mann presently, but there was an air
of distinct disappointment about him.

'Corporal,' said Henkel to the non-com, who had taken the place of the
brute whom Roy had finished, 'take the prisoners back and lock them up
securely. Set a guard over them.'

'Mind this--that you are responsible for them,' he added harshly.

The man saluted, and Ken and Roy, who had hardly expected to leave the
place alive, found themselves marched back down the evil-smelling street
and shut up once more in the same hovel as before.

Roy turned to Ken as the key clicked in the lock behind them.

'This is a rum go,' he said in great astonishment. 'What's it mean? Who is
the Johnny with the fat tummy and the bloodshot eyes? Why was he so quiet
with you? What--?'

'Steady, old man!' cut in Ken. 'One question at a time. Didn't you hear
his name?'

'What--Henkel? Yes.'

He broke off with a gasp.

'You don't mean to say he is the sweep that tried to swindle your father
out of his coal mine?'

'You've hit it, Roy--hit it in once. That's the very same chap, though I
never knew before that he was a colonel. He recognised me as soon as I
spotted him.'

'But what's his game?' demanded Roy. 'I should have thought he would have
been only too pleased to get you shot out of hand. If your father is dead,
you're next heir to the coal.'

'I'm not very clear what he is after,' Ken answered in a puzzled voice.
'But it's something to do with our property, you may be sure of that. This
much I do know--that Henkel was awfully in debt when I last saw him. And I
know this, too--that our friend, old Othman Pacha, who is Bey in that part
of the country, would refuse to let the property pass without proper title
deeds.'

'Then it's clear as mud,' said Roy quickly. 'Henkel wants to get the deeds
out of you.'

'That may be it. But anyhow I'm not of age. I couldn't sign anything.'

'Don't, anyhow,' said Roy. 'He can't do worse than shoot us.'

But Ken looked very grave. Inwardly, he was thinking that, if Henkel did
actually mean to make terms, he had no right to sacrifice Roy's life as
well as his own.

At this moment the corporal came in with a platter of food and a pitcher
of water. He planked them down without a word, and went out again.

'No use starving ourselves,' said Roy with his usual cheeriness. 'It's a
case of "let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die."'

His pluck was wonderful, and they set to as well as their manacled hands
permitted,