Part 15 (1/2)

”We have plenty of provisions, I suppose,” said the professor.

”Yes, effendi, plenty,” said Yussuf, who had been taking his portion aside.

”Then pa.s.s what is left here to the skipper and his men.”

Yussuf bowed gravely, and the men, who had been making an evening meal of blackish bread and melons, were soon chattering away forward, eating the remains of the meal and drinking a bottle of the Greek wine Lawrence took them.

The tiller had been lashed so as to set the Greek skipper at liberty, and the travellers were alone, while, wearied by his extra exertion, Lawrence lay back, apparently fast asleep, when Yussuf approached the professor and his companion, with his water-pipe which he was filling with tobacco, and about which and with a light, he busied himself in the most matter-of-fact manner.

But Yussuf was thinking of something else beside smoke, for he startled the professor and made Mr Burne jump and drop his cigar, as he said in a low voice:

”Your excellencies are well-armed, of course?”

”Armed?” exclaimed the professor.

Yussuf did not speak, but stooped to pick up the fallen cigar, which he handed to its owner.

”Be calm, excellency,” he said smiling, ”and tell me.”

The professor looked at him suspiciously; but there was that in the man's countenance that disarmed him, and he said quietly: ”We certainly have plenty of arms.”

”That is good,” said Yussuf, with a flash of the eye.

”But our weapons are packed up with our luggage, and went on by the steamer.”

”That is bad,” said Yussuf quietly.

”We never thought they would be necessary till we got ash.o.r.e.”

”Look here, my man,” said Mr Burne; ”speak out. Are you suspicious of these people?”

”My life has taught me to be suspicious, effendi,” said Yussuf, lighting his pipe, ”particularly of the low-cla.s.s Greeks. They are not honest.”

”But surely,” began the professor.

”Be perfectly calm, effendi,” said Yussuf, pointing sh.o.r.eward, and waving his hand as if telling the name of some place. ”I have nothing certain against this Greek and his men; but we are out at sea and at their mercy.”

”But something has happened to make you speak like this,” said Mr Burne with a searching look.

”A trifle, effendi,” replied the Muslim; ”but a little cloud like that yonder,”--pointing seaward now beyond the Greek sailors, so that the travellers could see that they were watched by the skipper--”is sometimes the sign of a coming storm.”

”Then what have you seen?” said Mr Burne suspiciously.

”A trifle--almost nothing, effendi, only that the man there was out of temper when he found that all your baggage had gone.”

”Humph!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr Burne. ”Then you think there is danger?” said the professor.

”I do not say that,” said Yussuf, pointing sh.o.r.eward again, ”but your excellencies may as well learn your lessons at once. We are commencing our journey, and are now, as we generally shall be, at the mercy of men who obey the laws when they feel the rod over their backs, but who, when they cannot see the rod, laugh at them.”

”What do you ask us to do, then?” said the professor quickly.