"Remember!" warned Monty, as we four sidled close together with our
backs against the wall. "Until we're in actual personal danger this
trouble is the affair of Kagig and his men!"

"I get you. If we horn in before we have to we'll do more harm than
good. Give the Turks an excuse to call us outlaws and shoot instead
of rescue us. Sure. But what about Miss Vanderman?" said Will.

"I foresee she's doomed!" Fred stared straight in front of him.
"It looks as if we'll lose our little Willy too! One woman at a
time, especially when the lady totes a mother-o'-pearl revolver and
about a dozen knives! If you come out of this alive, Bill, you'll
be wiser!"

"Fond of bull, aren't you! You'd jest on an ant-heap."

"There's nothing to discuss," said I. "If there's a lady in danger
somewhere ahead, we all know what we're going to do about it."

Monty nodded.

"If we can find her and get word to the consul, that 'ud be one more
lever for him to pull on."

"D'you suppose they'd dare molest an Englishwoman?" I asked, with
the sudden goose-flesh rising all over me.

"She's American," said Will between purposely set lips. But I did
not see that that qualified the unpleasantness by much.