you are not the men to let brave Kagig be tempted away from his post
of danger at Zeitoon? If I know you men and women you will hasten
to meet Kagig, taking your food, and weapons, and children with you.
You will hurry--hurry--hurry to meet him--to meet him as near Zeitoon
as possible, so as to turn him back to his post of duty!"

Then Ephraim saw his chance. Some whisperer translated to him and
he owned a voice that was worth gold for political purposes.

He took up the tale in Armenian, working himself up into a splendid
fervor, and so amplifying the argument that he could almost fairly
claim it as his own before he was half-done. She had introduced
the light, but he exploited it, and he knew his nation--knew the
tricks of speech most likely to spur them into action.

Within five minutes they were shoving the stones off the trap at
imminent risk of anybody's legs, and the ladder bent groaning under
the weight of twice as many as it ought to bear, as half of them
essayed the short cut over the roof. A blast of sweet air through
the opened trap ejected most of the smoky ten-times-breathed stuff
out with the climbers; and as the room emptied and we wiped the
grimy sweat from our faces I heard Will talking to Gloria Vanderman
in a new tongue--new, that is to say, to the old world.

"Good goods! Stampeded 'em! They'll vote for you for any office
--your pick! If that guy Ephraim plans buttering the slide we'll
set him on it--watch!"

"You bet," she answered sentimentally. "I wasn't cheer leader for
nothing. Besides, I delivered the valedictory--say, what are we