id with rage he rushed at
Monte-Cristo with a dagger in his hand, swearing by the Prophet that he
would have his heart's blood. But the other visitor caught his arm and
held him back.

"'Who are you and why do you stand between me and my just revenge?'
cried the slave-dealer, furiously.

"The stranger threw open his robe, and on his breast gleamed a
diamond-studded crescent.

"'The Grand Vizier!' exclaimed Ali Pasha, prostrating himself before the
high official. The latter clapped his hands, whereupon six soldiers
marched into the bazaar.

"'Seize that wretch!' he cried, pointing to the slave-dealer, 'and
inflict upon him the punishment of the bastinado!'

"When this order had been executed, the Grand Vizier, placing himself at
the head of the soldiers, escorted Monte-Cristo and myself to the harbor
and saw us safely on board the royal caique.

"In due time we reached the yacht, where the officers and crew were at
their posts as usual.

"After his interview with the Sultan, Monte-Cristo, accompanied by the
Grand Vizier, had returned to the Alcyon in the caique. To his
astonishment he found his men lying on the deck tightly bound. On
releasing them he learned what had happened, and his influence was
sufficient to induce the Grand Vizier, who was greatly affected by the
Count's despair when he discovered the terrible fate that had befallen
me, to risk the Sultan's displeasure by aiding him to recover me from
the clutches of Ali Pasha.

"Such," concluded Haydee, "was the manner in which Monte-Cristo rescued
me from the hands of the villainous Turkish slave-dealer and a fate
worse than death."

"Sister," said Mercedes, "no wonder you love Monte-Cristo so devotedly,
for he is one of the noblest and most heroic men upon this earth!"

CHAPTER III.

THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO.

Maldar and his Khouan followers had reached the desert with their
captive. For a long time they heard Monte-Cristo and his men in hot
pursuit of them, but the sound, growing fainter and fainter, had finally
ceased. The Sultan concluded that the Count had been misled by some
fancied indication and had taken a wrong direction. He therefore gave
himself no further concern in regard to him. Once in the desert he
slackened the pace of his Arab steed and the Khouans imitated his
example. The party rode on for several miles when they arrived at a
small oasis, covered with tall palm trees, that resembled an island of
verdure amid the far-