she said, and came and stood between Will and me. Fred got behind
me, and began to whisper. I heard something or other about the trap,
and supposed he was asking me to open it, although I failed to see
why the request should be kept secret; but the women forestalled
me, and in a moment they had the stones shoved aside and the men
were emerging one by one through the opening.

Then at last I got Fred's meaning. There was a second of indecision
during which the Armenians consulted their women-folk, in two minds
between snatching Miss Vanderman out of our reach or discovering
first what our purpose might be. I took advantage of it to slip
down the stone stairs behind them.

The opening in the castle wall was easy to find, for the star-lit
sky looked luminous through the hole. Once outside, however, the
gloom of ancient trees and the castle's shadow seemed blacker than
the dungeon had been. I groped about, and stumbled over loose stones
fallen from the castle wall, until at last one of our own Zeitoonli
discovered me and, thinking I might be a trouble-maker, tripped me
up. Cursing fervently from underneath his iron-hard carcass I made
him recognize me at last. Then he offered me tobacco, unquestionably
stolen from our pack, and sat down beside me on a rock while I recovered
breath.

It took longer to do that than he expected, for he had enjoyed the
advantage of surprise while hampered by no compunctions on the ground
of moderation. When the agony of windlessness was gone and I could
question him he assured me that the horses were well enough, but
that he and his two companions were hungry. Furthermore, he added,
the animals were very closely watched--so much so that the other