artly
closed while he was in a recumbent position, now burst out afresh. He
looked at the blood with a faint sad smile, and sank down again.

Nicholas recognised him, and tried to speak, but he could neither speak
nor move. It seemed to him that every part of his frame had been
paralysed except his brain and eyes.

Presently the scout felt for something at his side. His flask was
there; putting it to his lips he drank a little and was evidently
refreshed, for he raised himself again and began to look about him.

Another moment and Petroff had discovered the Pasha, who lay near him
with a look of intense longing in his eyes as he saw the flask and heard
the gurgling water. A fierce frown crossed the scout's brow for a
moment, but it was instantly chased away by a look of pity. He dragged
himself slowly towards the dying Turk, and held the flask to his lips.

With a murmur of thankfulness and a look of gratitude at his late enemy,
the Pasha uttered a faint sigh and closed his eyes in the last long
sleep of death.

The effort to drag himself even a few paces served to show Petroff how
severely he had been wounded. He was in the act of raising the flask to
his lips a second time, when Nicholas, by a desperate effort, succeeded
in uttering a low groan.

The scout turned quickly, observed his master, and crept to his side.

"Drink, sir," he said, knowing well that water was what Nicholas
required most at such a time.

The avidity with which the latter obeyed prevented him observing that
the scout was almost sinking. The successive efforts he had made had
caused the blood to pour copiously from his wounds.

"You are badly hurt, Dobri, I fear," he said, when the life-giving
draught had sent new vigour into his frame, and loosed his tongue.

"Ay," replied the scout, with a faint smile.--"I shall soon be with you
now, Marika, and with the little ones and the dear Lord you loved so
well and tried so hard to make me follow too. And you succeeded,
Marika, though you little th--"

He stopped abruptly, swayed a moment to and fro, then fell heavily
forward with his head on the bosom of his friend.

"Take some more water, Dobri," said Nicholas anxiously. "Quick, before
you lose consciousness. I have not power to move a limb to help you.--
Dobri!"

He called in vain,--the scout had fainted.

Nicholas had not power at first to remove the poor fellow's head from
his chest, and he felt as if he should be suffocate