“Jump them, Herc!” “Don’t worry about me,” bawled out Herc as the boys leaped forward to intercept the two beggars. They reached the revolvers just one jump ahead of the two rascals, and the next instant the Egyptians found themselves gazing into the barrels of two wicked looking pistols.
“Be good,” grinned Herc. “I’m very nervous, and if you make trouble my finger might crook by accident on purpose.”
“Do you men understand English?” demanded Ned.
One of them nodded sullenly.
“Then lead us out of here at once, or——” he flourished the pistol he held menacingly.
The man grunted and said something to his[280] companion, who shrugged his shoulders. Then each with a Dreadnought Boy pressing a pistol to his back, the two sullen beggars marched off down a passage which they said would lead to the desert. They told the truth. Before long the lads and their guides emerged at the foot of the Pyramid and were met by a glare of dazzling sunlight.
“Help! Ouch, I’m struck blind!” cried Herc, as the glare greeted him.
“So am I. It is coming suddenly into the bright sunlight out of that dark hole.”
The boys blinked and winked, but everything was black for a time. Then when they opened their eyes they got a surprise. Taking advantage of their temporary blindness, the two beggars had slipped off.
“Well, let them go,” said Ned. “We haven’t got time to prosecute them anyhow. Let’s join our ship-mates.”
“Aren’t you going to notify the authorities?” asked Herc.
[281]
“Certainly, I shall do that. I believe those fellows must have made a practice of tracking and robbing people in the Pyramid. They would have robbed us if they hadn’t pushed us into that hole by mistake, I think.”
And Ned was right. The two Dreadnought Boys had discovered what had long puzzled the authorities; namely, the hiding place of the rascals who tracked travelers whom they thought had money and robbed them in the Pyramid. The lair that they had made for themselves was destroyed and ultimately many of them were captured and imprisoned.
The boys rejoined their ship-mates and a wonderful tale they had to tell. It appeared that the guide, when he missed them, concluded that they had started back for the entrance of the Pyramid and set out after them, just as they had supposed was the case.
That night they returned to the ship, although their leave had not yet expired. Like many of[282] their ship-mates they had seen quite enough of Egypt and were impatient to get to sea again. Two days later the canal was traversed and the battle fleet entered the Mediterranean, en route for Gibraltar.
The first sight of the famous rock made the boys enthusiastic. It looked just like it did in the pictures, and they thrilled as they gazed at the wonderful fortifications, although naval experts have doubted if, for all their formidable appearance, the guns of Gibraltar could stop a hostile fleet of modern ships from entering the Mediterranean.
Ned and Herc got leave to go ashore that afternoon and left in one of the first liberty boats. They found much that was strange and interesting in the historic rock, which is galleried and tunneled like an ant’s nest. Red-coated British soldiers were strutting about everywhere, for the place is kept heavily garrisoned.
They soon tired of the town, though, and after[283] purchasing and posting numerous post-cards to their friends at home, they roamed off up a steeply winding road. As they rose higher they had a fine view of the fleet lying at anchor and of the distant coast of Africa. Behind them, connected with the rock by a narrow strip of sandy land, was Spain.
They passed several sentries, all of whom gave them a friendly nod. All at once they came to an iron gate, which was locked.
“Guess that means ‘stop,’” said Ned.
“There’s no sign on it,” rejoined Herc. “I don’t see why we can’t go right on.”
“If we climb it,—yes. But we might get into trouble. I hear that there are parts of this rock where no foreigner is allowed.”
“Well, this can’t be one of them or there’d be a sentry here. Look, there’s another gate down there. Let’s try that one. I’d like to get right to the top of the rock by the signal-tower.”
“So would I. Well, we’ll try that gate.”
[284]
It was open and the boys passed through. The path wound steeply upward. They rounded a shoulder of rock and a magnificent view burst upon them. They were still admiring it when a heavy hand was laid on Ned’s shoulder. Simultaneously somebody tapped Herc in a similar manner.
“Wha-wha-what!” exclaimed Ned, considerably startled.
The next minute he was destined to be more astonished. He wheeled indignantly and saw a file of scarlet-coated soldiers behind them in charge of a sergeant. The sergeant motioned to the two Dreadnought Boys.
The soldiers stepped forward and seized them.
“What does this mean?” cried Ned.
“You are under arrest.”
“Under arrest? What for?”
“You have no right on this part of the rock. How did you get here?”
“Through a gate. It was unlocked and no sentry on duty, so we thought it was all right.”
[285]
“The sentries were being changed and for the minute there was not one there. That does not excuse you.”
“But we are sailors from the flag-ship of the American fleet!”
“That makes it all the worse. We don’t like Yankees prowling around here.”
“Pooh! I could blow your old rock out of the water with one of our guns!” sputtered Herc, very red in the face.
“That will do, young man. None of your impertinence. Forward, march.”
“Where are you taking us?” asked Ned, as the file moved off, marching on each side of the boys.
“To the officer of the day.”
The officer of the day proved to be a snappy man with a huge moustache and a monocle. He wasted no time over ordering the boys confined. To their protests he paid not the slightest heed. He refused even to communicate with the ship.
“I must lay the matter before the higher authorities,”[286] he said. “It looks to me as if you have committed a grave offense. You must be locked up pending further developments.”
“What, again!” exclaimed Herc, referring to their arrest at Hawaii.
“Ah! So you have been in trouble before? Dangerous characters, eh?” said the officer triumphantly.
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Ned indignantly. “We are American sailors. You can speedily find out all about us by communicating with our ship.”
No reply was vouchsafed and the boys were marched off to the guardhouse and placed in a cell. That they could see the ships made the situation all the more annoying. Suddenly Ned had an idea.
“Herc, we’ll tell them of our plight.”
“How? Shout to them, I suppose,” rejoined Herc, sarcastically.
“No. You know that big souvenir picture handkerchief I got down below in the town?”
[287]
“A sheet, I’d call it.”
&............