"What you want?" asked Bogey, still acting as porter.
"Open, in the name of the pasha," said a stern voice outside.
Bogey replied not, but ran in to his master.
Tinker and he arrived breathless at the same moment.
"Awful lot o' soldiers—Turks—outside, big guns and swords, massa," said Tinker.
"Wants to come in here, too," added Bogey. "Hark! Oh, ain't they giving what for at the door? They're at it again, a-hammerin' away."
And the thundering knocking was repeated louder than before, and a stern voice demanding Thyra, the slave.
"Just as I feared," cried Jack; "they've found out where Thyra is, and have come to drag her back."
"Oh, powers of Heaven, protect us all!" she exclaimed, nervously clutching Jack's arm. "Am I unfortunate enough, dear Jack, to have brought you into this great peril? I entreat you to save yourselves by surrendering me; only do me one favour; let one of your number shoot me dead as soon as I am in the enemy's hands."
"Impossible, dear Thyra!" said Jack. "Do you think, as a Boy of England, it is possible for me to act in that cowardly way? No; we must make a gallant resistance. Surely we are well prepared; here are arms enough for all. Where's the Irish diver?"