They rushed to the chair in which the old Egyptian was fastened. His eyes, which had been closed, opened with a look of terror, to be quickly replaced by one of hope as he recognized Don.
In a trice the boys had pulled out their jack-knives and were sawing away at the cords that bound the captive. In a few minutes they succeeded in freeing him from bonds and gag.
The old Egyptian tried to speak, but his tongue at first refused to obey him.
“How can I thank you?” he said, at last, to the boys, who were rubbing his wrists and hands to restore the circulation. “How can I reward you? You’ve saved my property, and perhaps you’ve saved my life.”
“That’s all right,” replied Don. “We’re glad we came in time.”
“But how did you know what had happened to me?” asked Phalos.
“We saw those countrymen of yours coming from the cabin,” explained Don. “We knew that they were enemies of yours, and as you hadn’t turned up at meal time, we thought there was something wrong. What have those men got against you that they should treat you this way?”
“They are robbers,” replied Phalos. “They knew that I had a great secret—” Here he checked himself and darted a quick glance at his deliverers. “That is, they know I have some valuable property which they want to take from me.”
“Where are they now?” asked Don.
“They’ve gone to their own cabin to get implements to torture me with,” was the startling reply. “I refused to tell them what they wanted, and they said they would find a way to cure my stubbornness. They may be back at any minute. We must get out of here at once.”