vere cold, the Hungarian
army of about thirty thousand men pressed forward. Huniades marched in
advance with the vanguard of 12,000 picked men; after him the king and
the Pope's legate, with the rest of the army. The sultan, however,
with a large body of men had occupied the passes of the Balkans and
prevented their farther advance. This impediment, coupled with the
cold and severe weather, depressed the spirits of the troops, worn out
with fatigue. Huniades, however, raised their spirits by gaining a
victory; lighting one night upon a body of the enemy, 20,000 in
number, he attacked them at once and after a few hours' struggle
succeeded in dispersing them. Later on he took two large towns with
their citadels; and in three engagements triumphed over three separate
divisions of the enemy. Learning that a still larger body of Turks was
attempting to cut off his communications with the king's army he
attacked that also and put it to flight. After that he joined his
corps with the main army under the king; and indeed none too soon.
Sultan Murad suddenly arrived with the main body of his forces, which
he strongly intrenched in the narrowest passes of the Balkans.
Huniades saw that these intrenchments could not be forced, and did all
he could to entice his enemy down into the plain. This he succeeded in
doing. In the battle that ensued the king too played a conspicuous
part and received a wound. In the end, however, the Hungarians gained
the victory, and the younger brother of the Grand Vizier was taken
prisoner. So much success was sufficient for Huniades for the time,
especially as the natural obstacles had proved insurmountable. The
Hungarian army returned home in good order, and the young king made a
triumphal entry into his capital, preceded by a crowd of Turkish
prisoners and captured Turkish ensigns. These last trophies of victory
were deposited in the Coronation Church in the fortress of Buda.

And now something happened which had hitherto been deemed incredible;
the Sultan sued for peace, a true believer and a sovereign, from an
unbelieving giaour. The peace was concluded, and Hungary again became
possessed of those dependent (South Slavonic) provinces, which lay
between the territories of the Sultan and the kingdom of Hungary in
the narrower sense of the word. In three short years Huniades had
undone the work of years on the part of the Turks. The Sultan,
however, soon repented of what he had done, and continually d