"Very charming, my dear Charlie," he admitted. "I'm beginning to understand how it happened. Oh, you rascal! Where would you be now if I wasn't in Athens? Why, you would be in jail. It took my influence to get you out."

"For which I thank you most sincerely, Sir Augustus."

"All right, my boy-all right. But you want to remember my advice. You want to remember what I told you about getting in too deep. Oh, you rascal! you're going to be another case with the girls, just as your father was before you. Many's the little toot we've been on together, and Henry always was getting entangled with a female."

"Well, what do you think of that, pard?" whispered Buckhart, in d.i.c.k's ear.

"I think Sir Augustus is smelly," was the answer.

Professor Gunn was likewise far from pleased. He regarded the older Englishman with an air of p.r.o.nounced distrust and suspicion.

"Don't worry about me, Sir Augustus," advised Cavendish.

Just then, happening to glance up the path they had lately descended, Professor Gunn uttered an exclamation of alarm and warning.

"Look-look, boys!" he cried. "There come the Greeks!"

Maro and Tyrus were to be seen descending the path.

Flavia was greatly alarmed in a moment.

"Let them not touch me, Charlee!" she entreated, clinging to Cavendish.

"Never fear," he said rea.s.suringly. "They shall not."

"But I opine we'd better be moseying along out of this," said Buckhart.

To this the others agreed, and they lost no time in moving.

CHAPTER XXVI.

WAS IT A MISTAKE?

Although the Greeks pursued them into the city, they made no attempt to recover possession of Flavia.

What they did do, however, was something alarming.

At intervals they called to other men, friends or acquaintances, and many of these joined them in following the girl and her escort. This little band of dogged pursuers grew by ones and twos until there were in all at least ten of them.

Professor Gunn's agitation grew as the number of pursuers increased.

"Boys," he said, "I sadly fear we are going to have grave trouble. It would not surprise me if we were attacked and murdered right here in the city of Athens. I am in favor of calling for protection by the 'Agents of Peace,' as they call the police here."

"Now, don't you know, really I wouldn't do that," objected Sir Augustus Camberwell. "Really I wouldn't."

"Why not, sir?"

"On account of the girl, don't you understand! The blooming Agents of Peace might ask us to explain what we are doing with the girl and why we withheld her from her uncle, don't you see! Don't have anything to do with the Greek bobbies. We have but a short distance farther to go-a very short distance."

So the Agents of Peace were not appealed to by them, and at last they reached the hotel where Sir Augustus and Charles Cavendish were stopping.

"I have to thank you very much for your gallant protection of Flavia,"

said Cavendish, again shaking hands with the boys and the old professor.

"She has explained fully how you risked your lives for her, as that crazy fellow, her uncle wishes her to marry, drew a knife on you. It is really wonderful that two boys and an old man should be able to stand those two ruffians off."

"Old man!" exploded the professor indignantly. "Who are you calling an old man, sir? I would have you understand that I'm younger than lots of men half my age."

"No offense, professor," Cavendish hastened to say. "You are indeed remarkably young for your years."

Zenas sniffed and hemmed in a manner that denoted he was not fully pacified.

Both Cavendish and Sir Augustus seemed anxious to get rid of the Americans.

Maro, Tyrus, and the rest of the pursuers had now disappeared, and, therefore, d.i.c.k proposed that they should return to their hotel.

Not until they were far away and had failed to discover further signs of their pursuers did Professor Gunn throw off his nervousness.

"I tell you, boys," he said, "this has been a very serious affair-very.

Of course, we may yet have trouble over it. There is no telling. I can't understand why we were not attacked by that band of men who gathered to follow us. It is certain that the Greek of to-day is not much like the Greek of old. In ancient times we would have been overwhelmed and slaughtered like dogs."

d.i.c.k was silent and moody. He seemed thinking of something that was far from pleasant. Even after they had reached their hotel and were in their rooms he maintained an air of gloomy thought.

"Whatever is troubling you, pard?" questioned Brad, when the professor had retired to his room.

"I am thinking of Flavia-poor Flavia," answered d.i.c.k. "Her situation bothers me, Brad. I almost fear we made a mistake to-day."

"I've been thinking some that same way," declared the Texan, springing up and beginning to pace the floor with long strides. "I sure didn't like old Augustus any, and Cavendish didn't hit me any too well. You don't suppose that young snipe is fooling that girl, do you, d.i.c.k?"

"That is a hard question to answer. There is something queer about this affair. Flavia says Cavendish is going to take her to India, where her father is; but still they met by accident on the Acropolis or near it.

If Cavendish was sent here by the father of Flavia, why didn't he come direct to the girl?"

"You tell!"

"Sir Augustus is an old rascal, and from his manner I inferred that he held the idea that Cavendish is crooked. Brad, if we have been instrumental in getting that beautiful girl into trouble, instead of helping her out of trouble, I'll never forgive myself."

"What are we going to do, d.i.c.k?" asked the Texan, gravely.

"Perhaps it is our duty to go to the headquarters of the Agents of Peace and tell all about it."

"And get up to our necks in trouble, sure as shooting."

"I suppose so. Sir Augustus must have influence, for he got Cavendish out of the jug in a hurry."

"Filthy lucre did it, partner. It will do almost anything in these days.

Somehow I opine that old Tyrus doesn't rate very high in the family line here, and it's likely good coin would cause the authorities to wink at an intrigue between a gay young Englishman and a girl of poor family."