.

"There is somebody in the house," Jack said in a low voice. "I can hear
talking." He stepped very quietly down into the room, and a minute later
the others stood beside him.

It was as Jack had said, there was a loud sound of talking somewhere in
the house.

"What shall we do, Jim?" Jack whispered.

"We will go and have a look at them," Jim replied. "We have got two
revolvers apiece, and are a match for a dozen Egyptians anyway; and
besides, if they haven't seen us, and I don't suppose they have, as we
came round at the back of the house, they will think we are officers and
have got a lot of men behind us."

With their pistols drawn and cocked the boys moved quietly across the
room and into a passage. The voices came from a room in the front of the
house. The door was open. They crept up to it and then suddenly rushed
in.

"Surrender," Jim shouted, "or we fire!"

The lads were astonished at the sight that met their eyes. They had
expected to see a group of natives; instead of that they saw a party of
eight or ten Greeks and Italians sitting on the ground playing cards.
The room was piled with goods of all sorts--silk curtains, females'
dresses, clocks, rich ornaments, choice carpets, and other articles. The
fellows uttered a shout of astonishment and dismay at seeing, as they
believed, three English officers suddenly appear before them; for by
this time the boys had been able to rig themselves out in naval costume
again. Their appearance and that of the six levelled revolvers
completely paralyzed the party at cards.

"Throw down all your weapons in the centre," Jack said peremptorily.
"Not a moment's delay, or we will call our men in and string you up!"

Two or three of the party understood English, and at once threw their
pistols and knives into the centre of the circle; the others
understanding the order from their action did the same.

"Just collect them, Arthur, and take them into the next room," Jim
Tucker said, "before they have time to think about it."

Arthur stepped forward, gathered up the weapons, and carried them into
the next room.

"We are all right now," Jim said in a low tone.

"Now, Arthur, you run down to the town as hard as you can and tell the
first officer you meet we have got a gang of plunderers here, and ask
him to bring up a guard and capture them; we will stand sentry till you
come back."

Arthur without question obeyed Jim's orders: went to the front door,
opened it, and