e marauders, I should bear her to my own home, where she would live and
reign in peace and comfort and honour, and in love and wifely happiness
if I could achieve such a blessing for her--and for myself.

But here a dreadful thought flashed across me, which in an instant turned
my joy to despair, my throbbing heart to ice:

"As she is a real woman, she is in greater danger than ever in the hands
of Turkish ruffians. To them a woman is in any case no more than a
sheep; and if they cannot bring her to the harem of the Sultan, they may
deem it the next wisest step to kill her. In that way, too, they might
find a better chance of escape. Once rid of her the party could
separate, and there might be a chance of some of them finding escape as
individuals that would not exist for a party. But even if they did not
kill her, to escape with her would be to condemn her to the worst fate of
all the harem of the Turk! Lifelong misery and despair--however long
that life might be--must be the lot of a Christian woman doomed to such a
lot. And to her, just happily wedded, and after she had served her
country in such a noble way as she had done, that dreadful life of
shameful slavery would be a misery beyond belief.

"She must be rescued--and quickly! The marauders must be caught soon,
and suddenly, so that they may have neither time nor opportunity to harm
her, as they would be certain to do if they have warning of immediate
danger.

"On! on!"

And "on" it was all through that terrible night as well as we could
through the forest.

It was a race between the mountaineers and myself as to who should be
first. I understood now the feeling that animated them, and which
singled them out even from amongst their fiery comrades, when the danger
of the Voivodin became known. These men were no mean contestants even in
such a race, and, strong as I am, it took my utmost effort to keep ahead
of them. They were keen as leopards, and as swift. Their lives had been
spent among the mountains, and their hearts and souls on were in the
chase. I doubt not that if the death of any one of us could have through
any means effected my wife's release, we should, if necessary, have
fought amongst ourselves for the honour.

From the nature of the work before us our party had to keep to the top of
the hills. We had not only to keep observation on the flying party whom
we followed, and to prevent them making discovery of us, but we had to be
al