wels in barbaric profusion. His troop followed him in
silence. Blood was clinging to all their garments: some had not taken
the trouble to wipe it off their faces. The beasts trotted quietly
toward the castle urged on by fellahs, while the troop followed them
along the mountain ridge.

* * * * *

The shadows of night had fallen.

"I am afraid," said Azraele.

"Why are you afraid?" said Corsar.

"I have had bad dreams," replied Azraele, trembling. "I dreamed that
the Giaours stormed your castle by night and murdered you. I tried to
throw myself down from the battlements but could not, and I was
caught. A Christian had me. Oh, it was frightful."

"Don't be afraid," said Corsar. "The Koran says only the birds can fly
and no one can get into this castle who has not learned to fly. But
even if it were possible you need not be afraid of falling into the
hands of the infidels, for there under the entrance is a fuse reaching
to the powder houses; if all is lost you have only to touch that fuse
with the night lamp, and the entire place will be blown to atoms, with
us and our foes."

"What a comforting thought," said Azraele.

Suddenly she sprang up again with a scream. "Do not you hear the noise
of the Djinns?" and she trembled in every limb.

The Bey looked around him in terror. A storm raged without; the
weather vanes creaked. From the tops of the minarets the wind threw
the tiles on the kiosks below. The lightning flashed and the thunder
made the crags tremble.

"Do you hear these invisible creatures howling and rattling the closed
windows with their mighty hands?"

"By the shades of Allah, I do," said the man, his eyes fixed with
fear.

"Have mercy, have mercy! Away from this house, you bad spirits," cried
Azraele. "May the sunbeams strike you and the darkness bury you. Go
torment the Christians. May your wings break on the top of our
crescents as you float over them. Ha, how their eyes shine! Spirit of
Allah, cover us, that they may not see us with their eyes of fire."

The great, strong man trembled like a child. His superstitious fear
had taken all strength out of his heart.

"Do you hear how they murmur? Say a prayer quickly aloud and stop your
ears, so you shall not hear what they say."

At this moment the frightful storm broke in a window pane and the wind
rushing in shook the curtains and made the lights flicker.

"Ah, do you see him?" cried Azraele. "Be still, don't