“Perhaps so; but you know by experience that the people of Damascus believe it, for you were compelled to flee from the city in disguise to escape the enraged Moslems. Had you fallen into the hands of that mob you would have been torn limb from limb.” “Still you—fine gentleman that you are—threatened to deliver me over, and, to prevent you, Dick Merriwell and Brad Buckhart seized, bound and gagged you and fastened you in a closet of the German hotel!” “My dear Nadia, I had no thought of permitting you to fall into the hands of the mob; but I did wish to bring those fool boys to terms by frightening them.” “You found them boys you could not frighten.” “They are young idiots! They do not know enough to be afraid!” “You followed us after we escaped from the city.” “And overtook you, too, aided by the Bedouins I engaged.” “You did not overtake Dunbar and me.” “But I did overtake Merriwell, Buckhart and that old fool professor.” “Yes. Then you had Dick Merriwell stripped and were on the point of having him cruelly whipped. You threatened to have him sold into slavery in Arabia.” “Which would have been his fate only for the unlucky appearance of that old devil of a sheik, Ras al Had. He turned up with his followers at the wrong moment.” “At the right moment!” cried Nadia. “The whipping you intended for Merriwell you received yourself.” Bunol’s face flushed. “Yes,” he said, in a low, fierce tone. “The scars are on my back, and I shall bear them to the grave.” “Retribution!” “The end is not yet. I have sworn to make Merriwell suffer, even as I suffered!” “That shows your true nature and the blackness of your heart, for it was not Dick Merriwell that caused you to be whipped. Ras al Had was the one. Dick interfered, or you would have been lashed until you fainted.” “Why did he interfere? I know! It was because he feared I would be so weakened by the punishment that I would not be able to stand the journey to Arabia. He left me with those Bedouins, who were commanded to take me out of Syria and sell me into slavery in Arabia. He intended that I should perish a wretched slave of black men.” “Which was the fate you had chosen for him and would have forced on him, only for the fortunate coming of the sheik. Do you never think that there is such a thing as retributive justice? I shuddered and was sorry for you when I learned what had happened. But now—now my only regret is that you escaped!” “Well, I did escape, and I am here—to wreak vengeance on Merriwell!” “And it was Ras al Had who commanded the Bedouins to carry you into captivity, not Merriwell. Merriwell did not know of the sheik’s order until he was far away and it was impossible for him to do anything.” “He has told you that, but he lied! He urged old Ras al Had to do it! I know him, for did he not try to murder me in the tent of the Bedouin chief?”