time. In two minutes I will call my men, and you will be helpless.’
‘And I will call mine,’ returned Sir Leonard. ‘What then?’
‘Your men! Where are they?’
‘You will soon know.’
He looked towards the door, and the Moor’s eyes followed his. Thus was he tricked for, as he looked away, like lightning Wallace’s torch had disappeared and, in his hand, pointed steadily at the Moor, was a revolver.
‘Drop that gun!’ commanded the Englishman sternly. ‘I shall not have the slightest compunction in shooting you after what you have done, if you give me the chance.’
A look of baffled fury showed for an instant on the Moor’s face, then he smiled.
‘You will be very clever, if you get away from here,’ he observed, and placed his revolver on the table.
‘Not a bit of it,’ retorted Sir Leonard. ‘It is easy. All I want you to remember is that the slightest attempt on your part to sound an alarm will mean your sad demise. I hope you understand me. And if you think that, as soon as we have left this house, you will be able to rouse your men, and attack us before we can get clear, let me remove that impression from your mind at once. You are coming with us!’
With what sounded very much like an oath, El Arish’s hand shot out to grab his revolver, but Wallace stepped quickly across the room, and placed the muzzle of his weapon within a few inches of the other man’s eyes.
‘We’ll have no nonsense, if you please,’ he said sternly.
El Arish broke into voluble protests, half in French, half in Arabic. All his coolness had vanished, and he looked terrified, but Wallace paid little attention to him. As soon as the Prince was dressed, Sir Leonard ordered Cousins to lead the way.
‘Go as quietly as you can, all of you,’ he warned. ‘I will bring up the rear with this gentleman. You will find my three men awaiting us in the archway; they will lead you to the boat.’
Cousins, followed closely by the Prince and his equerry, walked silently along the veranda, and down the steps to the courtyard. El Arish once again began to protest, but the touch of Sir Leonard’s revolver in his back cut him short and, with a shrug, which typified the fatalism of his race, he went after the others, his captor close to his heels. Once, going down the steps, he pretended to stumble, but a low-voiced threat from Wallace showed him the necessity of being more circumspect. After that he gave no further trouble. The shadowy figures of Batty and the two sailors rose from the ground, where they had been sitting, when the others arrived.
‘Here, Batty,’ called Sir Leonard, ‘keep your gun pointed at this fellow while I remove the burnous.’
The disrobing process was quickly accomplished, and he gave a sigh expressive of relief as he threw the voluminous garment down beside its owner.
‘It was a trifle
Similar Books
