“Tie me, Jack.”
Jack’s eyes opened wide in astonishment and he hesitated.
“Tie me, Jack. Since when did you begin to disobey my orders? Hurry, I say.”
Thus admonished, Jack seized the rope and, with a few skilful turns, bound her fast.
“Now,” she cried triumphantly, turning her head toward Mortimer, “now will you go, or will you remain here until someone comes and finds us and we all get into trouble for nothing?”
“Yes; hurry up and do something,” cried Jack impatiently. “Either I must be choked dumb and tied up, or I must get back to my post. What are you making so much fuss about anyway? Don’t you want to go back home to fight? You look like a pretty niftily set up sort of a man,” he continued, addressing Mortimer, “but the other doesn’t look as if he would count for much. Come, hurry up! You’ve wasted too much time already!”
“You’re right!” exclaimed the Professor, and, rope in hand, he fell upon Jack and quickly secured him.
As for Mortimer, Jack’s reference to going home to fight aroused him. Rapidly there flashed through his mind the vision of a strangely-fought and bloody struggle in progress, his regiment attacked and he absent from his men and from his duty.
He glanced at the Professor now rapidly completing the work of securing Jack. Then he crossed to where Valerie sat.
“You win,” he said with emotion; “I accept your sacrifice and will go. But remember, should you find yourself in peril as the result of this, one word sent to me at the palace and I’m at all times ready to return and surrender myself.”