so many fat creatures which he had been
keeping for sale, and the time had nearly come for him to realise them,
and take the money.

In fact, one day Yussuf came in hastily to announce a piece of news that
he had heard.

The messengers were expected now at any moment, for a band of the
brigands had been out on a long foraging excursion, and had returned
with the news that the passes were once more practicable, for the snow
had nearly gone, save in the hollows, and the torrents had sunk pretty
nearly to their usual state.

"Then we must be going," said Mr Burne, "eh?"

"Yes, effendi," said the guide, "before they place guards again at our
door. We have plenty of provisions saved up, and we will make the
attempt to-night."

This announcement sent a thrill through the little party, and for the
rest of the day everyone was pale with excitement, and walked or sat
about waiting eagerly for the coming of night.

There was no packing to do, except the tying up of the food in the
roughly-made bags they had prepared, and the rolling up of the
professor's drawings--for they had increased in number, the brigand
chief having, half-contemptuously, given up the paper that had been
packed upon the baggage-horses.

Mr Preston was for making this into a square parcel, but Yussuf
suggested the rolling up with waste paper at the bottom, and did this so
tightly that the professor's treasure, when bound with twine, assumed
the form of a stout staff--"ready," Mr Burne said with a chuckle, "for
outward application to the head as well as inward."

All through the rest of that day the motions of the people were watched
with the greatest of anxiety, and a dozen times over the appearance of
one of the brigands was enough to suggest that suspicion had been
aroused, and that they were to be more closely watched.

But the night came at last--a dark still night without a breath of air;
and as, about six o'clock as near as they could guess, everything seemed
quiet, Yussuf went out and returned directly to say that there were no
guards placed, and that under these circumstances it would be better to
go at once. No one was likely to come again, so they might as well save
a few hours and get a longer start.

This premature announcement startled Mrs Chumley, so that she turned
faint with excitement, and unfortunately the only thing they could offer
her as a restorative was some grape treacle.

This stuff Chumley insisted upon her taking, an