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diff --git a/42943.txt b/42943.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1cec7d8..0000000 --- a/42943.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6688 +0,0 @@ - FRANK FORESTER - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: Frank Forester - A Story of the Dardanelles -Author: Herbert Strang -Release Date: June 13, 2013 [EBook #42943] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK FORESTER *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - - -[Illustration: IN TWO MINDS (_See page_ 40)] - - - - - FRANK FORESTER - - _A STORY OF THE DARDANELLES_ - - - BY - - HERBERT STRANG - - - - _ILLUSTRATED BY CYRUS CUNEO_ - - LONDON - HENRY FROWDE - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - - - - - _First printed in_ 1915 - - - - - CONTENTS - - -CHAP. - -I A MEETING IN THE HILLS -II CONCERNING A CARPET -III DISTURBERS OF TRAFFIC -IV THE COMING STORM -V UNDER ARREST -VI RIGOUR -VII TEMPTATION -VIII A LEAP IN THE DARK -IX A REHEARSAL -X A BRITISH SHELL -XI DANGER -XII IN THE HILLS -XIII SHARING A SEPULCHRE -XIV 'A CHIEL AMANG THEM' -XV OUT OF ACTION -XVI TWO MEN IN A LAUNCH -XVII THROUGH THE NARROWS -XVIII THE LANDING AT ANZAC -XIX A TIGHT CORNER -XX FISHING -XXI IN A RING FENCE -XXII THE HOLY MEN -XXIII CAPTURING A SUBMARINE -XXIV V.C. - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -IN TWO MINDS . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ (_see page_ 40) - -AT THE POINT OF DESPAIR - -MAP OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA - -THE FIGHT IN THE GULLY - -A CRITICAL MOMENT - - - - - CHAPTER I - - A MEETING IN THE HILLS - - -One afternoon in July 1914, a party of five men was making its way -slowly through a defile in the hills of Armenia. The singular verb is -strictly appropriate, for the five men kept close together, always in -the same order, and, being mounted, might have appeared to a distant -observer almost as one monstrous many-legged creature, hideously shaped. - -At a nearer view, however, the spectator would probably have been -interested in the various composition of the party, and in certain -picturesque elements pertaining to its individual members. The -foremost, preceding the rest by three parts of the length of his grey -horse, was a study in colour. A black turban surmounted a -copper-coloured face, the most striking feature of which was a thin -aquiline nose hooked at the extremity, with finely arched nostrils, and -a deep dent between bushy brows out of which gleamed sloe-black eyes. -On either side of his nose streamed a long, black, fiercely twirled -moustache, and his shaven chin stuck out with a sort of aggressive -powerfulness. A blue tunic clothed him from shoulders to waist, where -he was girt with a red sash bristling with a dagger, a long knife, and -several pistols. Baggy white trousers were tucked into long red boots -fitted with large spurs. In his right hand he held a long bamboo lance, -from which dangled a number of black balls. - -The two men who rode behind him, the necks of their horses level with -the buttocks of his, were not so picturesque. On the right was a young -Englishman of about twenty years, whose clean-shaven face was ruddy with -health and exposure to the weather, and whose grey-blue eyes were shaded -from the sun by the peak of a white pith helmet. He wore white drill, -with a leather belt, and brown riding boots. His companion, a slight, -sallow-faced youth of about the same age, was also dressed in white, but -there was something in the cut of his garments that forbade his being -supposed an Englishman. Close behind these two, mounted on mules which -were laden with bundles of odd shapes, rode two sturdy bearded figures, -whose dark features were markedly oriental. They wore turbans and -tunics which had once been white, baggy red trousers, and heavy boots of -undressed leather. Rifles were slung on their backs, and long knives -stuck out of their belts. - -The track was stony and tortuous, winding through a jagged cleft in the -hills. On either side, at varying distances from the path, rose -pinnacles of rock, through fissures in which the riders caught -occasional glimpses of fertile valleys below, or of solitary fastnesses -or monasteries perched high among the crags. Now and then a bend in the -defile opened up a view of the distant peaks of the Taurus mountains. -It was wild and desolate country, growing wilder as they advanced. - -They rode almost in silence. The two muleteers addressed each other -sometimes in murmurs, and it might have been gathered from the -expression of their countenances that they did not relish their job and -were becoming increasingly uneasy. The sun was hot, and the heat -reflected from the rocks struck up into the riders' faces and made them -shiny with sweat. But the uneasiness of the muleteers was moral rather -than physical. They were Armenians, and their journey was taking them -deeper and deeper into the wilds of Kurdistan, among the strongholds of -the immemorial oppressors of their race. They were not without a -lingering suspicion of their leader, the picturesque person of the hook -nose. He was a Kurd, and though he had guaranteed the safety of the -party, they had no great confidence in the good faith of a Kurd. - -No anxieties of this kind troubled the Englishman. But as the afternoon -waned he became a little impatient. Ali the Kurdish guide had assured -him twenty times that the end of the journey was near, yet hour followed -hour, and they had not yet arrived. Since there was no doubt that Ali -knew the way thoroughly, it could only be supposed that his notion of -distance was imperfect. There were camp gear and provisions on the -mules' backs; Frank Forester had already spent one night in camp since -leaving Erzerum, and did not view with any pleasure the prospect of a -second night; in these heights, 6000 feet above sea-level, the nights, -even after the hottest days, were bitterly cold. - -"Come now, Ali, aren't we nearly there?" Frank said at length, -addressing the Kurd in a mixture of Arabic and the local dialect. - -"Very near, very near," said the man, extending his arm towards what -appeared to be a blank wall of rock. - -"He's a man of two words," said Frank, with a shrug, to his companion on -the left. "I hope we shall get there before dark." - -"Yes, before dark," repeated the youth, in a thin scrapy voice. - -There was silence again. The track became rougher, the wall of rock on -each side steeper. At one spot Frank noticed a number of boulders, -large and small, piled on a ledge almost overhanging the track. - -"That's rather dangerous," he remarked. "If they fell they would block -the road." - -"That is what they are there for, effendim," said Ali, turning and -flashing a glance at the pile. He explained that expeditions led by -Turkish governors had more than once come to grief in these hills. The -Kurds knew how to deal with the Osmanli. - -A few minutes afterwards Ali came to a sudden halt, and hurriedly bade -the other members of the party draw in towards the left, under cover of -a projecting spur. - -"What is it?" asked Frank. - -"Men coming towards us, ten or twelve," replied the man. "We must wait -until I can see who they are." - -"Have they seen us?" - -"Who can say? But I think I stopped before they saw us." - -"Why?" - -"Do they not call me Eagle Eye?" said the man proudly. - -Frank smiled. There was an amusing simplicity about Ali's self-esteem. - -"Well, what do you make of them?" Frank asked after a minute or two. - -The Kurd, peering round the edge of the rock, had shown more and more -interest as the approaching party drew nearer. - -"Wallaby! It is Abdi the cursed. I know Abdi and his evil eye. A bad -man, truly, for he will sin against a true believer as readily as he -will kill a Giaour. He is hated by all and feared by most. We must not -meet him." - -"But you don't fear him, Ali?" - -"Allah knows I fear him not; but I gave my word for the safety of your -nobleness and these poor creatures, and it is not well we run into -danger from Abdi and his larger party. Besides, there is with him, -riding by his side, the dog German----" - -"What, Wonckhaus?" - -"Even so, effendim. That curdles your cream, or call me a liar." - -"He has stolen a march on us, Joseph," said Frank, turning to his -companion. His tone expressed deep annoyance. "He wouldn't have come -into these parts on any other errand, and I shall be mad if he has -pulled off the deal.--I don't want to meet Wonckhaus, Ali. Can we get -out of the way until he has passed?" - -Ali cast a keen look around. In a few moments he discovered what he -sought--a gap in which the party might remain concealed. He led them -through the narrow passage between two large masses of rock, turned the -corner, and instructed them to cover the animals' heads with cloths. -They were now within twenty yards of the track, but wholly out of sight -from it. - -Some ten minutes later they heard the ringing clatter of hoofs on the -stones, and the voices of men. Peeping out, Frank and Ali watched the -party ride by. By the side of a villainous-looking Kurd rode a big -German in loose grey clothes with a blue sash about his ample waist. -Behind came nine or ten Kurds variously attired, all armed to the teeth, -mounted on horses laden with packs. It was a wild fierce group, and the -Armenians, peering timorously round the edges of the rock, heaved a sigh -of relief when the last of the party had disappeared. The sounds died -away. When all was silent Ali chuckled a "Wallahy!" and led the way -back to the track. - -"Very near now, effendim," he said. - -"I hope we are," rejoined Frank. "Joseph, I wonder whether Wonckhaus -has got my carpet?" - -"God forbid!" said Joseph solemnly. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - CONCERNING A CARPET - - -Frank Forester was the son of the owner of a large oriental carpet -business, whose headquarters was in Constantinople, with branches in -several parts of Asia Minor and Persia. Except for his school years in -England, Frank had lived all his life in the East. He spoke Turkish -like a native, and could make himself understood in Arabic and in the -various local dialects in which Turkish, Arabic, and Persian all have -component parts. - -For some months he had been in charge of the small branch house at -Erzerum, where he conducted the business with the aid of Joseph, his -Armenian clerk. A few days before the incident just related, a bazar -rumour had come to his ears which suggested a promising stroke of -business. It was to the effect that an important Kurdish chief, living -about two days' journey to the south, had been so heavily squeezed by -the Turkish governor of the province that he felt himself forced to -raise money by parting with a very valuable old Persian carpet that had -long been an heirloom in his family. Tradition said that it was part of -the loot obtained by an ancestor of the chief at the sack of Shiraz -during one of the civil wars that ravaged Persia in the seventeenth -century. It held among his hereditary possessions the same place as a -precious jewel or an Old Master among the treasures of a western house. -The rumour that it was coming into the market caused as much excitement -among carpet dealers as the announcement of the approaching sale of a -Correggio or a Rembrandt would cause among the connoisseurs of New York. - -Frank Forester was thrown into a flutter when the first whispers reached -him. He had not hitherto taken an important part in his father's -business, and it was only recently that he had been placed in charge of -a branch. The chance of signalizing his stewardship by securing the -carpet appealed to his imagination as well as his business instincts. -But the problem was, how to bring off a deal with the chief. The old -Kurd was not likely to condescend to travel to the town. On the other -hand there would be some risk in making a journey to his mountain -fastness. The country in which it lay bore the worst of reputations. -Even the Turkish authorities never ventured into it without a strong -military escort, amounting in fact to an expedition. The peaceful, -timid Armenian traders would have ventured into a den of lions as soon -as into the hill country where for centuries no Armenian had ever -penetrated except as a captive. - -Frank's interest in the matter was complicated and heightened by -business rivalry. A year or two before, a German named Hermann Wonckhaus -had come to Erzerum and set up in business as a carpet dealer next door -to Mr. Forester. The Englishman, who had been established there for -many years, felt too sure of his position to regard the arrival of his -competitor with any alarm. He met him, indeed, in the friendliest -spirit, and at first did him some small services in a business and a -social way. But it soon became clear that Wonckhaus was a snake in the -grass. There were signs that his object in settling next door to Mr. -Forester was to keep a watch on him, with a view to discovering with -whom he traded and endeavouring to cut into his connection. Once or -twice Mr. Forester found himself forestalled in business transactions by -the German, and as soon as he became aware of his rival's crooked -methods he put himself on his guard and maintained only the coolest of -relations with him. Still, he was not greatly troubled. The Armenian, -shifty as he may be himself in business, respects rectitude in others, -and Mr. Forester knew that if it ever came to a straight pull between -himself and the German the result would be in his favour. He lived very -simply, without parade; Wonckhaus, on the other hand, kept up a -considerable style, and aimed at a kind of leadership in the small -European colony. He was a man of good presence, great ability and -certain social gifts, by means of which he became a personage; but -though he had pushed himself into a position of influence he was always -regarded with some distrust by the Europeans other than his own -countrymen; and the natives, very shrewd in their silent estimate of -western strangers, had taken his measure pretty thoroughly. - -Knowing that the bazar rumour would certainly have reached Wonckhaus's -ears, Frank was anxious to lose no time in opening negotiations with the -Kurdish chief for the purchase of the carpet. It was obvious that his -best course was to make a personal visit to the owner. He sent for a -Kurd whom his father had sometimes employed and found trustworthy, and -enlisted his services as guide to the distant stronghold. Ali confessed -that the journey would entail some risk, but he promised that he would -do his utmost to ensure the safety of the party, and in fact they had -come without adventure within a mile or two of their destination when -the appearance of Wonckhaus on the track showed that he had again -forestalled his rival. The only question now was, had he managed to -strike a bargain with the chief and brought away the carpet among his -packs? - -When Frank resumed his journey, he discussed the chances rather -anxiously with Ali. The Kurd took a pessimistic view. - -"Abdi is a nephew of the chief Mirza Aga," he said. "Does he not always -boast of his relationship in the bazar? He is a liar by nature, but in -that he speaks the truth. Therefore it is that the German has taken him -as guide. Without doubt Abdi said to him: 'I am in high favour with my -uncle, Allah be good to him, and when I say to him, this is the -excellency that will give a good price for the carpet, he will bless me, -and perhaps bestow upon me some poor fraction of the money.' Without -doubt we have eaten the dust of our journey for nothing." - -"Well, we'll go on and prove it. Having come so far I won't go back -without knowing the truth." - -A march of a little over an hour brought the party to a narrow side -track that wound up into the hills. It was some time before a turn in -the toilsome ascent opened a view of the chief's stronghold. Perched -high up on the mountain side, it resembled in the distance a child's -building of wooden bricks; but its massive proportions and structure -became impressive as the travellers gradually mounted towards it. In -this country of mean hovels its appearance was palatial. The lower part -consisted of solid masonry broken by one large gate and two or three -small square windows, unglazed and shutterless. Upon this stout pillars -supported a number of arches surrounding an open chamber or arcade -rectangular in shape and covered with a flat roof. To the left of the -arches was a second storey whose walls were as solid as those of the -lower; within these, as Frank knew, were the women's apartments. The -whole place was silent; to all appearance it might have been -uninhabited. - -Ali went forward to the great gate and shouted for admittance. After a -while a peep-hole was exposed by the sliding of a small wooden hatch, -and a man inquired his errand, then slid the hatch to, and departed. -Frank had become accustomed to oriental sluggishness and the need for -patience. Presently the gate-keeper returned and held a lengthy -conversation with Ali, after which he retired again. - -"What are we waiting for?" asked Frank: remaining in the background he -had not heard the colloquy. - -"Wallahy! Mirza Aga will not show the light of his countenance to a -German, and required me to swear by the beard of the Prophet that your -nobility is not German but English." - -"That's promising," said Frank cheerfully. "It looks as if nephew Abdi -is not quite such a favourite as he pretends." - -"Allah is wise!" said Ali. - -In a few minutes the massive gate swung open, giving admission to a -large courtyard. Here a handsome youth, the chief's grandson, came -forward with a smile of welcome. Frank dismounted, gave his horse into -the care of an attendant, and followed the youth up a stately stone -staircase, ornamented on either side with richly-carved oak balusters, -into the salamlik or presence chamber of the old chief. It was a lofty -and spacious apartment, the walls and ceiling composed of curiously -carved cedar wood. The floor was covered with thick Persian rugs; the -walls were embellished with texts from the Koran, and blunderbusses, -scimitars, curved daggers and other weapons arranged in tasteful -patterns. At the further end a fire of logs roared in a huge fireplace, -the wall above being decorated with arabesques and scrolls. - -Near the fireplace, reclining among an exuberance of silk pillows and -cushions, was the old, white-bearded, turbaned chief, smoking a long -chibouque. At the entrance of his visitor he rose, bowed several times, -murmured "Salam aleikam," and clapped his hands. An attendant -immediately came in, bearing a number of rugs and pillows which he -spread on the floor near the chief. Luxurious as they appeared, Frank -knew that they were probably swarming with vermin, for Kurdish -magnificence takes no note of such trifles, and he racked his brains for -an excuse to avoid the use of them. Explaining that in his country such -soft seats were only proper to the ladies, which seemed to amuse the -chief, he squatted cross-legged on the floor, and spent some minutes in -exchanging the flowery salutations usual in oriental society. Then the -chief, who had already learnt the object of his visit from Ali through -the gate-keeper, invited him to partake of supper, declaring that there -must be no talk of business that night. Without waiting for an -acceptance, he clapped his hands again, and servants brought in a -profusion of dishes--meat, fish, poultry, and various fruits--a pleasant -meal after the long day's journey, even though Frank had to use his -fingers instead of a knife and fork. The meal was prolonged; fatigue -and the heat of the room made Frank sleepy; and he was glad when the old -man's grandson came to conduct him to the guest chamber. - -"He has honesty and benevolence written all over him," thought Frank, as -he stretched himself, rolled in his greatcoat, on the bare floor, after -bundling the doubtful mattresses and cushions provided for him into a -corner. "I rather think I may score off Wonckhaus this time after all." - -Next morning came the business interview. - -"You must know, O welcome guest," said the old man, "that yesterday -there came to me one from Erzerum, under the guidance of a graceless -nephew of mine, a man in whom there is no truth or virtue at all. The -stranger, a man of the German race, they told me, wished to buy my -carpet, and offered me a sum that would scarcely have purchased the -clothes on my back. Wallahy! Did he wish to pull my beard? I answered -him shortly that I was no bazar merchant to haggle and chaffer; -whereupon he made excuses, and perceiving that it was truth I said, he -offered a price that was fair, and one that I was fain to accept. But -lo! when I asked him to pay over the money, the infidel spoke of a -written paper, for which, he told me, they would pay me money in -Stamboul. Wallahy! His tongue was smooth, but his eye was deceitful. -I said forthright that I would not trust him. Little I know of the -German race; they are a new kind of Giaour to me; but so much as I have -heard of them did not tempt me to part with my carpet against a German -promise. Whereupon our words waxed hot, and Abdi my worthless nephew -must needs take part with the German--verily he hoped to fill his pouch -at my expense; and my wrath was kindled, and I bade the German depart. -And Abdi my nephew flouted me to my beard, and I spoke my mind freely to -him, a dog that slinks about the houses of better men, snapping up what -falls, and licking what is cast out. And they departed, he and the -German. - -"Now therefore come and look upon the carpet." - -He conducted Frank through the open arcade into a lofty room on the -other side of the house. On the way Frank throbbed with mingled hope -and fear. Orientals were prone to exaggeration: the much-talked-of -carpet might turn out to be a very ordinary specimen, even a modern -fabric cunningly "faked," for he was aware of the tricks practised by -dishonest dealers to delude the unwary. Once, indeed, he had himself -detected by the sense of smell the use of coffee to give a new rug the -mellow tones of age. But hope was stronger within him than fear. The old -chief looked honest: he had refrained from boasts and the flowery puffs -of the huckster, and Frank felt that the carpet was probably genuine, -though possibly not quite so valuable as rumour declared. - -The old man opened the door, and stood back with a courteous inclination -of the head to allow his visitor to pass in before him. He did not -speak a word. Frank halted in the doorway, transfixed with wonder and -delight. Hanging on the wall opposite was a beautiful rug, about -eighteen feet by twelve, in which his expert eye discerned at once an -antique product of the looms of Khorassan. He had lived among carpets -from childhood, and knew the characteristic features of all the many -kinds of eastern fabrics. On a deep blue ground were woven floral -patterns in magenta, red, and blue, with spots of ivory here and there; -and on the wide border was the unmistakeable palm-leaf design of -Khorassan, with details that proved it to be the workmanship of a -particular family of weavers, renowned for its artistic ornament and -harmonious colouring. Age had mellowed the tints, but their brilliance -was little diminished, for the ancient dyers had secrets which are the -despair of the chemists of to-day. - -He crossed the room and touched the surface of the rug. It was soft as -velvet. He examined the knots and the stitches, felt the thickness of -the pile, then turned round. - -"It is magnificent, chief," he said. - -"It is good work, effendim," replied the chief. "My family has -possessed it for two hundred years." - -"Well now, let me tell you my method of business. We are not hucksters -of the bazar, you and I. Their custom is to ask more than they expect -to get, or to offer less than they are prepared to pay. That is not my -way. I offer at once the sum which I am ready to give, and I never make -a second offer. If it is acceptable, well and good; if not, we part -friends." - -"That is well, effendim. My ears are open." - -"I will pay you L500 Turkish for the carpet." - -The old Kurd reflected a moment or two. Then he said: - -"That is a fair price, effendim. The carpet is yours." - -"Thank you. I have not brought the money with me; it is dangerous -country, chief," he added with a smile. "But I will either send it you -when I return to Erzerum, or----" - -"It is enough, effendim," interrupted the chief. "You are an -Englishman: your word is good. Your countrymen, it is true, are not the -good friends of mine that they used to be. It is told me, indeed, that -the German Emperor, and not your King, is willing to help us to regain -the lands we lost in the late disastrous war. But I trust the word of -an Englishman. The Germans I do not know: that one who came to me came -with my nephew Abdi, the master of lies! Take the carpet: it is yours. -You may send the money when you will." - -"I thank you for your confidence, chief; but such an arrangement would -not be fair to you. Something might happen to me; you would have no -security. I will ask you to take a draft on the Ottoman Bank." - -He took out his cheque-book and fountain pen, and wrote the draft, which -the chief accepted with a deprecating bow. Orders were given for the -carpet to be rolled up, covered with sacking, and placed on the back of -one of the mules. The business having been thus satisfactorily -concluded, the chief invited Frank to share his morning meal, after -which he accompanied him with a small escort of horsemen for a few miles -on his return journey. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - DISTURBERS OF TRAFFIC - - -About noon on the following day, when Frank and his party were -proceeding slowly northwards through the hills, they met a Kurd on -horseback. Ali exchanged salutations with him; he was on his way, he -said, to the house of Mirza Aga. - -Some ten minutes afterwards, at a bend in the track, they were met by a -second Kurd. The usual greetings again passed between the -fellow-countrymen, and this traveller also explained that Mirza Aga's -house was his destination. But when the party passed on, Ali, whose -manner with the stranger had been cold and curt, glancing over his -shoulder, noticed that the man had ridden a few paces in the same -direction, then halted as if in irresolution, and was at that moment -apparently making up his mind to continue his journey southward. - -"Wallahy! Effendim, here is a strange thing," said Ali in a low tone. -"I know that man. Surely I saw him with Abdi the Liar when he passed us -the other day." - -"Strange indeed! He cannot have been to Erzerum and back." - -"Abdi devises mischief, effendim. It is well that we watch that man." - -Riding slowly on until the bend in the track hid the Kurd from sight, -Ali slipped from his saddle, and, asking Frank to accompany him, -cautiously climbed the rear of a rocky bluff a little way off the track. -From the top of this eminence, themselves unseen, they were able to -overlook a long stretch of the track behind them, and in the distance, -something more than half a mile away, they descried the stranger, no -longer proceeding towards the house of Mirza Aga, but coming in their -direction. - -"Verily it is some evil device of Abdi, effendim," said Ali. "Let us go -on our way, and consider this matter. Abdi is cunning as a serpent, but -it will go hard with me if I do not bring his tricks to nought." - -They returned to the track, remounted, and resumed the march, keeping a -wary look-out in all directions. - -"Consider, effendim, why did that man delay and turn when he met us?" - -"That is nothing strange in this lawless country," said Frank. "A man -would naturally be curious and suspicious of strangers." - -"True; but having seen that we are a party of peaceful travellers -carrying merchandise--for the Armenians and you yourself, effendim, wear -no pistols in your belts, though I know you have revolvers somewhere in -your garments--having seen that, I say, why does the dog march on a -little way, then turn about and follow us? Is it not the work of one -that spies on another?" - -"It looks possible, certainly." - -"Of a truth it is so, and I swear that Abdi and his crew are not far -ahead." - -"What of the first man, who preceded him? Was he watching us too?" - -"Who can say, effendim? He has gone quite out of sight. Who can sound -the depths of Abdi's craft? He is a liar and a worker of mischief. May -it not have been told him by some gossip on the way that we had gone to -seek Mirza Aga? Well he knows for what purpose, and would it not be an -easy thing, in these solitudes, to lie in wait for us, and to fall upon -us, they being the greater number, and slay us, and rob us of that we -carry? Truly there is no bottom to Abdi's wickedness, and I beseech -you, effendim, pardon me in that I have unwittingly led you into a -snare." - -"That's nonsense, Ali. Whatever happens, it's not your fault. If it is -as you say--and I shouldn't be surprised, for in wild country like this -they've endless opportunities of surprising us--we must see if we can't -defeat their schemes." - -This conversation had been conducted in low tones, in the hearing of -Joseph only. Ali had an inherited contempt for the Armenian porters, who -indeed would have been paralysed with fright at a suspicion of danger. - -It was clear that to continue on their present course would be to run -straight into the trap which Ali suspected was prepared for them. Ali -suggested that they should halt, allow the man behind to overtake them, -and observe his bearing when he encountered them again. - -Accordingly they drew rein at a secluded spot, where the track broadened -a little, making a salient into the precipitous sides. Ali climbed to a -position whence he could scan the track in both directions. Some time -passed, and when the supposed scout did not appear, Ali crept back -stealthily along the track to discover what had become of him. In about -ten minutes he returned. "Come with me, effendim," he said -mysteriously. - -After walking rather more than half a mile, Ali raised his hand and -pointed to a spot high up in the hills on their left hand. At first -Frank failed to discover the object indicated, but presently he noticed -a whitish speck moving along the greyish face of the rocks. - -"Is that he?" he asked. - -"That is the dog, as I live," replied Ali. "He has gone up into the -hills by a track that I know not. See, effendim, he moves fast; he -comes this way. Is it not his intent to outstrip us, and give tidings -of our coming to Abdi where he lurks beyond?" - -"You may be right, Ali. We can spoil his game by not going on. Let us -return to our men, bring them back, find out where he left this track, -and follow him over the hills." - -"It is good, effendim. To watch the watcher--yes, it is very good." - -Soon the whole party was retracing its course. The halt and the -movements of their employer had made the Armenians uneasy; but there was -only cheerful assurance in the demeanour of Frank and the Kurd; and the -men, if not reassured, at least gave no utterance to their fears. - -About a mile back they discovered a spot, marked by a few stunted trees -and bushes, where a narrow mountain path branched from the broader -track. Into this they struck. It wound up into the hills, at first so -steeply that the laden mules with difficulty maintained their footing; -but after a time it became less arduous, and the party pushed on with -greater speed. It was nearly two hours before they caught sight of the -man. From that moment they had to combine speed with caution: to keep -pace with the Kurd so as not to lose him from sight, but to take care -that he should neither see nor hear them. - -At length the mountain path took a downward trend, suggesting that it -would ultimately rejoin the main track from which they had diverged. -Here they lost sight of the scout through the frequent windings of the -path. Presently they came to a narrow ledge dropping down very steeply. -The ground was rough, and crumbled under the hoofs of their beasts. In -spite of all their caution, they suffered a misadventure when still some -distance above the junction of the the tracks. The ground gave way -beneath the mule of one of the Armenians. It slid over the edge, and -rolled with its yelling rider for nearly a hundred yards down a steep -incline, until the fall was checked by a clump of prickly bushes. -Neither man nor animal appeared to be seriously hurt, but the mule's -load was scattered broadcast. Consisting as it did partly of camp -utensils, to the clatter of displaced stones and the cries of the -muleteer was added the clink and rattle of tins and iron pots as they -bumped on the rocky ground. - -The din was a greater misfortune even than the delay and the dispersal -of the load. Just as the Armenian picked himself up, rubbing his elbows -and shins, a head showed above the rocks a little to the left of the -junction. In another moment Frank caught sight of the Kurd they had -been following, riding at full speed back along the main track. -Apparently he had been resting for a spell. - -"Wallahy!" Ali ejaculated, cursing the mule and its rider and the -ancestors of both. - -There could be little doubt that his suspicion was well grounded. Abdi -and his party--if Abdi was in truth the plotter--could not be far off, -for the Kurd must have reckoned on being able to warn them before the -expected prey reached the spot where they were waiting. How far away -the ambush had been laid Frank could not guess. - -"Cursed be that howling son of a cat!" cried Ali. "We must ride on with -all haste, effendim. Peradventure the rascal Abdi is so far away that -we shall have time to reach a village of the plain before he can -overtake us. Wallahy! But our beasts are laden, and he has many -horsemen without encumbrance. Yet there is no other way. We must leave -that shrieking jackal and his load; there is no time to gather up the -many things that are scattered." - -"No, we can't leave him, but we'll leave the things," said Frank. "Get -on your mule and ride with us," he called to the man. - -Hastening down to the track, they pushed on with all possible speed in -the direction of Erzerum. Laden as they were, the mules could not go at -any great pace over the rough ground, and the carpet being the heaviest -part of the load, the speed of the whole party was regulated by that of -the mule bearing it. Frank suggested that Ali should ride ahead and -bring back an armed escort from Erzerum; but the Kurd resolutely refused -to divest himself of his responsibility for the safety of his employer, -who for his part was determined not to lose sight of the carpet. They -made what progress they could, then, Ali falling behind to act as -rearguard and give warning of pursuit. - -They had covered something less than two miles and were entering a long, -fairly straight defile, when Ali closed up. - -"They are coming, effendim," he said, "riding furiously, and the -foremost of them is Abdi the Liar." - -"Ah! And look at that," said Frank, pointing ahead. - -Near the further end of the defile two figures were seated on a loose -pile of rocks overhanging the track. Ali shot a glance towards them. - -"Wallahy! the German!" he exclaimed. - -Almost at the same moment the two figures rose. Clearly they had -recognised Frank. And then Wonckhaus and his Kurd companion began with -haste to roll rocks from the pile down the slope, obviously with the -intention of blocking the track. - -"Come, Ali!" cried Frank. "Joseph, look after the rest. Bring them -along." - -Urging their mounts to their best speed, the two men dashed along the -track, and reined up only when they were in danger of being crushed by -the rocks crashing down from above. The narrow path was already almost -impassable. Frank sprang from his horse and began to clamber up the -face of the cliff, followed, after a moment's hesitation, by Ali. - -Twenty feet above them Wonckhaus stood irresolute. He held a jagged -boulder, and seemed to be in two minds about hurling it straight upon -the climbing Englishman. Some prudential instinct--it may have been a -scruple--gave him pause, and his Kurd companion, taking the cue from -him, held a large stone similarly poised. - -"Wait a moment," said Frank coolly. "I won't keep you long." - -Wonckhaus, somewhat taken aback by Frank's calmness, and the absence of -hostility from his tone, watched him in silence as he climbed to his -side. - -"Another stone or two would have completely blocked the track," Frank -went on. - -Shooting a curious glance at him, Wonckhaus replied: - -"That was my intention, Mr. Forester." - -"Exactly. I don't want to interrupt your amusement, Herr Wonckhaus, but -you will wait until my party has passed. A few moments will suffice. -If you loose another rock till then, I shall throw you after it!" - -Frank's nerves were tingling, but he spoke as quietly as if he was -announcing the merest matter of fact. The German recognised at a glance -that it was no empty threat, and his Kurd looked by no means comfortable -under the menacing attitude of Ali, who had now joined them. Meanwhile, -Joseph had come up with the carriers. - -"Come straight through, Joseph," called Frank, "and lead my horse and -Ali's. Go forward: we will overtake you." - -As the mules were passing through the narrow gap that remained between -the obstacles on the track, Abdi's party came in sight at the southern -end of the defile half a mile distant. - -"Now, my good sir," said Frank, as the last of his mules emerged from -the gap, "we will help you to complete your amusing work. Ali, shove -these stones down as fast as you can, and get your countryman to assist -you." - -Ali grinned and hurled a threat at the other Kurd; the two pushed the -stones down the slope one after another in quick succession, while -Frank, taking out his revolver, stood guard over the German. In a few -seconds the track was wholly blocked up. - -"We have saved you the trouble, Herr Wonckhaus," said Frank. -"Good-day." - -With Ali he slipped down to the track, ran after his party, sprang to -the saddle, and was already some distance ahead and rounding a corner -when Abdi and his cavalcade rode up. The Kurd leapt from his horse, -scrambled up the barrier, and in his rage and disappointment fired after -the retreating figures before Wonckhaus, uneasy about future -developments, could check him. The shot flew wide, and Frank rode on. - -To clear a way for the pursuers' horses would probably consume at least -half an hour, an interval long enough to allow the party to reach the -outskirts of a settled district where an open attack upon them would be -dangerous. And Frank knew very well that Wonckhaus could hardly afford -to be publicly associated with a manifest act of brigandage. Thinking -over the circumstances of the trap from which he had escaped, he -surmised that the German had intended the party to be intercepted by the -Kurds several miles behind, and that he had gone ahead in order to -arrive at Erzerum in time to establish a clear alibi if there should be -any suggestion of his connection with the contemplated attack. - -"A lucky thing for us you discovered that scout, Ali," said Frank. "I -owe something to your eagle eye." - -"Inshallah, effendim, I am not so named for nothing," returned the man, -beaming with pride and satisfaction. "Of a truth I am more than a match -for Abdi the Liar." - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE COMING STORM - - -Two hours' hard riding brought Frank and his party, in the dusk of -evening, to a large village on the edge of the plain of Erzerum. There -was little or no danger of further molestation; in populous places an -attack on a well-known English merchant might entail disagreeable -consequences, since the authorities would be almost forced to take -action; all the same, Frank wished that he could have completed his -journey without pause. But that being impossible, he put up at a -respectable khan or inn, where he persuaded the innkeeper, by means of -excess payment, to agree to keep his door closed against any travellers -who might arrive subsequently. Frank preferred not to have to spend the -night under the same roof as Wonckhaus, who could not be far behind him -on the road. - -His forethought bore fruit. Soon after he had retired to rest, with his -head pillowed on his precious carpet, there was a loud banging on the -door, and a rough voice bawled for the khanji. That amiable hosteller -at first feigned sleep, but the pretence could not be long kept up -through a din that might have roused the fabled sleepers of Ephesus. He -got up, cursing, and moved to the door. - -"Remember our bargain," Frank called through the partition dividing his -select guest-chamber from the common room of the inn. - -The man mumbled something in answer, and Frank, wondering whether his -promise would hold out against the importunity of the newcomers, -listened anxiously to the colloquy that ensued at the door. - -"O khanji!" bawled the voice outside. - -"Ahi!" was the sleepy response. - -"O khanji!" - -"What is it I hear?" - -"Are you Khanji Abdullah?" - -"Ahi!"