size, and that he was
not walking to and fro between him and the sea, but in front of the
railings in Bloomsbury, and that, to prevent his making a noise and
disturbing the sleepers, he had wound list all about his boots, which
now made not a sound upon the pavement.
To and fro, to and fro he seemed to go, till his head swelled and
swelled and no longer appeared to be a head, but a great rough
grenadier's cap, and it was no longer Mr Burne, but one of the sentries
in front of the British Museum, who marched, and marched, and marched,
till he marched right out of sight, and all was blank as a deep, deep
sleep is sometimes, from which the lad started into wakefulness just
before dawn, upon hearing the professor say loudly:
"Eh? What? Is it time?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
HOW MR. BURNE KEPT WATCH.
"Yes, effendi, quite time," said a stern voice which Lawrence, as he sat
up, recognised as Yussuf's; and there was the grave-looking Turk, misty
and strange of aspect, bending down.
"Quite time, eh?" said Mr Preston yawning.
"Quite time, effendi. Look there!"
Mr Preston rose and gazed in the direction of the Turk's pointing
finger, which was directed towards something indistinctly seen a few
yards away.
"Mr Burne! Asleep!" said the professor quickly.
"Yes, effendi; I lay down to rest as you bade me, and I slept, expecting
to be called later on to watch; but I was not awakened, and slept
heavily. I was weary."
"But Mr Burne was to watch for only three hours as near as he could
guess, and then call me. It is too bad. Those scoundrels might have
stolen upon us in our sleep."
Lawrence had risen and joined them.
"Poor fellow!" he said softly; "he must have been tired out. Let me
watch now, Mr Preston."
"No," said the professor sternly. "Lie down and sleep, my lad. Sleep
brings strength. You shall have your turn as soon as you are well
enough."
"Thy servant will watch now," said Yussuf. "It is nearly day."
"It is too bad," said the professor again; and with the Turk he walked
to where Mr Burne lay fast asleep--so soundly, indeed, that he did not
stir when Yussuf bent down and took the pistol from his hand.
"Let him sleep, then," said Mr Preston rather bitterly. "I will
watch;" and as he spoke he looked in the direction of the Greeks' camp.
"Let thy servant," said Yussuf quietly; "I am well rested now."
The result was that Lawrence, after a glance round to see that
everywhere it was
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