ou like a man,
Jacob--and die!"

There is no doubt that in this frame the brave fellow would have passed
away if he had not been roused by the loud clattering of horses' feet as
a cavalcade of glittering Turkish officers dashed through the square.
In front of these he observed the red-bearded officer who had acted as
interpreter in the cabin of the Turkish monitor.

There came a sudden gush of hope! Lancey knew not his name, but in a
voice of thunder he shouted--

"'Elp! 'elp! 'allo! Pasha! Redbeard!--"

The executioner hastened his work, and stopped the outcry by tightening
the rope.

But "Redbeard" had heard the cry. He galloped towards the place of
execution, recognised the supposed spy, and ordered him to be released,
at the same time himself cutting the rope with a sweep of his sword.

The choking sensation which Lancey had begun to feel was instantly
relieved. The rope was removed from his neck, and he was gently led
from the spot by a soldier of the Pasha's escort, while the Pasha
himself galloped coolly away with his staff.

If Lancey was surprised at the sudden and unexpected nature of his
deliverance, he was still more astonished at the treatment which he
thereafter experienced from the Turks. He was taken to one of the best
hotels in the town, shown into a handsome suite of apartments, and
otherwise treated with marked respect, while the best of viands and the
choicest of wines were placed before him.

This made him very uncomfortable. He felt sure that some mistake had
occurred, and would willingly have retired, if possible, to the hotel
kitchen or pantry; but the waiter, to whom he modestly suggested
something of the sort, did not understand a word of English and could
make nothing of Lancey's Turkish. He merely shook his head and smiled
respectfully, or volunteered some other article of food. The worthy
groom therefore made up his mind to hold his tongue and enjoy himself as
long as it lasted.

"When I wakes up out o' this remarkable and not unpleasant dream," he
muttered, between the whiffs of his cigarette, one evening after dinner,
"I'll write it out fair, an' 'ave it putt in the _Daily Noos_ or the
_Times_."

But the dream lasted so long that Lancey began at last to fear he should
never awake from it. For a week he remained at that hotel, faring
sumptuously, and quite unrestrained as to his movements, though he could
not fail to observe that he was closely watched and followed wh