y, had been definitely ascertained. They had gone
south, but manifestly taking alarm from the advancing line of guards, had
headed up again to the north-east, where the country was broader and the
mountains wilder and less inhabited.

Forthwith, leaving the signalling altogether in the hands of the fighting
priests, I took a small chosen band of the mountaineers of our own
district, and made, with all the speed we could, to cut across the track
of the fugitives a little ahead of them. The Archimandrite (Abbot) of
Spazac, who had just arrived, came with us. He is a splendid man--a real
fighter as well as a holy cleric, as good with his handjar as with his
Bible, and a runner to beat the band. The marauders were going at a
fearful pace, considering that they were all afoot; so we had to go fast
also! Amongst these mountains there is no other means of progressing.
Our own men were so aflame with ardour that I could not but notice that
they, more than any of the others whom I had seen, had some special cause
for concern.

When I mentioned it to the Archimandrite, who moved by my side, he
answered:

"All natural enough; they are not only fighting for their country, but
for their own!" I did not quite understand his answer, and so began to
ask him some questions, to the effect that I soon began to understand a
good deal more than he did.

_Letter from Archbishop Stevan Palealogue_, _Head of the Eastern Church
of the Blue Mountains_, _to the Lady Janet MacKelpie_, _Vissarion_.

_Written July_ 9, 1907.

HONOURED LADY,

As you wish for an understanding regarding the late lamentable
occurrence in which so much danger was incurred to this our Land of
the Blue Mountains, and one dear to us, I send these words by request
of the Gospodar Rupert, beloved of our mountaineers.

When the Voivode Peter Vissarion made his journey to the great nation
to whom we looked in our hour of need, it was necessary that he
should go in secret. The Turk was at our gates, and full of the
malice of baffled greed. Already he had tried to arrange a marriage
with the Voivodin, so that in time to come he, as her husband, might
have established a claim to the inheritance of the land. Well he
knew, as do all men, that the Blue Mountaineers owe allegiance to
none that they themselves do not appoint to rulership. This has been
the histor