er there was a
rush of men, and a column of Turkish infantry occupied the village in
force. They were evidently hard pressed, for the men ran and acted with
that quick nervous energy which denotes imminent danger.

They swarmed into the houses, dashed open the windows, knocked out
loop-holes in the walls, and kept up a furious fusillade, while
whistling balls came back in reply, and laid many of them low.

One party of Turks at last made a rush to the hut where Lancey sat with
the old woman. There was no weapon of any sort in the hut, and as
Lancey's arms had been taken from him when he was captured, he deemed it
the wisest policy to sit still.

Leaping in with a rush, the Turks shut and barred the door. They saw
Lancey, but had evidently no time to waste on him. The window-frame was
dashed out with rifle-butts, and quick firing was commenced by some,
while others made loop-holes in the mud walls with their bayonets.
Bullets came pinging through the window and brought down masses of
plaster from the walls. Suddenly a terrible yell rang in the little
room, and the commander of the party, raising both hands above him,
dropped his sword and fell with a terrible crash. He put a hand to his
side and writhed on the floor in agony, while blood flowed copiously
from his wound. The poor fellow's pain lasted but a moment or two. His
head fell back suddenly, and the face became ashy pale, while his
glaring eyeballs were transfixed in death.

No notice was taken of this except by a man who sat down on the floor
beside his dead commander, to bandage his own wounded arm. Before he
had finished his task, a shout from his comrades told that danger
approached. Immediately the whole party rushed out of the hut by a back
door. At the same instant the front door was burst open, and a soldier
leaped in.

It was evident to Lancey that, in the midst of smoke and turmoil, a
mistake had been made, for the man who appeared was not a Russian but a
Turk. He was followed by several companions.

Casting a savage piercing look on Lancey, and apparently not feeling
sure, from his appearance, whether he was friend or foe, the man
presented his rifle and fired. The ball grazed Lancey's chest, and
entering the forehead of the old woman scattered her brains on the wall.

For one moment Lancey stood horror-struck, then uttered a roar of rage,
rose like a giant in his wrath, and seized a rifle which had been
dropped by one of the fugiti