Then he shouted to Wrexham to get the medicine-chest out quick.
“Had a fight, killed some unpleasing gentlemen, picked up this lady, and left Payindah with two rifles holding the valley.”
By this time the others had run up to us, and Wrexham had brought the medicine-chest, so I said to Forsyth:
“Tackle her first, arrow gash on right shoulder, and arms all to hell from ropes. Talks strange Greek slowly.”
He gathered up the medicine-chest and piloted the girl to the tent. While he was overhauling her and dressing the cut on her shoulder, I turned to Wrexham and hurriedly explained things.
“Right-o,” he said, “I’ll cut along now and join Payindah. Two men can hold that pass all night. As soon as Firoz has put some food out—the girl looks as if some wouldn’t hurt her—send him along and Alec, too, as soon as he’s done with you both. You’d better sit down and keep quiet a bit; you look a trifle war-worn. Have you talked to the damsel yet?”
As he spoke he was pulling open the ammunition-boxes, from one of which he took out a small square tin and from another a little round cylinder.
“Yes. She talks Greek, all right, though it sounds funny. But I didn’t worry her much; she was looking pretty cheap. What’s that you’re digging out?”
“A few pounds of powder and some lighters that I brought. With that and some string I’ll rig up some booby-traps in case we have to come away in a hurry.” He opened his little tool-chest and pulled out a hacksaw. “That’ll get the chain off the girl’s ankle. Put a pad underneath while you work.”
“Good idea. I’ll do it when Forsyth’s done with her. Do you think we shall have to bolt from here?”