"The Maid of Athens? What are you doing, quoting Byron?"

"I opine it was Byron that made me call her that, and I'll bet a bunch of Texas longhorns that Byron's maid wasn't any prettier than Flavia."

"Do you understand that, Flavia?" questioned the voice of Cavendish.

"Did you catch the compliment of this devil-may-care youngster who is in the trap with us?"

"I hear heem," was the answer, in a voice that made Brad start! "same time the English is hard to comprehen'."

The Texan whistled.

"So Flavia is here with us, eh? And Maro outside! I don't quite understand it."

Cavendish explained as well as he could.

"I fancy I came near being shot," he went on, "when I saw that Greek ruffian catch Flavia in his arms. They warned me I'd be shot down the moment I thrust my nose out of this cave, yet my blood boiled when he clasped her. However, he kept her from Maro, and now he's in a bad way himself. Boy, I fear you and I will not live to see the rising of another sun. I fear these ruffians will cut our throats. As for Flavia, my soul shudders when I think what may become of her."

"It shudders some, does it?" said Buckhart, with a touch of unspeakable scorn. "Well, I opine you see now, Mr. Cavendish, what a long-eared jacka.s.s you made of yourself by fooling round an innocent girl in this country. You sure brought it on yourself by trying to deceive her."

In the gloom of the cave Cavendish stirred suddenly, and Brad fancied he could see the figure of the man risen to a standing att.i.tude.

"Why do you say that?" hotly demanded the young Englishman. "Deceive Flavia? How dare you accuse me of such a thing!"

"Steady, you!" growled the Texan, not a bit abashed by the evident rage of the other. "I want you to know that my pard and myself have seen and talked with that blear-eyed old reprobate, Sir Augustus Camberwell. We found him in the midst of the wreckage after the brigands jumped you on the trail. He was so nervous he was ready to shoot at his own shadow. We chinned him some, and he gave it to us straight that the whole affair was brought about because you met the girl by accident and took a fancy to fool her some. He allowed you never had the least idea of marrying her."

Flavia had listened to all this and understood it. Now she uttered a cry and clutched at the young Englishman.

"Charlee!" she gasped; "Charlee, it is not true?"

Cavendish placed his arm about her waist and drew her close to him.

"It is not true, sweetheart!" he declared, with deep earnestness. "I must confess that Sir Augustus thought so, for he could not understand that I, a son of the house of Cavendish, could possibly mean to treat in an honorable manner a poor Greek girl of no family whatever. I tried to tell him that I was in earnest, but I found that he would turn against me the moment he believed it, and do everything in his power to separate us. The only way to obtain his a.s.sistance, which I needed very much, was to let him believe I was playing the scoundrel in this manner. That is why I permitted him to think so."

Needless to say Brad Buckhart had listened with deep interest to these words. He now stepped forward and his hand found Cavendish's shoulder.

"How about that forged letter?" he asked.

"I confess it was forged," was the instant answer. "I met Flavia by accident and fell in love with her at first sight. She tells me that she loved me the moment her eyes met mine. We met several times, and she told me of Maro, and how her uncle was trying to force her into a hateful union with the fellow. We knew Tyrus Helorus would be enraged if I simply presented myself and stated that I wanted Flavia for my wife, so we concocted a scheme we fancied might work. Flavia told me all about her father, where he was in India and all that. I secured the service of an expert with the pen, and the rascal forged a letter purporting to be from Flavia's father. The letter introduced me to Tyrus, who was directed to deliver Flavia into my care, as I would take her to her father in India."

"That was some slick," commented Brad.

"But it didn't work with Tyrus," said Cavendish. "The old man smelled a rat, you know. He pretended to think it all right, and he promised that Flavia should prepare for the journey. But he whisked her away and hid her from me. I found her, and then he had me arrested on some sort of a complaint. I was locked up, you understand, and I'd be there now only for Sir Augustus, who used his influence to get me out. That's how I became tangled up with him, don't you know. And now here we are. What the deuce are we going to do?"

Brad found Cavendish's hand in the darkness and gave it a hearty grip.

"Even if I am in a right tight predicament myself," he said, "I'm sure glad my pard and I concluded, after leaving Sir Augustus, to try to find out what had happened to Flavia and you. Cavendish, we may all go over the range into the unknown country beyond, but the jig's not up, by a long shot."

The Texan lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Listen: My pard and I both got into this valley, though I was the only one seen. If those cutthroats hadn't been miserable bad shots, I'd been peppered full of holes. They shot all round me. Then something tripped me as I was scooting, and they had me before I could recover. Here I am; but d.i.c.k Merriwell is somewhere out in the valley, and I'll wager every hoof on the Bar Z that we hear from him before morning. You want to hold yourself ready to move a whole lot lively when he takes a hand in the game, for he plays his cards to win and makes no false moves. You hear me chirp!"

CHAPTER x.x.x.

OUT OF THE TOILS.

The mists of early night had dissolved in the valleys. Above the hills the pale stars glittered as the night wore on. Donatus, the Suliote, still reclined by the fire, his head pillowed on the saddle. Over him a faithful follower had spread a blanket to protect him from the cool night air.

The fire sank lower. Even Maro, with his heart of fire, had at last fallen into slumber.

The guard who had pa.s.sed before the mouth of the cave, now unreached by the firelight, seemed grown weary, for he made his beat with less frequence and regularity. Once he disappeared for such a length of time that Buckhart was tempted, for all of the danger of being shot, to peer forth. But before the Texan brought himself to the point of risking the peril the guard reappeared, a blanket wrapped about him, pacing with slow step across the opening.

Flavia slept, her head pillowed on Cavendish's lap. The Englishman had removed his coat and spread it over her.

"Poor girl!" he muttered, as he did so. "It's a beastly shame! She'll get her death in this blooming hole!"

"Death isn't the worst thing that can happen to her," said the Texan, in a whisper. "But we'll hope for better luck. Cavendish, I'm sure afraid something has happened to my pard. I'm afraid to wait longer for him to move. Are you in for taking a chance?"

"What sort of a chance?"

"A desperate one. The band is asleep, though they're all sleeping with weapons in their hands. The guard seems to be the only one awake, and I judge he's half asleep."

"Go on."

"We'll creep close to the mouth of the cave. The fire is down so it no longer shines in at the opening, and we can get right close without being seen. When the guard pa.s.ses, we'll jump him. I'll try to get him by the woozle and shut off his wind so he can't peep. We'll have to move a whole lot hasty, and if he raises any sort of a racket to awaken the others, it will be a run for our lives, with bullets chasing us. But remember that the gang shoot mighty bad. What do you say?"

"Flavia?"

"Of course we'll take her. You'll have to explain it to her."

"She may be killed when they begin to shoot?"

"Better that than for her to be carried off by these cutthroats."

Cavendish shuddered. The thought of placing the beautiful girl in such peril of instant death was horrible to him. He bent in the darkness and gently kissed her parted lips.

"Charlee!" she murmured.

"With my life I'll protect you!" he whispered.

"Wake her," urged Brad impatiently. He had resolved on action, and every moment seemed precious now.

Cavendish kissed her again and then gently aroused her. She was frightened at first, but he succeeded in soothing her.

"You are with me, Flavia," he said.