--a sleepy drawl that meant nothing. - -"A curse on the deaf one!" - -"Am I deaf, or to be cursed, or do I hear the ugly voice of a -camel-driver?" asked the innkeeper artlessly. - -"Where is Khanji Abdullah?" - -"Who?" - -"Khanji Abdullah-ah-ah!" yelled the voice, prolonging the name. - -"Why do you wake honest sleepers, you dog of a dogson?" - -"_I_ wake folk? _I_ wake folk? Have _I_ the voice of an old dromedary? -Have _I_ the voice----" - -Here the speaker's shrill tones were drowned by a chorus of curses and -expostulations from the guests in the common room, among whose voices -Ali's was raised the loudest. When the clamour had died down, the voice -of the man outside could be heard again. - -"Wallahy! May Allah cast his blight upon the khan and the khanji, upon -your religion and your affairs, upon your wife and children and kinsmen -and cattle." - -"What is this outcry and cursing, O son of a camel?" - -"Open your door for honest travellers in the night." - -"Wallahy! My house is full; there is not room for one honest man, much -less a rogue. Get you gone, and split the ears of Khanji Muhammad -yonder; his khan is the place for rogues." - -"What say you, O vile khanji? Know you that here is no rogue, but a -noble Alman effendi of great size and weight, whose money-bags are -brimming over like a cup overfull! Open then, khanji, without more -display of ignorance and folly." - -"It is easy to lie in the dark. What know I of an Alman effendi? Of -his nobility I say nothing; but if he be of great size and weight as you -say, mashallah! there is no room for him here. Let him begone with his -money-bags to Khanji Muhammad; he is very poor and needy, whereas I am -in no straits, praise to Allah! Get you gone, you with the voice of a -camel, and let me return to my sleep. Ahi!" - -A stream of imprecations burst from the lips of Abdi, dying down in the -distance as he departed with Wonckhaus and his party towards the khan of -Muhammad at the other end of the village. - -"Was it not well done, and worthy of large bakshish?" said Abdullah, -through the door of Frank's room. - -"It was well done, khanji," replied Prank, "and the morning will bring -what it will." - -"Alhamdolillah!" the innkeeper piously ejaculated as he returned to his -couch. - -His guests settled themselves to slumber and were not disturbed for the -rest of the night. - -Frank's first act on reaching Erzerum in the afternoon of the next day -was to lock up the carpet securely in his strong room. The warehouse was -an annexe at the back of the dwelling-house. This was a substantial -building of stone, backing on a hillside, with a flat roof covered, like -the most of the better houses in the town, with green turf. It had a -large arched door, but small windows, hardly bigger than portholes, -filled, however, with glass, and not with oiled paper, which the natives -commonly used. Mr. Forester had made the interior comfortable in an -English fashion. The stone floors were strewn with Persian rugs; on the -white-washed walls hung a few engravings, together with hunting -trophies. The furniture was of English make. - -As he passed through the office on his way to the strong room, Frank -noticed on the desk a letter, in his father's handwriting. The carpet -having been safely stowed away, he returned, put the letter in his -pocket, and hurried out into the street: there was something to be done -that brooked no delay, for Wonckhaus had arrived before him. He hastened -down the street, which crossed a valley between his house and the -Government buildings on the hill opposite, and made his way to the -quarters of the military governor, with whom, after the long delay usual -in the East, he was accorded an interview. - -"I have come to lodge a complaint against Herr Wonckhaus and the Kurd -Abdi," he said, when the preliminary courtesies had been exchanged. He -related the incidents on the road. The Turkish governor listened to him -coldly. - -"I take a note of what you say, effendim," he said; "but you must know -that Wonckhaus Effendi has already preferred a charge against you--that -you blocked up the road with rocks, so that it was impassable. That, you -are aware, is a serious offence. No one but a military officer in the -exercise of his duty is permitted to block a road." - -"As I have already explained, excellency," said Frank patiently, "I -merely completed what Herr Wonckhaus had begun. His design was obvious: -the steps I took were taken solely for the purpose of safeguarding my -merchandise." - -"It is told me that you threatened him with violence." - -"I said that if he threw down any more stones--committing, as you -remarked, excellency, a serious offence--I would throw him after them. -That, I submit, was perfectly justifiable in the circumstances." - -"I will not argue with you, effendim. You ought to have engaged zaptiehs -for your protection on your journey. The matter cannot rest here. I -must submit it to the governor of the province; it may have to be -referred ultimately to Stamboul. Meanwhile, I must order you to keep the -peace with Wonckhaus Effendi, who has felt it necessary to ask for -protection." - -Seeing that no satisfaction would be derived from further parley, Frank -took his leave and set off for home. He was somewhat surprised at the -coolness of his reception. The military governor had only recently -taken up office in the town; his predecessor had been a close personal -friend of Mr. Forester, and Frank had assumed, almost as a matter of -course, that the new official would be a man of the same stamp and -equally well disposed. It was clear, however, from this his first -official interview, that the governor was unwilling to hear both sides -of a case and come to a just decision, or that he was ready to exercise -partiality on the side of Wonckhaus. Frank was not troubled about the -ultimate issue. The reference of the matter to the provincial governor, -and possibly to the authorities at Constantinople, would postpone any -decision for months, perhaps years. Meanwhile he would put all the facts -before his father, who would know, better than he, how to deal with -them. - -Thinking of his father reminded him of the letter in his pocket. He -took it out, tore open the envelope, and read: - - -MY DEAR FRANK, - -A serious storm is brewing in Europe. Austria has sent an ultimatum to -Serbia that on the face of it means war. Serbia can't accept its terms -without losing her independence, and Russia will certainly support her. -That will as certainly cause Germany to move; then France is bound by -the terms of her alliance with Russia to come in. Unless something very -suddenly intervenes, all Europe will be in a blaze, possibly before you -receive this. In the opinion of certain important people here the whole -thing is a put-up job on the part of Germany, who is backing Austria -with the deliberate intention of forcing a war before Russia has -reorganized her army. There is great excitement here. German agents -have been active for a long time, but the general opinion is that Turkey -will keep out of it. She had enough of war two years ago, and her -finances are now at the lowest ebb. Still, one can never be sure how -far the Germans may succeed in duping or bribing the Turks. In my -belief, everything depends on whether we shall be drawn in. Grey will -work hard for peace; he may succeed as he has done before; but if he -fails I can't see any possibility of our keeping out of it. France will -be knocked out in a month if the German fleet gets to work; and we can't -stand by and look on at such a catastrophe. Well, if we do come in, -Germany will move heaven and earth to induce the Turks to make a bid for -Egypt; and certain firebrands here are silly enough in their -self-conceit to play Germany's game and ruin their country. I hope for -the best, but you must be ready to clear out at a moment's notice. -Unluckily I have an urgent call to London; am starting at once, but hope -to return soon. Keep your eye closely on events: our consul will have -the latest or all but the latest news; and if affairs look serious, I -shall come to Erzerum, close down and bring away the stock. We should -be all right here for a time, at any rate; and if the worst does happen -it will be easier to shape our course here than in your wilds. Meanwhile -hold on, and be circumspect. - -P.S. Just as well to keep your eye on H. W. - - -Frank replaced the letter in his pocket. Here was food for thought -indeed. He knew that, so complicated were the relations of the European -Powers, the outbreak of war between any two of them might easily involve -the others, and bring about that vast and universal struggle which had -often been talked about, and as often dismissed as improbable if not -impossible. To a rational person it seemed sheer madness that Europe -should be plunged into strife over the affairs of one little Balkan -nation: was it possible that the prophets who had foretold just such a -cataclysm would prove to be right after all? And what of Britain? Frank -had unbounded faith in the British navy, but would Britain be able to -limit herself to the exercise of sea-power? Yet how could she take an -effective part in land warfare with her small army? - -Pondering these questions, Frank arrived at his house almost unawares. -He was roused from his reverie by the sight of Wonckhaus standing at his -door, smoking a big pipe. The German smiled and seemed to be about to -address him; but apparently he changed his mind. Frank paid no -attention to him, but passed into his own house and sat down to his -evening meal with a preoccupied air. - - - - - CHAPTER V - - UNDER ARREST - - -During the next few days, the town seethed with ever-increasing -excitement. It became known that Germany had declared war on Russia and -France, and the sole topic of conversation among the Europeans was, what -would Britain do? Rumour flew apace; authentic news was slow in coming -in by telegraph; but at last it was officially announced that Britain -was at war with Germany, and almost immediately afterwards that the -British Grand Fleet had been shattered in the North Sea. Frank, in -common with the few other Englishmen in the town, scoffed at this; but -the story found many believers, and it was noticed that Wonckhaus ran up -a large German flag on his roof-top. Frank paid frequent visits to the -British consul, who depended for his information on the Turkish -telegraph officials, and there was reason to suspect that a strict -censorship had already been established. - -As usually happens in Asiatic Turkey when Europe is disturbed, there was -growing racial excitement among the natives. The Armenians, a timid -unstable people, incapable of effective combination, talked of -revolution, and the lower-class Moslems of the town assumed a menacing -attitude towards them. The Kurds in the country districts, it was -rumoured, had already recommenced their attacks on the Armenians, and -Frank was gravely apprehensive of massacres on a large scale. He -instructed his Armenian employees to keep within doors as much as -possible, and to avoid collisions with the Moslems. His chief clerk, -Joseph, while sharing his fears, was not alarmed for his own safety. -His father, a man of considerable business astuteness and organizing -power, was a contractor to the 9th Army Corps, whose headquarters were -at Erzerum, and in good relations with the military authorities. They -hated him as an Armenian, but found him useful, indeed indispensable, as -a business man, and when business is concerned, religion counts little -with the Turk. - -Public feeling was stirred to its depths when news came of the arrival -of the _Goeben_ and the _Breslau_ at the Bosporus. There was at once -manifested a great deal of military activity. New levies flocked into -Erzerum, and there were movements of troops along the whole Black Sea -coast. Large supplies were needed for them, and the contractor was -busily employed. Frank found it hard to believe that Turkey would be so -short-sighted as to take the field against the Allied Powers; but he -noticed that Wonckhaus, whose air of self-importance was growing day by -day, was frequently in communication with the military governor, and the -announcement of German victories became a daily occurrence. Joseph -reported that these victories were the talk of the town, and it was -openly declared that the Germans would soon be in possession of Paris, -that rebellions had broken out in India, Ireland, and South Africa, and -that the Sultan was on the point of recovering Egypt, the British -garrison having been withdrawn to fight in the West. Frank met black -looks in the streets; trade was at a standstill: and in the absence of -trustworthy news he began to fidget and to wish that his father would -return. - -One day a man ran into the office with a message for Joseph. A -low-class mob had risen against the Armenians in the quarter in which -his father's house was situated, and when the messenger left the rabble -were battering on the contractor's door. Joseph at once rushed out, -followed by Frank, who snatched up a revolver which he had made a -practice of carrying in the streets during the past few weeks. There -were unmistakable signs of commotion in the town. The Armenian -shopkeepers were hurriedly shutting their booths; some were barricading -their doors, others already speeding away with their portable goods to -seek safety in remote quarters of the town or in the country without. - -When Frank arrived on the scene of the disturbance the mob had broken -through the gate into the courtyard, and were battering at the door of -the storeroom. - -"Stand aside there!" called Frank impulsively, elbowing his way through -the throng. - -He set his back against the door, and drawing his revolver threatened to -shoot any man who ventured to renew the attack. The ruffians, who were -armed only with sticks and clubs, fell back, overawed by the -Englishman's authoritative voice and mien. Two elderly zaptiehs were -looking on from the opposite side of the street. Without much faith in -these official defenders of order Frank called on them to disperse the -mob, or he would report them to the Governor. The policemen lifted -their rifles and moved sluggishly towards him, pressing the mob aside -without much energy. But the display of authority, such as it was, had -the effect of thinning the mob. One man tried to work them up to -resist, but finding himself left with a diminishing number of adherents, -and perceiving a half company of regular troops marching up at the end -of the street, he slunk away and disappeared. - -For the moment the danger was past. Frank returned home with Joseph. - -"That man, the ringleader, was one of Abdi's gang," said Joseph as they -went along. "I noticed him among them that day in the hills." - -"We'll have him arrested. You know where he lives?" - -"I do not know. Ali will know." - -"Then find out from Ali, and I will see the Governor." - -But within an hour or two Frank was himself summoned to the Governor's -palace. - -"It is with grief and surprise I learn," said the Governor, "that you, a -foreigner, have taken it upon yourself to give orders to my constables. -What have you to say?" - -"Seeing that the zaptiehs were looking on unconcerned at a set of -ruffians assaulting the premises of your army contractor, excellency, I -think that perhaps a foreigner's intervention may have done you a -service." - -Frank took a higher tone than he would have adopted had he not still -felt the sting left by his previous interview with the Governor. - -"It is inexcusable," was the reply. "You will henceforth keep to your -own house. If you are seen in the streets you will be arrested. You -English take too much upon yourselves." - -Frank was too much surprised to expostulate, even if there had seemed -any use in so doing. It was clear that his crime was the being an -Englishman. Filled with a new anxiety as to the future, he left the -palace, to find that he was to be escorted home by a file of -infantrymen. On reaching the house he sent Joseph at once to ask the -British consul to visit him. - -"I think you had better remain quiet for the present," said that -gentleman when the matter had been explained to him. "You are -technically in the wrong, though the late governor would have thanked -you for what you did. Wonckhaus is in the ascendant here. The -authorities won't take any serious steps against you at present. Until -that affair of yours with Wonckhaus is decided you need have no anxiety. -Your course is certainly to lie low and refrain from the least -appearance of provocation. You are expecting your father?" - -"Yes, I am surprised that I haven't heard from him." - -"Well, everything is more or less disorganized. Probably he will turn -up unexpectedly one day and take you away with him. All indications -point to the entrance of Turkey into the war. She has closed the -Dardanelles--an ominous sign. Wonckhaus put it about to-day that Paris -had fallen. I don't believe it, but the authorities are absolutely -hypnotized by the Germans, and Enver Pasha, their tool, seems to be -having it all his own way at Constantinople. I hope to get trustworthy -information through a courier shortly; I don't believe what they dole -out here. If Turkey does enter the war, I shall have to go, of course; -and if your father hasn't arrived by that time, you must come away under -my safe-conduct." - -On leaving the house the consul perceived that the Governor's order to -Frank was to be enforced: a sentry was already posted at the gate. He -returned for a final word. - -"It means that you are practically a prisoner," he said to Frank, "and -it will probably be inadvisable that I should be seen coming here. But -we can communicate through Joseph. I will make a formal report to our -ambassador at Constantinople, who may possibly make a peremptory demand -for your release, though while that unfortunate affair with Wonckhaus is -still _sub judice_ it may be difficult to move. But there's no need to -be uneasy." - -"That's all very well," replied Frank, "but my business is at an end, -and the sooner I can get away the better. I don't think I ought even to -wait for my father." - -"You must be as patient as you can. In the present state of affairs you -would never get your stock across country safely. I'll do all I can, -and keep you informed through Joseph how things are shaping." - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - RIGOUR - - -It was now the beginning of September. Frank had received no letters -from Europe for two or three weeks, nor the parcel of London newspapers -which he was accustomed to get by the weekly mail. He suspected that -this had been confiscated by the officials. All the news he heard was -that given out by the authorities, together with that which was brought -him by Joseph, who was in a position to learn more than was common -property. His father, Isaac Kopri, the contractor, included in his -business organization a private intelligence department. He got -important news as a rule long before the general public, and often -before the officials themselves. The value of his information of course -depended on its source, and his agents could only pass on what was -officially given out in the towns where they were stationed, and the -unofficial rumours that passed from mouth to mouth. Thus it happened -that, even five weeks after the outbreak of war, Frank knew next to -nothing of the actual course of events, and, if he had believed what was -reported, would have been wretched because Paris and Warsaw were in the -hands of the Germans, the British navy was annihilated, all the British -colonies in revolt, and London at the mercy of the enemy. - -One day, happily, Joseph brought in, hidden in the folds of his -garments, a number of London newspapers which had come into the hands of -his father. From these Frank learnt that though Belgium was occupied by -the Germans, their offensive had been checked in all quarters, and their -hope of an easy and a speedy triumph was shattered. What most deeply -interested him, however, was the news that Lord Kitchener was creating -an immense new army, the ranks of which were being rapidly filled by -volunteers from every class and section of the people. This did but -increase his eagerness to get away from Erzerum. He longed for the day -to come when he might hurry back to England and enlist in what promised -to be the first national army that Britain had put into the field since -the far-gone days when every citizen was a soldier as a matter of -course. - -Day by day it grew clearer from Joseph's reports that Germany would drag -Turkey into the war. Wonckhaus was constantly at the Governor's house; -the Governor's aides-de-camp were frequent visitors to Wonckhaus. The -9th Army Corps was being brought up to full strength, and German -officers were drilling the recruits. It was even announced that the -Governor himself would shortly be replaced by a German officer of high -rank. One morning Joseph announced that Wonckhaus had appeared in the -uniform of a major in the Turkish army; it had become known that in his -own country he had been a captain of Landwehr. The ostensible merchant -had been all along, it was clear, an agent of the German Government. - -Weeks passed, irksomely, drearily. No letter came from Mr. Forester. -Frank was never allowed to leave his house. Night and day a sentry -stood on guard. Frank could take exercise only in his yard and on his -roof. He did his best to keep himself in condition by means of -gymnastic practice, but he was becoming low-spirited and sick of his -life. Ideas of attempting escape often came to him, but were always -checked by the thought of his stock, worth several thousands of pounds, -which he felt he could not leave to be confiscated. To sell it was -impossible. In the present situation no one would buy it; if any one -were so rash as to purchase, he would probably be making a present of -his money and the goods to the Turkish officials. - -Frank's fears in this regard were confirmed by the news brought him one -day by Joseph. The _Goeben_ and the _Breslau_ had been attacking Russian -vessels in the Black Sea. War was certain. A matter that affected Frank -more closely was a conversation which Kopri had partially overheard -between the new German Governor and Wonckhaus. Frank's name had been -mentioned, in what connection Kopri, being ignorant of German, did not -know. But he suggested that the authorities were only awaiting a formal -declaration of war to seize the Foresters' stock, among other English -property. Wonckhaus was well aware of its value, and apart from its -usefulness in assisting the Turkish finances, Wonckhaus had a personal -grudge to pay off. - -This news set Frank in a ferment. Every other consideration was now -subordinated in his mind to the question of saving his stock. He was at -his wits' end. He consulted with Joseph, but Joseph seemed unable to -suggest any likely means. It was only at the end of a long conversation -that the Armenian sprang a surprise upon him. - -In Erzerum, owing to the constantly recurring troubles, the Armenians -have various hiding-places in which they secrete their valuables and -occasionally themselves. The whereabouts of these spots is jealously -guarded, and it was only when Frank had given up his problem in despair -that Joseph divulged a secret locked up in his breast. - -"Why on earth didn't you tell me this before?" demanded Frank with some -indignation. - -Joseph begged for forgiveness on the plea that the secret belonged to -his community, and he had his father's permission to reveal it only in -the last resort. - -"Well, send the servants out of the house on some errand or other, and -then show me the place." - -The house was an old one, which had played a part in the troubled -history of the city. When the servants had been disposed of, Joseph -took Frank to one of the lower rooms. The back wall was apparently -built against the solid hillside; but a sliding panel, cunningly -disguised, gave access to a narrow passage which bent abruptly to the -left. Groping his way through this for some distance at Joseph's heels, -Frank found himself in a small chamber about eight feet square. He -sniffed. - -"What is this smell of smoke?" he asked. - -"There is a narrow pipe running into the chimney next door," Joseph -replied. - -"Does Wonckhaus know of it?" asked Frank instantly. - -"It is not at all likely. Karamin, who owns this house, probably does -not know of it. If he does, he would not tell Wonckhaus. I should not -have told you but----" - -"Yes, yes; I understand. But this is capital. We can bring here the -most valuable part of our stock; it won't do to bring it all, for -Wonckhaus would suspect a hiding-place if he found all our things gone. -Come, let us do it at once." - -Together they worked for an hour or two in transporting the most -valuable rugs, including Mirza Aga's, to the secret chamber. When this -was done, and the panel replaced, Frank felt exultingly confident that -the inevitable search would completely baffle the enemy. - -He had not long to wait for confirmation of his faith. October dragged -away; on November 2 the streets were filled with excited people, -cheering the news that the British and Russian ambassadors had left -Constantinople. In anticipation of the outbreak of hostilities troops -had been for some days marching eastward and north-eastward towards the -Russian frontier and the Caucasus, deluded by their German officers into -the belief that Russia had withdrawn the greater part of her forces from -Transcaucasia to withstand the German onslaught on Poland, and that they -would have an easy task in recovering the ground lost in the war of -1878. - -On the same day, a Turkish officer with a file of men came to Frank's -house. Leaving the men at the door, he entered. - -"I regret, effendim," he said to Frank politely, "that I have orders to -arrest you and convey you to the citadel." - -"For what reason, and on what charge?" asked Frank. - -"Your country and mine are now at war, effendim. As an alien of -military age, you cannot remain at large. Besides, there is that matter -of blocking the road. The higher authorities at Stamboul have not yet -given their decision; but in the meantime the Governor deems it -necessary to imprison you. I assure you of my personal regret, and on -the Governor's part that your treatment shall be as mild as possible." - -Frank did not then know what mildness meant, as interpreted by German -military officers. The Turkish lieutenant's politeness and apologetic -manner prevented him from feeling any personal resentment at the moment. - -While he was gathering a few things together, Wonckhaus came in. The -German was so impatient to secure his booty, and possibly to enjoy the -spectacle of his victim's humiliation, that he had not waited for -Frank's departure. Accompanied by one of his clerks, he hastened to the -storeroom, and taking from his pocket a list of the stock, obtained -Frank knew not how, began to call over the items. - -"You take an inventory for the purpose of safeguarding my property and -returning it at the end of the war, I presume," said Frank to the Turk. - -"That I know nothing about," was the answer. "The Governor will no -doubt do everything in order. Are you ready, effendim?" - -"In a minute or two, if you don't mind waiting until Major Wonckhaus has -completed his task." - -Wonckhaus's voice could be heard from the storeroom. - -"The rug of Shiraz, 16 by 12. Where is that? Not here? And the -Khorassan rug of Mirza Aga. Not here? But it must be here. It has not -been sold. It has not been removed. Pull down that big Ispahan carpet; -it may be under that." - -A few minutes passed. Wonckhaus was growing furious. He uttered a -resounding German curse. - -"Come, we must search the house," he cried. - -He returned to the room where Frank stood, glared at him savagely, -glanced around, and assuring himself that the rugs on the floor were of -no great value, proceeded to a systematic search of the premises. He -ransacked every room, and went so far as to strip the roof of its turf. -But nowhere could he find the Khorassan rug of Mirza Aga, or several -other rugs representing some tens of thousands of German marks. - -Frank, in spite of his situation, was amused. Wonckhaus, he thought, -could hardly show his hand so completely as to demand information about -property which was in no way his concern, and his rage and air of -bafflement when he returned to the lower room was certainly comical to -witness. Frank's amusement would have been less if he could have -foreseen what the discrepancy between the actual stock and the list was -to cost him. - -Plunder was Wonckhaus's object, and, to Frank's surprise--he did not yet -know German shamelessness---Wonckhaus now made no secret of it. He went -to the office desk, wrenched it open--"He might at least have asked for -the key," thought Frank--and examined the stock book. He wheeled round. - -"The stock is short," he cried. "What have you done with the goods?" - -Frank looked at him with a smile, but said nothing. - -"Do you hear?" shouted Wonckhaus, the charm of manner which had won him -a certain popularity among the Europeans dropping from him like a -loosened garment. "What have you done with the goods?" - -Frank turned to the Turkish officer. - -"Major Wonckhaus is curious about my business," he said. "I have no -information to give." - -Wonckhaus blustered. He roared at Joseph, who had been standing silent -in the background. - -"You fellow, where are the rugs? What have you done with them?" - -"I am my master's servant," said Joseph quietly. - -"And your father's son!" cried the German. "You will tell me instantly -what I want to know, or you will find yourself laid by the heels, and -the army will have another contractor." - -Wonckhaus had lost his temper, or he would have reflected that a change -of contractors at this critical moment was out of the question. Joseph -was shrewd enough to perceive the emptiness of his threat, and merely -replied that he could say nothing without his master's orders. - -At this moment, while Wonckhaus was glaring with baffled rage at Frank -and his faithful clerk, a non-commissioned officer came in. - -"A message from the Governor, effendim," he said to the lieutenant. -"The Englishman is to be kept a prisoner in the upper storey of this -house, the lower storey will be occupied by his guards." - -To Frank this was very agreeable news. He had felt unhappy at the -prospect of being shut up in the common prison, or even in the soldiers' -prison at the citadel: Turkish jails are unsavoury places. In his own -house he would at least be able to keep clean. Moreover, he would then -be able, in a sense, to watch over his carpets. The hiding-place could -hardly be discovered without his hearing of it, and there would be a -certain satisfaction in knowing that his property was still safe, or, if -it were found, in learning definitely what had become of it. He -afterwards discovered that the change of plan was due to the British -consul, who had learnt of the order for his arrest when he applied for a -passport for him, and had obtained this indulgence from the Governor. - -Frank noticed that Wonckhaus also appeared to get some satisfaction from -the change. The German made no further attempt to obtain the -information he desired, and left the house. Frank was taken upstairs -and locked in his own bedroom. Joseph, however, was marched off by a -couple of the soldiers, and it was some few days before Frank learnt -what had become of him. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - TEMPTATION - - -Frank felt that while things might have been worse, they were quite bad -enough. The ostensible reason of his imprisonment being that he was of -military age, he foresaw the possibility of his remaining a prisoner -until the end of the war--perhaps a year, for while he had a great -respect for Germany's military power, he did not think it likely that -she could withstand the forces of the Triple Entente for more than -twelve months. - -At first he had no great hardship to endure. His own servants had been -dismissed, but he had been given as personal attendant an old Arab named -Hussein who combined the natural courtesy of his race with another -Eastern characteristic--a keen appetite for bakshish. Frank had been -allowed to keep his ready money, and was thus able to purchase many -comforts to supplement the prisoner's fare supplied him. Hussein, of -course, made a handsome profit out of every transaction in which he was -thus employed, and Frank soon saw the necessity of self-restraint, for -money would not last for ever, and there was no chance of obtaining -more. - -Hussein was talkative and intelligent, always polite, and, Frank -suspected, sly. It was from him that Frank learnt, after a few days, -that Joseph had been released from the common jail and had left the -town. The Turks were straining every nerve to collect supplies for -their campaign in the Caucasus, and Joseph's father the contractor was -too useful a man to be alienated. It was not long before Frank had proof -of Hussein's slyness. - -"The days are getting colder, effendim," he said one day. "There was -snow in the night." - -"Very uncomfortable for the army," said Frank. - -"True. Our winter is very long, very bitter. It is not so in your -country, effendim?" - -"Not so bitter, perhaps, but quite as long as we like it." - -"Wallahy! This country is not a healthy place for Englishmen in the -winter. Hundreds of them have left Turkey, so it is told me. Of a -truth Turkey is not a healthy place for them now! A pity you are not -gone too, effendim." - -"Well, I am certainly not here by my own wish." - -"A wish is the father of an action, effendim. You have but to wish, -and----" - -"What are you driving at?" said Frank as the Arab paused. - -"There was a man of Trebizond who being falsely accused and unjustly -cast into prison, nevertheless after taking thought confessed with tears -that he was guilty of that crime; whereupon the heart of his jailer was -softened and his hand was opened to receive the slight gifts that were -the tokens of the prisoner's repentance, and within a little that man -was free, and able to sin again or to lead a virtuous life as so pleased -him." - -"A parable, Hussein?" said Frank with a smile. - -"For the ears of the wise, effendim. Wallahy! what are a man's goods in -comparison with his freedom?" - -"Which being interpreted means that you will let me go in exchange for -what you call a few slight gifts?" - -"Truly such gifts, here a little, there a little, will unlock prison -doors and unbar city gates. But there is first one small matter, and -that is that you breathe in my ear the nook where those few paltry rugs -lie hid. Wallahy! what are a few threads of wool against the open road -and the boundless sky?" - -"Oho, friend Hussein! I must contrive a double debt to pay, is that it? -The pipe sings sweetly when the fowler is snaring a bird, but this -particular bird, I assure you, is not to be snared. You will waste your -breath, Hussein." - -"Allah is great!" said the Arab, as he made the salam and left the room. - -A few days passed. Frank noticed that there was a slight deterioration -in the quality of his food. Then one morning he had a visit from -Wonckhaus. - -"Good-morning, Mr. Forester," said the German pleasantly. "What an -unfortunate thing this is!" - -Frank made no answer. After a pause the German went on: - -"We have been rivals in business, and now, through an unfortunate -misunderstanding between our Governments, we are enemies. But the -enmity is official, not personal, I assure you. We have crossed each -other in business, but business men do not quarrel. And there is one -circumstance that should make us friends. After all, you and I are -Europeans among Orientals; that is a bond between us; and you will not -take amiss advice honestly given by one European to another. You may -not credit it" (Frank didn't), "but up to the present I have stood -between the Turks and you. But for me your life would not have been -worth a snap. Now I am about to leave the city for the front. The -Turkish army, led by German officers, is about to deal a smashing blow -to the barbarous Russians in the Caucasus, and to occupy Batum. Before -I leave, it would give me great pleasure to see you in a safer position. -It merely needs the exercise of your capital English principle of -give-and-take. Why not disclose the whereabouts of your useless stock? -In return, I would contrive that you should be sent to Constantinople -and ultimately released." - -Frank did not speak. His fingers were drumming on the table, his eyes -fixed on the German's. - -"I merely drop you a friendly hint," Wonckhaus resumed. "Things are -looking very serious. The Turks are making a beginning with the -Armenians: when the appetite for blood is whetted, they may easily fail -to discriminate between Armenians and other enemies. You will not -forget that you are in a very remote place. Erzerum is not -Constantinople. Take a friend's advice and get back to civilisation. I -will act as a go-between. If you will confide in me, I will make your -peace with the Turks." - -"What guarantee do you offer?" asked Frank, opening his lips at last. - -"My word; you will not require more; the word of a German and an -officer." - -"But surely, Herr Wonckhaus, unless I am mistaken your word has not -hitherto been accepted even by your allies the Turks. Pardon me for -asking what has happened to give it value." - -"You insult me!" snapped the German. - -"Really I don't think so; I merely state a fact. You offer me something -of no value as security for