ned off without a word.

Patiently, and with the calm gentlemanly manner of a genuine Turk, he
applied in all directions, but without effect.

"Have you offered to pay for everything we have, and pay well, Yussuf?"
said the professor, as he sat there weary and hungry, and beginning to
shiver in the cold wind that swept down from the snow-capped mountains.

"Yes, excellency, but they will not believe me."

"Show them the firman," said the professor.

This was done, but the people could not read, and when they were told of
its contents they shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

It was growing dark, the cold increasing, and the travellers wearied out
with their journey.

"What is to be done, Yussuf?" said Mr Preston; "we cannot stop out here
all night, and we are starving."

"They are not of the faithful," said Yussuf indignantly. "I have spoken
to them as brothers, but they are dogs. Look at them, effendi. They
are the friends and brethren of the thieves and cut-throats whom we met
in the mountains."

"Yes, we can see that, my good friend," said Mr Burne drily; "but as we
say in our country--`soft words butter no parsnips.'"

"No, effendi, soft words are no good here," replied Yussuf; and he took
the thick oaken walking-stick which Mr Burne carried hanging from his
saddle bow.

"What are you going to do, Yussuf?" said Mr Preston anxiously, as he
glanced round at the gathering crowd of ill-looking villagers, who
seemed to take great delight in the troubles of the strangers.

"Going to do, effendi," said Yussuf in a deep voice full of suppressed
anger; "going to teach these sons of Shaitan that the first duty of a
faithful follower of the Prophet is hospitality to a brother who comes
to him in distress."

"But, Yussuf," said Mr Preston anxiously.

"Trust me, effendi, and I will make them remember what it is to insult
three English gentlemen travelling for their pleasure. Are we dogs that
they should do this thing?"

Before Mr Preston could interfere, Yussuf gave Hamed the bridle of his
horse to hold, and, making up to the man who seemed to be the head-man
of the village, and who certainly had been the most insolent, he knocked
off his turban, caught him by the beard, and thrashed him unmercifully
with the thick stick.

Both Mr Preston and his companion laid their hands upon their
revolvers, bitterly regretting Yussufs rashness, and fully expecting a
savage attack from the little crowd of men, severa