a gourd full of strong, sweet wine, and the children drank of
it. The wine removed whatever of sadness was still in their hearts,
and they then resumed their journey. The asses he left behind, but two
well-saddled horses were awaiting them in front of the hut. On these
the children mounted, and leaving the asses to stroll leisurely on by
one road, under the charge of the hired ass-drivers, they themselves
took another. How delighted the children were with their fine steeds!

The sheik, meantime, was still awaiting the return of his children,
and as they did not come back by the evening he began to make
inquiries about them. Some of his neighbors, who had been in the
forest, informed him that they had seen the children with the Greek
merchant; they were riding on his asses. At this Kasi Mollah began
roaring like a wild beast.

"He has stolen my children!" he groaned in his despair, and flew back
home for his horse and his weapons, not even waiting for his comrades
to take horse also. One by one they galloped after him, but could not
easily overtake him.

Riding helter-skelter he soon reached the neighboring village, but
here the track of the asses led him off on a false scent, for only
when he overtook them did he realize that the merchant with his
children had gone far away in another direction.

With the rage of despair in his heart he galloped back again. Not till
evening did he dismount from his horse; then he watered his horse in a
brook and rushed on again. Through the whole moonlit night he pursued
the Greek, and as towards dawn Argyrocantharides looked behind him he
saw a great cloud of dust on the road rapidly approaching him, and the
bright points of lances were in the midst of it.

"Well, children," said he, "here we must all die together, for your
father is coming and will slay the three of us. But whip up your
horses."

Then, full of terror, they bent over their horses' necks, and the
desperate race began.

The Circassian perceived the merchant and the children, and rushed
after them with a savage howl. They had better horses, but the
Circassian's horses were more accustomed to mountainous paths and had
better riders.

The distance between the two companies was visibly diminishing. The
merchant flogged with his whip the horses on which the children were
riding. They dared not look back.

Their father shouted to them to turn their horses' reins. He called
Thomar by name, and bade him tear the mer