CHAPTER VIII

EZRA MAKES UP HIS MIND TO A DANGEROUS VENTURE

The surly landlord of the "Indian's Head" danced into the centre of his public room, the expression of fear expanding upon his face.

"Gentlemen," he cried, appealing to Ezra and Pennington, "I demand your protection. I am beset by this man, who would kill me in my own house."

"If you prefer to have it so," spoke Scarlett with a swishing whir of his heavy blade, "I will dispatch you upon the lawn if you are possessed of one, or, in default of that, in the public road. I am of a liberal nature, and would as well please you as not in the place of your taking off."

His agile point followed the churlish landlord in his caperings.

"Sir," cried the man, addressing himself to Pennington, "I crave you to speak a word to this mad villain, who seems bound to spill my blood."

Pennington arose and was about to remonstrate with the young soldier; but the latter stopped before he had well begun.

"Have the goodness to keep your place," requested Scarlett, with a quick, fierce, unmistakable look. "There are some things, perhaps, that I can be crossed in," here the look grew significant, "and made to appear cheap. But be a.s.sured, sir, that this is not one of them."

At once Pennington sank back upon the settle and again the landlord resumed his capering before the swift-moving sword point.

"Now, rascal," cried Scarlett, harshly, "will you do as I ask? Faith, I'm playing you easily enough; in Muscovy they'd have had your life for half this show of stubbornness."

"I tell you I know no such gentleman," cried the landlord. "How can I tell that which I know not?"

He whirled away before the brisk flash of the blade; and at the same time he continued, addressing Pennington, meaningly:

"I beg of you, sir, for the last time, to persuade this man to let be. I am but flesh and blood. I cannot withstand everything."

Again Pennington seemed about to interfere; but once more the fierce glance of Scarlett awed him. Then the latter shortened his weapon and glowered at the innkeeper.

"And I call upon you for the last time to tell me who this man Pennington is!" he grated. "Quick now!"

The landlord's eyes sought for a means of escape; but he was hard pressed to make use of any that presented themselves.

"I will tell," he at length cried, desperately. "The man you want is there."

His trembling finger indicated Pennington, who turned a shade paler, but sat composedly enough. Scarlett's sword point fell; he turned upon Pennington and saluted him in a formal, military fashion, a satirical smile curling his moustache points upward.

"Sir," said he, "I am most pleased. I will not say that I expected as much, but I can say that I am not at all surprised."

Ezra watched the spy curiously. He saw him swallow once or twice in an effort to speak. But finally he managed to resume control of his tongue.

"You have found me out, then," said he, and he smiled in a sickly fashion. "I was interested to see just how long it would take you."

For all his speech faltered, his eyes were steady enough to threaten the innkeeper for betraying him. But the man returned the look defiantly.

"I'll not be sworded to death, and you sitting by at your ease, never lifting a hand," he declared sullenly.

Scarlett turned quickly upon the man.

"You have done your share to the furthering of the acquaintance of this gentleman and myself, and I am obliged to you. So now, back to your scullery and let us hear none of your protestations."

The innkeeper went quickly enough; he had had a taste of the adventurer's quality, and clearly desired no more of it. After he had vanished into his kitchen, Scarlett sheathed his blade, struck an att.i.tude with his feet very wide apart and hooked his thumbs into his sword belt.

"So, so, good and excellent sirs," said he with a lifting of his heavy brows. "It would seem that you have been making a laughing-stock of me."

"Nothing was further from my intention," Pennington hastened to say.

Disbelief was plain in Scarlett's face; he turned to Ezra saying:

"And what answer has your intimate?"

"None, other than that I am not his intimate. To the best of my knowledge," proceeded Ezra, "I have never met with this gentleman before to-night."

Gilbert Scarlett shot him a mingled glance of astonishment and regret.

"I was mistaken in you, then," spoke he. "I took you to be an upstanding youth of much character and straightforwardness."

Ezra was about to speak in answer to this, but the young soldier waved his hand.

"Let me have no denials. I have eyes," and he gestured angrily. "Also, I have perception, though you both seem to doubt it."

"Sir," spoke Pennington, in a soothing tone, "you much deceive yourself if you fancy that we have in any way sought to mislead you."

He leaned forward upon the settle, his legs crossed and his hands upon his knees.

"Now," he proceeded, "I leave it to you as a gentleman of wide experience and much service, to pa.s.s judgment upon what I am about to say."

The adventurer unhooked his thumbs from his sword belt and twirled his moustache. He said nothing in reply; but there was a sardonic look in his face.

"I," and Pennington tapped his chest, "am the person whom your young friend here," with a nod toward Ezra, "was to inquire for. I acknowledge it."

"It's overlate for frankness," said Gilbert Scarlett, grimly. "But, go on."

"I am able to say in perfect good faith," went on Pennington, "that I had no expectation of seeing him. Neither had I any notion that he knew anything of the affairs of Abdallah. As for my failure to acknowledge a connection with the story which you told me a while ago, you surely can feel no resentment for that. When a man is engaged in"-he paused and shrugged his shoulders-"well, in work of a more or less secret character, it is not quite safe for him to speak freely with strangers."

The adventurer unbent his brows and his face altered in expression.

"Now," said he, "that is talk that holds much sense. It is clear to me that you could not do other than you did."

Then he turned to Ezra once more.

"Chance and circ.u.mstance seem to have taken you for their very own,"

said he.

"Some things have befallen me of late days that make your saying seem like the truth," said Ezra. "But my experience must be but a trifle, as compared with what yours must have been, sir. I have no doubt but that chance has figured much in your life."

"Why," answered the adventurer, "now that you mention it, it is true enough. What great matter is it for a lad to chance along a lonely wagonway near to sundown, and meet with a horseman who has had an accident befall him? And that you should chance to have the pleasure of this gentleman's acquaintance," indicating Pennington, "is, upon second thought, not a matter to marvel at. Why, I recall, how, when I served the Turk at Cairo, I met with an adventure that must have seemed like a miracle of chance. Moslems are a strange people, but they grow stranger still in their dealings with a Christian; and when that Christian happens to be in command of a squadron of them--"