Bewildering events succeeded almost too rapid, in fact, for Jack and Frank to follow. Captain Amanassar took charge of the situation, shouting his orders in Athensian which the boys could not understand. They saw him cast a surprised, frowning glance at them, and turn to Jepthah who pushed to his side and spoke rapidly. Then his eyes, which had not been taken from them, lighted up with a rare smile, and across the intervening horsemen, Jack and Frank saw him lift his hand to his forehead in a semi-formal salute.
After that, for a time, in the press of more urgent matters, he paid them no attention. Mr. Hampton with his Arabs arrived, and sharp on their heels the vanguard of the main body of revolutionaries, with the others continually spurring forward. Rapidly the dimensions of the force at the foot of the pass grew.
Mr. Hampton withdrew to one side with the boys and his Arabs, and Jack and Frank in broken sentences recounted what had occurred before his arrival. All watched the disposition Captain Amanassar was making of his forces, seeing groups of horsemen detach themselves from the main body and go whirling away to the westward along the Great Mountain Wall, while those remaining dismounted and handed over their horses to a small guard.
“I must see about this,” said Mr. Hampton. “It looks as if they planned to attempt to retake the pass, probably attacking afoot directly while others go to hunt paths up over the rocks which will permit them to take the enemy in the rear. Perhaps we can be of help. Let everybody await me here.”
So saying he went forward toward Captain Amanassar who, like the others, had dismounted, and by whose side stood Jepthah. The boys saw Mr. Hampton join the two Athensian revolutionaries in conversation and, after a vigorous interchange of words, turn and make his way back to them.
“It is as I suspected,” he reported. “So I have offered to take over the duty of looking after their horses, which will permit all their forces to engage. Also, we are going to lend our repeaters to the revolutionaries, as Jepthah says there are a number of men in the ranks familiar with their use. Here they come now to receive them,” he added, as Jepthah advanced with two others to receive the rifles of Mr. Hampton and the boys. “So hand them over, along with your ammunition.”
“But Mr. Hampton,” protested Frank, “I want to have a hand. Think of old Bob.” His voice broke.
“I know,” said the older man, kindly. “But the pass must be forced if the revolutionaries are to gain the interior. The raiders, they tell me, were met here by a force of two score Athensian Janissaries, who beat off Captain Amanassar’s first attack. If we are to be of any help to Bob, we must let these men clear the way. And in doing that, you might lose your life uselessly, if you were to take active part in the attack. Come, now, hand over your rifle.”
Reluctantly, Frank and Jack consented, after which with the Arabs they went to relieve the horse guard. Mr. Hampton, however, joined Captain Amanassar, who stayed in the plain directing operations.