“Why, I believe he would tackle us both!” muttered the short man.
“You know the girl, do you?” said the tall one, overlooking Dick’s threat, as if he did not consider it worth noticing further. “And you claim she is innocent?”
“I happen to know.”
“Didn’t she decoy the Pasha to the house where he was murdered?”
Dick’s lips curled.
“Instead of that, sir, she was seized while walking on the street, her escort assaulted and knocked down, and the ruffians imprisoned her in a house. Where were you yesterday that you heard nothing of this?”
“We made a trip into the country outside the city,” explained the little man.
“It happens that I was the one accompanying her when she was seized and carried off,” added Dick. “By chance this girl, who is perfectly innocent of wrongdoing, fell beneath the notice of Hafsa Pasha, a bad man, who resolved to add her to his harem. He was baffled, and he deserved the fate he met. However, none of our party had anything to do with that. He was killed by an old enemy, whom he had bitterly wronged. These are the facts, gentlemen. Now, in order to save your fine necks you talk about turning her over to that snarling pack of wolves at the door! I am ashamed of you both!”
In spite of his youth he made them feel ashamed of themselves.
“Oh, well, oh, well,” said the little man apologetically; “we didn’t understand, you know. If we had——”