“What has Peter Measel got to do with it?” demanded Fred.  “Has he been writing down all our sins in a new book?”

“He will identify you.  He will also identify Kagig’s agents.  He brings a personal charge against a man named Rustum Khan, who must return to Tarsus to answer it.  The charge is robbery with violence.”

Rustum Khan snorted.

“The violence was only too gentle, and too soon ended.  As for robbery, if I have robbed him of a little self-conceit, I will answer to God for that when my hour shall come!  How is it your affair to drag that whimpering fool through Asia at your tail—­you a German and he English?”

The German had a hot answer ready for that, but the Turks had discovered Maga Jhaere in hiding in the shadows between two old women.  She screamed as they tried to drag her forth, and the scream brought us all to our feet.  But this time it was Kagig who was swiftest, and we got our first proof of the man’s enormous strength.  Fred, Will and I charged together round behind the newcomers’ horses, in order to make sure of cutting off retreat as well as rescuing Maga.  Monty leveled a pistol at the German’s head.  But Kagig did not waste a fraction of a second on side-issues of any sort.  He flew at the German’s throat like a wolf at a bullock.  The German fired at him, missed, and before he could fire again he was caught in a grip he could not break, and fighting for breath, balance and something more.

One of the gipsies, who had not seen the need of hurrying to Maga’s aid, now proved the soundness of his judgment by divining Kagig’s purpose and tossing several new faggots on the already prodigious fire.

“Good!” barked Kagig, bending the struggling German this and that way as it pleased him.

Seeing our man with the upper hand, Monty and Rustum Khan now hurried into the melee, where two Turkish officers and eight zaptieh were fighting to keep Maga from four gipsies and us three.  Nobody had seen fit to shoot, but there was a glimmering of cold steel among the shadows like lightning before a thunder-storm.  Monty used his fists.  Rustum Khan used the flat of a Rajput saber.  Maga, leaving most of her clothing in the Turk’s hands, struggled free and in another second the Turks were on the defensive.  Rustum Khan knocked the revolver out of an officer’s hand, and the rest of them were struggling to use their rifles, when the German shrieked.  All fights are full of pauses, when either side could snatch sudden victory if alert enough.  We stopped, and turned to look, as if our own lives were not in danger.

Kagig had the German off his feet, face toward the flames, kicking and screaming like a madman.  He whirled him twice—­shouted a sort of war-cry—­hove him high with every sinew in his tough frame cracking —­and hurled him head-foremost into the fire.

The Turks took the cue to haul off and stand staring at us.  We all withdrew to easier pistol range, for contrary to general belief, close quarters almost never help straight aim, especially when in a hurry.  There is a shooting as well as a camera focus, and each man has his own.