“Old man!” exploded the professor indignantly. “Who are you calling an old man, sir? I would have you understand that I’m younger than lots of men half my age.”
“No offense, professor,” Cavendish hastened to say. “You are indeed remarkably young for your years.”
Zenas sniffed and hemmed in a manner that denoted he was not fully pacified.
Both Cavendish and Sir Augustus seemed anxious to get rid of the Americans.
Maro, Tyrus, and the rest of the pursuers had now disappeared, and, therefore, Dick proposed that they should return to their hotel.
Not until they were far away and had failed to discover further signs of their pursuers did Professor Gunn throw off his nervousness.
“I tell you, boys,” he said, “this has been a very serious affair—very. Of course, we may yet have trouble over it. There is no telling. I can’t understand why we were not attacked by that band of men who gathered to follow us. It is certain that the Greek of to-day is not much like the Greek of old. In ancient times we would have been overwhelmed and slaughtered like dogs.”
Dick was silent and moody. He seemed thinking of something that was far from pleasant. Even after they had reached their hotel and were in their rooms he maintained an air of gloomy thought.
“Whatever is troubling you, pard?” questioned Brad, when the professor had retired to his room.
“I am thinking of Flavia—poor Flavia,” answered Dick. “Her situation bothers me, Brad. I almost fear we made a mistake to-day.”