“Peace!” ordered Monty.  “Continue, Kagig.”

Kagig held both hands toward Monty, palms upward, as if he were offering the keys of Hell and Heaven.

“You are sportmen, all of you.  Shall I keep my word to you?  Or shall I serve my nation in its agony?”

Monty glanced swiftly at us, but we made no sign.  Will actually looked away.  It was a rule we four had to leave the playing of a hand to whichever member of the partnership was first engaged; and we never regretted it, although it often called for faith in one another to the thirty-third degree.  The next hand might fall to any other of us, but for the present it was Monty’s play.

“We hold you to your word!” said Monty.

Kagig gasped.  “But my people!”

“Keep your word to them too!  Surely you haven’t promised them to make us prisoner?”

“But if I am your servant—­if I must obey you for two piasters a day, how shall I serve my nation?”

“Wait and see!” suggested Monty blandly.

Kagig bowed stiffly, from the neck.

“It would surprise you, effendi,” he said grimly, “to know how many long years I have waited, in order that I may see what other men will do!”

Monty never answered that remark.  There came a yell of “Fire!” and in less than ten seconds flames began to burst through the door that shut off the Turks’ private quarters, and to lick and roar among the roof beams.  The animals at the other end of the room went crazy, and there was instant panic, the Armenians outside trying to get in to help, and fighting with the men and animals and women and children who choked the way.  Then the hay in the upper story caught alight, and the heat below became intolerable.  Monty saw and instantly pounced on an ax and two crow-bars in the corner.

“Through the wall!” he ordered.

Fred, Will and I did that work, he and Kagig looking on.  It was much easier than at first seemed likely.  Most of the stones were stuck with mud, not plaster, and when the first three or four were out the rest came easily.  In almost no time we had a great gap ready, and the extra draft we made increased the holocaust, but seemed to lift the heat higher.  Then some of the Zeitoonli saw the gap, and began to hurry blindfolded horses through it and in a very little while the place seemed empty.  I saw the Turkish owner and several of his sons looking on in fatalistic calm at about the outside edge of the ring of light, and it occurred to me to ask a question.

“Hasn’t that Turk a harem?” I asked.

In another second we four were hurrying around the building, and Will and I burst in the door at the rear with our crow-bars.  Monty and Fred rushed past us, and before I could get the smoke out of my eyes and throat they were hurrying out again with two old women in their arms—­the women screaming, and they laughing and coughing so that they could hardly run.  Then Will made my blood run cold with a new alarm.