will be as the veritable ruler of my realm. What will ye do if I
perish?"

The face of Milieva glowed at this question. She led Mahmoud aside
into the back part of the room. There the Sultan perceived a large
heap of pillows and cushions.

"If Mahmoud perishes," said the Circassian girl, enthusiastically,
"those who loved him will discover a way of following him; yea, thine
enemies, when they look for us, will only find our ashes here."

Mahmoud kissed the girl on the forehead; she was indeed worthy to sit
at the foot of the throne.

With that he descended into the court-yard, and they led his good
steed in front of the arched door. The Sultan beckoned to Thomar to
hold the reins while he mounted, then he detached an agate from the
heron plume that waved above his turban, and fastened it on the fez of
the youth as he knelt before him.

"I name thee leader of the akinjis; and now whoever has a sword, let
him show that he is worthy of our ancestors!"

With these words the Padishah drew his scimitar, and, galloping to the
front of his horsemen, took the place of command. A moment later the
little host was already on its way to Stambul. In front marched the
akinjis with glittering bayonets; in the centre was the Sultan with
his suite; the rear was brought up by the horsemen and the gardeners.
Every one of them was resolved to die honorably and gloriously.

On reaching the city the bold band met at first with but little
opposition, for they came unawares. The rebels were weary from the
exertions of the previous night. After putting out the conflagration
the mob had set to work plundering, and towards morning the greater
part of it had dispersed amongst the coffee-houses and other places of
amusement.

Mahmoud and his aggressive band met with no opposition right up to the
Seraglio. The streets indeed were thronged by a noisy mob, but it made
way at once before the serried ranks of the akinjis. None insulted the
Sultan by so much as an offensive word; on the contrary, cries of
admiration were audible here and there. Men were astounded when they
beheld the Padishah appear with a handful of armed men amidst the
raging tempest, and permitted him to enter the gates of the Seraglio
in peace.

The shout bursting through all the doors, which resounded for some
minutes from the inside of the place, announced to those outside what
courage the appearance of the Sultan had instilled into the hearts of
those of his warriors w