press Lawrence, mingled with a feeling that
perhaps after all it would be better to let go and slide off the boat so
as to arrive at the end.

These despondent thoughts were ended upon the instant by a movement made
by one of the Greeks who were crouching in the middle of the boat.

He seemed to be quitting his position slowly and to be creeping towards
where Yussuf was clinging.

At that moment the Turk heaved himself up; there was a quick movement of
his arm; and Lawrence clung spasmodically to the boat, for he felt
himself slipping.

In his agony he did not hear the click made by the pistol the guide had
snatched out and held before him; neither could he understand the Turk's
words, but they were full of menace and evidently embodied a threat.

The Greek uttered an angry snarl and snatched a knife from his waist, as
he crept on and said something, to which Yussuf replied by drawing
trigger.

The result was a click, and the Greek laughed and came on; but just as
he was nearly within striking distance Yussuf drew trigger again, and
this time there was the sharp flash and report of the pistol, while for
a moment the smoke hid the man from view, but a cry of agony and fear
was heard.

The breeze cleared the smoke away directly, and revealed in the dim
starlight the form of the Greek lying back and one of his companions
crawling to his side.

The Turk uttered a few words full of warning, and the second Greek
paused to speak in a low pleading tone, to which Yussuf responded by
lowering his arm and watching his enemies while one helped the other
back to his place where he had clung.

"Is he much hurt?" came from the other end of the boat.

"I cannot say, excellency," was Yussuf's reply in English. But directly
after he roared out a few words in Greek, with the pistol pointed; for
as soon as the wounded man was crouching in the central part of the boat
he said something fiercely, and his two followers began to creep towards
where the professor and the old lawyer clung.

It was plain enough to all what Yussuf had shouted, with pistol aimed,
for the two Greek sailors cowered down as if seeking to shelter
themselves behind their wounded skipper, and for a space no one moved or
spoke.

Yussuf was the next to break the silence with a few words of warning
which made the Greeks creep back to their old position, and then what
seemed to be a terrible space of time ensued in the darkness that grew
colder and colder, a