nd in the meantime the execution
shall be suspended." A fortunate chance threw me into communication with
Lady Laird, who was less violently prepossessed in favour of the
Turkish Government than her husband. She promised me her most cordial
assistance, but for three days I hung about Constantinople in a fever
of apprehension, waiting for the imperial _firman_, by virtue of which I
trusted to secure an arrest of sentence.

The execution of the three Bulgarian merchants was fixed for eight
o'clock on the morning of the ensuing Saturday, and late on Wednesday
night the longed-for document came into my hands. I attempted at once
to telegraph the news to Philipopolis, but the wires had been cut in
a score of places and communication was impossible. The next train up
country started at seven o'clock in the morning and it seemed as if
I had ample time before me, but somewhere in the neighbourhood of
Adrianople a culvert had been blown up by the Bulgarian insurgents and
we were brought to a decisive standstill. There was nothing for it but
to complete the journey on horseback and here I was heavily handicapped
by the fact that I had mastered but a scattered phrase or two of the
language, and had the greatest difficulty in making my wants known. At
length, by good hap, I encountered a Bulgarian who spoke a little French
and by his aid I contrived to get a mount The moon was almost at the
full and it was absolutely impossible to miss the road. I set out upon
my journey with a better heart than I should have had if I had known
what I learned afterwards. The whole district between Adrianople and
Philipopolis had been suddenly overrun by the Irregulars, who were
carrying everything before them with fire and sword. Luckily for me
they shunned the high road and devoted their attentions to the outlying
villages. Anything at once more dreary and more exasperating than that
ride I cannot recall. I was badly mounted at the first and at
each succeeding stage, when after an infinitude of difficulty and
misunderstanding I had secured an exchange, it seemed to be always for
the worse. Some two months before at Kara Bounar, I had been affected by
a touch of dysentery and this assailing me anew when my journey was only
half through, made progress dreadfully difficult. But in the failing
light of Friday evening the great rock on which Philipopolis is built
came into sight and I could afford to make the last stage of my journey
at a foot pace, wi