something of considerable value. That is -not a business proposition." - -Wonckhaus, stung as much by Frank's scornful tone as by his words, -flushed darkly, and took a step forward, laying his hand on his sword. - -"You English swine!" he cried. "You dare to insult me--me, an officer -of the Kaiser?" - -Frank had sprung up, and seized the handiest weapon available--a small -three-legged stool. Keeping the table between himself and the German, -he grasped the stool by one leg, and said: - -"Keep your distance!" - -Wonckhaus, whether daunted by Frank's threatening attitude or for some -reason of policy, stood still, glaring venomously. Then he banged his -half-drawn sword into its scabbard, and swung round. At the door he -turned suddenly. - -"Before your English carcase is flung to the dogs of Erzerum," he -sputtered, "you will have time to--to repent your insolence." - -He swung round again, slammed the door behind him, ordered Hussein -outside to lock it, and clattered down the steps. - -Frank dropped the stool and sat down, smiling at the feeble end of the -German's explosive sentence. But the smile soon passed. His English -spirit would not allow him to be cowed by Wonckhaus's threat, but -remembering his isolated situation he could not help feeling uneasy. It -was well for his peace of mind that he was not aware of what German -frightfulness had already accomplished in Belgium. - -It was not long before he began to feel the effects of Wonckhaus's -malice. The cold weather had set in, and the Armenian winter is -excessively cold. His apartment had been warmed by a nargal or charcoal -stove. This was not replenished. - -"The fire has gone out," he said to the Arab, when he brought his -dinner. - -"Fuel is very dear, effendim." - -"I have still some money; I will pay." - -"It cannot be bought, effendim. It is all required for the troops, who -are slaying tens of thousands of Russians in the bleak mountains." - -"Buy me some blankets, then." - -"That also is impossible, effendim. Our brave soldiers need all the -blankets in the frosty heights. Why does not your nobility send for -those wasted rugs?" - -The man's sly look made Frank itch to thrash him. It was clear from his -manner that he was acting under instructions. Frank noticed, too, that -his food was being reduced in quantity as well as poorer in quality, and -suspected that this was directly due to Wonckhaus; the Turks as a rule -do not treat their prisoners inhumanely. More than once he had thought -of trying to escape, and with his increasing hardships his mind recurred -to it again and again. To get out of the building might not be very -difficult; Orientals are notoriously slack in guard; the lock of his -room might be forced, and the soldiers in the rooms below evaded. But -then the real difficulties would begin. He would be recognised in the -streets as a European; even before he could reach the walls discovery -and arrest were certain. Escape was impossible without assistance from -outside, and he had no means of communicating with friends, nor was it -probable that any European friends remained in the town. - -Tortured by cold and hunger, Frank spent the most wretched month of his -life during December. Strong though he was in constitution, he felt -that he was growing weaker. For a time he tried to keep himself in -condition by daily physical exercises; but insufficient food and lack of -fresh air--he was allowed to mount to the roof for an hour a -day--gradually reduced his energy. There was nothing to alleviate the -tedium of his imprisonment: no newspapers, no books, nothing to occupy -his mind. He was often tempted to purchase his freedom by surrendering -his secret; but his native resolution and the mental picture of -Wonckhaus's triumph kept him steadfast. And it was no ordinary will -that could have withstood day after day Hussein's sly reminders of how -easy it would be to command all the comforts he lacked. - -One day early in January he heard unusual sounds on the staircase--a -series of heavy clumping blows slowly ascending towards his room. The -door opened, and Wonckhaus hobbled in on a crutch, assisted by an -orderly, who stood in the doorway as if on guard, motionless, with -expressionless face. The German looked pale and worn. He was swathed in -heavy furs. - -"I had not thought to revisit you so soon, Mr. Forester," he said, "but -a Russian bullet has enforced me to return to the city for a short time, -and I felt bound to see how you were faring." - -Frank was silent; he was, in fact, amazed that Wonckhaus should have -cared to show his face again after what had passed at their last -interview. "The Germans must have uncommonly tough hides," he thought. - -"Is there anything I can do for your comfort?" Wonckhaus continued. -"You are not looking very well. I have some influence, a very little, -with the Turks." - -The German's manner was so subdued, his tone so courteous, that Frank -wondered whether after all he had misjudged him. Perhaps he had been -over hasty; perhaps there was some decent feeling in the man, which his -own uncompromising attitude had prevented from showing itself before. - -"I want warmth and good food," he said. - -"Not warm enough?" exclaimed Wonckhaus. "Yet it does not appear cold. -Indeed, I am too warm." He unloosed his fur coat. "And food, too; why, -what do they give you?" - -Frank saw that the German was playing with him. In a revulsion of -feeling he flushed hotly, and was about to give utterance to his -thoughts, but he restrained himself with an effort and remained silent. - -"Call Hussein," said Wonckhaus to the orderly, whom Frank had seen -without observing. - -The Arab entered. The orderly followed him, and stood in the -background. Frank just glanced at him, and was surprised to see him -raise a finger to his lips, then drop his hand quickly and stand -motionless as before, looking, however, hard at Frank. Wonckhaus and -the Arab had turned towards each other, or they might have noticed the -slight start and the enquiring glance into which Frank had been -surprised by the orderly's movement. - -"The effendi complains of his food," said Wonckhaus. "What does he -get?" - -While Hussein, with a look of sly enjoyment, was retailing the list of -the meagre rations supplied, the orderly drew from his tunic a watch, -apparently of cheap European or American make. He did not look at it, -but held it up, then glanced at the window in the wall above his head on -the left. Wonckhaus, following Frank's eyes, turned round. The orderly -was affecting to look at the time. - -"You surprise me, Hussein," said the German. "The diet is more than -liberal. How often during the past month should I and my brave men have -been grateful for such rations! Ah! these luxurious English! They have -lived on the fat of the land. And what is the result? They are -degenerate; they have fed the body and starved the mind. They are -learning their mistake. That will do, Hussein." - -The Arab left the room. The orderly returned the watch to his pocket, -holding it significantly suspended by the chain for a moment. Then he -stared straight in front of him, unintelligent, impassive. - -"Well now, Mr. Forester," said Wonckhaus, "the lot of a prisoner can -never be quite comfortable, though it is preferable to the hard lot of -the fighting man. If you feel discomfort, the remedy is in your own -hands. I need not repeat the explanations which you received so -churlishly at our last meeting. I will give you another week for -reflection. At the end of that time--well, we shall see!" - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - A LEAP IN THE DARK - - -"What does it mean?" thought Frank, once more alone. - -The German's orderly, it was clear, had signalled to him. Who was the -man? What message had he intended to convey? From whom was the message? - -Frank had at first hardly noticed the man. Even when his attention was -attracted, he had observed the man's actions rather than the man -himself. He did not recognise him. The man was young; he wore the -ordinary uniform of the Turkish soldier; whether he was a pure Turk, or -an Armenian, or an Anatolian, or a member of any other of the races that -are represented in the Turkish army, Frank could not tell. Whoever he -was, the one plain fact was that he was a friend, and it was remarkable -enough that a friend should have appeared in company with Wonckhaus. - -What did he mean by his stealthy manoeuvres with the watch? Frank -remembered how the man had glanced from the watch to the window. Did he -suggest a connection between them? Almost unconsciously Frank took out -his own watch and noted the time; then he replaced it in his pocket, -looking absent-mindedly at the window. And then an explanation flashed -upon him. The messenger, or his employer, knew English. He knew it well -enough to play upon words. "Watch the window!" That must be the -message. - -Frank got up and paced the room. - -"There's somebody working for me outside," he thought. "Very likely -Joseph. Though I never knew Joseph to make a pun. Still, he does know a -little English. But why should I watch the window?" - -He stood beneath it, and looked at the small square frame, scarcely -larger than a ship's porthole. It might be just possible to squeeze -through it. Did his friend, whoever he was, intend that he should -escape that way? Would he find a ladder placed against the wall? Such -an escape would be possible only on some dark night, and what was the -good of watching the window in the dark? Besides, with soldiers in the -lower rooms, was it possible to place a ladder so silently as not to -arouse their attention? If it were possible, would not his movements be -seen at least by some prowling dog, whose barks would give the alarm? - -Frank was puzzled. As he walked up and down, his head was constantly -turned towards the window; it seemed as though he dared not take his -eyes from it for a moment, lest in that moment he should miss the chance -of release. When night came, he threw himself on his bed, and lay for -hours wakeful, gazing in the one direction. No light was allowed him. -He looked up at the stars until they appeared to dance, and his eyes -ached with following their fantastic movements. That night he scarcely -slept. If he found himself dozing, he would rouse himself with a start, -and stare again at that spot in the wall which was only distinguishable -from the blank spaces about it by the winking stars. - -Next day it was the same. Worn and nervous, whether he sat or walked, -even when Hussein brought him his meals, he stared at the window. The -Arab noticed the fixity of his gaze, and told the soldiers downstairs -that the Ingliz would soon go out of his mind. And indeed, when two -days and a night had passed, and nothing had appeared at the blank pane, -Frank himself felt that suspense and the strain of watching would drive -him mad. - -On the night of the second day, just after dark, when Frank for the sake -of warmth was lying beneath the bedclothes, wakeful and hopeless, he was -suddenly startled by an unusual sound--a slight tapping, like the -flapping of a blind-cord against glass. His heart was thumping as he -sprang out of bed and ran to the window. It was too dark to see -anything, but there was unmistakably an object of some kind lightly -striking the glass at irregular intervals. Excited with expectation, he -mounted on the stool and reaching up for the fastening of the casement, -slowly and cautiously, to avoid noise, he undid the rusty latch, and -drew the casement inwards. The blast of inrushing air was bitterly -cold. He thrust out his hand, moving it from side to side, but felt -nothing. - -At this moment he heard heavy footsteps clumping up the stairs that led -past his room to the roof. He closed the window, though the sound had -not surprised him: it was only the men going up to fetch the sheep which -were taken up every morning to graze on the turf-covered roof, and -brought down every night. He heard the footsteps coming down: then all -was silent again. - -Shivering with cold, Frank had remained at the window. Would the signal -be repeated? It seemed hours before he again heard the flapping. Once -more he opened the window, and now his groping fingers touched a thin -cord hanging from above. He caught it and pulled it in eagerly. -Presently he grasped a stout rope attached to the cord. He drew in a few -feet of it, and then could draw no more. The rope was taut. On the -roof some ten feet above some one held or had fastened this rope for his -deliverance. - -It was clear that the next move was with him. He was expected to emerge -through the window and climb up the rope to the roof. The window was so -high in the wall that he could only reach it by standing on the table. -Swiftly he moved this to the spot, wondering whether after all the -window was wide enough for his body. And when he stood on the table, -preparing to make the attempt, he paused with a sudden dread. Who were -these people outside? Were they indeed friends? Was it a trick on the -part of Wonckhaus, who had laid this trap for him, so that he might have -an excuse for removing an insecure prisoner to the common jail? But on -second thoughts he dismissed the suspicion. Wonckhaus had no need of -trickery if he wished to increase the rigour of Frank's imprisonment. -"I'll risk it," he murmured. - -And now his difficulties began. Inside, the window had only a narrow -ledge; outside, it was flush with the wall: there was no sill. When -once he had got through, there was no possibility of returning; but to -get through--that was the problem. There was no secure foothold after -he left the table; the window was too low for him to stand upright on -the ledge, or even to sit on it. He would have to haul himself out by -main strength. - -He placed his chair on the table, and standing on that, found that his -head was now higher than the top of the window. Then he stooped, put his -head out, braced himself for the effort, and taking a grip on the rope -as high above his head as he could, he lifted his feet and threw his -whole weight on it. For a moment it yielded slightly, but then became -taut again. Then he got his knees on the ledge, rested a few seconds, -grasped the rope a little higher, and managed to drag his legs out so -that he swung clear. - -At this critical moment his energy was almost paralysed by the fear of -falling. The roof was only ten or twelve feet above him, and a few -months before he would have made light of swarming up a rope of double -that length. It was only now, when he was committed to the enterprise -beyond recall, that he realised how his strength had been reduced by -privation and want of exercise. But exerting his will to the utmost, he -began to haul himself up hand over hand. Bits of earth struck him, and -thudded on the ground below. The fear that the sound would bring the -soldiers out made him try to climb faster; but finding his strength -failing, he twisted his leg round the rope and steadied himself for a -further effort. More material fell from above, and struck the ground -with a heavier thud. Sounds from the lower floor warned him that the -men's attention had been aroused, and he climbed on, ascending by slow -and painful inches. In spite of himself he was forced to rest again, -but the support his legs gained from the rope was not sufficient to -relieve the strain on his arms, and he had almost given himself up for -lost when he felt the rope being slowly drawn up. Too weak to climb -further, he could only grip the rope and ascend passively, bumping -against the wall and scoring his knuckles. - -Below him there were voices, of which he was hardly conscious, so -intense was the strain. Then there was a flash upward from an electric -torch, and a shout. He felt that his grip was loosening; he was at the -point of despair when his wrist was grasped from above. The touch -braced him for a final effort; his other wrist was gripped, and next -moment he was dragged by main force over the low parapet on to the roof, -just as a shot rang out. - -[Illustration: AT THE POINT OF DESPAIR] - -Half fainting, he was hauled to his feet, and half carried, half dragged -across the turf towards the hillside sloping behind. Up this his -rescuers stumbled with him until they reached a narrow track beyond -Wonckhaus's house. They heard shouts on the roof they had just left, -from the ground below, dogs barking, sounds of growing commotion. The -darkness concealed them; their flight was favoured by the clamour. On -and on they stumbled, the two rescuers finding their way like cats in -the darkness. The shouts became fainter. They moderated their pace, and -in a few minutes came to an open doorway. Into this they dived. The -door closed silently behind them, and Frank sank in the swoon of -exhaustion. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - A REHEARSAL - - -It was two days later. - -On the slope of the hill, not a stone's throw from the house where -Hermann Wonckhaus was nursing his wounded leg and meditating on carpets, -was a modest dwelling, huddled among more pretentious buildings, and so -inconspicuous that a passer would hardly have thought it worth while to -wonder who lived there. At the rear of this house, hollowed out of the -hillside, was a small dark chamber with neither door nor window. Any -person who might have been brought there in a state of unconsciousness -would have supposed, on waking, that he was sealed up within four walls -from which he could not escape. - -On this particular day three men were in the room, one elderly, the -others young. A small oil lamp placed on a wall bracket gave a dim -light, and the air was oppressive with staleness and the flavour of -smoke. It was not a place where one would have desired to remain long, -but its three occupants had chosen it as the scene of a somewhat -important rehearsal. - -The elderly man was Isaac Kopri, the astute and capable Armenian -contractor to the Turkish army in Erzerum. One of the youths was his -son Joseph. The second was to all appearance one of those humble -Armenians who are employed in driving caravan horses from the Persian -frontier to Erzerum and thence to the Black Sea port of Trebizond. He -stood at one end of the room, facing his companions at the wall -opposite. - -Kopri stepped forward, and, speaking in Turkish, asked sharply: - -"Who are you?" - -"I am your servant, effendim," replied the young man, "Reuben Donessa, -the son of Aaron of the Five Wells." - -"Where do you come from?" - -"From Bashkala, effendim." - -"How old are you?" - -"Truly I know not, effendim, but my years may be nineteen or twenty." - -"Why are you not in the army?" - -"Because it is the will of Allah and the noble governor that I should be -dispensed from the war service of the Illustrious." - -"Where is your paper?" - -"Behold it, effendim." - -He took from the breast of his shaggy tunic a dirty crumpled paper, -which Kopri took and read aloud. It set forth the style and titles of -the Sultan, then those of his deputy the governor of Erzerum, and -finally declared: "Certifies that the bearer, Reuben Donessa, is -employed in the service of Isaac Kopri, contractor to the army of the -Commander of the Faithful." - -"Isaac Kopri should employ older men, but your paper is in order. You -may go." - -"Peace be with you, effendim." - -"Very good, very good," said Kopri, handing back the paper. "But you -must pitch your voice a little higher. Joseph, say 'I am your humble -servant, effendim.'" - -Joseph repeated the words. - -"That is the tone, mark you," said his father. "Now we will go through -it again." - -The dialogue was repeated, the driver, who seemed somewhat amused at the -gravity of the others, imitating Joseph's reedy intonation. - -"That is better," said Kopri at its conclusion. "But remember, -effendim, tone and accent are not everything. You must bow, and stand -humbly, and cast down your eyes, not look forthright into the eyes of -your questioner when you answer him. We Armenians have been oppressed -for five hundred years. We move meekly on the face of the earth. You -Englishmen bear yourselves differently. You walk and stand as if you -were the lords of the world. If you would pass for an Armenian you must -remember that in the eyes of the Turk you are less than the smallest -grain of dust. Keep that in mind, and all will be well." - -Frank smiled as he made a humble salam. - -"How will that do?" he asked. - -"Very good, very good--with a little more crook in the knees. And now I -will explain my plan." - -Frank had been rescued by Joseph with the help of Ali, the faithful -Kurd, and brought to this secret chamber in the obscure house, from -which it was entered by a passage beneath the floor. His escape had -raised a commotion in the town. Search had been made for him in all -directions until Kopri started a rumour that he had bribed Kurds to pass -him through Kurdistan into Persia. Wonckhaus was furious, and had -promised a high reward to any one who captured the fugitive. - -When Joseph was released, in the early days of Frank's imprisonment, his -father thought it politic that he should leave the town, and had taken -him away on one of his business journeys into the country. Then, fearing -that the Armenians were about to suffer in one of the wholesale -massacres which break forth in times of disturbance, Kopri had sent all -his family to Constantinople, where they would be for a time, at least, -safer than in Erzerum, and whence they might in case of need slip across -the frontier into Bulgaria or Greece. He himself had the protection of -the military authorities, but this might fail him at any moment; indeed, -he had already been forced to part with some of his profits in the way -of war contributions. - -Having thus disposed of his family, Kopri was now intending to join -them. The Turkish army in the Caucasus was hard pressed by the -Russians, and in great need of supplies. With the ostensible purpose of -fetching provisions, Kopri was arranging to take a large number of mules -to Trebizond, to await his return from Constantinople. Most of the mules -were already on the road. He would follow at the tail end of the -caravan, which was in charge of a few specially trusty men, and his plan -was that Frank and Joseph should slip out of the city by night, and join -him at Ilija, a village at the foot of the hills to the west. - -Kopri was well aware of the risks he was running in assisting the -Englishman's escape. But Mr. Forester was an old friend of his, and -learning in Constantinople that the merchant, on his return there, had -been greatly distressed at being unable to communicate with his son, he -had willingly yielded to Joseph's entreaty that they should attempt to -rescue Frank. He remembered also how Frank had run risks in defending -his house from the mob. Mr. Forester had of course left Constantinople -with other British residents at the outbreak of war, but he had left -word that he should not travel farther than Malta, where he would remain -until he had news of Frank. - -The arrangements having been thoroughly discussed, Kopri left the house, -where his son was to stay with Frank until nightfall. As soon as it was -dark, the two slipped out, and crossing roofs, threading alley ways, -stealing over gardens, they came at length to the ramparts of the city. -The old walls, defended by sixty-two towers, had long been demolished -and replaced by mounds of earth with ditches. Guns were mounted at -intervals, and the four gates were closely guarded by sentinels; but -between them there were many spots where discreet persons might scale -the ramparts, and at one of these an Armenian servant of Kopri's was -awaiting the fugitives, with a rope by which to let them down on the -outer side. - -They had taken the precaution to wear white garments, so that dark -figures should not show against the snow that covered the ground. -Safely over the ramparts, they hurried by a roundabout route across the -snow-clad plain, and near midnight arrived at Ilija, where they found -Kopri in a small inn with five muleteers. Here they rested for the -night. Next morning they started as soon as it was light. - -Few would have recognised Frank in the rough garb of a muleteer. Nor -was he so pale as might have been expected after months of confinement -and privation. Joseph had utilised the two days of hiding to effect a -transformation in his master's complexion. He had lightly stained his -face, hair, arms, and the upper part of his body. There must be no -tell-tale patches to rouse suspicion. And with his dark skin and rough -dirty clothes Frank bore little likeness to the well-dressed fair -Englishman for whom Wonckhaus's emissaries had sought high and low. - -For ten days the caravan marched over plain and hill, on a road on which -the snow had been beaten down and hardened by the passage of many -travellers. The mules were laden with articles of merchandise for -Constantinople, including a number of carpets in rough bundles. Frank -was in charge of one of these bundles. - -Scarcely anything broke the slow monotony of the journey. Here they -would meet a line of bullock-carts, groaning and creaking under loads of -uniforms and equipment for the Caucasian army. Then would come a long -string of shaggy Bactrian camels, padding noiselessly along with their -drivers in sheepskin caps marching at the side. Once they met a family -of turbaned Moslems on horseback, sitting astride their overhanging -mattresses, from which hung a jangling cluster of cooking-pots. Sturdy -Armenian peasants on foot, Kurdish horsemen, a regiment of infantry for -whose passage the mules had to leave the beaten road for the soft snow -at the sides, formed part of the traffic which the caravan encountered -from time to time. - -The journey imposed a considerable strain on Frank, weakened by his -imprisonment. But he had a good constitution, and it was gradually -re-established by the keen air, and the plentiful food which was -obtained at the khans en route. And when, on the afternoon of the tenth -day after leaving Erzerum, the caravan defiled into the streets of -Trebizond, he was conscious of having recovered something of his old -vigour, and refreshed by the sight of the sea on whose waters he would -soon be borne to Constantinople. But, not having the gift of second -sight, he was far from imagining the strange and perilous adventures -into which he was shortly to be plunged. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - A BRITISH SHELL - - -The caravan jostled its way through the crowded streets of Trebizond -towards the landing-place. The port was in a state of exceeding -liveliness. Ships were loading and unloading in the harbour; caravans -were starting for the interior; and throngs of people of various -nationalities made kaleidoscopic patterns as they moved about in dresses -of every hue, the Persians conspicuous by their high black caps and long -green robes reaching to the ankles. - -Kopri's mule train was directed towards a small coasting steamer, lying -alongside the quay, in which the contractor was a part owner. She had -arrived the previous day with arms and ammunition from Constantinople, -and was to leave again that night on her return voyage, which would be -interrupted only by a call at Sinope to take in coal. Large crates of -her recently unshipped cargo lay on the quay, awaiting transport, and -though most of them were covered with tarpaulins, Frank noticed that -many bore German marks. Having given orders for the stowment of his -cargo, Kopri went to an inn overlooking the bay to pick up what news was -bruited. He left Joseph in charge, and recommended that Frank should go -on board, ostensibly as shipping clerk, so as to be out of harm's way. -The perishable merchandise was quickly stowed away below; the bales of -carpets strewed the deck. - -When the contractor returned some hours later, he said that Trebizond -was greatly excited by a report that British and French warships had -begun to bombard the forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles. It was -said, too, that Russian torpedo boats had been seen outside the harbour, -and the harbour-master had refused to allow the vessel to leave that -night. Frank wondered whether he had escaped from the hands of Turkish -officers only to fall a victim to a Russian gun. He remained on board -all night, looking forward with more interest than uneasiness to what -next day might bring forth. - -Early in the morning the skipper was about to cast off when a messenger -came up from the military authorities ordering the vessel to await the -arrival of an important passenger. Kopri was irked by the delay, and -had worked himself up into a state of nervous agitation when, after the -lapse of nearly two hours, the passenger arrived. And then his -nervousness almost betrayed him: the passenger was Hermann Wonckhaus. He -had discarded his crutch, but walked stiffly over the gangway, and at -once demanded that the captain's cabin should be given him. Frank was -standing by the forecastle when the German came on board, and he -instantly turned his back on him. He felt that his disguise was not so -complete as that Wonckhaus would not recognise him, and wished that he -had aged his appearance by the addition of a beard. When the steamer put -out to sea, he was careful to keep out of the German's sight, which was -the less difficult because they were naturally in different parts of the -vessel, and under the brisk north wind the sea was sufficiently choppy -to keep Wonckhaus in his cabin, prostrate with sickness. He did not -reappear until they had left Sinope with their cargo of coal, and then -he urged the skipper to hug the shore as closely as possible and to make -all speed for Constantinople: seasickness and the dread of a Russian -attack had made him nervous. The breeze had moderated, and Frank from a -safe coign of vantage watched Wonckhaus pacing the deck in conversation -with Kopri. Presently the German sat down to rest on one of the bales -of carpet, and Frank's heart leapt to his mouth: the bale thus -unwittingly chosen for a seat was Mirza Aga's rug. Kopri moved away to -speak to the skipper, and Wonckhaus, left alone, began by force of -commercial habit to peer at the bales by which he was surrounded. He -lifted the covering of one at his right hand, and was stooping to -examine the one on which he was sitting, when Joseph, hovering near, -suddenly gave a shout and pointed excitedly seaward. Wonckhaus sprang up -and went to the side, with the skipper, Kopri, and some of the crew. - -"A dark speck on the skyline," cried Joseph, with outstretched finger. - -The group peered anxiously across the watery expanse; the skipper raised -his telescope. - -"Where? Where?" cried Wonckhaus, hastily unstrapping his field-glasses. - -Joseph only pointed. Nothing could be seen. They continued to gaze for -some minutes, and then the skipper declared that Joseph must have been -mistaken. The false alarm had effectually diverted Wonckhaus's -attention from the carpets. He remained at the side, sweeping the -horizon every now and then with his glasses, and he even ordered his -meals to be brought him on deck, lest if he went below the dreaded -warships should heave in sight. Joseph's quick wit had once more served -his master well. - -It was a sunny afternoon when the vessel steamed between the well-wooded -shores of the entrance to the Bosporus. To Frank the scene was too -familiar to hold any fresh charm; but his interest was quickened when he -noticed the long low shapes of the _Goeben_ and the _Breslau_ at anchor -in the strait. There were signs of repairing work proceeding on the -former. Wonckhaus, who had now recovered his courage, talked to Kopri -about the vessels with swelling pride, while Joseph superintended the -rolling of the carpets to the side in preparation for unloading. Frank -was not quite easy in mind until Wonckhaus had crossed the gangway and -disappeared among the crowd on the quay. - -The cargo was unloaded, Kopri undertaking to convey the precious carpet -to a place of security. Frank remained on board until the contractor -should return with information that might guide his future course. That -information was not reassuring. The British residents who had not been -able to get away from Constantinople in November were more or less under -arrest. For the present Frank must remain an Armenian. And since Kopri -had been ordered, instead of returning to Trebizond, to take on some -heavy crates and proceed at once to Panderma and Gallipoli, it seemed -better that he should remain on the vessel until she reached the latter -place, and then seek an opportunity of getting into Greece or Bulgaria. - -The new cargo was brought on board without delay. It consisted of heavy -cases, which Kopri surmised to contain ammunition, and quantities of -food stuffs for Gallipoli, whither troops were being despatched in all -haste both by land and sea. Several German and Turkish officers came -aboard when the cargo had been stowed, and Frank was annoyed and -somewhat alarmed to see that Wonckhaus was among them. It was irksome -to him to be continually on the watch, dodging the German. - -The vessel ran down the Sea of Marmora to Panderma, the terminus of the -Smyrna railway, where some of the officers disembarked with the heavy -cases. Frank was on deck when these were swung out of the hold. As one -of them was in mid-air the tackle broke, and the case fell heavily on to -the quay, striking its edge. In spite of the iron bands that held it -together it broke open, and one of the Turkish officers ordered Frank -among others standing by to run over and try to put it together. The -break disclosed the top of the periscope of a submarine. Frank had time -to notice the label of the case: it was addressed "Adramyti." But he -saw no more, for a German captain rushed up in a rage, drove off the -crowd that was gathering, peremptorily ordered the crew to return to the -ship, and hurled volleys of abuse at the men in charge of the crane. - -The vessel cast off the same evening and arrived at Gallipoli soon after -dawn. It had hardly come to its moorings when the air vibrated with a -heavy boom. A big gun had started work far away. Every half-minute, as -it seemed, during the unloading of the vessel, the booming sound was -repeated, and Frank thrilled with excitement at the bombardment neither -the source nor the effects of which he was able to see. - -When the cargo had been removed, he went on shore with Joseph, and -wandered about the beach, discussing the past and the future. It was -now noon, the sun was bright, and Frank was debating whether to go for a -swim in spite of the cold breeze when a slight buzzing in the air caused -him to look up. For some minutes he saw nothing in the cloudless sky, -though the sound increased; but presently he caught sight of a speck far -aloft, moving in a line that would soon bring it straight overhead. - -It enlarged, soaring on like some strange bird. - -"One of our aeroplanes," said Frank. - -"Where shall we run?" asked Joseph, alarmed. - -"We had better not run at all. It may be only scouting, not out for -dropping bombs: and if it does drop a bomb, it will be on the wharves. -We are safer here on the open beach." - -"But he might aim at the wharves and hit us," Joseph protested. - -"I think better of our men," replied Frank with a smile; "but to please -you, we'll get away into that pocket in the cliffs yonder." - -They hastened across the beach to the left. At the same moment the -aeroplane slightly changed its course and seemed to be following them. -Joseph in a panic darted to the right. Frank stood still, watching the -droning machine with a curious interest devoid of fear. It passed -overhead, at the rate of an express train. Joseph was moving back -slowly when a long wail came down the sky. Next moment there was a -crash. Joseph flung himself face downward on the sand. Frank had jumped -a little, but his gaze had passed downward from the aeroplane to the -wharf. A huge column of smoke, dust, splinters of wood had risen just -at the end of the landing-place. Men were running about in all -directions, horses and mules were galloping, maddened oxen were -lumbering away with heavy-laden wagons; and the humming bird soared on -serenely. - -When the agitation was stilled and order restored, Kopri beckoned up the -two young men. - -"I have now a little leisure, effendim," he said to Frank. "I propose -to take you to the house of a good friend of mine, on the cliff yonder -overlooking the plain. He is a man of my race, and with him you may -dwell in safety until such time as your future course is made clear." - -He led the way up through the pleasant little town. The streets were -thronged with Turkish soldiers in ill-fitting uniforms. The town was -the base of the army operating farther down the peninsula, and -accommodated the headquarters staff. Among the numerous officers Frank -noticed several Germans. From the heights he had a good view of the -bay, in which lay a dozen transports, while caiques, with cases of -ammunition bulging over their high sides, were passing to and fro -between the European and the Asiatic shores. - -Kopri halted at a little house at almost the highest point of the town. -On being admitted, he was met by a patriarchal Armenian named Benidin, a -merchant of standing, to whom he introduced Frank under his own name. -The old man was greatly perturbed on learning that his visitor was an -Englishman. - -"My friend," he said to Kopri, "it is not well, that which you have -done. The town is not safe, even for me. Already I have sent my family -away; at any moment I may have to flee for my life, and if it is -discovered that an Englishman lodges with me, my days are numbered. The -town swarms with spies. Every man is spying on his neighbour. It will -be far better for your friend, and for me also, if he returns in your -vessel to Constantinople, and makes his way thence to the Bulgarian -frontier." - -The old man's distress was so patent that Frank at once assented to his -suggestion. - -"It is not fair to involve you in my troubles," he said. "I will leave -at once." - -"It will be two or three days before I can take you back," said Kopri. -"I am ordered to go on to Chanak with ammunition for the forts. Benidin -will perhaps give you shelter until I return." - -"I will do so much for you, Kopri, in the name of our old friendship," -said the merchant after some hesitation. "If the English gentleman will -remain strictly within doors, he shall be my honoured guest. That must -be the firm condition. And I pray that your return be speedy, Kopri, -for I know not that I shall be safe even for two days. There came -yesterday from Stamboul a large reinforcement of Kurds, who being -hillmen will be useful to the army in the heights. You know them, my -friend. At any moment the blood passion may burst forth; they may begin -to hunt for men of our unhappy race. Then I must flee, and I dare not -take the Englishman with me. He will be left to his own devices." - -"I go to-night," said Kopri, "and in two days I will return. It is but -a little while, and the Germans here will keep the Kurds in order." - -"Alas! I have no great confidence in them," said Benidin. "Their -emperor has never stayed the massacres of our people, and though his -officers are stern with the Turks for their own ends, they will, I fear, -show no sympathy for us. Then have I the Englishman's promise?" - -Much against the grain, yet unable to contest the wisdom of the old -man's condition, Frank gave his word not to leave the house until Joseph -returned to take him on board. Kopri and his son remained with Benidin -until the evening, then went down to the harbour. - -Next day Frank mooned about, finding nothing to occupy him, restive -under this new confinement, and uncomfortable because of his host's -nervousness. The old man started at every sound, and twisted his hands -in panic fright if Frank approached the window. There were sounds of -great activity in the bay--the snorting of tugs, the clang of donkey -engines, and the rattle of chains, reverberated in a hundred echoes from -the hills. Frank longed to see what was going on; but there was nothing -for it but to be patient; after all, another day would see his release. - -On the following morning, just after the weird notes of a Turkish -trumpet had announced the dawn, there came the rumble of distant guns, -which continued like a remote prolonged thunderstorm for some hours. In -the afternoon, when Frank was sitting with Benidin in an upper room, -they were startled by a tremendous boom close at hand. - -"A shell from a big gun," cried Frank, springing up. - -"Keep away from the window," the Armenian pleaded. "I do not fear your -English shells as much as I fear the Turks. I will go out and see what -is happening." - -Frank was left to himself. He wondered whether an aeroplane had dropped -another bomb on the harbour. The fact was that the British fleet had -begun to bombard the town by indirect fire from the Gulf of Saros. When -Benidin descended into the town, he found the people fleeing in all -directions. Many were hurrying to the caves which cut into the cliffs. -The largest of these had already been appropriated by the headquarters -staff. - -A few minutes after Benidin had left the house, a second bang shook the -place, shattering the glass. Frank's heart beat fast as he looked out -of the window: there was no danger at this moment that any one would -notice him. Towards the harbour he saw a geyser of black smoke -spreading its top in the air. Then he was conscious of a rushing -humming sound coming towards him. He looked up with curiosity. Nothing -could be seen. Suddenly there was a tremendous crash on the roof of the -house. The place collapsed like a house of cards, and Frank, in the -first conscious second of his fall, heard an ear-splitting explosion, -accompanied by a blinding flash, and felt sharp blows upon every part of -his body. Then he knew no more. