Turk heard the derisive laugh, and he felt the tingling of his ear
and the poke in his ribs.

So he dashed at Bogey first.

Bogey feinted and dodged him.

But his petticoats got between his legs, and over he went sprawling.

The Turk sprang after him, and if Tinker had not been there, goodness
knows what would have been the result.

But Tinker was very much there.

He bobbed his head and shot straight forward, landing his
deputy-excellency fairly in the stomach, with his bare woolly pate.

"Ugh!" gasped the Turk, and down he went.

Bogey no sooner saw him there than he hammered into the Turk's
figure-head in the most violent and ungentlemanly way.

Jack and Harry Girdwood laughed until the tears ran down their cheeks.

"Begorra," whispered the Irishman, "it's better than a pantomime, but
some of us will suffer."

* * * *

But the end of the adventure promised to be serious.

The fierce Turk grew frightened, and he called for assistance.

In came the armed eunuchs ready for slaughter.

"Good-bye to your boys," said the Irishman, in a whisper.

"Not if I know it," returned Jack; "I'm on in this scene, old man."

"I'm with you, Jack," cried Harry.

Jack was in danger. Over went Harry to help him.

The fierce Turk was filled with wonder and dismay; the enemies appeared
to drop from the clouds.

"Now, old big bags," said young Jack, saucily, "come on, and see how a
Boy of England can fight."

The words were not intelligible to the Turks, but the gesture was
thoroughly understood.

There was a gong-bell close beside the deputy-pasha, and one tap on
this sufficed to bring a whole mob of armed men into the room.

"Seize these Franks!" exclaimed the tyrant, still holding his hands
round his sides in pain; "they have earned their fate. Let it be swift.
Away with them--oh, I am nearly killed--away with them!"

They resisted stoutly enough, fought like tiger-cats; but what was the
use?

None whatever.

The Irishman waited to hear an ugly order given anent bowstringing, and
then he came down stairs, and made his way artfully (so that his
presence in the gallery overlooking the seraglio might not be
suspected) to the corridor, where he once more discovered the two armed
eunuchs on guard, looking like ebony statues again, and as calm as if
they had never taken part in the short but stirring scene just
described.

"I wish to see his excellency the pasha,"