to a fight; but your
friends or the government would not dare to let it come to a fight, for
if they did they would be slaying you."

"Tchah!" cried Mr Burne; "this is about the knottiest case I ever did
meet. I say, you, Lawrence, a nice position you have placed us all in."

"I, Mr Burne!" cried the lad wonderingly.

"Yes, sir, you. If you had only been quite well, like a reasonable boy
of your age, we should not have come out here, and if we hadn't come out
here we should not have been in this mess. There, I'm too tired to
talk. Good-night."

He threw himself down upon one of the rugs and was asleep directly,
while the professor walked to the doorway, and found two fierce-looking
sentries outside, one of whom menacingly bade him go back.

He spoke in the Turkish language; but his manner made his meaning plain,
so Mr Preston went back to the fireside, and sat talking to the
Chumleys and Lawrence till the latter fell fast asleep; and at last, in
spite of the peril of his position, the professor grew so weary that the
account of the Chumleys' troubles began to sound soothing, and, what
with the long day's work, the exposure to the keen mountain air, and the
warmth of the fire, he too fell asleep, and silence reigned in the
ancient structure that had been made their prison.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

SUGGESTIONS OF ESCAPE.

The morning broke so bright and clear, and from the window there were so
many wonders of architecture visible in the old stronghold, that the
professor and Lawrence forgot for the time that they were prisoners, and
stood gazing out at the wonderful scene.

Where they had been placed was evidently a portion of an old castle, and
looking down there were traces of huge buildings of the most solid
construction, such as seemed to date back a couple of thousand years,
and yet to be in parts as strong as on the day they were placed and
cemented stone upon stone.

Huge wall, tremendous battlement, and pillared remains of palace or hall
were on every side, and as they gazed, it seemed to them that they could
easily imagine the presence of the helmeted, armoured warriors who had
once owned the land.

The sun was so glorious that the professor proposed a look round before
breakfast.

"Never mind the inconvenience, Lawrence," he said, "we have fallen into
a wonderful nest of antiquities, worth all our journey and trouble.
Here, come along."

They went to the doorway, drew the great rug hangin