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - DANGER - - -The return to consciousness was a painful experience. Frank's head -ached violently; his nostrils stung with dust and smoke and foul gas; -his ears rang with strange noises; every part of him seemed bruised. -For some time he lay simply bewildered, trying to recall how he came to -be on the floor, half smothered with dust and fragments of wood and -stone. Two splintered beams lay criss-cross just above him: if they had -not fallen one upon the other they must certainly have crushed the life -out of him. - -A loud bang which set the place quivering and the dust dancing about him -recalled the explosion he had heard at the moment of falling. He -stirred, shook off the litter half burying him, and stretched his limbs. -To his joy they were sound. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the -dirt from his face. It was streaked with blood. - -He looked around him. The house was a mere mass of wreckage. Fragments -of furniture were embedded in extraordinary positions among heaps of -stone. The roof was gone, the walls had fallen in and out, forming a -rampart in which here and there were chinks through which light came. -He was on the level of the street. - -Shaken, bruised, half-deafened, he lay staring up at the open sky. What -was to be done? The bombardment had apparently ceased. He looked at -his watch: it had stopped. Where was Benidin? Was the promise to stay -in the house any longer binding? But he felt disinclined to move: the -shock had left him listless and devoid of energy. It would be no good -adventuring until he had recovered something of his strength. - -Presently he heard the hum of voices outside. People were apparently -moving about now that the havoc-working shells had ceased to fall. He -distinguished a question, evidently from a stranger to the town. - -"Whose house is this?" - -"Benidin's." - -"A dog of an Armenian?" - -"Even so." - -There was a laugh. - -"Is he inside?" - -"Who knows? If he is buried in the ruins, so much the better." - -"A rich man? All these Armenian dogs are rich. Let us see what we can -find." - -Frank heard scuffling footsteps approaching, and was tempted to call for -help. But the recollection that he was dressed as an Armenian checked -the impulse. The men outside began to poke at the rubbish; they would -discover him; he must try to evade them. At this moment there was -another roar and crash close by, and the group of would-be looters -scattered with shrill cries. Frank once more wiped from his face the -dust which the concussion had showered upon him. A slight movement of -one of the cross-beams hinted that his position was still dangerous. -They protected him, indeed, from falling rubbish; but another shell, -even if it spared the house, might disturb them, and cause them to -settle down and crush him. - -"I must get out of this," he thought. "It must be getting on towards -evening, and Kopri will be back." - -Wriggling out of his narrow prison, he climbed up one of the slanting -beams, wrenched away some shattered woodwork, and scrambled over the -jagged heaps of masonry until he reached a gap in the ruins overlooking -the street. Through this he clambered, and stood amid the wreckage -outside. The neighbourhood was deserted. - -The bombardment had now apparently ceased, though guns could still be -heard intermittently from the south. The inhabitants were beginning to -reappear. Dusk was falling. Far down the hill Frank saw troops engaged -in extinguishing a fire. - -He was at a loss what to do. There was no sign of Benidin. His -neighbours would soon be returning to their houses, and then Frank must -be discovered. Yet discovery was equally certain if he made his way to -the harbour, and in spite of the rehearsal in Erzerum, he felt in no -condition to parry successfully the questions of some inquisitive -officer who would certainly intercept him before he reached the quay. -On the whole it seemed better to hang about the ruins until Benidin -returned. If he did not return, Kopri would come as soon as his vessel -was moored. - -Frank went round to the rear of the house, where he was least likely to -be seen and questioned by the returning owners of the adjacent -dwellings. As he contemplated the ruins, he marvelled at his good -fortune in escaping so lightly. No one who knew that a human being was -in the house at the time of the explosion would suppose that he had not -met his death or at least suffered hideous mutilation. - -While he was standing thus, a figure came round the corner of the ruins. -Though it was growing dark, Frank recognised the uniform of a Kurdish -officer. His first impulse was to slip away and avoid a meeting; but he -realised instantly that any sudden movement of departure might seem -suspicious. Keeping his back to the newcomer, he continued to examine -the wreckage, at the same time edging slowly away. - -The Kurd stopped, and appeared to be interested in the scene. He came -up to Frank. - -"Whose house was this?" he asked. - -"The house of one Benidin, a merchant of the town," Frank replied, -humbly, in the reedy falsetto learnt from Joseph. - -"Was he within when the shell fell?" - -"No, effendim." - -"You are his servant?" - -"Not so, but a humble visitor." - -"Then make haste and search that rubbish heap. Before the merchant -returns, it may be that you will find for me some few precious things. -Make haste, I say, before it grows too dark." - -Frank could not refuse compliance. The Kurd was bristling with weapons, -which he would not hesitate for a moment to use on a supposed Armenian. -But Frank, while he stooped and made a show of turning over the rubbish, -was determined not to find anything of value. His object must be to -waste time in the hope of darkness putting an end to the search. - -The Kurd walked up and down, a few paces in each direction, watching -alternately Frank and the vicinity. Every now and then he halted for a -few seconds within a few feet of Frank, who pretended to be diligently -sorting over the confused heaps in the light of the sunset glow. The -prolongation of one of these pauses made Frank uncomfortable. The Kurd, -to whom his back had been turned, had moved to a spot where he could see -his side face, and Frank was uneasily conscious of being watched with -peculiar intentness. He was relieved when the officer moved away again, -but next moment was filled with anxiety when he noticed that the Kurd -was edging round so as to look at him from the front. - -"Ahi! You find nothing? Try in this place," said the Kurd. - -Frank went forward, stooping, and keeping his head downbent. He was -pulling aside a broken piece of furniture when, with a suddenness that -startled him, the officer demanded: - -"Who are you?" - -"I am Reuben Donessa, son of Aaron Donessa of the Five Wells, effendim," -he said. - -The sentence came from his lips pat enough, but there was a strange -variation of tone between the first words and the last. In the first -moment of surprise, Frank had spoken in his natural voice; but instantly -remembering Kopri's instruction, he raised its pitch to a passable -imitation of Joseph's voice, hoping that the Kurd had not perceived the -change. - -"Ahi! And what is your town?" the Kurd asked. - -"Bashkala, effendim." - -"Mashallah! This is a marvel, surely. Are there Five Wells in Bashkala, -and does one Aaron Donessa dwell there? Stand upright, dog, so that I -may behold you." - -Frank realised that the game was up. For the first time he looked -straight at the Kurd's face, and recognised with a shock that he was -Mirza Aga's nephew, Abdi the Liar, whom he had met on that one occasion -in the journey over the hills. It was clear that Abdi had penetrated -his disguise. There was a look of malicious glee on the man's face. - -"Mashallah! I have found you, dog of an Englishman," cried the Kurd. - -His hand was moving towards one of the pistols in his belt. Frank had -only the fraction of a second in which to take action. He shot out his -right fist, struck the Kurd on the point of the jaw, and hurled him -backward into the ruins. - -When Abdi regained his senses it was dark, and the so-called Reuben -Donessa had disappeared. And a revolver was missing from Abdi's belt. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - IN THE HILLS - - -In the hills of Gallipoli, between Uzundere and Biyuk Anafarta near the -Salt Lake, a platoon of Kurdish troops had just joined a half-company of -Anatolians. They were taking their midday meal on a level stretch of -turf some seven hundred feet above sea-level. It was the only clear -space of considerable size in a wilderness of scrub. Below them ran the -rough track from Biyuk Anafarta to Boghali. The hill of Sari Bair, -nearly three hundred feet above them, blocked the direct view to the -nearest part of the sea; but north and south of that eminence the blue -waters were clearly visible. The horizon was dotted with dark shapes, -no doubt warships and transports of the Allied fleet. To the south, -over the lower hills between them and Boghali, they looked down upon the -Narrows, with Kilid Bahr on the European shore and Chanak on the -Asiatic. To the north-east stretched the Dardanelles above the Narrows, -and here too vessels, but Turkish, were passing up and down. - -It would have been apparent to the most casual observer that the arrival -of the Kurds was not welcome to their Anatolian brethren-in-arms. The -Kurd has a habit of assuming a swaggering air of superiority. The -Anatolians were in charge of a captain and a lieutenant, the Kurds of a -lieutenant only; but this latter officer, seated with the others a -little apart from the men, was treating the captain as though he were a -subaltern. Ignoring his inferiority in rank, he had questioned and -cross-questioned in a bumptious way that raised the captain's gall. As -the captain remarked in an undertone to his lieutenant, this barbarous -Kurd could not have been more insolent if he had been a German. And as -it was with the officers, so with the men. They ate their simple food -together, but the Anatolians maintained a sullen silence amid the loud -talking of the Kurds. When it was a question of fetching water from the -stream that flowed through the rocky bottom below, it was two of the -Anatolians who were told off to the job by the Kurdish sergeant, and -went sulkily to obey. - -The Kurdish lieutenant was holding forth to the other officers. - -"Wallahy!" he said. "Here I am, but it is not where I would wish to be. -The fight against odds is the breath of his nostrils to a Kurd. If -there had been a few squadrons of Kurds in Egypt the other day we should -have been in Cairo by now." - -"But there were Kurds--many Kurds," the captain ventured to remark. "It -was told me by my cousin in a letter." - -"Ahi! Are we in Cairo? In truth we are not. I repeat, if there had -been Kurds we should have been in Cairo. Therefore there were no Kurds. -Mashallah! Did not Liman Pasha whisper in my ear, the day after we set -foot in Gallipoli, 'With ten thousand Kurds, noble Abdi, we could -conquer the world. Therefore take me now twenty of your excellent men -and catch this Englishman. Have we not had for ten days half a company -of Anatolian asses on the trail?'" - -This was more than even an Anatolian captain could stand. - -"You wish to insult me?" he cried. - -"Wallahy! What is this? Insult you? I do but repeat the Alman Pasha's -words. Mayhap I understood him wrongly; but it seemed to me that he -spoke of Anatolian asses. Who am I to correct him? But come now, tell -me what you have done and where you have been; what caves you have -searched, what woods you have beaten." - -Unwillingly, sulkily, the captain gave particulars of his doings during -the past few days. He felt that though nominally in command as senior -officer, the Kurd was in reality superseding him. And he resented the -implication that he had failed in what was at best a thankless task. - -Some ten days before, his information had been, an Englishman disguised -as an Armenian had been recognised in Gallipoli as a fugitive from -Erzerum. How he had contrived to reach Gallipoli was a mystery. Before -he could be arrested by the person who had discovered him, he had made a -violent attack on that person, and escaped to the hills. When the alarm -was given, the Anatolian captain had been sent in pursuit. About sunset -a peasant had seen an Armenian who answered to the description of the -fugitive crossing the Karaman river near the Bergas road. Darkness -prevented his being followed up, but the hunt was resumed at dawn next -morning. It had proved fruitless hitherto. The captain complained that -not a hundred, but ten thousand men would be required to beat thoroughly -those rugged brush-covered hills. - -"Think of it!" he said. "Climbing up and down these almost -perpendicular hill-faces; through dense scrub; down one side of a -valley, across a stream or a swamp and up the other side; beating -bushes; exploring hill caves; searching secluded farms--and all the time -without proper food. We were sent away in a hurry. 'Hunt till you find -him,' was the order. We had two days' rations, and since then have had -to depend on what we could pick up at the farms, and they, as you know, -are in lonely places far apart. And we have not so much as caught sight -of this elusive Englishman, though we have heard of him often enough. -Wallahy! a farmer at Taifur Keui told me that a young Armenian had -walked uninvited into his house and demanded food, holding a revolver to -his head. Stricken with amazement and terror at this boldness on the -part of an Armenian dog--but in truth a famished dog is bold as a -lion--the farmer gave him bread and honey, and having satisfied himself, -he paid for his entertainment and went away composedly and without -haste, threatening to shoot any man that followed him. This being told -me, I hunted diligently for two days through the Taifur district, and -behold, it was then related that the fugitive had appeared at Kum Keui, -ten miles away on the high-road, and there he had waylaid a supply -wagon, and taken for himself a great quantity of the good things it -contained, and forced the driver to unyoke the mules, and when this was -done in fear and trembling because of the revolver, this bold brigand -caused the wagon to run down a sloping place and over a precipice into -the Ak Bashi river." - -"Mashallah! These are marvels indeed," said the Kurd, "and there is no -truth in them. But say on, captain; let my ears feast on these fairy -tales." - -"I speak what I have heard; as for the truth, Allah knows. It was told -me also that the dog was seen at Kachili and Kuchuk Anafarta, but when I -came to those places and was searching every nook and cranny, behold, -one brought me word that he had been seen elsewhere. Yesterday, as I -live, a major of artillery came wearily into Maidos, sick with shame at -the garments he wore, which in very truth were the rags of an Armenian. -And he told me that when he was riding without escort on the Gallipoli -road near Boghali yonder, a young giant that was Armenian in dress but a -very devil in mien and bearing leapt forth suddenly from the bushes of -the wayside, and laying a mighty hand upon him, dragged him from his -horse, and compelled him there and then to exchange his uniform for -those filthy tatters the Armenian wore. Yet did the major confess that -his ravisher was not without courtesy, for even as he put on the major's -heavy coat he prayed his pardon for the robbery, saying that he would -fain have left him the coat, but that he could not, because the nights -in these hills are bitter cold. And that this is truth I tell is sure, -for that same day--yesterday in the afternoon--an officer of artillery -was seen, alone, above Baghche Keui, the hamlet you see below us yonder. -And I came last night in haste to Biyuk Anafarta, and rose with the -dawn, and for six hours I have been scouring these hills, and not a -glimpse of that bold Englishman have I seen." - -"Wallahy! Truly it was time I came," said the Kurd. "Know you that it -was I, Abdi, that found the Englishman searching for treasure in the -ruins of a house in Gallipoli which an English shell had smitten. It was -I, Abdi, whom the dog, taking me unawares--who can contend against -deceitfulness?--hurled fainting to the ground. To me should have been -given the task of hunting the dog; now to me it is given; and by the -beard of the Prophet I will catch him and flay him; I, Abdi, say it." - -While the others were thus conversing, some of the men, having finished -their meal, had got up and begun to stroll about the hillside. Others -had gone down to fill their water-bottles at a spring that bubbled out -of the rock some two hundred yards from the spot where the officers were -sitting. Abdi, lighting a cigarette, watched them with a speculative -eye. - -"Your Anatolians may stray too far," he said. "That will not my Kurds -do. Come now, let us make our plans. We must beat these hills as we -beat for bear in Kurdistan. See, here and there below us are clear -spaces in the scrub. Into the scrub between them I will send my own -men; them I can trust to let nothing pass, not a rabbit nor a stoat nor -any small creeping thing; they are not plainsmen, blind and deaf. Your -Anatolians shall move six paces apart towards the spot where my -mountaineers are posted: even they, surely, cannot let anything through -so small a mesh. You will form them up in a crescent line, the horns -pointing to where my men lurk in the scrub. So shall we beat a large -circle, and if our quarry is not started there, we will go on and do -likewise farther afield." - -They flung away the ends of their cigarettes, rose to their feet, and -blew their whistles. From various directions the men hurried back, the -Anatolians lining up on one side of the open space, the Kurds on the -other. When the ranks were formed and numbered off, a Kurdish sergeant -called out: - -"There is a man short. Where is Yusuf?" - -The men looked up and down the line, as if seeking their missing -comrade; then one of them said: - -"I saw him go down to fill his bottle." - -The sergeant blew his whistle, and took a few paces in the direction of -the stream. A few minutes passed. The absentee did not appear. The -sergeant reported his absence to Abdi. - -"Take a couple of men and look for him," said the Kurd, twirling his -moustache. - -The three men went off and disappeared over the brow of the hill. -Presently there were shouts from below, and one of the men came back at -a run, saluted his officer, and cried excitedly: - -"We have found Yusuf, effendim, lying on his back, with his hands and -feet tied with his own straps, and his cap thrust between his teeth." - -Abdi scowled, and would not meet the Anatolian captain's eye. In -another moment the missing man appeared over the crest, led between the -sergeant and his comrade. - -"What is this, Yusuf?" demanded Abdi roughly, going to meet the man, -whose bare head was streaming with water. - -"Wallahy! I have been most grievously entreated. I was filling my -bottle at the stream there below when there came a step behind me, which -I heeded not, thinking one of my comrades had come to fill his bottle -likewise. And then, behold, a strong hand seized me, and thrust my head -under the water, and held it there until I well-nigh burst for want of -breath; and when all the strength was gone out of me I was cast upon the -ground, and my wet cap was thrust between my teeth, and my hands and -feet were tied, and I was left half dead." - -"Who was it did this thing?" asked Abdi. - -"Truly I know not, but he had the form of a major of our army, if in the -confusion of my senses I could see aright." - -"Where is your rifle?" - -"It was taken from me, together with my pouch and the hundred cartridges -therein." - -Abdi spat and cursed, twirling his moustache more fiercely than ever. -His fury was increased by a look of amusement on the faces of the -Anatolian officers. Aggrieved that a Kurd should have been sent to make -good their deficiencies, and enraged by his insolent and overbearing -manner, they took no pains to conceal their delight in the discomfiture -of the boaster at the hands of the man whose rumoured exploits he had -derided and whom he had declared his intention of flaying. His chagrin -almost reconciled them to the escape of the fugitive whom they had been -vainly hunting for a week. - -But the incident spurred them to activity. The fugitive could not be far -away. Here was an opportunity of proving whether Kurd or Anatolian was -the better man. Abdi's deliberate dispositions were forgotten or -ignored. While Abdi led his men at a furious pace in the direction of -the stream, the Anatolian captain ordered his party to extend and -advance methodically through the scrub. The hunt was up. - - -Some two hours later a young man in the uniform of a major of Turkish -artillery, but carrying a rifle, might have been seen threading his way -through the dense scrub on the northern slopes of Sari Bair. Reaching a -point where it was possible to obtain a good view to the north-east, he -looked cautiously around, halted and listened. There was no sound but -the whistling of the wind through the bushes. After a moment's hurried -survey of his surroundings, he discovered a spot where he could see -without being seen, unslung his field-glasses, and swept the opposite -slope of Karsilar. For some little time the glasses moved slowly from -left to right, then the watcher held them stationary and took a long and -steady gaze. A line of figures was moving like ants across a clear -space and disappearing into the scrub beyond. A little later they -reappeared in another break in the vegetation, working towards Baghche -Keui. - -Apparently satisfied, he shut up the glasses, and returned them to their -case. The name of the maker caught his eye. - -"Good English glasses!" he murmured, as men do who have lived for some -time alone. "I am uncommonly obliged to you, my dear major. I needed -something to equalise the odds." - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - SHARING A SEPULCHRE - - -Keeping well under cover, Frank worked his way upwards through the scrub -round the north-east shoulder of Sari Bair. Every now and then he -stopped, as it were to "sniff the air." He smiled to himself, thinking -how like his movements must be to those of a fox that knows that the -hounds are out. "I can believe now," he thought, "the huntsman's theory -that the enjoyment is not all on one side." - -From the height to which he had now ascended he had a bird's-eye view of -the pretty little village of Biyuk Anafarta, surrounded by tall and -stately cypresses, lying below him in a gap in the hills to the north. -He paused for a moment to admire the scene. Just above him was the head -of a nullah forming a ravine on the northern face of Sari Bair, and -joining as a tributary a larger nullah running westward past the village -to the sea. A hundred yards up the hill a large cedar jutted out from -the side of the nullah, here only a few feet deep, and towered above the -prevailing scrub. Six or eight paces from the tree, near the bank of -the nullah, there appeared the stone door of an ancient sepulchre, -probably dating back before the Christian era. The stones were -perfectly cut and squared, and solidly cemented together. The weather -of twenty centuries had but lightly touched them. - -At this point Frank redoubled his precautions. The vegetation grew -closely about the sepulchre; this solitude was apparently never visited -by men; but he could not afford to leave anything to chance. He dropped -into the nullah some eighty yards below the tree, and carefully worked -his way up the bed of the ravine. Arriving at the tree, he took a final -look round, pulled himself up by the roots, and climbed up on the -western side, having the massive trunk between him and the men who were -hunting for him far away to the east. - -At the first big fork the tree was hollow. Letting himself down within -the hollowed trunk, he stood upon a litter of leaves, brushwood, and -soft detritus, which he stooped in the semi-darkness to stir over. After -a while he uncovered a hole about two feet across. Through this he -wriggled, into a narrow passage not high enough to walk erect in, ending -in a small square room a little higher than the passage, but still too -low for the upright posture. - -The air was full of the sickly odour of decay. A feeble light filtered -through a number of tube-like orifices bored in the stone on one wall of -the room. At the further end, reaching almost from the floor to the -roof, stood two enormous earthen jars. They were filled with human -bones. This little room was the interior of the sepulchre. - -Frank had discovered the place by accident a day or two before. He had -climbed the tree to learn, if he could, the whereabouts of his pursuers, -and discovered the hollow trunk. Thinking that this would afford a -secure hiding-place in case of need, though the quarters would in truth -be rather cramped, he had dropped down and started to clear a space for -sleeping. It was then that, in lifting a mass of brushwood, he had -discovered the passage and the chamber beyond. - -The discovery set his imagination at work. The building was obviously -so much older than the tree that this strange connection between them -must be an afterthought. Within the sepulchre he found some articles of -Greek pottery which suggested an explanation. Back in the middle ages -the peninsula of Gallipoli, then a Greek possession, was overrun by the -conquering Ottoman Turks. Was it not possible that some Greek fugitive, -fleeing before the barbarians, had lighted upon this hollow tree just as -he himself had done, and cut a passage through it into the ancient and -forgotten tomb? How many centuries had passed before the Byzantine -fugitive, if such he was, had intruded upon the solitude of its -fleshless inhabitants? - -The stories which the Anatolian captain had related to Abdi did not -exaggerate the truth. Frank had acted on the impulse of the moment in -hurling Abdi into the ruins of Benidin's bomb-shelled house. He had not -taken a moment's thought for the future, nor indeed, after his -shattering experiences, was he in a condition to think collectedly. All -that he was conscious of was a desperate anxiety to get as far from the -Kurd as possible. He ran into the gathering dusk, retaining just enough -presence of mind to direct his course away from the lower town. -Benidin's house was on the outskirts, and in a few minutes he came into -open country. He had met no one, but hearing the rumble of an -approaching wagon ahead, he left the road and struck off into the rough -ground at the side. - -It was now dark. He checked his pace, to recover breath and -self-possession. What was he to do? Kopri had perhaps returned by this -time in the vessel which was to convey him back to Constantinople, but -to retrace his steps and seek the harbour was more than he dared. On -regaining his senses the Kurd would certainly raise the hue and cry -through the town: Gallipoli would be too hot for the fugitive. What -then was left? It had been suggested that he should seek safety in -Bulgaria, but the frontier was far away, he had no guide, and he had -been so shaken by the recent explosion that he felt a nervous dread of -the encounters that were inevitable if he attempted to find his way -through strange country. A better course, he thought, was to hide among -the hills for a few days, until he had recovered his nerve and -will-power. With money in his pocket and a command of the Turkish tongue -he might purchase food in some hill village or at some outlying farm. - -Guiding himself, therefore, by the stars, he struggled on for a while -towards the hilly district south-westwards, intending presently to take -refuge in some sheltered spot where he might pass the night. As he went -he remembered that off the south-west extremity of the peninsula lay the -British fleet; but at this moment the fleet seemed as remote from him as -the stars themselves. After a time he heard noises below him--the -creaking of carts, the voices of men; at short intervals he saw faint -lights. Clearly there was a road beneath, and a convoy was on the road. -He stood still; listened; watched. The convoy was moving in the -opposite direction to his own course, and from the sound of the wagons -he inferred that they were empty. Then they must be returning from the -forts at the further end of the peninsula. He knew nothing about the -geography of the interior of this tongue of land; but he was aware that -a road ran close to the shore of the Dardanelles. That must be a -shorter route to the forts than this second road, which apparently -traversed the centre of the peninsula; and in a moment or two it -occurred to him that the Turko-Germans employed the longer road in -returning their "empties" in order to avoid congestion on the more -direct route. - -Frank waited until the convoy had passed, then groped his way down to -the road. It was so dark now that he might trudge the highway with -little risk of discovery, and with a greater chance of finding a hovel -where with good luck he might take shelter. But fatigue overcame him -before he had gone more than a few miles, and he climbed up the hillside -again, threw himself down under the lee of a rock upon a stretch of -moss, and wrapping his sheepskin garment around him, slept until the -verge of dawn. - -Resuming his way over the hills, within sight of the road, he saw by and -by in the distance a village of considerable size. He was hungry, but -his heart failed him; he felt that he could not face inquisitive -villagers, and endure their cross-questioning. He passed above the -village and went on. From the distance came the rumble of guns. -Presently he caught sight of a farm in a hollow of the hills, and turned -his steps towards it. As he drew nearer to it he became more and more -nervous. How was he to account for himself? What story could he invent -that would pass muster with people who probably seldom saw a stranger, -and would certainly be suspicious? He could not think of anything that -seemed plausible; yet he must have food, and at length, with the courage -of desperation, he resolved to throw off the mask. He obtained food -there at the point of his revolver, and betook himself with it to a -thicket on the hill-top beyond, where having assuaged his hunger he -slept through the rest of the day and the night. - -Next morning he finished his provisions and set off again on his -journey--no longer aimless, for during the night the idea had come to -him of making his way to the coast and swimming out to one of the -British vessels whose guns he had heard. The project had seemed to him, -in the hours of darkness, wonderfully easy; but in the cold light of -morning it assumed, as such night thoughts often do, a very different -complexion. "Silly ass!" he thought. "The ships will be miles out. -I'd never get to them." And his mind was soon occupied with more -immediate concerns. - -Looking back from his elevated position along the road, he perceived a -number of soldiers, not marching in orderly ranks on the highway, but -dotted here and there on the heights on either side. In a moment it -flashed upon him that the troops were on his trail. This conviction -acted as a tonic. There was a definite danger to contend with, a problem -on which to exercise his wits. To proceed directly on his former course -would be fatal. His best chance of ultimate escape was to worry the -pursuers in the difficult hill country and tire them out. And so he had -commenced that brief career of semi-brigandage which had up to the -present supplied his needs and stimulated his mental activity. Now and -then, of course, he was sunk deep in depression. He was very much -alone, surrounded by enemies, often hungry, still more often very cold; -but the necessity for constant exertion helped him to conquer -despondency, and prevented him from dwelling over long on the darker -side of things. - -Now, as he squatted on the couch of leaves which he had made for himself -on the floor of the sepulchre, he pondered his situation seriously and -with anxiety. It was clear that a determined effort was being made to -capture him, and he ruefully acknowledged to himself that the very -successes he had had in obtaining food, clothes, and arms would tell -against him: they furnished his pursuers with an additional motive. The -troops would certainly begin a methodical search of Sari Bair. They -could not fail to discover the door of the sepulchre, and though this -was sealed, and there was no entrance to the place from the ground, the -entrance through the tree might be discovered by one of them in the same -accidental way as in his own case. Fortunately, the surrounding rocks -were too hard to show tell-tale traces of his footsteps, but if the -pursuers should continue to haunt the neighbourhood, he might find -himself compelled to remain in hiding, and the idea of being cooped up -in these narrow gloomy quarters was far from inspiriting. The tomb was -in truth a dismal abode. The sepulchral vases were not cheerful pieces -of furniture. On the previous night he had had an attack of nerves, and -climbed into the fork of the tree to sleep. But the physical discomfort -due to the attentions of innumerable insects was less endurable than the -intangible companionship of ghosts, and ashamed of his weakness he had -clambered down again, and fallen asleep to the dull boom of British guns -bombarding the forts. - -"Well, I've got a rifle and ammunition now," he thought, as he settled -himself for his second night's sleep in the tomb. "But I dare not go -game-shooting with them. To-morrow I shall have to go foraging again. -I'm getting tired of this." - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - 'A CHIEL AMANG THEM' - - -Next morning he woke late. Climbing into the tree, he saw that the sun -was already many degrees up the sky. He looked around, up and down the -nullah. No one was in sight. He clambered to the ground and made his -way carefully to the hill-top, taking cover of the scrub. From this -post he had a view, on the one side, of the upper channel of the -Dardanelles, above the Narrows; on the other, of the waters of the -AEgean. Vessels were to-day, as on previous days, moving up and down -the former. One small craft, apparently a motor launch, which he had -noticed before, was again slipping across the channel towards Chanak, -the township which he could clearly see on the opposite shore. No doubt -it had started from Maidos, which was tucked away under the hills -beneath him: he had seen it many times from the deck of a steamer. - -"Lucky beggars!" he thought, envying the occupants of the launch as he -watched it through his borrowed field-glasses, and recalling trips, -among the most enjoyable of his experiences, at home and in the Sea of -Marmora. - -"Now to forage," he said to himself. - -It was unlikely that the pursuers, after the excitement of yesterday, -had abandoned the hunt, and in descending the hill he used as much -caution as though they were still in sight. His destination was a small -farm which he had noticed standing by itself some little distance -westward of the village of Biyuk Anafarta: the village itself, of -course, he durst not venture into. His progress was slow, for in -flitting prudently from one patch of scrub to another, he had to make -considerable detours to avoid more or less open spaces. Every now and -again, too, he stopped to listen, placing his ear to the ground. - -Coming after some hours' difficult wandering to the outskirts of the -plantations about the village, he was alarmed to see a herd of cattle in -the charge of several herdsmen moving along the rough track that led -past the farm, the direction in which he had himself intended to go. It -was unsafe to continue his journey at present. He took a drink from a -hill stream, and plunged into a thicket, resolving, in spite of his -hunger, to wait there until late in the afternoon, when movements along -the road were likely to have ceased. - -It was about four o'clock when he ventured to leave his hiding-place. -There was no sign of movement in the hills. In the distance smoke was -rising from the village chimneys. Stealing his way as carefully as -before, he struck off in the direction of the farm. The husbandmen, as -he had hoped, were still at work in the fields. There would not be many -persons at the farm. - -Taking advantage of every inequality of the ground he crept to the back -of the homestead--a small stone-built place with wooden byres and barns -attached. He was well aware that the methods which had formerly served -him could not be employed now. Without doubt his description had been -circulated throughout Gallipoli. Whether he offered to buy food, or -sought to extort it, he would run equal risk. Even if he escaped the -hands of the country people, eager to obtain the