ng, "Yes, I
am right."

"What do you mean?" said the professor.

"I did not like to speak before, effendi," he said excitedly, "for I was
not sure; but it is as I thought; they have now turned into the right
road. Everything points to it."

"Look here," grumbled Mr Burne, "I'm not in a humour to guess
conundrums and charades; speak out, man. What do you mean?"

"I mean, excellency, that I have been wondering where the brigands'
strong place could be, and I believe I have found out."

"Well, where is it? A cave, of course?"

"No, excellency; and you, effendi," he continued, turning to the
professor, "will be delighted."

"What do you mean, my good fellow?" said the professor warmly.

"That you will have your wish. There is no other place likely, and it
seems to me that this band of men have made the old ruined stronghold
their lurking-place, and you will see the ruins after all."

"What?" cried Mr Preston excitedly.

"I am not sure, excellency, for they may be only going to pass them on
our way elsewhere; but we are now journeying straight for the grand old
remains we sought."

"Then, I don't care what ransom I have to pay," said the professor
eagerly. "Lawrence, my dear boy--Burne--this is not a misfortune, but a
great slice of luck."

"Oh! indeed! is it?" said the old lawyer sarcastically. "I should not
have known."

It proved to be as Yussuf had anticipated, for, just as the sun was
sinking below the mountains, the shelf of a path was continued along by
the brink of a terrible precipice which looked black beneath their feet,
and after many devious windings, it ended as it were before a huge pile
of limestone, at the foot of which rocks were piled-up as if they had
suddenly been dashed down from some tremendous tremor of the mountains.

"Where are we going?" said the professor.

"Up to the top of that great pile," said Yussuf.

"But are the ruins there?"

"Yes, effendi."

"And how are we to set there?"

"You will see, excellency. It is quite right. This is the robbers'
home, where they could set an army at defiance."

"But we can't get up there," said Lawrence, gazing at the dizzy height.

As he spoke, the foremost horseman seemed to disappear, but only to come
into sight again, and then it became evident that there was a zigzag and
winding path right up to the top of the huge mass of rock which towered
up almost perpendicularly in places, and, ten minutes later, Lawrence
was riding