servants and others, walking and sitting about. None of them spoke to us. They neither welcomed us, nor did they condescend to ask where we came from, and on what business? At length the urchin to whom we had spoken before made his appearance, and told us to tie the horses to a post, and take a seat in Ahmed Beg's parlor. He led the way into a dark apartment, lighted the fire on the hearth-stone, and a torch of fir-wood in the centre of the room; and having performed these domestic functions, he retired, silent as a dumb-waiter.

We were now at leisure to examine the place. The room was clean and airy. It had an old discolored piece of carpet by way of hearth-rug, and a heap of clean straw and blankets in a corner. A small cask of exquisite tobacco, and a choice collection of chibuks, or pipes, completed the list of the rest of the furniture.

"This air of Bosnia," said I, "has Turkified us. Here we sit staring and moping, and why? We are not prisoners, surely, and if it so pleases us, we can go back."

"I say, Swaby," said Staniza, "methinks thou art afraid."

up to us, and, with a kind nod, be handed me a large bag.

"Here," he said "is your money. It's the whole of a Kesa,* and here is a Teskera,† if you should stand in need of it."

I gave him my best thanks, and asked when he would require me to return the money.

"If it were mine own," replied Ahmed Beg, “I would say, give it back when most convenient. But I have just borrowed it from my neighbor, Sefir-Aga, and he will want it in autumn."

I held out my hand. He took it, and the affair was concluded in the true Turkish manner, without bond, or indeed a single scratch of the pen.

We had breakfast, and a deal of informa tion and advice. Thus prepared for the journey, we took leave of our host, and, with a large crowd of little Turks yelling and shouting at our heels, we proceeded in the direction of Jasenica.

"Afraid!" cried Richard, to whom this soft impeachment was applied, "what is there to be afraid of?"

"The Swabçad is not a nation of cowards," said I to Staniza, "and my friend is less afraid than disgusted. The Swabe travel with great comfort, and-"

that we were really and truly on Turkish ground. Besides, we saw no human biped who might have recalled me to a sense of my situation. After a hard ride of six hours, we crossed the Irna, a small river, but full

"Just so. Now we have no coaches and no money." Staniza nodded. In another moment Ahmed Beg entered with a hearty Selamun aleikümün. His presence changed the aspect of the place. Coffee was brought in. We sat and smoked the most precious tobacco, and drank solid hot mokka from the smallest cups imaginable. While we smoked and drank, we were grave, thoughtful, and silent, in the true Oriental fashion.

At length I spoke. I informed Ahmed Beg of our intentions, and asked him for funds. He said neither yes nor no; but told us of his journey to Bijelastjena, where he had transacted some business with the Kadija.

Early in the morning Ahmed Beg stepped

we dismounted, and turned the horses away to graze in the forest. A gigantic oak was selected as the most convenient place for our bivouac, and Staniza produced our provisions from the gaudy-colored Bisago. A capital caterer he proved himself to be, this unchristened Staniza. There was a ham, a lamb, roasted whole, a large cake, and a cutura filled with black Dalmatian wine. A six hours' ride over Turkish plains and through forests, and the fresh, racy spring air, is the very thing to prepare one for such a repast. We enjoyed our pic-nic amazingly. We ate, and joked, and drank, until, suddenly turning round, I remarked a Turk squatted down at my elbow. I stared at

'I saw it," said the Turk.

"The eagle's feathers which flew about my face, saved you. Had it not been for them, even your Prophet would not have saved your life."

The Turk was silent.

"What are you doing here ?" said a young Turk, in the Padisha's coat.

"We are on our road to Jasenica,” replied Jusuf dogmatically, "and it is here we pass the night."

At this juncture another Turk joined the conversation.

"Ah!" said he, "this is Staniza, the old fox. Tell us, why didst thou creep from thy cave?"

"Did you not hear it?" said Staniza. "We are going to Jasenica. It's nothing to you, I hope."

"And who are these fellows?" said the young soldier, with a significant look at Richard and myself.

"I did."

"Ludi Lucko," said Jusuf with great scorn. "Dost think me a Christian ?"

"Never mind, Ture, don't I know you?" And we moved on, until the darkness of the night, and the dense impenetrable underwood in our way, convinced us of the uselessness of our effort to reach Jasenica in the course of that night. So we stopped and looked out for a resting-place in the forest.

Staniza secured the horses, and Jusuf lighted a fire, round which we squatted, smoking and dispatching the remains of our dinner, The evening passed very much as an evening in the woods may be expected to pass, whether it be in Pagan countries or in Christendom, and as the night grew dark and the fire burned with a low and flickering flame, the chibuks dropped from their mouths, and leaning our heads on our knees, we were fast in meditation or sleep.