reward which had -probably been offered for his capture, he could not show himself without -their putting the troops on his track. With every man's hand against -him he could not afford to indulge the scruples that would be natural to -him in normal circumstances. He meant to obtain food as quickly and as -secretly as possible. But he was not going to steal. He would take what -he could find, but leave a fair price. - -All was quiet around the farm. Gaining the outbuildings undetected, he -slipped along under cover of them until he had nearly reached what was -apparently the kitchen: a light smoke rose from the chimney above. More -than once during his excursions he had realised how greatly his -difficulties would have been increased if the dog were as popular in -Turkey as in England. He had not the watchful farmyard dog to fear. The -action which had cleared Constantinople of the curs that used to infest -its streets seemed to have its counterpart in other parts of the -country: at any rate, he had not hitherto been worried by dogs. - -But he found now, with as much surprise as consternation, that he had -another kind of guardian to reckon with. He had almost reached what he -supposed to be the kitchen when a small flock of geese advanced towards -him in a mass with much hissing and cackling. There was no alternative -but to beat a prompt retreat. He slipped through the open doorway of -one of the outbuildings, closed the door behind him, and seeing another -door ajar at the further end he hastened towards it, took a cautious -peep outside and passed into the open. A glance round the corner of the -wall showed him a middle-aged woman--dressed in the rusty black which -the male Turk, himself inclined to bright colours, thinks appropriate to -his women folk--hurrying from the kitchen to ascertain why the watchful -geese were protesting so noisily. - -Here was his chance. He darted across the open space between himself -and the kitchen, peeped in at the open door, and seeing that the room -was empty slipped inside. From the upper floor came the voices of -children. There was no time to waste. Frank knew nothing about the -room except that it was large, that a pot was on the fire, and that some -flat loaves of bread, recently baked, stood in a row upon a slab of -stone beside the oven. Without a moment's hesitation he began to cram -these into the capacious pockets of his military great-coat, and was on -the point of taking out some money to replace them on the slab when he -heard the woman returning, grumbling audibly at the geese for the -needless interruption of her cooking. - -To escape by the door was impossible without being seen. The wooden -steps in the corner invited him to the upper floor, but the children's -voices repelled. There was no other door. He was caged. He was just -making up his mind to brazen it out and trust to his ready wit in -explaining his intrusion to the housewife when his eye fell on the long -wide board, set against one wall and raised a few inches from the floor, -which serves the humble Turk as a sleeping-place. On the impulse of the -moment he tiptoed across the room, dropped to the floor, and was just -able to wriggle under the board before the woman entered. For a moment -he was doubtful whether, quick as he had been, the woman had not caught -sight of the skirts of his coat, and he pressed himself against the wall -in a fever of anxiety. But she clumped across the floor straight to her -cooking pot, the sizzling of which mingled with her exclamations of -annoyance. She stirred the pot, made up the fire, called to the -children to go to sleep--and noticed that some of the loaves were gone. - -"You limbs of Shaitan!" she called up the stairs. "Bring down those -loaves. Gluttons you are. Did I not give you a supper fit for princes? -Bring down the loaves, I say." - -Shrill voices answered her. A boy came half-way down the steps and -protested that neither he nor his brothers or sisters had left their -room above. - -"Wallahy! are there evil djinni abroad?" exclaimed the woman. "Get you -to bed. Allah preserve us! What will the man say when he returns?" - -She went to the door and looked out for her husband; it was time for him -to come for his evening meal. Frank already regretted his hasty action. -If only the woman would go out! If only she had not believed her small -son, but had gone upstairs to prove him! Apparently he was a -truth-teller. Frank felt himself condemned to a long and wearisome -detention. The farmer would return; he would eat his supper; then rugs -would be spread on the board, and the good people would sleep there. -How in the world was he to get away without disturbing them? Meanwhile -he could at least eat some of the bread which the woman supposed had -been spirited away. - -The woman came back to her cooking. Frank's nose was tantalised by the -savoury smell of the ragout simmering in the pot. It was growing dusk, -and the woman lighted a small oil-lamp, then sat down on the board, -muttering incantations against evil spirits. Presently footsteps and -voices were heard from outside. The woman rose hastily to her feet and -went to the door. A man's voice said a few words, which Frank could not -catch. The woman responded with exclamations of surprise and annoyance. -Then they came into the room, followed by several pairs of legs. Frank -started and shrank more closely against the wall. In the dim light on -the floor beyond his hiding-place he saw military boots. There were -still loud voices outside. He heard the farmer speaking. - -"It is a humble place, effendim, but you are welcome." - -"Ahi! That stew has a savoury smell. I have an appetite. Haste you, -woman, and set before us what you have in the pot." - -Three pairs of legs moved towards the board. Three heavy forms dropped -upon it, with clanking of accoutrements. The wood groaned above Frank's -head. A chill perspiration broke out upon his skin. He was in the -midst of his pursuers. - -So narrow was the space between the board and the floor that, lying -flat, he could not lift his head more than two or three inches without -striking it. To this grovelling posture he saw himself condemned for an -indefinite period. He groaned in spirit. What an ass he had been! He -breathed dust and smells; the air was stifling; how long could he endure -it? Suppose he sneezed!--the very thought made his blood run cold, and -he pinched his nose in anticipation. - -Meanwhile the three officers above him were conversing until their meal -should be ready. Frank's attention was distracted from his woes to the -conversation rumbling on above his head. - -"Mashallah! It is useless," he heard one say: he thought it was Abdi. - -"But the shells do enormous damage when they hit," said the Anatolian -captain. - -"True, but what do they hit? It is marvellous, I grant you, that they -hit anything at all--anything of value--when the guns are miles away and -the gunners can see no mark, and without their aeroplanes they would -have wrought less havoc even than they have done. But what then? They -cease bombarding, and our engineers repair the damage with exceeding -swiftness." - -"Taught by the Germans," remarked the lieutenant. - -"Ahi, the Germans! Your masters!" - -"And yours." - -"Not so, by the Beard! We Kurds will never own them as masters. They -are great men of war, truly, great devisers of machines; no soulless -man, such as you Anatolians and the English, can stand against them. -But if they think to crush the free spirits of us Kurds in their -machinery--wallahy! I hate them." - -"Think you the English have no souls?" asked the captain. "That wily -fellow we are hunting has, methinks, a spirit free as yours." - -"Allah choke him!" growled the Kurd. "It is a knife in my heart that I -may not stay to catch him. Yet to spit Armenians is fitter work for a -Kurd than to hunt an Englishman, and be sure that few of those dogs who -are fleeing to the mountains near Antioch will escape us." - -"Did I dream, or did my ears hear from your lips the boast that you -yourself would flay this very Englishman?" asked the captain gently: -perhaps he could afford to be ironical now that Abdi was recalled for a -more congenial task. - -"Mashallah! would you taunt me, you pale knock-kneed son of an Anatolian -cabbage?" shouted Abdi. "By the Beard, I will carve your carcase into -gobbets before----" - -"Peace!" said the lieutenant soothingly. "Here is supper. Let us -comfort our souls in all peaceableness." - -The storm blew over, and for a brief space Frank heard nothing but -gobbling above him. Then the Kurd shouted for more bread. - -"Peace be with you, effendim," said the woman, "but there is no more." - -"No more!" roared the truculent Kurd. "What are these few crumbs that -you have set before three illustrious officers, and me the most -illustrious, even me, Abdi the Kurd?" - -[Illustration: MAP OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA.] - -"Wallahy! noble effendim," the woman faltered, "I was but even now -telling my man of the ill that befell this pious house this very night. -Behold, there was a fair array of loaves fresh from the oven upon yonder -stone, and I went from the house but for one moment to learn the meaning -of a great outcry among my geese, and when I came in, lo! of all those -fair loaves only two were left, and those two you have even now -consumed, effendim. Surely an evil spirit has flown in, and stolen the -loaves, and departed again secretly." - -"What is this tale, woman? You were absent but for a moment?" - -"Even so, effendim; and we know the spirits move swifter than the wind." - -"By the Beard, it is that Englishman again," cried the Kurd, thumping -the board. "Is it not his doing, like those other deeds that we have -heard of him? Of a truth when the woman's back was turned he crept into -the house like a dog and departed with our supper. Mashallah! to-morrow -I must go to Chanak, or I would surely catch him and flay him alive." - -"We cannot seek him to-night in the darkness," said the captain. "Truly -he has more than a dog's cunning." - -"Let us eat and drink," said the lieutenant. "The stew is good, even -without bread. To-morrow we will run the fox to earth." - -They finished the meal, and lit cigarettes. The lieutenant went to the -barn where the men were quartered, and posted a guard. He remarked on -his return that it was a useless precaution, since there were no enemies -on land. - -"Except one--the Englishman," remarked his captain with a rueful laugh. - -"He will not return here unless we ourselves bring him in bonds," -returned the other. - -Piecing together the scraps of conversation he had already heard with -those he heard subsequently, Frank came to the conclusion that Abdi had -been recalled to take part in a battue of Armenians in Asia Minor, and -was to leave next morning by motor launch for Chanak in advance of his -men. - -By and by the officers stamped about the room while the housewife -arranged rugs and cushions on the board for their night's repose. She -then followed her husband upstairs to the higher floor, and the -officers, after removing their boots and accoutrements, arranged -themselves on the simple bed. The lamp was left alight, and, door and -window being closed, the room was filled with a heavy, smoky air which -soon lulled the three men to sleep. - -Frank was by this time suffering painfully from his cramped position and -the foul air. At first he had intended to remain in his hiding-place -until the officers departed in the morning, and then to seize the first -opportunity of slipping away. But as time went on he became convinced -that he could not endure his situation through the long night. Before -morning he would be asphyxiated, or so racked with pain as to have lost -the use of his limbs. If he did not escape during the hours of darkness -he would be unable to escape at all. And when the heavy breathing and -snores above him showed that slumber had sealed the senses of his -enemies, he determined to make an attempt to get away. To be caught -gamely at night was better than to be taken helpless in the morning. - -It was fortunate that the farmer's primitive bed was a flat board, and -not a divan with mattresses bulging below. Otherwise he could hardly -have moved without causing some pressure beneath the sleepers that would -certainly have disturbed them. He lay for a time trying to visualise -the room. The board ran along the whole length of the wall opposite the -door. There was not space enough for him to creep out at either the -head or the foot: to reach the door he must cross the whole width of the -room. Dim though the light was, it was sufficient to reveal his form. -But there was no other way. - -With infinite precaution he sidled his way from beneath the board, then -lay still to listen. The three men were snoring in three different -tones. He inferred from the sounds that two of the three had their -faces towards the door. To rise at once might cause them to open their -eyes; his best chance lay in crawling a little way over the floor. -Raising himself on hands and knees, he drew himself along inch by inch; -then, gaining courage from the uninterrupted regularity of the snores, -he rose to his feet and ventured to glance round. The three men were -curled up under their rugs; only the tops of their heads showed. - -At the same glance he noticed their accoutrements lying on the stone -slab from which he had taken the loaves. Prompted by a dare-devil -impulse that had also an element of precaution, he stole on tiptoe to -the slab, and with slow careful movements, though his hands were -trembling a little, he lifted the flaps of the revolver cases over their -buttons and abstracted the revolvers one by one. If the men chanced to -wake before he was clear of the door, they should at least have no -weapons to fire at him. A slight click as he slipped the last revolver -into his pocket caused a momentary pause in the _moto continuo_ of one -of the men's recitative, and Frank clutched his own revolver, ready for -emergency; but the officer did not stir, and Frank, facing them, crept -backward towards the door. - -He could not remember whether the door had been locked or bolted, and -felt an inward quaking at the thought of having to turn a possibly rusty -key or draw a creaking bolt. It was with immense relief that he -perceived that the door was fastened only by a wooden catch. Just, -however, as he was raising his hand to release it he heard a step -outside, approaching the door. With instant presence of mind he took -two quick silent paces to the shelf on which the lamp stood and pinched -out the flame. - -There was a knock on the door. The snoring abruptly ceased, but no -answer was given; the sleepers had not been fully awakened. The knock -was repeated. A sleepy voice from the bed said "Enter." The door -opened, and Frank, being unluckily almost behind it, could not slip out. -There was a little diffused light from the moon below the horizon, just -sufficient to reveal Frank's form, in its long military great-coat, to -the newcomer. - -"A runner with a despatch from headquarters, effendim," said the man, -taking Frank for one of his own officers. - -At one and the same moment Frank silently held out his hand for the -despatch and a voice from the other side of the room murmured, "Bring it -here. Light the lamp first." Frank was conscious of surprise and -hesitancy in the attitude of the visitor. The critical moment had come. -Taking the despatch and thrusting it into his pocket, he bent suddenly, -sprang at the man's knees, lifted him from his feet and hurled him -across the room. A threefold shout followed him as he dashed into the -open. The sentry hurried towards him. - -"Fire!" cried Frank. "Fetch water!" - -"Fire! Fire!" repeated the man, turning about and running towards the -well in the yard. - -Frank had already rushed in the opposite direction to the dark side of -the house. The clamour grew in volume; men were rushing hither and -thither with the panic of disturbed sleepers; shrill screams from the -startled housewife and her children mingled with the deeper shouts of -the soldiers. And Frank dashed away into the darkness. At first -heedless of his direction, he stopped when the sounds were faint in the -distance, and, panting, tried to take his bearings. Somewhat more than -an hour later he clambered down the hollow trunk to his sepulchral -refuge, and threw himself exhausted on its earthy floor. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - OUT OF ACTION - - -Frank's first proceeding when he awoke next morning was to start -munching one of his loaves; his next, to read the despatch which chance -had thrust upon him. It was addressed to the Anatolian captain. A -battery of heavy guns was to be emplaced on Sari Bair. The convoy, -coming by way of Kumkeni and Boghali, might be expected at Kojadere on -the following morning. The captain was to abandon for the time the -pursuit of the Englishman and to place himself at the disposition of the -officer commanding the battery, to assist in transporting the guns up -the hill. - -Frank did not know Kojadere by name, but he knew Boghali, and -conjectured that Kojadere must be the village at the south-east foot of -the hill. It was visible from a spur about half a mile from his -hiding-place. A rough path left the main track between Boghali and -Kojadere at about the same distance from the latter place, and joined a -similar path running direct from Kojadere up the hill. These facts -Frank had learnt in the course of his wanderings, and he determined, -simply from motives of curiosity, to make his way to a spot where he -could see a sight new to him, the placing of a battery of guns. Abdi -had gone, no doubt, to Chanak; the others would not for the present -concern themselves with their elusive quarry; for he assumed that the -contents of the despatch were known to the carrier; so it was with an -easy mind that he betook himself to the elevated spot from which he -could view the Boghali road. - -It was chilly in the morning air. The valleys and the lower ground were -blanketed in mist. The heights were clear, and Frank smiled as he saw -in his mind's eye the scene of his night's adventure, invisible to his -bodily eye, over the brow of the hill. - -A light breeze was sweeping up through the hills from the sea, causing -the mist to gyrate in swirling eddies, and here and there cutting a path -through it. Gradually more and more of the Boghali road was exposed to -his view. There was nothing moving upon it. He looked up in the -direction of Biyuk Anafarta, towards the quarter in which the Anatolians -should presently appear, in pursuance of their instructions. There was -no sign of them yet; it was possible that the contents of the despatch -were unknown to them after all. - -After a time he caught sight of figures beyond Boghali where the road -wound round a low hill to the north of that place. Ere long he was able -to recognise the artillery train--long teams, whether of horses, oxen, -or mules he could not tell even through his field-glasses, dragging -heavy guns and ammunition wagons. The escort numbered, at a guess, some -three hundred men. The train passed through Boghali, and took the -right-hand road towards Sari Bair. A bridge spanned a stream fed by a -number of rivulets rising on the eastern slope of the hill. Here the -train came to a halt. There was a long delay; probably the bridge was -not constructed for heavy traffic. Then one of the guns appeared on the -western side; the others slowly followed. - -By this time Frank felt pretty sure that the Anatolians were ignorant of -the orders given in the despatch, otherwise they should long ago have -reached Boghali by the direct road from Biyuk Anafarta. If they had -resumed their hunt for him, it behoved him to be cautious. From the -troops below he had little to fear. They were not looking for him, and -in all likelihood were unaware of his existence. Keeping a careful -look-out above, therefore, he stole down under cover of the scrub, which -was very dense on this side of the hill, to take a nearer view of the -work of the artillerymen. - -Several mounted officers had pushed ahead to survey the ground and -choose the easiest route for the guns. Some had taken the first track -on the right of the road, others were riding quickly forward to Kojadere -to examine the track from there. The two parties met at the junction, -and from subsequent operations it appeared that the longer but easier -gradient from Kojadere had been decided upon. Up this track, then, the -officers despatched strong working parties, to clear away obstacles, and -cut down the scrub which here and there encroached at the sides. Two -officers, mounted on mules, slowly rode up to the summit, to select an -emplacement for their battery. - -Frank watched all this from a sheltered spot at some distance from the -track. These troops were not looking for him, it was true; but in their -course they must work round his position, and he was careful not to -expose himself. - -The way having been prepared, the men in charge of the first gun whipped -up their team, which hauled the heavy weapon about a third of the -distance up the track. Then there was a check. The slope was very -irregular. For some yards its angle was low; then it would suddenly -make a sharp rise. It was at one of these abrupt acclivities that the -gun had now arrived. The ascent seemed an impossible one, and the -track, with on one side the rocky hill and on the other a steep incline, -hazardous in the extreme. The team attached to the second gun was -unhitched and brought up to assist the first. Urged by vociferous -shouts and much cracking of whips, the united teams, straining and -hauling, managed to draw the gun up a few feet at a time, large blocks -of wood being placed behind the wheels at each stoppage to prevent it -from slipping back. - -Frank looked on at all this with interest, and a certain sympathy for -man and beast, which was increased when one of the officers, a German, -rode down the hill and vented his irritation at the delays in foul abuse -and violent threats. "They are working jolly hard," was his inward -protest. The gun moved on again, and a turn in the track hid it from -his view. He looked around to make sure that he was in no danger of -being seen from the rear, then crept up through the scrub to reach a -spot where he could again follow the operations. - -"I wonder what they are going to all this trouble for?" he thought. -"Those guns aren't a match for our naval guns, and in any case they are -no good here as a defence of the forts." - -A little way further up the hill he came upon a gully scarcely three -feet wide, much overgrown with bushes. It appeared to lead down towards -the track, on which, to judge by the renewed shouts of the men and the -cessation of the rumbling of the wheels, the gun had again been brought -to a halt. Frank crept down this gully stealthily foot by foot, and -presently discovered the cause of this new check. The gully intersected -the track and fell down the slope beyond. Though it was now dry, at -some time it had evidently been a watercourse, and the water had scored -a deep channel across the track, an effectual obstacle to heavy traffic. -At this moment the men were toiling with pick and spade to fill up the -channel, a task that would clearly occupy some time. - -Frank looked on for a few minutes. Then his eyes strayed down the -track. The mules were stationary in a long line, quite unattended. The -team hauling the second gun lower down was out of sight. "Pity I can't -spike the gun," Frank thought, "though to be sure spiking is impossible -in these days. But a slip would send it crashing down the track, or over -the slope. I wish----" And then an idea flashed into his mind. The -gun was hauled, not by leather traces, but by heavy chains. Quickly -raising his field-glasses, he levelled them at the attachments of the -chains to the gun-carriage. Each one ended in a massive iron ring, -which was looped over a long hook. Now that the gun was halted, and the -wheels stopped by blocks of wood, the chains were hanging slack. - -Replacing his glasses, he crept down under cover of the scrub until he -came opposite the gun. All the men were still engaged above. He looked -up, down, around. No one was in sight, except the men working with -their backs towards him a hundred yards up the hill. Inch by inch he -stole nearer to the track; paused a moment to collect himself; then -darted rapidly from cover, lifted the ring from the hook on the side -nearest him, hitched the chain so that it appeared to be in place, and -slipped back breathlessly into the scrub. It had taken him no more than -a quarter of a minute. - -"Will it work?" he asked himself as he lurked in his hiding-place a few -yards above the track. All depended on whether the drivers examined the -attachments before they moved on again. There seemed no reason why they -should do so; hitherto the drivers had walked at the head of their -teams; but there was a chance that when they came down to lift the -blocks of wood one of them might happen to notice that something was -wrong. - -He waited in feverish impatience. How slowly the men were working! -What a bully that German officer was! If the trick succeeded, these -patient long-suffering Turks would have had their labour for nothing: -the German would make them pay for it. Well, they must pay for allowing -themselves to be fooled by the Germans. - -At last came the word of command. The drivers hastened to the heads of -the mules; two men hurried down to lift the blocks of wood when the gun -had started. There were loud shouts and cracking of whips; the mules -strained at their collars; the heavy gun lurched forward. And then -Frank thrilled with delight. Secured only on one side, the gun skewed -round with a jerk. For a brief moment it hung over the edge of the -slope. The mules slipped backward; the sudden slackening of the chains -released the second ring from its hook; and to the sound of startled -yells and frantic invocations of Allah the gun hurtled down the slope -and crashed into a ravine two or three hundred feet below. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - TWO MEN IN A LAUNCH - - -In the confusion ensuing upon the fall of the gun Frank crept unseen up -the gully. He chuckled as he heard the infuriate curses of the German -officer. The cause of the disaster would never be known. Whether it -were ascribed to the carelessness of the men or to the accidental -slipping of a ring mattered nothing: the gun was lying at a spot whence -it would be almost impossible to remove it; very likely it was damaged -beyond repair. Frank's satisfaction was only alloyed by regret that to -attempt the same feat with the other guns of the battery was out of the -question. - -"Now what's to be done?" he thought, when, having put a considerable -distance between himself and any risk of danger, he stopped to think -over his position. One result of the establishment of the battery on -the heights must be his abandonment of the sepulchre. Whatever might be -the reason for placing the battery just there, if the guns began to play -they would draw upon them the shells of the British fleet, and the -sepulchre was near enough to be anything but a safe asylum. The troops -pursuing him were not far to the north. With no permanent refuge he -could not hope to evade them much longer. Sari Bair was becoming too -hot to hold him. He must move on. - -But in what direction? No part of the peninsula was any longer safe. -To go southwards was mere folly: he would only come to the forts, about -which there was no doubt a strong concentration of troops. And that way -there was no outlet but the sea. Northwards, where the peninsula was -wider, there would be more room to move; but after what had happened he -would be watched for at every little farm, on all the roads, and if he -were not actually captured, lack of food would ultimately enforce his -surrender. "What an ass I was not to make for the harbour at Gallipoli -that night," he thought, "and try to smuggle myself on Kopri's vessel!" -But repentance had come too late. Here he was, caged; nothing could now -alter that; and if he were caught in the end--well, these last few days -had given him an amount of joyous excitement which he could never -forget. Even the reflection that he had now lost the privileges of a -civilian, and would probably be shot at sight, did not much trouble him. -"Kismet!" he thought: "I must have breathed in the fatalistic spirit of -the country." - -"But I'm not done yet," he added to himself. "It's Bulgaria now, I -suppose. I'd better get away first to the east, out of the way of those -fellows hunting me, and then work round as quickly as I can to the -north-west. Lucky I stuffed my pockets pretty full of loaves; but it's -quarter rations. I don't know when I'll be able to get more." - -The booming of guns to the south reminded him that fellow-countrymen -were only a few miles away--a galling remembrance. They could do -nothing for him. "Alone, alone, all, all alone!"--where had he read -those words, and how little he had understood till now what they -meant!--"Oh, chuck it, Frank Forester!" he said to himself. "It's no -good grousing. Come on!" - -He struck off across the shoulder of the hill, and made his way down the -bed of a stream skirting the western side of Kojadere, and flowing -almost due south until with a sharp turn to the left it fell into the -Dardanelles a mile or so north of Maidos. For the greater part of the -distance it was close to a road, and Frank had to keep a careful -look-out. But the country was rugged and desolate: there were no -villages and to all appearance no houses; only once did he catch sight -of anything on the road--a bullock wagon lumbering slowly in the -opposite direction. - -The ground was for the most part on a low level, and in order to -ascertain his distance from the coast he turned off to the left, where -there were hills rising nearly two hundred feet. After a long and -tiring climb he reached a cliff at the eastern extremity of the Kalkmaz -Dagh which, projecting a little into the sea, gave him a direct view -downward into Maidos and the strait beyond. A Turkish warship lay just -above the Narrows; torpedo boats and vessels which, though he did not -know it, were mine-layers, were moored here and there; and crossing the -channel from Chanak was the motor launch, with its awning over the -fore-deck, which he had noticed once or twice before. "Abdi's on the -other side now," he thought. - -He watched the launch through his glasses as it threaded its way through -the congestion of lighters and small cargo vessels lying off Maidos, to -a jetty north of the town. A number of passengers came ashore. The -launch was tied up and the crew also landed--all but one man, who sat -down in the stern and appeared to be eating his dinner. Frank almost -unconsciously took out one of his loaves. "Didn't know I was so -hungry," he muttered. He ate half the loaf, which was little larger -than a scone, put the remainder back, then took it out again for a final -mouthful. The man on the launch was still eating. Frank watched him -enviously, and almost hated him when he saw him wrap up a portion of his -meal and stow it away. "He has too much and I too little," he thought. -"I daresay he'd sell what's left. Wish I could get at him!" - -This started a train of thought, or rather a series of questions. Why -not go down to the launch? Why not make use of his military uniform? -What chance was there that the man on the launch had heard that an -English fugitive was masquerading as a Turkish officer of artillery? -Indeed, why not bluff it out, get command of the launch, and run down -the strait towards the open sea? British warships were there. Was he -prepared to face a twofold risk--run the gauntlet of Turkish vessels and -batteries, and also draw fire from a British ship? - -It was a ticklish problem, that would not wait long for a solution. At -any moment the launch might be ordered off. If the attempt was to be -made, it must be made at once. "Too risky," he thought. "I might be -spotted before I reached it. It's nearly a mile away: might be gone by -the time I could get down. It's absurd." - -Sunk in this pessimism he sat with his chin on his hand, looking at the -launch, on which the man now lay stretched on his back, gazing down the -strait towards Kilid Bahr, where the shore bent round to the west, and -beyond which there were British vessels. It was only four or five miles -to Kilid Bahr; in the clear air the distance seemed shorter. He thought -of the alternative--further hide-and-seek in the hills, long wanderings, -semi-starvation, cold. "Hanged if I don't have a shot," he said to -himself. - -Below him ran the road from Boghali through Maidos, at the edge of the -strait. There was no other way of reaching the launch unless he made a -long detour round the hills. The afternoon was already far advanced. A -detour would take much time, and taking it he would lose sight of the -launch. On the road, so far as he could see it, there was no traffic. -He rose to his feet, made his way down the hillside, gained the road, -and set off quickly southward. - -In a few minutes, rounding a corner, he overtook a transport wagon drawn -by two oxen. It flashed upon him that he would attract less attention -if he got a lift on it. Stepping up to the front of the wagon, he hailed -the driver. - -"Give me a lift," he said. "I've walked from Sari Bair, where we are -placing a battery. It's very tiring, walking over the hills." - -"That is true, effendim," said the man. "Your excellency may do as he -pleases." - -Frank got up beside the driver. The wagon lumbered on. As it neared -Maidos it passed people here and there; they saluted the supposed -officer without suspicion. It passed a house ruined by a shell. - -"They said the English were our friends," remarked the wagoner. - -"Time will show who are our true friends," answered Frank. - -They were now entering the northern outskirts of the town. Frank saw -many signs of the havoc wrought by indirect fire from the British fleet. -In the distance soldiers were moving about. He thought it time to get -down. Tipping the driver, he jumped to the ground, and turned off to -the left towards the jetty. The launch was still tied up: he could just -see its awning. - -When he was still some little distance from it he had a shock. From the -opposite direction, and nearer to the jetty than himself, a Turkish -officer was approaching it. He was bound to get there first. For a -moment Frank thought of turning tail; he had not yet been observed; but -it occurred to him that the officer might possibly come back in a few -minutes: it was worth while waiting to see. - -Near at hand was a deep hole in the ground, the work of a shell. Beside -it was a broken transport wagon. He sat on this, took a cigarette from -the case which, with an automatic lighter, he had found in the pocket of -the great-coat, and began smoking like any idler. A shed at the shore -end of the jetty partly hid him from view. - -The officer went on board the launch. Frank had a second shock. It was -the Kurd Abdi. Apparently he had not been to Chanak after all. Perhaps -he had deferred his departure for the sake of making one more attempt to -capture the fugitive. It was plain that he was intending to cross the -strait now, for the man in charge of the launch was making preparations -to start. - -Frank was as it were paralysed for a few moments. The game was up. But -no: while the man was pouring petrol into the tank, Abdi had gone -forward and was making himself comfortable under the awning forward. -There was just a chance for boldness. Making up his mind instantly, -Frank strolled unconcernedly down the jetty. The launch man was bending -over his engine; beyond him Abdi was half concealed by the awning. - -Frank halted a few yards from the launch, where his face could not be -seen by the Kurd, and hailed the engine man in a low tone. The man -looked up, and Frank beckoned him ashore. He hesitated a moment; then -the officer's uniform was effective: he jumped on to the jetty and came -to Frank's side. With a show of mystery Frank led him a few yards and -said: - -"His excellency is crossing to Chanak." - -"The Governor?" asked the man. - -"Yes: you are ordered to wait. Not a word to any one. Go at once to -headquarters and ask for Major Ahmed Talik. There will be a valise to -carry down. You understand?--Major Ahmed Talik. It is not to be talked -about. Make haste!" - -"But my passenger, effendim?" - -"He must wait. I will explain to him." - -"My orders! I am not to leave the launch." - -"Do you argue with me?" said Frank sternly. "Go at once." - -The man hastened to excuse himself, and set off, somewhat bewildered, -towards the town. - -"Why keep me waiting, dog of a dog-son?" called Abdi from the launch. - -The man turned, but Frank signed to him imperatively to go on, then -sauntered back along the jetty, one hand holding the cigarette, the -other fingering the revolver in his pocket. Abdi had raised himself -from his recumbent posture, and in a crouching attitude was peering out -from beneath the low awning. The glow of the sun, setting over the -hills behind, struck full upon his eyes: Frank's were shadowed. Frank -half turned as if watching the retreating launch man, all the time -slowly approaching the vessel, thus gaining ground without revealing his -face. - -Then he suddenly swung round, and jumped on board. The launch rocked. - -"Wallahy! Would you upset me?" cried Abdi. - -Frank stood in front of him, pointing his revolver, but in such a -posture that the weapon could not be seen by chance observers on shore. -Half under the awning Abdi was at a disadvantage. He was so much taken -aback by Frank's sudden movement, and so much overcome with amazement -when he at last recognised the features of the newcomer, that he was -incapable of shouting an alarm, and the sight of the revolver within a -few feet of his head disposed him to listen to what Frank was saying. - -"Salam," said Frank quietly, "we are going for a little trip together. -No, no: keep your hands down. Don't move any further from under the -awning. You recognise me, I see. I am the Englishman you have been -hunting--and this is my revolver. It is loaded.--Do you hear? Keep -still.--You have a revolver too, in that belt to which I see your -restless hand groping. Well, I collect revolvers. I have two of yours -already; the other will be safer with me. No: keep your hands up; if -you hurry me I may shoot too soon. On your life don't make a movement!" -he ended fiercely. - -With his right hand holding his revolver at the Kurd's head, he stooped, -and with a quick movement of his left hand wrested the revolver from the -other's belt. - -"Now get back under the awning to the comfortable place you have -arranged for yourself," he said. - -The Kurd hesitated and flashed a downward glance at the knives in his -belt. - -"I will count three," Frank went on. "If you are not comfortable when I -come to three ... one ... two----" - -With a snarling curse Abdi crept backward to the cushions at the further -end of the awning, and collapsed there. - -Transferring the revolver to his left hand, Frank, also moving backward, -came to the engine. It was not his first trip in a motor launch, and a -rapid examination showed him that the boatman had got everything ready. -Nothing remained but to switch on the current, turn the crank and cast -off the hawser. These movements he made, his eyes scarcely leaving the -discomfited Kurd for a moment. Then he threw the engine into gear and -seized the helm, and the little craft sidled from the jetty, and shot -away over the dancing wavelets of the Dardanelles. