Dick Merriwell's Pranks Part 61

"But Nadia," questioned Brad; "what became of her?"

"I was stunned for the time," said Dunbar. "When I recovered the men were gone and she had disappeared. I ran about aimlessly, but something guided me to the river. I saw them in a boat that was rowing off to a small yacht. I saw them lift my sister from the boat over the rail into the yacht. Steam was up. The yacht hoisted anchor and away it went up the river. All this time I was running up and down the bank, trying to hire some one to take me off to the yacht in a boat. No one would. And when the yacht was far up the river I turned and came back here as fast as I could. Oh, Nadia-poor Nadia! How can we save her?"

CHAPTER XXVIII-IN BUNOL'S POWER

A small but handsome private yacht, under full head of steam, was making its swift course up the Nile.

In the tiny, Orientally furnished cabin of this yacht, Miguel Bunol stood with his feet wide apart, his hands in his pockets, puffing at a cigarette and triumphantly regarding a cowering, pale-faced, red-eyed girl.

Bunol's manner was insolent and self-satisfied in the extreme. He felt that he was master of the situation at last and his heart beat high with exultation.

Nadia glanced at him in terror. She had crept as far from him as possible.

"I am greatly sorry to cause you such vast distress," said the young Spaniard, with pretended regret.

Her lips curled.

"You, sorry!" she exclaimed chokingly.

"No doubt you do not believe me, but it is true, my dear-I swear it is true."

Her eyes began to flash.

"You know you are lying, you monster!"

"At least," he retorted, with a dark smile, "your spirit is not broken, and I like that. You made such a terrible disturbance, and you did weep so much that I feared you would not have any spirit left. I admire the girl of spirit, and for the one who cows and whimpers, like a whipped puppy, I have but little regard."

She was silent, but scorn and loathing continued to gleam in her eyes.

"I regret to the exceeding limit that we felt it necessary to pursue the course we did, but we dared not wait longer."

"We? You mean yourself."

"There is another concerned."

"What other?"

"My friend, Medjid Bey. He is the owner of this yacht."

"A Turk! A worthy comrade!"

"Medjid Bey is a Turkish gentleman of high rank. He stands high in the regard of the sultan."

"I am glad to know the name of your accomplice in this dastardly piece of business."

"Oh, you will know him far better before this affair is over. He is a splendid fellow. Only for that, at this moment you might be under arrest, and on your way back to Damascus, or to Constantinople."

She betrayed her total disbelief in the words of Bunol.

"I give you the a.s.surance of a gentleman that I speak the truth," he bowed.

"The a.s.surance of a gentleman!" she exclaimed. "A fine gentleman! A gambler, a scheming scoundrel!"

"You misjudge me greatly, Nadia. You have never understood me. From the first I took a friendly interest in your brother. I knew his weaknesses, and I tried--"

"You tried to ruin him! You got him into your power by drugging him. The drug you gave him made him the slave of drink, and you did not permit its effect to wear off. When it seemed about to wear off, you gave him more of the drug. Friendly interest! You were making him a drunkard!"

"It is useless to argue with a girl. Women do not reason. What they believe they believe, without sense or judgment."

"I believe what I know. You had Dunbar in your grip, in London. Since then he has never been himself. His spirit is broken and his courage gone."

"Surely he lacks courage, else he would not have deserted you to-day. He ran away in the most cowardly manner when we appeared. It was our intention to take him along with you. I thought you would feel better about it if you had him for company."

Nadia felt a twinge of shame for her brother, who had displayed the white feather in the most pitiful manner.

The account of the affair, as given by Budthorne to Merriwell and Buckhart, was true with the single exception of Dunbar's statement that he had defended Nadia until struck down. This part of the story he had founded on d.i.c.k's experience in defense of the girl in Damascus. His befuddled and unimaginable brain had been incapable of devising a different yarn.

"No wonder he fears you, Miguel Bunol!" panted the girl. "He has every reason to fear you."

"That is no excuse for his cowardly conduct. No brave man ever deserts a lady in time of peril."

"Perhaps you think yourself competent to judge a brave man?" she sneered. "Perhaps you really believe yourself brave?"

"I know what I am! but, with your brother concerned, I wish to make no unpleasant comparisons."

"How kind of you! You are such a gallant gentleman!"

Her scorn was scorching, but he declined to be touched by it. Coolly he lighted a fresh cigarette.

"Where is the master of this boat?" she suddenly demanded, half starting up. "I demand to see him!"

"All in good time, my dear. You shall see him soon."

"Now! He must listen to me! He must explain his conduct! You have deceived him! You have lied to him! He cannot realize what he is doing!"

"You are wholly mistaken, I a.s.sure you. Medjid Bey understands quite perfectly what he is doing."

"It is unlawful! It is a crime!"

"He has learned of a certain crime that was lately committed in Damascus."

"You mean--"

"I speak of the murder of Hafsa Pasha, a countryman of Medjid Bey."