"You threaten because you fear!" Saying which, Staniza grasped the handle of his handjar.

Some of the new-comers had, meanwhile, dismounted. They interfered.

"Leave him alone, Mehmed," said they. "We know old Staniza; he is one of ours."

Their conciliatory efforts produced a temporary suspension of hostilities. A fresh supply of dry wood was thrown on the fire, and the Turks squatted round it. The chibuks were lighted.

"What is your business in Jasenica !" asked one of the horsemen after a long pause.

"We are going to Sarajevo."
"Hm! Have you a Teskera !"
"Most certainly."

He was right. Almost immediately afterwards we were surrounded by a troop of armed horsemen.

by Ahmed Beg, of Jarak? And was Ahmed Beg ever known to stand by the insurgents!" Who is Ahmed Beg?" said the officer. "It is he who, some days ago, gained

66

So be it! Who knows whether these rogues did not mean to impose upon us?"

"Ama! who knows it !"

Upon this the officer whispered to his neighbor, and the latter nodded his head.

"Yes!" said the fellow, "they want to

impose upon us!"

threats, prayers, and entreaties were alike lost upon them.

"Very well," said he; " tie me up. I die because such is my fate. But let my friends go their ways."

"Never mind them," said Mehmed. "I'll hang them by thy side."

This was not a comfortable assurance. The Turks were serious and determined; they wanted our money. And this desire of theirs seemed to seal our doom. Still I tried to imitate Staniza's equanimity. I looked at him.

purchase my own life and Richard's from the Turks. As for himself, he said, it was his doom, he was prepared to die. The old man's generosity touched me to the heart, and with something like a choking sensation in my throat, I said I would do my best. I went up to the officer.

"Listen, Turk! We have some money with us. Let us go away, and it is yours."

"Hm !"

66 Is he a Turk?”

Ama! I have known him these many years; he is," replied Mussa.

"So much the worse for him," said the officer. "He is one of the insurgents, and he shall suffer for it."

Ama, let him suffer for it; why should he not? Let us take him to Jasenica, and let the Capitan deal with him as he pleases." "Jok, by no means!" said the officer. "Jok, tie him up on the spot."

Staniza remained calm and collected. He knew the men he had to deal with. Protests,

"No, I cannot do that."

"Evalah! then take me to Jasenica." Why to Jasenica ?"

"Because there I can give you ten purses more, which I lent to Captain Sulejman Effendi, when he was at the Rastell, and-" Listen, old man !" said the officer, addressing Staniza. "What man is this Swabo?"

The officer threw a quick glance at his men. His cupidity had now fairly overcome his discretion.

were left to follow, without his kind assist

ance.

The Bimbasha, who officiated in the Capi

We reached Jasenica early in the afternoon, and were somewhat displeased with its appearance. To speak plainly, the place is an abomination of filth and misery; and the fortress, or castellated hovel, which bears that pompous title, has the wretched tumble-down appearance which struck me as the chief characteristic of all Bosnian architecture. With the exception of those eternal dogs, which haunt all Turkish places, there was not a single living being visible in the one street of the city. We were taken to the captain's Kula, and my honest friend, the officer, dismounted and entered it. I was afflicted with an uncomfortable sensation, when I thought of the Capitan, Sulejman Effendi, whom I had never seen, though I had heard his name mentioned; and to whom I had never lent, and much less given, those ten purses, the offer of which had saved my life. Saved it? A fine saving indeed! In a few moments Mehmed must learn that I had imposed upon his credulity; and he

"May the Lord have mercy upon us!" ejaculated I, as Mehmed reappeared with the blackest looks imaginable, even for a Turk.

trust.

What crime have they committed ?" said he at last, looking at the officer.

"None, sir," said I; "none whatever. We were on our road to Sarajewo, and last night, in the forest, these people came and offered-"

Here honest Mehmed interrupted me. "We captured them because they are of the Insurgent party!"

"Mashallah!" cried I; "this is not true. Have I not a Teskera from Ahmed Begand did not Ahmed Beg expel the Dijdar of Vranograc from Bijelastjena?"

"Show me the Teskera !" said the Bimbasha. I handed it to him, and he examined it carefully.

"It is our own Teskera !" said he. "Let them go! Peace be with them!"

Mehmed looked daggers at me, but I defied him: and, turning to the Bimbasha, I thanked him, in Turkish, having at once understood, from his peculiar accent, that he was not Bosnian born. The sounds of his own language caused him to brighten up, and he called for coffee and chibuks.

It was not long before the Hodza made his appearance. He stooped low before the Bimbasha.

"Ama!" said that potentate; "hand the Book to the little giour; he will sing to us." The pious man, looking at me with curious mixture of hatred, scorn, and envy,

* That is to say, the Coran.