head-strongness of somnolency, insisted on
being told what was the matter! Staniza, too,
got up.

"I hear the sounds of hoofs!" said he.

"Be quiet! They will be down upon us in
a minute."

He was right. Almost immediately afterwards
we were surrounded by a troop of
armed horsemen.

"What are you doing here?" said a young
Turk, in the Padisha's coat.

"We are on our road to Jasenica," replied
Jusuf dogmatically, "and it is here we pass
the night."

At this juncture another Turk joined the
conversation.

"Ah! said he, this is Staniza, the old fox.
Tell us, why didst thou creep from thy
cave?"

"Did you not hear it?" said Staniza. "We
are going to Jasenica. It's nothing to you, I
hope."

"And who are these fellows?" said the
young soldier, with a significant look at
Richard and myself.

"They are men, just the same as you and
I," replied Staniza.

"Take care, old fellow! I will make you
howl for your impertinence."

"You threaten because you fear!"

Saying which, Staniza grasped the handle
of his handjar.

Some of the new comers had, meanwhile,
dismounted. They interfered.

"Leave him alone, Mehmed," said they.
"We know old Staniza; he is one of ours."

Their conciliatory efforts produced a
temporary suspension of hostilities. A fresh
supply of dry wood was thrown on the fire,
and the Turks squatted round it. The chibuks
were lighted.

"What is your business in Jasenica?"
asked one of the horsemen after a long pause.

"We are going to Sarajevo."

"Hm! Have you a Teskera?"

"Most certainly."

"Show it."

The paper was produced, and carefully
examined by the young officer, who did not,
however, appear much edified by its contents.
At length he said:

"This will not help you on. It is not from
the Porte, it is the Teskera of the insurgents."

All the Turks started to their feet.

"What!" cried they, "are these rogues of
the insurgents' camp!"

"Ludi covjece! You fool!" shouted
Staniza in his turn. "Is not this Teskera signed
by Ahmed Beg, of Jarak? And was Ahmed
Beg ever known to stand by the insurgents?"

"Who is Ahmed Beg?" said the officer.

"It is he who, some days ago, gained
Bijelastjena for our party. It was he who
expelled the old Disdar from Vranogra."

"Hm! But who knows whether it was he
who signed this Teskera?" said the officer.

"Ama!" cried all the Turks, "thou art
right, who knows whether Ahmed Beg ever
saw this Teskera?"

"So be it! Who knows whether these
rogues did not mean to impose upon us?"

"Ama! who knows it?"

Upon this the officer whispered to his
neighbour, and the latter nodded his head.

"Yes!" said the fellow, "they want to
impose upon us!"

"Ama! so they do," roared the whole
of the troop in chorus.

One of the captors had long fixed an intent
and earnest gaze upon my friend's watchguard.
He now stretched out his hand, and coolly
helped himself to Richard's watch and chain.

"Ah!" said the officer. "That's it, is it?
They are Swabe and spies. Seize them!"

"They are Swabe!"

"Let us seize them!"

"What can they want?"

"Down with the dogs!"

And in an instant we were overpowered
and disarmed. Resistance was quite out of
the question, for we were three against seventeen.

"Let them go!" said Jusuf. "They are
indeed Swabe, but they are peaceable men,
and never did you any harm."

"They are Swabe. What an enormity!
What can they want here?"

"Mussa!" said Staniza, addressing one of
the Turks. "I know you well enough, and you
know that I am quite as good a Turk as you
are."

"Is he a Turk?"

"Ama! I have known him these many
years; he is," replied Mussa.

"So much the worse for him," said the
officer. "He is one of the insurgents, and he
shall suffer for it."

"Ama, let him suffer for it; why should
he not? Let us take him to Jasenica, and let
the Capitan deal with him as he pleases."

"Jok, by no means!" said the officer.
"Jok, tie him up on the spot."

Staniza remained calm and collected. He
knew the men he had to deal with. Protests,
threats, prayers, and entreaties were alike
lost upon them.

"Very well," said he; " tie me up. I die
because such is my fate. But let my friends
go their ways."

"Never mind them," said Mehmed. "I'll
hang them by thy side."

This was not a comfortable assurance. The
Turks were serious and determined; they
wanted our money. And this desire of theirs
seemed to seal our doom. Still I tried to
imitate Staniza's equanimity. I looked at
him.

"Let me say a word to that little Swaba,"
said Staniza to the Turk who held him, and
coming up to me, he asked me to purchase
my own life and Richard's, from the Turks.
As for himself, he said, if it was his doom,
he was prepared to die. The old man's