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - THROUGH THE NARROWS - - -Frank felt himself go pale under the reaction from the strain of the -last few minutes. But he had won the advantage in the opening of the -game: he must maintain it to the end. - -He had so often watched the launch crossing to and fro that he had a -pretty good idea of the course. Chanak was a couple of miles down the -strait on the opposite shore: it would excite least remark if he steered -as for that town. The vessel was too shallow in draught to run much -risk from possible mines, and it was so frequently seen that no one on a -Turkish ship would pay any attention to it. No doubt an alarm would be -raised when the boatman discovered that he had been tricked; but Frank -hoped to be several miles on his voyage to safety by that time. - -When he drew out from under the lee of the hills he found that the wind -was in his favour, blowing directly down the Narrows. This should mean -at least a three-knot current. The launch was small, and probably -incapable of more than seven or eight knots: his utmost speed, then, -might rise to ten or eleven. But it was not wholly a question of speed. -If the alarm was given before he reached the narrowest part of the -channel at Chanak escape would be unlikely if not impossible. The -fast-gathering darkness would be no protection. He would be under -searchlights from both sides, and a dozen batteries would have him under -fire at ranges ascertained to a yard. His nerves, judgment, quickness -of decision, would be taxed to the uttermost in this adventurous voyage -of a few miles. - -With the fall of night navigation practically ceased on the strait; -therefore he was not very likely to be run down by accident. But he must -guard against collision with vessels moored under either shore. -Further, there was always a chance that he would be challenged from the -deck of one of the stationary vessels, and though he did not doubt his -ability to give a reassuring answer, he had always the Kurd to reckon -with. It would have been prudent to gag him, but the opportunity for -that was past. Shaping his course by the faint twilight, he kept one eye -on Abdi, ready to take action instantly if the man showed any -disposition to be troublesome. - -So, in growing darkness, he ran down the strait until he came opposite -Chanak, which was distinguishable by a few dim lights and the sounds of -bustle on the quays and jetties. The place had suffered considerably by -bombardment from the ships of the allied fleet, which had come up to -within a few miles of the Narrows; but it was clear that extensive -repairs were already in progress. Observing two or three large vessels -moored out of the current in the little bay north of the town, Frank as -a measure of precaution cut off the engine, and the launch drifted into -the neck between Chanak and Kilid Bahr. His ear caught the faint sound -of a windlass working in the channel at some unseen point ahead. -Clearly a vessel lay out there. He pitched his voice to a low note, and -gave Abdi a quiet warning not to speak a word or make any movement of -alarm, on pain of receiving the full contents of his revolver. The most -dangerous part of his voyage was evidently at hand. - -In a few minutes he saw, some little distance ahead on the starboard -side, a large dark shape moving towards him. Putting the helm over, he -crept in more closely to the Asiatic shore, in the hope that the launch, -being small and low and travelling silently, would escape observation. -But next moment he was startled by the sudden beam of a searchlight -playing over the middle of the channel from some point behind him. The -darkness on either side was intensified, so that the light, while it -swept mid-channel, favoured him; but if it should bend its rays to the -left, the launch would be vividly illuminated, and could not fail to be -observed by the men on the approaching vessel, who would certainly -follow with their eyes the path of light. He watched the beam -lengthening its giant stride. It passed over the slowly approaching -torpedo boat and illuminated the water beyond. Hugging the shore as -closely as he dared, Frank drifted on, resolved, if the light fell on -him, to start the engine and make a dash at full speed down the strait. - -The light took a sudden sweep upwards, swung to the right over the hills -and disappeared. Then Frank realised that the current had failed him. -The launch was scarcely moving. He steered for the open channel, edging -out very gradually. No sooner had the launch come again into the -current than the light flashed out, just touching a point of land on his -port side, and passing beyond it. It occurred to him that if he could -round the point during the interval of darkness before the light again -appeared, he would no longer be in its direct path. It was worth the -risk of starting the engine and making a dash over the short distance -between him and safety. Guided only by the dark outline of the low -wooded cliffs on his left hand, he put the engine at full speed while -the light was still sweeping the channel. To maintain an even distance -from the shore he soon found it necessary to keep the helm well over. -He must be rounding the point. And when, a minute or two later, the -beam once more flashed out, it passed almost directly over him, leaving -him in shadow. With a sense of profound relief he stopped the engine -and floated down with the current, more than satisfied for the moment, -but wondering how long his luck would hold. - -The launch was now in pitch darkness. Frank knew that there were shoals -along the shore, and he was beset by a double anxiety: he must steer so -as to avoid at once the path of the searchlight and the unknown shoals. -So fully was his attention occupied that he had almost forgotten the -Kurd lying forward. The dark patch which favoured him was favourable -also to an expedient which Abdi had been grimly meditating. Suddenly, -while Frank was peering into the darkness ahead, he was conscious that a -black shape had intervened between him and the scarcely perceptible -space of water. He knew instantly what it was, but before he could -brace himself for the impending shock the steering-wheel shivered under -a sword-cut that missed him by a hairsbreadth, and the Kurd flung -himself upon him, at the same time shouting vociferously to attract the -attention of any watchers who might be on shore, or on some vessel near -by. Taking advantage of Frank's preoccupation and the darkness, Abdi -had crawled from under the awning and along the deck under the side of -the little craft, springing to his feet within a few inches of Frank's -seat. - -It was the fact of being seated that proved to be Frank's salvation. -Abdi lost the advantage of surprise when his sword-cut missed. He fell -forward awkwardly. Frank's right hand was pinned beneath the Kurd's -body, but his left, with which he had held the wheel, was free. -Instantly he gripped Abdi's sword-arm above the wrist, and for a few -moments there was a fierce struggle for position between the two men; -Frank striving to free his right hand, and when he had done so, to -prevent the Kurd from strangling him with his left arm. - -Frank was soon aware that in mere power of muscle he was no match for -his assailant. But he had the firmer position, Abdi being inclined -forward and swaying unsteadily with the rocking of the launch. Suddenly -dropping his clutch on the Kurd's upper right arm, he seized him by the -throat, braced himself against the seat, and pulled his left arm towards -him, exerting all his strength to twist him over. With his free right -hand Abdi clutched at the thwart; but Frank's leverage against the seat -gave him the mechanical advantage; moreover, the Kurd was expending much -energy in trying to free himself from the pressure on his windpipe. -Inch by inch he was pressed back against the side of the launch, every -moment struggling more feebly under Frank's choking clutch. At last his -shoulders were hanging over the water, and his arms were raised as a -drowning man throws up his hands. Then suddenly Frank released the -Kurd's throat, caught him beneath the right knee, and, pressing heavily -on the seat, tilted him overboard. There was a gurgling gasp as the man -struck the water, then a brief silence, broken soon by a long yell. It -was a cry for help, but not a cry of despair, and Frank, panting from -his recent exertions, was aware that Abdi could swim. His cries must be -heard on shore and on any vessels that might lie in the neighbourhood or -be patrolling the strait. At first their meaning would not be known, -but they would give the alarm and put the enemy on the alert, and as -soon as Abdi reached the shore the truth would be flashed from fort to -fort. - -The launch, left to itself during the struggle, had drifted inshore and -was bumping against the rocks. Frank had just switched on the engine -and reversed the screw when an agitated movement of the searchlight and -shouts from the cliffs above him showed that an alarm of some sort had -been given. The white beam was sweeping the whole breadth of the -channel except that black band which was shielded by the cliffs and in -which the launch was moving. This band widened as the trend of the shore -became more south-westerly, and Frank had good hope of running out of -danger. His confidence was rudely shaken when a second searchlight -began to play from a point slightly ahead of him. For all he knew there -might be others at different points down the channel. It was neck or -nothing now. He put the engine at full speed ahead, and the launch -throbbed and swished through the water. - -The coast-line here made a sudden bend inwards. Frank steered -accordingly, and was relieved to find that by his change of course he -just escaped the searchlight, whose beam flashed almost over his head. -The beating of his screw could hardly fail to be heard on shore, no more -than a hundred yards away; but the light could evidently not be -depressed sufficiently to illuminate this edge of the channel. The -launch dashed on; the light was left behind; and steering almost due -south Frank once more felt secure. - -But next moment he was startled by the sudden flashing of a light from -the opposite shore. It swept directly across the channel and moved -slowly along, lighting up yard after yard of the white cliffs on his -left hand. There was no avoiding it, and he felt a strange tingling as -he realised that in a few seconds the light would find him, and he would -then become the target for the enemy's guns. So it was. The beam -suddenly overtook him, the launch was vividly illuminated from stem to -stern, and the light kept pace with it in its rush down the channel. -Frank tried by zigzag steering to wriggle out of it, but it followed -every movement, and he resigned himself to the inevitable. - -There was a roar and flash from the western shore. A shell splashed -into the water close astern, but failed to explode. At that moment Frank -felt neither dismay nor fear, but only a strange exhilaration. Shells -began to fall fast, now ahead, now astern, and on both sides, some -exploding with a terrific noise, others merely splashing into the water. -"They haven't had practice on moving targets, like our naval gunners," -thought Frank. - -Since everything now depended on speed, he steered out into the channel, -in order to take full advantage of the current. His change of course -seemed to baulk the gunners. The light grew dimmer as he drew farther -from its source, and the gunners, slow in shortening their range, sent -their shells far beyond him. But now a brilliant beam of light struck -the launch from the eastern shore. The searchlight which the cliffs had -previously intercepted had free play over the part of the channel on -which he was now racing. In a few moments shells began to fall more -thickly around him. The noise was deafening. Huge waves dashed over -the launch, and Frank wondered whether it was to escape a shot only to -be swamped and sunk by the water. But he clung firmly to the wheel. - -Then there was a stunning explosion. The launch staggered as if smitten -by a mighty hammer; an immense volume of silvery spray showered upon it. -Frank saw that a big gap had been made in the starboard side, a foot or -two from the stem. But the engine still throbbed steadily, and the -little craft still thrashed her way at full speed seaward. For a little -the shelling ceased. The spray had hidden the launch from the view of -the gunners, who probably supposed that they had sunk her. But they -soon discovered their mistake, and after a ranging shot they started -their continuous bombardment again. The brief respite had enabled Frank -to gain ground. The launch was less brilliantly illuminated. A light -mist was gathering on the water. The wind had changed and was blowing in -from the mouth of the channel. In a few minutes the shells ceased to -fall. The batteries had given him up. - -But his satisfaction was short-lived. Above the throbbing of his engine -he became aware of a new sound--the deeper-toned throbbing of a much -more powerful engine. A new light began to grope through the mist. -Frank felt a sinking of heart. Beyond doubt a war vessel of some kind -was in pursuit of him. Outmatched in speed, what could he look for now -but a sudden end? - -The light found him. Instantly the torpedo boat astern opened fire: -Frank heard the regular rap-rap of a machine gun. The noise of the -engines grew louder: the vessel was bearing down upon him relentlessly -like a sleuthhound. Bullets whizzed, whistled, splashed, thudded on the -woodwork. He felt a burning pang in his right shoulder. Clenching his -teeth he held on his course. Despair seized him when another light, -this time ahead, mingled its misty beam with that from behind. Between -two fires, what could this be but the end? "I'll die game," he -muttered, and steered straight for the torpedo boat which was now -visible in the lifted light of the vessel behind. In a few seconds his -light craft would strike that iron bow, and then---- - -But the shock against which Frank had thus steeled himself never came. -With his hand still upon the steering-wheel he swooned away. - - -When Frank opened his eyes again, they lighted upon the ruddy -clean-shaven face of a man in a peaked cap and navy blue. - -"Where am I?" he murmured. - -"In a ward of H.M.S.--no, I mustn't tell you the name, bedad: 'tis -against the rules, or if it isn't, it might be, so I'll not tell you. -But it's a hospital ship, and you've a nice little hole in your -shoulder, and here's the bullet that bored it: perhaps you'd like to -look at it." - -Frank took the bullet and looked at it with an air of detachment. It -seemed hardly believable that that cone of lead had been in his flesh -and was now out of it. - -"But who the deuce are you, in an enemy uniform and all?" the surgeon -asked. "No, you haven't it on now, to be sure; but there 'tis, rolled -up on the bunk there, and you were in it when they brought you aboard, -and you speaking English as well as the rest of us. You can't talk, to -be sure; but who are you? Don't try to talk, but tell me that." - -Frank smiled at the rubicund Irishman. - -"I feel rather groggy," he said faintly. - -"Of course, and who wouldn't? But 'tis a clean wound, and you'll be up -and skylarking in a day or two, Mr.----" - -"Frank Forester." - -"Ah now, that's not a Turk's name, to be sure. Well, don't talk. I can -talk enough for both. When Lieutenant-Commander W----no, I won't name -him--of H.M.S.--won't name _her_--saw a Turkish gunboat firing on a Turk -in a neat little cockleshell of a launch, 'Boys,' said he--though I did -not hear him, to be sure--'Boys, drop one in the engine-room.' And sure -enough, one of her fore six-pounders planted a shell amidships, and -crippled the Turk's engines, and a couple more sent her to the bottom. -Then they hunted for you, and found your launch bumping on the rocks -below Erenkeui, and you as pale as your shirt (where it wasn't red) -hugging your wheel as if you loved it. They took you aboard and handed -you over to me, and I'm to send in a report when I've got from you who -you are, and who's your father, and the way you come to be playing the -fool in a Turk's uniform. But there's no hurry for that. You'll take a -little food, and sleep, and by and by I'll come and see you again, and -then you can give an account of yourself. Now let me have a peep at -your shoulder." - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - THE LANDING AT ANZAC - - -One bright morning in April, a group of young officers sat smoking on -the deck of a British destroyer lying amid a crowd of warships and -transport vessels in Mudros harbour, on the southern shore of the -Grecian island of Lemnos. They were clad in khaki, with sun helmets, -which marked them out as military, not naval officers. Seated in a rough -half-circle, some on chairs, some on the spotless deck, they appeared to -be specially interested in one of their number, at whom they were -throwing questions one after another. - -"What's the Turkish for 'Give me some beer,' anyhow?" one had just -asked. - -"_Bana bira ver_," replied the young subaltern. "But you won't easily -get it, you know. Moslems don't drink it." - -"Do they grow grapes?" asked another. - -"Oh yes; _yuzum_ 's the word." - -"Don't they make 'em into wine, then?" - -"They're not supposed to, but I daresay you might get some if you said -_Bana sharab ver_ very politely." - -"You won't want it, Ted," said a third. "We've plenty of our own stuff. -Our Australian wine is as good as any." - -"Besides," said the man they were questioning, "you won't get many -opportunities of making requisitions of that sort. There aren't any -inns in Gallipoli, you know." - -"What's the Turkish for _inn_?" - -"Khan." - -"Say 'keep up your pecker' in Turkish: that'll stump you." - -"Not at all. If you fancy your Turk is downhearted, say to him -'_Gheiret ileh_.'" - -A subaltern, who had furtively taken from his pocket a booklet with a -buff-coloured paper cover, turned over the pages, replaced the book, and -bending forward said: - -"Here's a poser for you. What's the Turkish for 'not to be able to be -made to love'?" - -There was a gust of laughter. - -"Tomlinson's thinking of the girl he left behind him," said one of his -comrades. "_Gheiret ileh_, Tommy." - -"Stumped, Forester?" - -"I'm sorry for Tomlinson; he'll have a mouthful to say. -_Sevderilehmemek_ meets the case, I think." - -"By Jove!" gasped the last speaker. "Sounds like a bird twittering." - -Tomlinson had taken out his book again. - -"Forester's right," he said, examining a page. "What a language! How -in the world did you manage to learn it?" - -"What have you got there?" some one asked. - -"A remarkable production called 'Easy Turkish,'" Tomlinson replied. "If -that's easy! ... It's supposed to be a word-book for our chaps in -Turkey; but while it gives you the Turkish for 'not to be able to be -made to love'--as if any sane person would want to say that!--it doesn't -tell you how to say you're hungry or thirsty. Poof!" - -He flung the book overboard. - -"Bang goes sixpence!" he remarked. "You'd better compile something -decent, Forester." - -"It's too late now," said Frank, smiling. "Pity; I might have made a few -honest pennies if I had started in time." - -Frank had been taken in the hospital ship to Malta, where he found his -father. As he made a swift recovery from his wound, he grew more and -more eager to join the fighting forces, and was on the point of applying -for a commission when news came that a military expedition in Gallipoli -had been decided on, to retrieve the failure of the naval operations -which had been in progress for several months. With his father's -approval he hastened to Alexandria and applied for work in connection -with the expedition. His knowledge of Turkish and his recent -experiences in Gallipoli served him well. Interpreters were much -needed. He was attached as interpreter to the Australian contingent with -the rank of lieutenant, and accompanied the troops when they sailed for -the base in Mudros Bay. - -"What sort of a place is this Gallipoli?" asked one of the young -Australians, who had heard something of Frank's adventures. - -"A very hard nut to crack," Frank replied. "I don't know much about the -coast, which is mainly cliffs with very narrow beaches; but the interior -is all rocky hills and ravines, covered with scrub and dwarf oaks. You -couldn't imagine finer country for defence, and the Turks are best on -the defensive. They've had time for preparation, too. A couple of -months ago I saw them dragging a battery up the sides of Sari Bair, a -hill nearly 1000 feet high, and since then no doubt they've planted guns -all over the place." - -"We're in for a hot time, then," remarked Tomlinson. "Well, I was fed -up with Egypt. That attack on the canal was a futile bit of stupidity, -and I was afraid they'd keep us there on the watch for another attack -which not even the Turks would be asses enough to make. If we're in for -the real thing now--well, I for one am delighted, I assure you." - -At two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, April 24, the flagship took up her -position at the head of the line, and the warships passed down among the -slowly moving transports amid cheers from the men on the crowded decks. -Two hours later the troops were lined up with the ships' companies to -hear the captains read Admiral de Robeck's final order of the day, and -to join in the last solemn service conducted by the chaplains. Then the -vessels steamed slowly northward, towards the scene of what was to be -the most heroic enterprise in the long annals of our history. - -All night the fleet made its slow way. On Frank's destroyer the naval -officers entertained the troops with their traditional hospitality, and -then the men--such of them as excitement did not keep awake--slept -through the remaining hours of darkness. - -At one in the morning of Sunday the ships hove to, five miles from the -fatal shore. The men were aroused and served with a hot meal. The -stillness of night brooded over the decks, and the young soldiers, -browned, stalwart, eager, chatted in subdued tones. Twenty minutes -later came the signal from the flagship for lowering the boats, which -had been swinging all night from the davits. Silently the men moved to -their appointed places; the boats dropped gently to the water, and out -of the darkness glided the steam pinnaces that were to take them in tow. -Frank and his new acquaintances were to remain on the destroyer, which -would go close inshore and land them in boats after those towed by the -pinnaces had reached the beach. - -It was still dark when the boats, each in charge of a young midshipman, -moved slowly and silently shoreward. The group of officers on the deck -of the destroyer followed them with their eyes until they were swallowed -up in the darkness. Their hearts were beating fast with suppressed -excitement. What was to be the fate of this great adventure? Could -their approach have been heard? Would the enemy be taken by surprise? -Had the shore at this spot been fortified in anticipation of attack? -Nothing was known. The dawn would show. - -Three battleships had taken up position in line abreast to cover the -landing. The boats stole past them. Through the gloom the outline of -the cliffs was just faintly discernible. Frank gazed breathlessly -ahead. He could barely distinguish the foremost boats creeping in -towards the shore. All was silent; the brooding hush seemed ominous. -Suddenly a searchlight flashed from a point on the cliffs, showing up -the boats as it moved slowly over the water. Still not a shot was -fired. The destroyer, one of seven, began to move. It had barely got -under way when there was a long line of flashes at the level of the -beach, followed in a few seconds by a sharp crackle. The Turks had -opened rifle fire. Then came the faint sounds of a British cheer. The -first boats had reached the beach: dark forms could be seen leaping -forwards into a blaze of fire. Frank watched them with a quivering -impatience. His general instructions were to go ashore when the landing -had been made good and to hold himself in readiness to interpret so soon -as the first prisoners were brought in. But in his heart he longed to -be among the gallant fellows who were braving the perils of the assault; -why should he be passive when they were daring so much? - -A light mist crept over the sea, almost blotting out the cliffs. -Presently the destroyer moved slowly shorewards; it stopped again, and -at the moment when rifle fire burst forth with greater intensity the -boats were lowered over the side. Frank sprang into the first, -throbbing with exultation as it pulled in. The rosy dawn was just -creeping over the hill-tops, the mist was dispersing, and he could now -clearly see the khaki figures swarming like cats up the shrub-covered -almost perpendicular face of the cliffs. - -The boat touched shoal water. Frank leapt overboard with its company, -and rushed up the beach, strewn with prostrate forms and discarded -packs. Just as he reached the first trench, from which the Turks had -been hurled at the point of the bayonet, the man beside him reeled, -gasped, and fell against him. Frank laid him gently down; then, losing -all sense of his non-combatant capacity, he seized the man's rifle and -bandolier and sprinted after the others. - -For a few moments he ran forward in a blind confusion of the senses. -The yellow sandstone crumbled beneath his feet: in front was what -appeared to be a green wall streaked with yellow. Bullets whistled -around. Here and there men lay huddled in extraordinary attitudes on -the slope; now and then he caught sight of a figure clambering up. On -he went, through shrubs that grew higher than his head, conscious only -of continuous flashes, until suddenly he came face to face with a dark -figure that seemed to have sprung up out of the earth. Instinctively he -thrust forward his rifle with a fierce lunge, and the next thing he knew -was that the Turk had sunk down before him, and that he was leaping into -a trench. - -Close to his right he heard the murderous rattle of a machine gun. He -stumbled along the trench for a few yards, shouting he knew not what, -tripped over a man prone in the bottom of the trench, and before he -could pick himself up was kicked and trodden by a number of Australians -who had followed him. Struggling to his feet, he hurried on, to find -himself in a furious melee about the emplacement of the machine gun. -Two of the Australians were down, a third was at deadly grips with three -big bearded Turks. Frank rushed at the nearest of them, and disposed of -him with his bayonet. At the same moment the second fell to the bayonet -of the Australian, and the third turned, scrambled out of the trench, -and plunging into the scrub disappeared up the hill. - -"Got the gun, sir," cried the Australian with a happy grin. - -Frank, gasping, trembling, leant against the side of the trench. - -"Take it down," he replied. - -Another boat's load of men came rushing along the trench. There was no -officer among them. Gathering himself together, Frank put himself at -their head, and leapt up the hill, in pursuit of the Turks who had been -driven from the trench. The ground was broken by ridges, gullies, and -sand-pits, and the scrub grew so thickly that they could scarcely see a -yard in front of them. To keep a regular alignment was impossible. The -men separated, each forcing his own way. None of them had yet so much -as charged their magazines. The work had all been done with the cold -steel. Here one plunged his bayonet into the back of a fleeing Turk: -there another shouted with delight as he discovered that a swaying bush -was really a sniper who had tied branches about his body for -concealment. As they mounted, friend and foe became hopelessly -intermingled. Frank caught sight occasionally of a knot of Turks, then -of a group of Australians; next moment nothing was to be seen but scrub -and creeper intermingled with bright flowers of varied hue as in a rock -garden. Foot by foot he climbed up until presently he found himself at -the crest of the hill, and saw the Australians busy with their trenching -tools amid a furious rifle fire from the Turks in their main position. -His eye marked a steep gully which formed an almost perfect natural -trench. Shouting to the men nearest him, he was joined by a score or -so, who leapt into the gully beside him. And as the sun rose over the -hills on that Sunday morning, Frank, without being aware of it, was -within a few hundred yards of his old hiding-place, the sepulchre on -Sari Bair. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - - A TIGHT CORNER - - -Meanwhile, on the beach below, the work of disembarking men and guns and -stores was proceeding steadily, still under fire, though not so -concentrated and so deadly as it was before the first trenches were -rushed. Engineers were already cutting paths upward through the scrub -on which supplies were being hurried to the top. Ambulance men were -carrying wounded on stretchers down the steep face of the cliff. The -guns of the fleet were searching for the Turkish positions on the -summit, and seaplanes were circling overhead to discover the positions -of the batteries which were enfilading the ridges and the beach with -shrapnel. - -Now that the excitement of the first rush had subsided, Frank felt -himself in a difficulty. He was fortuitously in command of nearly a -half platoon of men: what was he to do with them? He knew nothing of -his position relative to the rest of the force which had established -itself on the hill. The din of rifle and machine-gun fire was -increasing; it seemed clear that the Turks were rallying for a counter -attack. Snipers' bullets incessantly whistled overhead. After a few -minutes he felt sure that the head of the gully above was occupied by a -strong force of the enemy, and he anxiously considered whether he ought -to try to hold on, or to retire down the gully until he came in touch -with some one from whom he could take orders. In the meantime he had -instructed the men to charge their magazines, to keep their heads down, -and to maintain a careful look-out. Never had he felt so glad of the -long field-days he had spent as a sergeant in his school corps. - -While he was still in doubt, a second lieutenant came up the gully. In -the dirty, dishevelled, tattered figure he hardly recognised the Jack -Tomlinson who had tried to pose him in Turkish. - -"You headstrong jackass!" cried Tomlinson genially. "Do you know that -you've got at least five hundred yards ahead of the rest? Looking for -Turks not made to be loved, but to be bayoneted, I suppose." - -"No cackle! What are we to do?" - -"I came to withdraw you, and have had a narrow squeak half a dozen times -on the way. The ground between you and our first line, where we've got -two or three thousand men strung out anyhow, is frightfully exposed, and -the Turks are in strength above. There are no end of snipers concealed -in the scrub on each side, and the bottom of the gully is enfiladed; as -I tell you, I had the narrowest squeak in getting here." - -"We must hold on then?" - -"Or risk being heavily cut up. I think we had better stay, though for -the life of me I don't see how we can stick it if the Turks locate us. -Anyway, I hope it won't be for long. The fellows have chucked away -their packs, I see; that means no grub, and there's no water. I'm -frightfully dry, but I don't care to take a pull at my water-bottle yet. -Every drop may be needed by and by." - -"Well, we couldn't have struck a better place for a stand. This gully's -a better trench than we could have made in a hurry, bar sandbags. Our -handful ought to be able to hold it against anything but artillery. And -we can improve it: we'd better start at once before the Turks spot us: I -believe they're in pretty strong force above there." - -"Righto. Let's have a look round." - -The sides of the gully were covered with bushes and small trees. -Several of the men had retained their entrenching tools, and Frank set -them to lop branches, and others to pull up shrubs by the roots, which -the remainder began to weave into a sort of abattis extending across the -gully. Before they had been engaged on the task more than a quarter of -an hour, the whiz of bullets directly down the gully informed them that -the Turks had discovered their position. One or two men were hit, and -Frank told off a few to post themselves in the bushes and snipe in -return. Their flanks were protected against an attack in force, on one -side by a stretch of fairly open ground commanded from the position of -the Australians below them, and on the other by the tangled vegetation -through which to advance seemed impossible. It gave cover for -innumerable snipers, it is true; but it served also as a screen to the -occupants of the gully on a much lower level. As an additional defence -against attack from up the gully Frank ordered some of the men to throw -up a rampart behind the abattis, a task which the soft nature of the -rock rendered comparatively easy. - -But the traverse was only half finished when there came a warning shout -from a man above-- - -"Here they come!" - -Round a bend in the gully some distance higher up a compact mass of -swarthy Turks surged down towards them. At a word from Frank the men -dropped their tools and posted themselves behind the obstruction, taking -all the cover its unfinished state afforded, each man looking steadily -over his rifle sight. - -"Wait for the word," said Frank at one end of the line. - -The Turks rushed down impetuously, filling the whole width of the gully -and several ranks deep. They did not fire, their intention evidently -being to overwhelm the little party in one headlong rush. Frank waited -tensely until the first rank was within about a hundred yards; then he -called out: - -"Now! Rapid!" - -A withering volley flashed from the rifles. Then the men, each for -himself, fired into the approaching mass as steadily as if practising at -the butts. The first rank went down under the pitiless hail of lead, -but the rush was scarcely checked. Carried on by their own impetus, the -Turks ran, jumped, reeled down the hundred yards of rough slope that -intervened between them and the abattis. They could not stop, even if -they would, for the close ranks behind pressed relentlessly upon the -foremost. Nor indeed did they show any disposition to shirk the issue. -They were Turks, and therefore brave; they were many, and the defenders -were few; and though the men at the head of the column fell in their -tracks, or survived only to reel forward a few yards and then collapse, -those behind sprang over the bodies of their fallen comrades, only to -fall themselves a pace or two further on. Their places were taken in -turn by others from the throng pressing behind, and the living stream -dashed against the abattis like waves upon a breakwater. Shouting the -name of Allah, some tried to wrench the branches apart, others dug their -feet into the obstacle and began to clamber over. But their courage was -of no avail. With a horde of the enemy within five or six feet of them -the Australians continued to fire calmly, methodically, relentlessly, -plying their bayonets upon those few who came within their reach. - -[Illustration: THE FIGHT IN THE GULLY] - -In two or three minutes from the time when the torrent first broke upon -the barrier the oncoming Turks had to meet a new and terrible obstacle -in the piled bodies of their comrades. And when finally the survivors, -stricken with sudden panic, broke and fled back up the gully, it needed -all the authority of the two officers to prevent their men from bursting -out and chasing the shattered mob. The Australian in action has only -one glorious failing: like a thoroughbred courser, when his blood is up -he is hard to hold. - -Frank mopped his smoking brow. His hand was shaking. His rifle was -hot. - -"You three men," he said, indicating those nearest him, "get over and -bring in the wounded. The rest keep an eye up the gully." - -"I've got some iodine ampoules," said Tomlinson. - -"Good! We must do what we can for the poor chaps. I'm glad it's over." - -"Is it over? Look there." - -At the further end of the gully the Turks had already begun to collect -material for a breastwork similar to that against which they had just -spent themselves. They kept out of sight, but masses of scrub and -branches of trees could be seen falling into the gully from the sides. - -"We must snipe them," said Tomlinson--"fire into the bushes." - -"Better save our ammunition," suggested Frank. "We shall want it if -they attack again, and we can't get any more. They've learnt a lesson, -and will be warier now, and therefore more formidable. We've all our -work cut out yet." - -Thus at the one end the Turks went about their task unmolested, and at -the other the Australians were allowed to carry the wounded behind their -rampart without interference. Such of the men as had field dressings -employed them ungrudgingly on their wounded prisoners. But hardly had -the last man who could be moved been brought over when the Turks above -commenced a steady fire from behind their barricade. - -"Keep low, men," cried Frank. "Poke your rifles through the bushes near -the bottom, and loose a shot every now and then." - -It soon became clear that the sharpshooting from the barricade was -intended to distract the Australians while an attempt was made to -outflank them through the scrub on the banks of the gully. Though the -Turks moved stealthily, and on the left bank had almost perfect cover, a -sudden stirring of the bushes caught Tomlinson's eye, and he guessed -what it meant. The party was all too small to meet an attack on three -fronts; for presently figures were seen darting across the more open -ground on the right in twos and threes, risking observation from the -larger force of Australians that was entrenched farther down the hill. -Fighting was general all over the position, and even if the plight of -the small band in the gully had been known to their comrades below, -there was little or no chance of their being reinforced. All that the -young officers could do was to tell off as many of their men as could be -spared from the barricade to line the banks of the gully, and do their -best to daunt the enemy by the accuracy of their fire. - -It was a position to test the nerve and resolution of a veteran, much -more of soldiers making their first essay in warfare. Nothing in the -experience of the Great War has been more remarkable than the -extraordinary efficiency shown by the younger officers--men who a few -months before were boys at school, with no more expectation of serving -their country in arms than of undertaking any other unimagined form of -activity. They have shown quickness of perception, promptness in -decision, the courage and tenacity which every Briton glories in as his -birthright, and a cheerfulness in the most adverse and depressing -circumstances, which is not improvised, but grows out of health and -disciplined freedom. When the full story of this world-struggle comes to -be written, it will be found that a large proportion of the honours -which history will award will fall to the boys. - -Through the heat of the day, and on till the evening mist crept across -the hills, Frank and his Australian comrades maintained the unequal -fight. In the struggle at the barricade they had received only a few -slight wounds; but as the day wore on the effective strength of the -little band ebbed away. Parched with thirst, ruefully regretful of the -emergency rations in the packs so lightly discarded on the beach below, -they had more than the persistent sniping of the enemy to contend with. -They rarely caught sight of the Turks, but every now and then one would -fall to a bullet from some unseen rifle in the scrub. Exasperated by -this furtive mode of attack, the men asked to be allowed to charge the -enemy, and growled in the free-spoken manner of Australians when their -entreaty was refused. At one time Tomlinson suggested that they should -make an attempt to fall back upon the larger forces below, in spite of -its risks: but Frank replied quietly: - -"We don't know how important every yard may prove to be. I think we had -better hold on, Tommy. Perhaps the fellows below will make another rush -upward by and by." - -But darkness fell: the din of fighting had not diminished; but none had -come to their relief. Tomlinson renewed his proposal; but to the other -dangers would be added the risk of losing their way in this unknown -wilderness, and he agreed ultimately with Frank that they had better -hold their ground. - -The men tried to relieve their thirst by sucking the dew from their -coats and shirts. The day had been a long torture, but all confessed -that the night hours were worse. In the daylight they could see their -enemy if they threatened an attack; in the darkness they had to trust to -their ears alone. The Turks, knowing how small their numbers were, would -probably be tempted to rush them, and the strain of guarding against -surprise told very heavily upon their nerves. - -About four hours after dark, Frank's suspicion that some such move was -intended was aroused, first by the slackening of the sniping fire, then -by sounds of movement on all sides. Frank had posted himself at the -upper end of his little force, by the barricade: Tomlinson at the lower. -From this end Frank suddenly heard murmurs of conversation, in tones -which, though low, had a note of excitement. In a few moments a man -came to him up the gully. - -"I'm Sergeant Jukes, sir," he said--"crept up the gully from below. -Some one told the major about you up here, and he sent me to say, hold -on as long as you can. They're getting ready to advance down there." - -"That's good news! Tell the major we'll stick it to the last." - -"I'm to stay with you, sir." - -"Good! The major doesn't know who we are, of course." - -"No, sir. We heard firing, and he thought perhaps some of our chaps had -been cut off and hadn't got an officer with them, so he sent me to take -charge in that case, but to stay anyhow." - -"We're glad of your help--only wish there were forty of you. Just go -down a few paces and keep your ears open. I'm pretty sure the Turks are -going to try a rush." - -The minutes passed very slowly. It was clear that the enemy, leaving -nothing to chance, were making their dispositions with deliberate -thoroughness. Officers and men waited in a tenseness that was painful. -Would the blow from above fall before the promised movement from below? -Frank dared not diminish his force by sending out a listening patrol. -He would need every man if the attack came, and it would be so easy to -lose one's way in the scrub. But in the darkness every man's hearing -seemed preternaturally sharpened, and they fingered their rifles -restlessly as they heard more and more sounds of the forces gathering -about them. - -Suddenly there was a whistle on the right, followed by an answering -whistle on the left. Guided by the sounds the defenders opened fire. -There was no reply. The enemy were no doubt feeling their way forward, -in the hope of getting near enough to sweep the position in one -overwhelming rush. From the directions in which the whistles had come, -Frank guessed that an attack was to be made simultaneously on two sides. -There was another whistle, nearer at hand and unmistakably at the side; -the answer came from below. An idea flashed into his mind which he -instantly put into execution. - -When, a few moments later, the Turks swarmed down both sides of the -gully some distance below the barricade, they intended to force the -defenders back upon that useless defence, expecting to have them then at -their mercy. But when they met, in the darkness and confusion some of -them threw themselves upon their own friends before they discovered that -the men they had come to attack had disappeared. In that brief interval -before the rush, Frank, divining their purpose, had swiftly withdrawn -all his men to the barricade, and at the moment when the Turks poured -down the sides of the gully, the defenders were all posted above the -barricade, facing towards them. As the Turks, yelling and cursing, -surged upwards they were met by a withering fire, which swept down the -gully into their confused and closely packed ranks. Trapped, -bewildered, they hesitated; then they in turn opened fire. - -But at this moment there was a ringing cheer from below, repeated in -ever-increasing volume as a full company of Australians charged up the -gully. They could not be seen; not a rifle flash revealed their -position; they meant to do their work with the cold steel. The Turks, -swept by the hail of lead from above, ignorant of the number of the -enemy pouring upon their rear, began in terror to scramble up the sides -of the gully, and broke away into the scrub on either side. - -A hoarse shout rose from the parched throats of the men above the -barricade. It warned their comrades of their position. And now came the -moment that rewarded the little band for all the stress and labour of -the day. Exhausted though they were, they sprang up the banks of the -gully, and side by side with the new arrivals, deaf to the commands of -Frank and Tomlinson, they plunged into the scrub after the fleeing -Turks. A series of peremptory blasts from a whistle brought this -impetuous movement to a stop. The men returned, disappointed but happy, -to the gully, and the newcomers were ordered to line the banks with a -protective parapet. - -Then an electric torch was seen moving among the men, and a clear -authoritative voice was heard. - -"Where is the officer who organized this position?" - -Thoroughly worn out, Frank was sitting at the foot of the bank, holding -his head in his hands, hardly conscious of what was passing around him. -He looked up as the light flashed upon him. - -"This is he, eh?" a voice said. "Your name, sir." - -He saw two keen eyes fixed upon him, and stood up, mechanically -saluting. - -"My name?" He appeared to consider for a moment. "Yes, I know: Frank -Forester." - -"Regiment?" - -"I don't know; I don't believe I have one. No, sir, of course; I'm -attached as interpreter." - -"Indeed! You've a queer way of interpreting your duties. How long have -you held this gully?" - -"Since early morning, sir." - -"With what force?" - -"We had something over twenty to start with: there aren't so many now." - -"Less than a platoon! By George, Mr. Forester, it's an uncommonly fine -performance: are you aware of that? I'll send your name up to the -General." - -"There's Tomlinson, sir." - -"I'll look after Tomlinson." - -"The men were splendid." - -"I haven't a doubt of it.... Why, bless my soul! water there, some -one." - -Frank had collapsed in his arms. - - - - - CHAPTER XX - - FISHING - - -With the morning light the men were set to consolidate the position. -Frank's barricade was strengthened; the gully was parapeted and wired; -everything possible was done to improve the defensive capacity of the -natural trench which marked the summit of the Australian advance, and -which its occupants were to hold for a month without being able to push -farther. - -On the day after the fight, Frank was sent down to the beach by the -major to report himself to the colonel, who at once employed him in his -proper duties of interpreting for the Turkish prisoners. - -"You'd rather be doing something else, I dare say, after that brilliant -little defence of yours," said the colonel; "but interpreters are -scarce, and you can't be spared." - -During the next few days Frank learnt by degrees many details of the -wonderful feat accomplished by the allied army. In the first place he -discovered that the landing-place of the Australians, a little north of -Gaba Tepe, was almost immediately below his old haunt on Sari Bair, and -the guns he had heard firing above during that unforgettable day were -evidently the battery which he had seen hauled up the hill. He heard -too how at Beach Y, to the south, the King's Own Scottish Borderers and -part of the Naval Division had gained the top of the cliffs with ease, -covered by the guns of three cruisers in the bay; and how, still farther -southward, the Royal Fusiliers, landing from the _Implacable_, had made -good their footing without a single casualty. On the broader sands at -Beach W the Lancashire Fusiliers had at first failed against the wire -entanglements almost at the water's edge, and the innumerable snipers -and machine guns concealed in the hollow between the cliffs. At Beach -V, the Dublin Fusiliers, almost annihilated as they attempted to force -three lines of wire and a labyrinth of trenches, had taken cover under a -high sandbank that stretched along the shore, where they were joined by -such of the Munster Fusiliers and the Hampshires as survived the -terrible fire which burst on them when they rowed in from the collier in -whose side a door had been cut for their exit. At Beach S the South -Wales Borderers had scaled the cliffs without much difficulty; and the -French had successfully effected their diversion on the opposite shore -of the channel at Kum Kale. - -These were the doings of the memorable Sunday. On Monday the -Australians, supported by the guns of the fleet, withstood a violent -counter-attack that lasted two hours, and finally drove off the Turks at -the point of the bayonet. Elsewhere along the shore, except at Beach Y, -which had been abandoned, the invaders held their own, and during the -following days the work of consolidation made rapid progress. The -sappers threw out piers on which stores and ammunition were unloaded -from lighters under incessant shrapnel fire. Engineers cut roads up the -cliffs to facilitate the transport and the passage of the ambulance -parties that were continually going up and down. The wounded were -conveyed to the ships as rapidly as possible. Day and night the work -went on, amid the deafening roar of big guns and the unceasing rain of -bullets. - -During the month of May little further progress was made. The way was -blocked by the hill of Achi Baba, crowned by a strong redoubt, and -seamed with trenches extending on all sides in terraces one above -another. Against these strong fortifications no general advance was -possible. - -Meanwhile German submarines had commenced their activity in the -Dardanelles and the AEgean Sea. They failed to interfere with the -supplies for the army, but they torpedoed three large warships, the -_Goliath_, the _Triumph_, and the _Majestic_, and put a temporary check -on the close co-operation of the fleet. Their successes were in some -measure balanced by the feats of British submarines, which ran the -blockade of mines, penetrated as far as Constantinople, and sent several -Turkish transports to the bottom. - -One evening, just after the _Majestic_ had been sunk, Frank was smoking -an after-dinner cigarette with his colonel outside the mess-tent. The -conversation turning on submarines, Frank mentioned the incident of the -broken case on the quay at Panderma, when he had noticed the periscope -of a submarine disclosed by the breach. He did not dwell upon it, and -the colonel only remarked that the activity of the German submarines had -evidently been long premeditated. - -Two mornings later, Frank was summoned to the colonel, with whom he -found a naval captain. - -"Good morning, Forester," said the colonel. "I have been telling my -friend Captain Roberts some of your queer experiences before you settled -down as a humdrum interpreter. He is rather interested." - -"I am indeed," said the captain. "After what you have gone through, -interpreting must be dull work--duller than mine, for it's not very -exciting to fire at long range without much chance of getting one back." - -"It's not very exhilarating, certainly," replied Frank. "The prisoners -haven't much to tell. They don't like their German officers, and -haven't an idea what they are fighting for. Fighting is their job, and -_Kismet_ covers it all.... You haven't been hit from Sari Bair, then?" - -"No, though their shells drop pretty close sometimes. Our sea-planes -haven't managed to locate that battery. I understand you didn't -actually see the guns emplaced." - -"No, after I toppled one over I made off. You see, things were getting -pretty hot just then." - -"Naturally. Well, you seem to have been able to take good care of -yourself in very ticklish situations; but perhaps after all your present -work is a relief after so much excitement. A man can have his fill of -adventures, I suppose." - -"I confess things weren't altogether pleasant, sometimes, though they -had their bright side." - -Frank smiled at his recollections of the major of artillery whose -clothes he had commandeered, and of the boastful Abdi gurgling in the -sea. At the same time, struck by a peculiar intentness in the captain's -manner, he asked himself, "What is he driving at, I wonder?" - -"Yes, of course there are two sides to everything," the captain went on. -"Sometimes the bright side is eclipsed by the dark--according to the -state of one's liver, perhaps. Your liver doesn't trouble you much, I -fancy." - -Frank looked at the broad, jolly face smiling enigmatically at him. - -"Is there anything you wish me to do?" he asked bluntly but -respectfully. - -The two elder officers exchanged a glance. - -"Well, since you put it like that--yes, there is," said the captain. -"But it's a matter entirely for yourself. If you feel any hesitation, -we shan't think any less of you if you don't entertain the idea. I may -as well say at once it's a dangerous job, not at all in the ordinary -risk of warfare; but the colonel had told me of your work on the cliff -yonder, and for a mere interpreter, you know, you appear rather to -relish risks that are not quite ordinary." - -"You don't think much of risks when you've got anything going," said -Frank. "Anyhow, if I can be of use--what's the nature of the job?" - -"It's just as I expected," interposed the colonel, rising. "I'll leave -you two to talk it over. Come and tell me what you arrange, Forester. -You'll find me somewhere in the neighbourhood." - -Next morning Frank's absence evoked enquiries among the junior officers. -The colonel was appealed to. - -"Forester? Oh, he's off for a few days on special service." - -"Interpreting, sir?" asked one. - -"He'll have opportunities of airing his Turkish," said the colonel. - -His manner discouraged further questioning. The others saw that he meant -to say no more. One of them, however, presently asked whether Forester -was likely to be away long. - -"I can't say." He tugged his moustache reflectively. "Our little job -here is not exactly a soft one, but I wouldn't be in Forester's boots -just now for a peerage." - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - - IN A RING FENCE - - -A Greek fishing vessel was beating up against a gentle easterly wind -into the Gulf of Adramyti. Its course suggested that it had sailed from -the island of Mitylene. In the distance, beyond the head of the gulf, -Mount Ida glowed in the rays of the setting sun, and the shade was -deepening on the wooded hills of the Asiatic shore. - -It was a peaceful, beautiful scene. But if the eyes of any on board the -vessel were turned westward, they fell upon an image of war. Far off on -the horizon a long low shape lay darkly silhouetted against the orange -sky. With a glass, perhaps without, it might have been recognised as a -destroyer. - -The crew of the vessel were busy with their nets. Their catches were -not very great, yet they showed no disappointment, such as might have -been expected in men whose living depended on their takes. Some of -them, indeed, showed an almost boyish interest and curiosity in the -contents of the nets when they were hauled up. One might have thought -that they were out for a night's fishing for the first time in their -lives. And the remarks that fell from their lips were not those that -one would expect to hear in a Greek vessel, or from native-born -fishermen. - -"That's a plumper," said one. - -"My aunt! don't you know a dogfish when you see it?" - -"Is that a dogfish? All I know about 'em is that they make you -squeamish. Fact! My cousin told me: a chap always running some craze or -other. Once it was science: thought he'd like to be a B.Sc. Biology was -in it. He bought a microscope and a swagger set of dissecting -instruments: they have to cut up all sorts of strange beasts, you know. -First came a frog." - -"Ugh! Slimy!" muttered one of his companions. - -"Well, he liked it: fact! Said it was a beautiful little creature -inside. Then came a mussel: he had no end of a job finding its nervous -system or whatever it was. Then was the turn of the dogfish. I don't -know whether this fish had been too long away from home, or whether it's -naturally offensive, like the skunk: but whatever it was, my cousin told -me that when he put in the scalpel--well, he ran out of the room and -decided to go in for philosophy instead." - -The speakers, though clad in nondescript garments that might have been -taken, at a distance, for Greek, were obviously Englishmen. Four of -their companions in the boat were of the same nationality, and anyone -who had ever spent a few days in a British naval port would have -declared, with the first glance at their keen bronzed faces, that they -were British seamen in disguise. The remaining five men in the vessel -were as obviously genuine Greeks; but a trained ear would have -recognised their speech as the Greek of Cyprus rather than Mitylene. - -The fishing, or shall we say the pretence of fishing, was kept up until -it was almost dark. - -"Time to be off, old chap," said the man who had recoiled at the mention -of a frog. - -"Yes, I suppose so," said the other without much enthusiasm. He took -off his outer garments, and replaced them by the loose European costume -which is affected by the modern Greek merchant--wide trousers, a jacket -that looks as though it were never meant to be buttoned, a shapeless -soft hat, and the inevitable touch of colour in a blue cummerbund. -Finally he stuck upon his upper lip a long, soft, black moustache. - -"By George, you look a regular Levantine--not to say levanter," cried -his companion. "In that get-up you could persuade any simple Turk that -chalk's cheese. The moustache is a master-stroke: wonderful how it -transforms a fellow. I'd like to know the reason why army chaps are -encouraged to cultivate 'em, whereas they're strictly forbidden in the -King's navy." - -He continued talking, apparently with the idea of keeping up his own and -his companion's spirits. Meanwhile the vessel, which had put about just -before darkness fell, as if to run back to Mitylene, once more beat up -the gulf, edging gradually into Turkish waters. In about an hour it had -arrived, according to the calculation of the Greek skipper, within about -two miles of the coast. Under the starlit sky the hills loomed black in -the distance. - -The vessel was thrown into the wind. Orders were given in a whisper. A -small dinghy towing astern was drawn up alongside. One of the Greeks -stepped into it, and tied some bundles of matting to its stern, letting -them float on the water at the end of the rope. Then Frank and the -naval officer got in, two of the British sailors followed them, and the -boat was rowed with well-muffled oars silently shoreward. - -When it was within a few cables' length of the shore the rowers ceased -pulling, and all the occupants of the boat stretched their ears to catch -any sounds that might indicate the presence of persons on the beach. -They heard nothing but the slight ripple of the almost tideless AEgean -breaking on the sand. - -"Pull in," murmured the lieutenant-commander. - -A few silent strokes brought the boat to the beach. Trees stretched -down almost to the water's brink. All was dark and tranquil. A seaman -stepped overboard upon the wet sand and stood with his back towards the -boat. Frank rose. - -"Good luck, old man," said the naval officer, gripping his hand hard. - -Frank mounted the seaman's back, and was carried a few yards to the dry -sand. Meanwhile the other seaman had cut the matting loose, and placed -it carelessly on the beach just above the waterline, as if it had been -cast up there by the sea. Frank waved a farewell, plunged into the -forest, and disappeared. After a short interval the boat was pulled out -to sea, and its occupants boarded the fishing vessel, anchored where -they had left it. - -Frank found himself among trees growing thickly together, on ground that -sloped steeply from the beach. There was little undergrowth to impede -his progress. Consulting a luminous compass, he directed his course -almost due northward, expecting in a short time to reach the road that -ran parallel with the coast and at a short distance from it, from -Alexander Troas to Edremit. The slope soon gave place to more level -ground, and the forest belt presently ended abruptly at the edge of -cultivated land. Frank crossed the fields, and in about forty minutes -after he left the beach he struck into the road. - -It was a bright starlit night, without moon. The road was deserted. In -accordance with the plan made after close consultation of the map with -his friend the lieutenant-commander, he turned to the right, and stole -cautiously along the road, stopping at every few yards to listen. -Everything was quiet, and there was neither light nor sound from the few -farm buildings which he passed at intervals. - -After walking about a mile he heard footsteps. At first he thought they -were merely echoes of his own, but he took the precaution to step aside -into the shadow of a clump of trees, and soon afterwards saw a figure -approaching along the road. Before being discovered himself he wished to -learn what kind of person he had to do with. The indistinct figure -presently resolved itself into the bent form of an old peasant, whom he -thought he might safely question. Stepping out into the road, he went -on, and was not seen by the peasant, who was apparently very tired and -walked with head downbent, until he had almost reached him. - -Giving him the usual salutation, Frank stopped. - -"Where is the nearest khan?" he asked. - -"About an hour's walk along the road," replied the man, looking -curiously at him. - -"Who is the khanji?" - -"Hussan, the son of Ibrahim." - -"Is it a good khan? I shall be glad to get there. I have had a long -walk. My horse fell lame: I could not get another: they are all taken -for the army." - -"It is a good khan. Hussan is a good man. You will rest well." - -More salutations were exchanged, and each went on his way. - -In less than an hour Frank arrived at a building in which lights were -burning. He knocked at the door, and called for Hussan the son of -Ibrahim. A voice from within asked who he was and what was his -business. - -"A merchant of Corinth, O khanji, compelled to go on foot by the loss of -his horse. I am weary and desire to rest, and it has been told me along -the road how excellent is this khan, and how princely the hospitality of -the khanji." - -"Great is Truth," said the khanji, opening the door. "Here, if you are -a respectable man and can pay, you shall find good food and a couch to -yourself, since I have but few guests to-night." - -The innkeeper, a middle-aged man of Arab type, stood in the doorway to -inspect his guest before admitting him. - -"Whither are you bound, stranger?" he asked. - -"For Edremit, khanji. I have business with the army: what it is I -cannot say: you understand that?" - -The khanji looked knowing. - -"I am deaf and blind if need be," he said. "You will want a horse. I -think I can find one for you--if you can pay." - -"Surely I will pay well." - -"Enter, then, O honoured guest. I will set before you what is left of a -prime chicken, and after, cakes and honey, and whatsoever this khan will -afford." - -Frank went in. The single guest-chamber, a large apartment, was lit by -a couple of saucer-lamps. Three men of the carrier type were eating -their supper. The host laid rugs on a sleeping board at one end of the -room for Frank, and called to his servant to bring the stranger a bowl -of stew. - -"What news of the war?" he asked. - -"There is little fresh," replied Frank. "The Russians get no further, -and the English are beating their heads against the rocks in Gallipoli. -Your countrymen the Turks----" - -"Not so: I am an Arab," interrupted the khanji. "My fathers ruled this -country before the Turks were heard of." - -"True. Perhaps it will be ruled again by men of your race: who can -tell? But the Turks are stronger since the Almans have come among them. -There are many Almans in Stamboul. You have not seen any on this side -of the water?" - -"I have not; but it is said that there are Almans along the coast. What -they do here I know not, for they are not fighting men. It is told that -they are holy men, who keep themselves very strictly apart. The Almans, -it is said, are becoming true sons of the faithful." - -"I know something of them," said one of the guests. "I have taken goods -to them from Edremit--wheaten flour from Tafid the corn factor. Truly -the ways of the Franks are past understanding, and the chief of these -Almans is the maddest of all. He is a hermit; yet big and fierce, and -not lean and weak like our own holy men. With him there are certain -others of less degree, who do what he bids them. His dwelling is on the -shore of the gulf, and the ground around it is enclosed by a fence of -wire with many sharp spikes. In the fence there is but one gate, and -none is allowed to enter except those bringing stores. I myself, when I -take the flour, have to leave it at an inner fence far from the house, -and there it is received by the holy man's servants. That he is a true -son of Islam is sure, for the Governor protects him, and posts soldiers -at his gate to defend him from harm." - -"Mashallah! These Almans are different from us," said another man. -"Our holy men eat pulse, and so little that their bodies are but -shadows. But these strangers have large bodies, and surely in appetite -they are as elephants, for I have carried to them the flesh of oxen and -sheep sufficient for fifty men that have no claim to holiness." - -"And now, stranger, give me your name, your business, and the number of -your years," said the khanji. "I ask pardon for what seems -impertinence, but I am bidden to send every day to the Bey at Chatme a -list of my guests. It is a grievous task and costs much time and the -loss of my servants' labour, but the command of the Bey must be done." - -Frank invented the necessary particulars, which the innkeeper -laboriously wrote down in Arabic characters. - -"You will send that to Chatme to-morrow, khanji?" he asked. - -"Truly: it is too late to-night." - -"As I am going that way I will save your servant's time. Let me be your -messenger." - -The khanji looked surprised at this offer: but he was quite ready to -accept it and save himself trouble. - -Frank was well satisfied with what he had learnt, and went to sleep with -an easy mind. - -Very early next morning he accompanied the khanji to his stables, where -he found an old broken-kneed horse for which he haggled in the oriental -manner, ultimately paying for it a good deal more than it was worth. On -a shelf he saw a tool of the nature of a trowel, which he slipped into -his pocket when the khanji's back was turned. "It may come in handy," he -thought, "and the old rascal is more than paid for it by what he has -robbed me of over the horse." - -Thanking his host for his hospitality, Frank mounted and pushed along -the road as fast as his sorry nag could go. At this early hour he met -no travellers, and saw nobody but the labourers trudging to their work -in the fields. After riding about nine miles, as nearly as he could -guess, he turned off into a side track leading towards the coast. The -country all around was densely wooded, and from marks on the track he -judged that it was used for dragging timber. Now and then he heard the -ring of axes in the woods. At places the track drew near to the edge of -the cliff overlooking the sea. Here he struck off inland, making his -way as best he could among the trees. Once he caught sight of a man far -away on the cliff, looking out to sea. It appeared that the coast was -watched. - -At last, after what seemed to be hours of slow progress, diversified by -stumbles and falls of his miserable steed, he came suddenly to the -barbed wire fence of which he had heard at the inn. He saw at a glance -that it was not designed to keep people out if they were determined to -get in. Like the notice, "Trespassers will be prosecuted," in fields -and woods at home, it was intended to scare intruders away. Frank -dismounted, led his horse into a thicket out of sight from the fence, -hitched the bridle to a tree and gave the animal some food. Then he -returned to the fence, took the bearings of the thicket, and prepared to -get over. This he achieved by climbing on the successive strands of the -wire as on the rungs of a ladder, steadying himself by means of one of -the posts to which the wire was attached. One of the barbs tore a rent -in his baggy trousers, but this was his only mishap. He was within the -enclosure of the mysterious hermitage. - -He looked about him. There were many trees, though they were not so -crowded as in the woods he had just left. No house was in sight. He -had gathered from the carrier's talk that the enclosure was of large -extent: exactly how large he did not know, and it was necessary to go -warily, to avoid coming too suddenly upon the house. He flitted from -tree to tree with the caution of a scout who knows that an enemy is in -front of him. - -Presently he came to a stream too wide to leap: he crossed it by wading, -the water coming halfway up to his knees. The current was swift, and a -little to his left he heard a continuous rustle, like the sound of a -waterfall. No doubt the stream fell over the cliff into the sea. He -went on, and arrived at a rough track parallel with the stream. -Carefully scanning the surroundings, he saw, down the track to his -right, a second wire fence, with a gate where it crossed the path. He -retraced his steps for some little distance, in order to approach the -fence at a spot remote from the gate. - -When he reached it, he found that it differed from the outer fence. It -was constructed, not of barbed wire, but of plain iron wire about as -thick as that used for telegraph lines. There would be no difficulty in -creeping through. It seemed strange that the inner defences of this -hermit's settlement should be so much less formidable even than the -paltry obstruction he had recently crossed. He examined it closely, and -noticed what appeared to be an insulator on one of the posts. Perhaps -the fence was not so harmless as it looked. Wetting a finger, he -lightly touched the wire for an instant. - -"Lucky I wasn't too impetuous," he thought. "That's a pretty strong -charge." - -Faced by this unexpected obstacle, he withdrew among the trees to -consider what he should do. The trowel which he had brought, with the -idea of cutting the wire if necessary, was useless against a wire -electrically charged. Possibly, however, search might discover a weak -spot. There was no sign of the inhabitants of the settlement. -Returning within sight of the fence, but keeping near to the trees so -that he might slip under cover in case of alarm, he prowled along, but -without reward until he reached the stream he had waded. At this spot -it was crossed by the wire, attached to a post on each bank. He saw at -once that by scooping away the soft earth at the foot of one of the -posts he could make a hole large enough to enable him to wriggle under -the bottom strand of wire. The trowel was coming in handy after all. - -In a few minutes he was safe on the other side. Following the stream -towards the sea, he came presently to a clearing, and what he saw within -the clearing assured him in a flash that his journey had not been in -vain. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - - THE HOLY MEN - - -As he scanned the scene, Frank smiled at his thought of the wonderment -of the khanji and his humble guests could they but see the habitat of -the mysterious "holy men." They, no doubt, had imagined a cave in the -cliff, or at best a stone grot, with nothing to suggest modern -civilization. What he actually saw had no semblance of luxury, indeed; -but it was far from the austerities of the anchorites of old. - -On the left of the clearing, as he looked towards the sea, was a small -wooden bungalow, with a verandah about three sides of it, pleasantly -shaded by trees. Beyond it, at the edge of the wood, was a smaller hut, -also of wood. To the right were three more huts, one considerably -larger than the others; and by the side of this last was a crane, worked -by a donkey engine. Two men were moving about the place, hauling -packages from the large hut to the crane. Apparently they were to be let -down--to what destination below, Frank could not see. - -"I am getting warm," he thought. - -It was necessary to discover what lay beneath the crane, and Frank -glanced round to find some safe and convenient path by which he might -secretly approach it. As he did so, he caught sight of a short pole on -the roof of the bungalow, from which a single telegraph wire passed over -the clearing to the left and disappeared into the wood. Just below him, -skirting the clearing on the right, ran the stream with which he was -already acquainted. It was possible, he thought, under cover of the -shrubs on the further bank, to gain a point where he might satisfy his -curiosity. Cautiously making his way along, completely screened, he -came to a spot where the stream fell sheer to the level of the beach -between high cliffs, through which it cut a channel to the sea. -Immediately beneath the cliff on which the bungalow and the huts stood -there was a broad pool, bounded by a similar cliff on the opposite side. -And on this pool, just beneath the crane, lay a lighter. - -Frank at once realised that the pool, like the buildings, was out of -sight from the sea. If a ship were to pass the entrance of the channel, -those on board, seeing the waterfall, would at once know that the stream -was not navigable, and would probably not think it worth while to enter -the channel. No one would suspect that within, indented in the cliffs -to the right, there was a small natural harbour, in which a vessel might -lie perfectly concealed. Its depth Frank had no means of determining. -Immediately beneath him the water was churned into foam by the falling -stream. But it was clearly deep enough to float a lighter, and it was -equally clear that the depth of the channel must be sufficient for its -passage in and out. - -From his place of concealment Frank watched. At the foot of the crane -there was now a pile of small packages. From one of the huts came a -stout bearded man in grimy blue overalls. He sidled into his seat at -the donkey engine, jerked the throttle, and addressed one of the -labourers. He spoke in Turkish, but in a harsh guttural voice that could -proceed from none but a German throat. A moment later Frank heard -another voice from the direction of the bungalow, which was hidden from -him by the intervening huts. He could not distinguish the words, but -immediately afterwards a German sailor came out of the hut on the -seaward side of the bungalow, saluted, and rolled off into the woods -crowning the cliff. Before he had quite disappeared, Frank noticed a -second sailor climbing down the trunk of a tall tree, and lifting his -glass (the excellent article for which he was indebted to the major of -artillery with whom he had made certain exchanges in Gallipoli) he made -out a rope ladder swinging from a lofty branch. The two sailors met at -the foot of the tree. They exchanged a few words; then the newcomer -ascended the ladder, and the look-out he had relieved sauntered towards -the hut. - -Realising that his hiding-place was commanded from the look-out post in -the tree, Frank slightly changed his position. - -"I am getting warmer," he said to himself. Meanwhile the engine had -begun to puff. The crane extended its arm, and the chain rattled as one -of the men was let down into the lighter. The packages were then -lowered one by one, and stowed on board. When the last of them had been -placed, the man below caught hold of the chain, and the engine-man began -to lift him. But the man's feet were only a few feet above the vessel, -and the arm of the crane had just begun to swing round, when there came -an imperative call from the bungalow. - -"Adolf!" - -"Ja, Herr Major," shouted the engine-man. - -He at once stopped the engine, and wiping his hands on a mass of waste, -hurried towards the bungalow, leaving the Turk swinging. Frank smiled -at this illustration of German discipline, and was still more amused -when he noticed that the Turk, instead of dropping into the pool and -clambering on board the lighter as he might have done safely, clung on -to the hook at the end of the chain and dangled there, apparently too -frightened to call out in a tone loud enough to be heard by the martinet -in the bungalow. - -Frank's attention was withdrawn from the Turk by the same loud voice -bidding the engine-man hurry. - -"That sounds uncommonly like Wonckhaus," he thought. "Why, of course! -That's not surprising. He was with the party at Panderma when I caught -sight of that periscope. But perhaps it isn't he. A lot of these -Germans have the same sort of voice. I'd like to make sure." - -After a careful look round he stole back along the bank of the stream -until he came opposite the wood in the rear of the clearing, crossed to -the other side, crept through the wood, darted across the road, then -turned to the right and in the course of a few minutes reached the trees -which had been left standing to shade the bungalow when the ground was -cleared. Moving among them cautiously, he came to the rear of the -building. It had evidently been run up hurriedly. Piles of timber left -over from its construction were stacked close behind it. After a little -hesitation Frank gained the shelter of one of these. There were voices -at his right, where the verandah was closed at the end. The planks -there, being of unseasoned wood, had started, leaving one or two gaping -cracks. Frank looked through one of these into the verandah. Two men -were lolling in deck chairs. Between them was a table on which there -were tumblers, bottles, and the remains of a meal. - -The furthermost man, whose face was towards Frank, was clearly a Turkish -officer. He was smoking a cigarette. The nearer figure, broader, more -massive, showed only his side face. That belonged either to Wonckhaus -or to his double. He was reclining at ease. His right hand held a big -cigar. Opposite him stood the engine-man. - -"Get everything ready for to-night, then," Wonckhaus was saying. - -"Jawohl, Herr Major." - -At this moment shouts came from the direction of the pool. Frank smiled -again: the suspended Turk had at last mustered the courage of despair. - -"What is that horrible noise?" demanded Wonckhaus. - -"It is probably the hamal," replied the engine-man. - -"Why does he shout? What is the matter with him? Is he drowning?" - -"No, Herr Major, he is hanging." - -"Lieber Himmel! What do you mean?" - -"He is half way up. I left him there when the Herr Major summoned me. -He is getting tired. He will drop." - -"Dummkopf! Go and haul him up instantly. He is a useful man." - -Wonckhaus burst into loud laughter. - -"It is amusing, very funny." - -He took a long drink and resumed: - -"There are occasions, lieutenant, when our admirable German discipline -recoils upon us. But one cannot have it all ways. Take a drink." - -"Thank you, major, but I will not drink beer. Some Turks take it with a -quiet conscience, but not I." - -"Please yourself. When we have been with you a little longer your -scruples will vanish. There are lemons; help yourself. How you can -drink lemonade passes my understanding. Lemons set my teeth on edge. -The scent of them makes me shudder." - -The Turk was in the act of squeezing a lemon into a tumbler when a -telegraph instrument clicked. - -"Take it, will you?" said Wonckhaus, indolently. - -The Turk sprang up and went through a French window into the adjoining -room. The clicking continued for a while. Presently he returned. - -"Three torpedo boats, two believed to be British, one French, sighted -off Cape Baba," he said. - -"Ah! our friends will scarcely get in to-night, then, unless they have -already slipped past." - -"It will not be easy to see them in the darkness." - -"These English have eyes everywhere. They see in the dark like a cat. -Yet perhaps with luck and, what is better, German watchfulness, all will -be well. Hand me the telephone." - -The Turk obeyed silently, but in a manner that suggested resentment at -the German's peremptory tone. Wonckhaus spoke into the instrument in -German. - -"Keep a sharp look-out. Torpedo boats are reported off the coast." - -The lieutenant got up and moved towards the door. - -"I shall turn in," called Wonckhaus after him. "You had better do the -same. We shall be up all night; probably to no purpose. I am tired of -this. It would suit one of Von Tirpitz's men better than me." - -He lay back in his chair, pulled at his cigar, and finding that it had -gone out, threw it away, rose, stretched himself, yawned, and walked -slowly into the bungalow. - -Frank had heard and seen enough. He knew what the "holy men" were -engaged in. It only remained to return on his tracks and report his -discoveries to the lieutenant-commander, who would know how to act on -them. Slipping back into the wood, he made his leisurely way to his -former observation post, where he sat down and ate some food he had -brought from the khan, in the slow abstracted manner of one deep in -thought. Then he returned by the way he had come, found his horse in -the thicket, and rode southward, without hurry, for his friends would -not expect him until dark. - -On approaching the road, he dismounted, again tied up his horse to a -tree, and threw himself on his back. He was very tired, but dared not -indulge his longing for a nap, and when he found slumber stealing upon -him, he sprang up and strolled about in the woods. The afternoon seemed -particularly long. But he was prudent enough not to take to the open -road until the fall of night. Then he rode rapidly, passed the khan, -turned his horse loose some distance from it, and struck off towards the -shore. It was a matter of some ten minutes' walking before he came to -the matting, which now lay dry on the beach where it had been left. -There he sat, looking over the sea, and listening intently. About an -hour later his ears caught the faint sound of muffled oars. He walked -down to the brink of the water, waited a few moments until assured that -he was not mistaken, then gave a low whistle. The boat pulled in, and -Frank, too impatient to await its beaching, waded out towards it and -scrambled over the side. - -"Well?" whispered the lieutenant-commander. - -"O.K. Now it's up to you. I'll tell you all about it when we get clear -of the shore." - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII - - CAPTURING A SUBMARINE - - -Nothing more was said until Frank and the naval officer were once more -aboard the fishing vessel. Then, as the boat ran down the coast, Frank -related his experiences of the past two days. - -"Holy men!" chuckled the lieutenant-commander. "It'll be sacrilege, -then. After this war I shall cruise about the world in search of a -German with a sense of humour. You say you know that fellow?" - -"Yes, and I've a bone to pick with him. He nearly did me out of a -carpet." - -"Oh! How was that?" - -Frank told as much as he cared to of the incident in Erzerum. The naval -officer laughed. - -"It was amusing, certainly, until the ruffian had me locked up," said -Frank. - -And then, bit by bit, his companion drew from him the details upon which -he had kept silence. - -"I wish we had a Ruhleben in England," growled the officer. "Our -prisoners have too easy a time. But this Wonckhaus shall have an -opportunity of cultivating holiness in an English prison, and I hope he -won't like it." - -Presently he went forward, and sent a few flashes seaward from a lantern -carefully screened from the shore. There were answering flashes out at -sea. In half an hour a destroyer loomed up out of the darkness. The -lieutenant-commander went aboard with Frank and the seamen, and the -fishing vessel was made fast to a hawser from the stern. There was a -brief conference on deck. - -"That's all right then," said the officer. "Now, my dear chap, you must -be dead tired. Tumble below. I'll wake you when I want you." - -While Frank slept, the destroyer ran slowly up the gulf. He awoke at a -touch. - -"Sorry to disturb you so soon, but you must come up." - -Frank rose sleepily and went on deck. The destroyer was moving dead -slow. - -"We're on a course parallel with the shore," said the officer. "Just -keep your eye lifting over the port quarter, will you?" - -Frank did as he was instructed. In a minute or two he saw two dim -lights on shore, which vanished almost immediately. - -"The question is, are they the lights of a farmhouse, or somewhere in -the channel?" said the officer. - -"It's late for a farmhouse." - -"Exactly. Wait a little. Keep looking out." - -The vessel stopped, then moved slowly backward. The lights appeared -again. - -"Now I'll tell you my inference," the officer went on. "From your -description of the place, lights in the bungalow or the huts could not -be seen from the sea. But lights placed somewhere on the cliffs at the -end of the channel could be seen as we pass across the mouth, and only -then; a movement of a few yards forward or astern will shut them off. I -take it, then, that the lights are in fact at the inner end of the -channel--and we know why." - -"I haven't any doubt of it," said Frank. - -"Then go below and get into your own toggery. You may then sleep -another hour or two." - -About two hours after midnight Frank was again awakened. With the -lieutenant-commander, a lieutenant, a warrant-officer, and two sturdy -seamen in addition to the boat's crew, he got into the fishing vessel, -which cast off and stood in towards the shore. The destroyer steamed -away out to sea. The officers were armed with revolvers, the men with -rifles. - -It was about two hours before dawn when the party landed from the dinghy -at the spot on the beach where the matting showed up darkly against the -sand. Placing himself at the head, Frank led the way up through the -trees, the rest following about a yard apart. They marched in perfect -silence; not a word was uttered. Every now and then as they penetrated -the dark woodland Frank halted. The officer next to him touched him on -the shoulder, the next touched him in turn, and so on along the line -until all were accounted for. The necessity of caution made their -progress slow, and they took more than an hour to cover ground which -Frank alone had traversed in twenty minutes. Then they stopped, and lay -down in the wood to await the dawn. - -According to Frank's calculation it was about seven miles from their -landing-place to the bungalow by the road, possibly a little shorter -distance along the cliffs. But they would gain nothing in time by -taking the shorter way, owing to the denseness of the woodland. To -proceed along the road would almost certainly be fatal, for unfrequented -though it was, no one could say that some member of the Turko-German -party, or some messenger from a distance, might not happen to pass on an -errand, and the sight of eight men in British uniform would give the -game away. As soon as a glimmer of daylight filtered through the -foliage, therefore, Frank led them on as close to the shore as possible. -During their pause they had taken the opportunity to eat some bread and -cheese they had brought with them. - -"There won't be time for breakfast in the bungalow," murmured Frank with -a smile. - -The way along the cliffs proved unexpectedly arduous, and it was past -midday when they arrived at the outer fence, at a spot not far distant -from where Frank had first encountered it. Here the warrant officer -went forward, cut the wire in two places, and, when the party had passed -through, joined the severed ends in such a way that they could be -readily loosened, though only a close examination would discover what -had been done. Once more Frank took the lead, following his scarcely -distinguishable track of two days before. Leaving the rest of the party -among the trees, he went on alone until he reached the live fence, and -having enlarged the small excavation through which he had wriggled, he -crept to his hiding-place on the bank of the stream to observe what was -going on at the bungalow and the pool. - -Things were apparently very much as when he left nearly twenty-four -hours before. There was one new feature in the scene. A rough country -cart stood in front of one of the huts, and two Turks--one of them the -victim of German discipline--were unloading it and carrying the stores -into the hut. No driver was visible, and Frank remembered that the -country people were not allowed to come within the fence. At the gate, -then, must be at least one man on guard. A man crossed between the -bungalow and the adjacent hut: probably he was cook and servant to the -officers. The engine-man sat on an upturned tub, smoking, and -exercising his German wit on the labouring Turks. A look-out was -perched on his platform in the tree, peering through a telescope. No -doubt the officers were in the bungalow, possibly sleeping after a -wakeful night. The whole party appeared to consist of eight men--a -small force considering the importance of their duties; but Frank -reflected that a larger force would have endangered the precious secret -they were guarding. - -To him, of course, it was a secret no longer. This secluded pool had -been chosen, with admirable judgment, as the base of one of the German -submarines which had lately been mischievous in the AEgean. It was -probably the very submarine whose periscope he had caught a rapid -glimpse of at Panderma. Wonckhaus had been put in charge of the base, -no doubt because the injury to his leg had temporarily unfitted him for -the heavy work required of the German infantry officer. He had expected -the vessel to run in on the previous night, until the telegraph wire -brought news that enemy torpedo boats were watching in the gulf. That -it had not arrived was clear at a glance. The only vessel in the pool -was the lighter, and Frank suspected that the packages he had seen -lowered into it contained supplies for the submarine crew, and had been -removed from the hut for greater facility in transferring them to the -war vessel. The "holy men," to do them justice, did not consume the -whole of the immense consignments which had amazed the Turkish carrier. - -The object with which the small British party had come to this secret -spot was nothing less than the capture of the submarine. As a -preliminary to that they must seize the settlement and its inhabitants, -a feat for which the seven British seamen who had come under his -guidance should be amply competent. They had four Germans, trained men, -to deal with; three Turks, of whom one was an officer, the two others -menials; and the servant, whose nationality Frank did not know; he might -be a Levantine, and of no account. With the advantage of surprise and of -British daring and discipline the task of the adventurous eight should -be easy enough. The one essential condition of success was that none of -the German's party should get away. The escape of a single man might -ruin the enterprise. - -Frank waited some time at his post of observation, to make sure that his -estimate of the number of the enemy was accurate. He saw the last load -carried from the cart to the hut; it was a nine-gallon cask of beer; -then one of the Turks mounted, and drove off down the road. As soon as -he no longer heard the rumbling of the wheels, Frank hastened back to -his friends. - -"I thought you were never coming," said the lieutenant-commander. "Is -she there?" - -"No. Evidently she couldn't get through." - -"I didn't think she would, but I'm glad to be sure of it, for we -couldn't have tackled the whole crew. Why were you so long?" - -Frank gave the result of his observations. The officers smiled happily. - -"Now then," said the lieutenant-commander, "the first thing is to raid -the bungalow, and collar the officers. They control the telegraph and -telephone. You know the place, Forester; I'll give you two of the men -to assist. They'll take their instructions from you. I'll wait until I -get a signal from you that you have done the trick, or until I hear a -row in that direction. They are sure to show fight. But I needn't say -that if you can manage it quietly, so much the better for our ultimate -success." - -"I'll do my best," said Frank. "It's a good deal later than when I was -here yesterday, and I shouldn't be surprised if they're taking their -siesta." - -"Very well. Now let me take my bearings. How do I steer?" - -"You go straight on until you reach the stream. You'll see the place -where I have scooped a passage for you at the foot of one of the posts -supporting the wire. The men must be careful, or they'll be -electrocuted." - -"I'll see to that." - -"You cross the stream, turn to the left, cut along the bank--and there -you are." - -"Perfectly clear sailing directions. But what about the road?" - -"Cross that: you can slip along among the trees. Better keep a look-out -for the Turk who went down with the cart. He'll be coming back -presently, with the German seaman who I suspect was on guard at the -gate." - -"You'll be a staff-officer some day, my friend. Well, it's all clear. -We'll arrange our plans: you had better cut off. Here, Moggs and -Parker, you're under Mr. Forester's orders." - -Two strapping seamen jumped up and saluted. One of them hitched up his -breeches and spat on his hands. - -"Good luck, then," said the lieutenant-commander. - -Frank nodded, smiled, and led the men along the route he had followed -the previous day to the timber stack at the rear of the bungalow. On -the way he halted for a few minutes to explain in general terms what his -purpose was, and to impress on them the need of absolute silence. When -he reached the trees, he left them there under cover, to await his -signal. Then he stole forward alone. - -There was no sound except the servant moving about in the kitchen part -of the building. He peeped through a chink in the wall of the verandah. -No one was in view, but he now heard a succession of snores and grunts -from somewhere in the interior. Turning, he beckoned to the seamen to -join him. They came swiftly on tiptoe, screened from the look-out in -the tree-top, not far away to their left, by the row of trees that -almost overhung the bungalow. - -Frank signed to them to stoop and follow him. Bending low, he crept -along below the verandah, stopped for a moment to peep into a room, and -finding that it was a bedroom and empty, led them on towards the -kitchen. This, too, a glance showed to be unoccupied. But the servant -must be near at hand, for Frank heard the splashing of water and the -clatter of crockery. He must be washing up. - -Moving still more cautiously, Frank came to the corner of the building. -He looked round. Just outside the door a young sallow-hued oriental was -washing up in a trough. Frank stole back to his men. - -"Parker, you'll come with me," he whispered. "I'll leave you here, -Moggs, to watch that fellow. If you hear a row inside the building, -collar him and keep him quiet. But don't move otherwise unless I call -you." - -"Ay, ay, sir." - -Followed by Parker, he went to the French window of the empty bedroom, -gently forced the catch with his clasp knife, and entered. Tiptoeing -across it, he passed out of the open door, into a short passage. From -the left he heard the faint sounds of the cook's movements: the kitchen -was in that direction. On the right, a few steps along, light fell -across the passage from an open door. Frank stole up to this and peeped -in. It was another bedroom, like the first unoccupied. Almost opposite -this was a closed door; there was no other door on either side or at the -end. This must be the sitting-room, parlour or sanctum of the holy men. -Muffled by the timber, there came through the door the sound of snoring -he had heard outside. He listened for a moment. The snores were all in -one tone: it appeared likely that he had only one man to deal with. Was -it Wonckhaus or the Turk? Or perhaps Wonckhaus was sleeping, and the -other man admiring him. - -He drew his revolver, very gently turned the handle of the door, and -looked in when the crack was wide enough. The room had only one -occupant. Wonckhaus, big, ungainly, lay stretched in a long cane chair, -his head lolling sideways, his mouth wide open, one arm hanging limp, a -long German pipe held loosely in the other hand. On a small round table -beside him were a tobacco-jar, a black bottle, and a glass. Beyond this -was another long chair, beside which stood a stool, bearing a glass, a -carafe of water, and a few small pale lemons. And the room rang with -German snores. - -Frank's eye, swiftly ranging the room, passed from the lemons to the -open mouth. It was a happy chance. He turned to Parker at his elbow and -whispered a few words. The man nodded. Then Frank opened the door, and -stole on his toes round the back of Wonckhaus's chair to the stool. -From this he took up a lemon about the size of a hen's egg, and with the -quickness of a conjurer slipped it into the gaping mouth. The German -awoke with a convulsive start and shudder--and his eyes, bleared with -sleep, fell on a revolver pointed within six inches of his temple, and -above it the face, a little grimmer than it had ever appeared in a -photograph, of the man whom he had not seen for many weeks, even in his -dreams. - -Before he could collect his wits, Parker stepped up to him on the other -side and with some ends of thin rope which he had taken from his -capacious blouse tied the German's hands and feet, with a British -seaman's quickness and thoroughness. - -"Now for the cook," said Frank. - -They went back into the passage. The cook was still washing up. -Entering the kitchen noiselessly, they crept to the door. Frank made a -sign, Parker rushed out, caught the unsuspicious servant by the throat, -and in two minutes had laid him, gagged and trussed, just inside the -kitchen door. It was a credit to the discipline of the British navy -that Moggs, watching these proceedings with amazement round the corner, -neither moved nor uttered a sound. - -It was now time to bring up the rest of the party, who, he guessed, had -by this time reached a point from which he could be seen if he moved a -few yards from the bungalow towards the hut opposite. But in making -this movement he would be seen also from the tree-top. The look-out -must be prevented from giving the alarm. Frank showed the seamen how -they might approach the tree from the rear unperceived, and ordered them -to make the man their prisoner. When that was done he would give the -expected signal to the others. - -The seamen had only just disappeared among the trees when Frank was -startled by the sound of a horse cantering up the road towards the -bungalow. Running to the window of the room facing the road, he saw -that the horseman was the Turkish officer who had been with Wonckhaus -two days before. It seemed that the naval party had not yet arrived, or -they would certainly have intercepted the Turk. - -Frank weighed the chances of tackling this opponent alone, and quickly -made up his mind. With two of the enemy already accounted for, and a -third, the look-out, soon to be helpless, the noise of a struggle would -bring up the rest of his party before the remaining four men could -interfere to his harm. He waited within the room. The Turk reined up -and dismounted at the door, and walked in unsuspiciously. At this -moment there was a shout from the direction of the look-out tree, and -the officer turned quickly and ran out into the open. Frank sprang -after him. The Turk heard his footsteps and faced round, not rapidly -enough to brace himself for the shock of Frank's sudden onset. He was -hurled to the ground, shouting an alarmed call for Wonckhaus. - -[Illustration: A CRITICAL MOMENT] - -Though taken by surprise, the Turk proved to be a more formidable -antagonist than Frank had expected. His frame was well-knit and sinewy, -and he held Frank in a fierce grapple. They heaved and rolled on the -ground, each struggling desperately to throw off the grip of the other. -In less than a minute Frank was aware that the contest, if fought out, -must be a long one. By a sudden convulsive twist, indeed, the Turk had -managed to reverse the positions and get above him. There were shouts -near at hand, and the sound of running feet. Frank feared that the -Germans were coming to the officer's help, and wrestled vigorously to -regain the upper hand. Just as he felt that his opponent was weakening, -the Turk suddenly relaxed his grip wholly and fell over. Springing up, -Frank found that one of the seamen from the lieutenant-commander's party -had run ahead of the rest, and finished the struggle with the butt of -his rifle. - -Meanwhile the officers and the rest of the men had been busy at the -huts. The few inmates, alarmed at the shouts, had started to run -towards the bungalow, but came to a sudden stop when, on the other side -of the buildings, they saw five British naval men charging in the same -direction. They hesitated, paralysed by surprise; and when the -lieutenant-commander rushed up with drawn revolver and called on them to -surrender, they yielded without a show of resistance, and were soon -prisoners in their own huts. - -"Where's Wonckhaus?" were the lieutenant-commander's first words as he -joined Frank at the bungalow. - -"Come and see." - -He led him into the room where Wonckhaus lay bound in his chair, the -lemon still wedged between his teeth. The naval officer concealed a -smile. - -"Perhaps the gentleman would prefer some beer," he said. "Remove that -plug, Simpson," he added to the warrant officer, indicating the lemon. -"Give the major some beer, and then lock him in his bedroom. We shall -want this room." - -Wonckhaus glared at Frank with unspeakable hate, but uttered no word. -When he had been removed, the warrant officer went to see what had -become of Moggs and Parker, and met them returning in high feather with -their prisoner. The look-out had caught sight of them just as they -reached the tree, and given the shout which had alarmed the Turkish -officer. But seeing himself immediately covered by the sailor's rifles -he had surrendered at once. The place was won, and all its personnel -disposed of. - -Having ordered his men to prepare dinner from the bungalow's abundant -stores, the lieutenant-commander with his second and Frank sat down to -discuss the more difficult problem--the capture of the submarine. - -"Our only chance is if it comes in to-night," said the -lieutenant-commander. "As it was expected last night, it is pretty -certain to come to-night, and our ships have ostentatiously cleared off. -If it doesn't come, we are done, for we can't remain here undiscovered -for another day." - -"Why not?" asked the lieutenant. - -"Well, apart from possible visits from Germans or Turks, there's the -telegraph. A message is sure to come through, and it will be in Turkish -probably. It was the Turk who took the message when you were here -before, Forester?" - -"Yes." - -"Very well. You can work the telegraph, Bickford, but you don't know -Turkish. Forester knows Turkish, but----" - -"I can't work the telegraph," said Frank. - -"Then if we are called up we must simply ignore the call. That will -lead to investigation and discovery. There's my proposition proved. We -must help the submarine to come in to-night. Where are those lights -worked?" - -"Let's go and see," said Frank. - -After no long search two electric lamps, fed from the dynamo that -charged the fence wire, were discovered in the cliff opposite the centre -of the channel. They were so placed as to give a straight course to any -vessel coming up from the sea. Another lamp, invisible from the sea, -marked the entrance to the pool. It was decided to switch on the -current at dusk. - -To guard against trouble on the landward side, two seamen were stationed -in hiding near the gate of the inner fence, which was left open. If -anyone should approach, he was to be allowed to pass in; but the gate -was then to be closed, cutting off his retreat. For safety's sake, the -electric current was switched off from the fence. - -It was now about four o'clock. The lights would not need to be shown -till nearly seven. There were three hours for rest and for recruiting -their strength from Wonckhaus's larder. The officers hastened back to -see what sort of a meal had been provided for them. It beggared their -most hopeful expectation. There were pork cutlets--"the place is all -pig, sir," remarked the extempore cook--several kinds of sausage, many -varieties of pickle and relish, pots of caviare and pate de foie gras, -smoked salmon, a mellow gruyere cheese, as well as a very strong German -cheese which the lieutenant-commander ordered to be removed immediately, -tinned fruits, good white bread--"none of your potato flour for -Wonckhaus"--and oceans of beer. Neither officers nor men had had such a -meal for months. - -"Please, sir," said Moggs, coming to the bungalow after the men had -finished their dinner in the hut opposite. - -"Well, what is it?" - -"Can we strafe some more beer?" - -"No, you've had enough. We've got work to do to-night." - -Moggs looked disappointed. - -"Then it won't be done, sir," he said. - -"What won't be done?" - -"Why, sir, Parker said if we was allowed to strafe another barrel he'd -be screwed up to concert pitch, and would be very happy to sing the Hymn -of Hate to the German gentleman abaft yonder. He must want cheering up, -says he." - -"Get out with you! Parker can sing what he likes when we get back -aboard. Tell him he's to take first watch on the cliff to-night." - -At dusk the men went to their appointed stations. Parker was posted on -the cliff near the entrance to the channel. The warrant officer took -charge of the donkey-engine, Moggs was entrusted with the crane; the -other men hauled from the storehouse several cases of ammunition, -weighing in all three or four tons, piled them near the crane, chained -them together, and covered them with a thick blanket taken from the -bungalow. The lieutenant's task was to do what was necessary in the -powerhouse. Frank sat with the lieutenant-commander in one of the huts. - -It was about ten o'clock when Parker came in hurriedly from his post on -the cliff. - -"Submarine coming in, sir," he reported. "I heard her purring under -water first; then the engines stopped, and I saw her come awash just -outside the channel. She'll be nearly here, sir." - -The officers went to the door of the hut, and listened anxiously. No -sound was audible above the dash of the waterfall. Had the commander of -the submarine become suspicious and run out to sea again? In a few -minutes, however, the sound of the engines came faintly on the breeze. -Looking through the darkness to the gap in the cliffs where the pool and -the channel met, they at last saw the dark shape glide in. The engines -were stopped, but the vessel's steerage way carried her into the pool, -and she was brought up deftly alongside the lighter. - -From below came a hail in Turkish. Frank, now standing beside the crane, -replied. - -"Why didn't you answer our signals?" demanded the voice, huffily. - -Frank, who was unaware of any signals, answered at a venture: - -"There is something wrong with our lamps." - -"Who are you? Where is Talik?" - -"He is invalided. I am taking his place. Are you coming up?" - -"Yes. Why isn't Major Wonckhaus here?" - -"He'll be here directly." - -"Well, switch on the light: what are you waiting for?" - -"The switch is broken." Frank referred to the switch of an electric -lamp at the top of the crane. "You must come up in the dark. Look out! -The chain is running out." - -The engine had started, and the chain was swinging down over the arm of -the crane. The commander of the submarine caught it, set his foot in -the loop provided, and was hauled slowly up, and swung inward towards -the huts. Meanwhile the men in waiting had removed the blanket from the -pile of cases, and the moment the commander's feet touched the ground he -was muffled closely in the blanket, and carried struggling into a hut, -where his captors had materials ready for securing him. - -"Good man!" murmured the lieutenant-commander, clapping Frank on the -back. "With him out of the way all's well, I think. Now, I'll take up -the running.--Look alive with those cases," he added, still in a low -tone, addressing the seamen who were attaching the massed cases to the -end of the chain. The crane swung out, and the weighty mass dangled -directly over the submarine, on whose deck the crew could be dimly seen, -gazing up in surprise: surely they were not to take in ammunition at -this hour of the night. How much greater was their astonishment when -they heard from above a ringing voice in English. - -"Below there! Any of you speak English?" - -After a short interval a man replied in the affirmative. - -"Thank you," called the lieutenant-commander. "I am in command of an -English landing-party. Your commander is a prisoner. If your vessel -attempts to move, I'll cut away the weight you see above you, and sink -you. I give you three minutes to surrender." - -The terse sentences, the peremptory tone, left no room for doubt. -Before the three minutes were up, the crew had come to a unanimous -decision. They would surrender. - -"Thank you. Now every one of you go aboard the lighter and leave your -arms behind." - -The men went silently from one vessel to the other. Then the crane -switch was suddenly found to be in order, and a light flashed from the -top. From the lighter the men were hauled up by ropes, one by one. - -"How many are there of you?" asked the lieutenant-commander of the -first. - -"Twenty." - -The same question put to one or two more received the same reply. As -the men passed him, the officer counted them. - -"Eighteen! Nineteen! No more?" He turned to two British sailors. -"Down you go!" - -They slid down the rope, boarded the submarine, and dived below. In a -few moments they returned, hauling a man between them. They made him -fast to the chain, and by the time he was hoisted they had swarmed up -the rope. - -"Just going to fire the magazine, sir," said one. - -"Tie him up." - -Half an hour later the submarine was heading out to sea, running on the -surface. On the deck, uncomfortably crowded, lay a number of -well-trussed figures--the commander and crew, and Wonckhaus: his -subordinates at the station were left behind. Beyond Mitylene, as -morning dawned, the lieutenant-commander exchanged signals with a -destroyer out at sea. The vessel stood in, and in due time the -submarine came alongside her. Cheers broke from the men on her deck. -Willing hands hoisted the prisoners on board and loosed them from their -bonds at the bidding of the commander. - -"I much regret it was necessary to bind you, gentlemen," he said to the -officers. "The necessity was clear." - -They heard him in glum silence--all but Wonckhaus. - -"Necessity!" he blustered. "Is necessity to override the laws of -civilised warfare? What sort of treatment is it to choke a German -officer with lemons, tie him up, and sling him from a crane? It is -unfair; it is barbarous." - -The commander glanced at Frank, standing in the background. - -"Is it wise to talk of civilised warfare, Herr Wonckhaus?" he said -quietly, stepping forward. "Shall I refresh your memory of what -happened at Erzerum?" - -"You were in my power," snarled the German, not a whit abashed, and -sublimely unconscious of inconsistency. The humour of the situation -tickled the British officers: they laughed aloud. - -"That is unanswerable, sir," said the commander, with ironical courtesy. -"You will no doubt do me the favour to go below. Mr. Watson, please show -Major Wonckhaus the way." - -The smallest midshipman on the ship came forward, gravely saluted, and -repressing a smile with obvious effort, said: - -"This way, sir." - -Wonckhaus looked from the midshipman to the commander. Something in the -expression of the latter helped him to make up his mind. And a broad -grin enwrapped the whole ship's company as the big German stalked away -under convoy of the boy. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - - V.C. - - -Two months later a little party were lunching together in a hotel on one -of the AEgean islands. Mr. Forester was there; Isaac Copri and his son; -Tomlinson, promoted lieutenant, and enjoying a week's leave; and Frank. -The last had his right arm in a sling. - -"Yes," the elder Kopri was saying, "Mirza Aga's carpet is now on its way -to London. I contrived to get it shipped at Athens, and it is on the -bill of lading of the steamship _Eirene_, that left the Peiraeus a week -ago." - -"Splendid!" said Frank. "I must find out where Wonckhaus is imprisoned, -and let him know. His fury will be my revenge.... I hope you didn't -wait long for me at Gallipoli." - -"I waited until I gave up all hope of seeing you again. We searched the -ruins of Benidin's house, Joseph and I, for traces of you, and stayed in -the port two or three days in case you should appear. Then we heard -that the massacres had broken out, and we escaped to Dedeagatch, just in -time." - -"How did you get your wounds, sir?" asked Joseph. - -"Oh! I was just potted in a gully." - -Tomlinson laughed. - -"Strictly true, but hopelessly inadequate," he said. "It was like -this." - -"Dry up, Tommy; it's an old story now." - -"All the better, like this port." - -"Well, bottle it up, then." - -"I should like to hear the full story, Mr. Tomlinson," said Mr. -Forester. "Frank has told me little more than the bare fact." - -"There you are, Frank. You want uncorking. Well, when Frank came back -to the peninsula I didn't see him for a while. He was interpreting; a -soft job, by all accounts, for the Turkish prisoners are very reticent. -But the battery on Sari Bair began to be very troublesome, and our -fliers couldn't locate it. Frank offered to have a shot, and crept up -the gully one night, in rags borrowed from a prisoner; you wouldn't have -known him. He spotted the guns overlaid with scrub near that sepulchre -of his, reported next morning, and offered to go up again and set light -to the hollow tree, as a beacon for our gunners. If that didn't deserve -the D.S.O.--well, I know what Anzac thinks." - -"Cut it short, man. I knew the place, and if the Turks had seen me -they'd have taken me for a ghost and skedaddled." - -"The fellow who potted you didn't take you for a ghost, anyway. He went -up, sir, with a lot of pills in his pocket--small incendiary bombs, you -know; fired the tree and the brushwood round, and made a fine old blaze, -by the light of which somebody gave him two bullets in the arm as he was -running down the gully. Our guns got the range in a few minutes--and -we've had no more trouble from that particular battery. I tell you, all -Anzac was mad with delight, and carried Frank round the camp cheering -like----" - -"Have you seen this?" interrupted an officer at the next table. "I -couldn't help overhearing." - -He handed Frank a copy of the _Times_, pointing to a paragraph half-way -down a column headed "New V.C.'s." Frank looked, flushed, and passed -the paper silently to his father. - -"Read it out, sir," cried Tomlinson. - -Mr. Forester rubbed his glasses, and had some trouble in clearing his -throat. He mumbled a word or two, then, more distinctly, read: - -"For signal bravery in volunteering twice to locate an enemy battery, -and enabling our naval guns to destroy it ... had already shown -conspicuous proofs of courage and resource." - -"And that's all they say about it!" Tomlinson exclaimed. "Is it D.S.O., -sir?" - -"It appears to be V.C.," said Mr. Forester. - -"Hurray!" cried Tomlinson, flinging up his cap. "That's news to carry -back to Anzac." - -At this moment, from somewhere outside came the strains of a band. - -"Ah! It couldn't have come in more pat," added Tomlinson. - -The officers stood at the salute as the band played "God save the King." - - - - - THE END - - - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY R. CLAY AND SONS, LTD., - BRUNSWICK STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - - - * * * * * * * * - - - - - HERBERT STRANG'S WAR STORIES - - -FIGHTING WITH FRENCH: A TALE OF THE NEW ARMY. - -A HERO OF LIEGE: A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR. - -SULTAN JIM: A STORY OF GERMAN AGGRESSION. - -THE AIR SCOUT: A STORY OF HOME DEFENCE. - -THE AIR PATROL: A STORY OF THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER. - -ROB THE RANGER: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR CANADA. - -ONE OF CLIVE'S HEROES: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR INDIA. - -BARCLAY OF THE GUIDES: A STORY OF THE INDIAN MUTINY. - -THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY ROCHESTER: A STORY OF MARLBOROUGH'S CAMPAIGNS. - -BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE: A STORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. - -KOBO: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. - -BROWN OF MOUKDEN: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK FORESTER *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42943 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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