ristian　peasants　came　and　cheered　like　a　trained　chorus。　Soldiers　were　driving　a　great　flock　of　fat　sheep　into　a　corral。　They　had　belonged　to　a　Turkish　bey　and　they　bleated　as　if　they　knew　that　they　were　now　mere　spoils　of　war。　Coleman　lay　on　the　steps　of　the　bey's　house　smoking　with　his　head　on　his　blanket　roll。　Camp　fires　glowed　off　in　the　fields。　He　was　now　about　four　miles　from　Nikopolis。
  Within　the　house；　the　commander　of　the　cavalry　was　writing　dispatches。　Officers　clanked　up　and　down　the　stairs。　The　dashing　young　captain　came　and　said　that　there　would　be　a　general　　assault　on　Prevasa　at　the　dawn　of　the　next　day。　Afterward　the　dragoman　descended　upon　the　village　and　in　some　way　wrenched　a　little　grey　horse　from　an　inhabitant。　Its　pack　saddle　was　on　its　back　and　it　would　very　handily　carry　the　traps。　In　this　matter　the　dragoman　did　not　consider　his　master；　he　considered　his　own　sore　back。
  Coleman　ate　more　bread　and　chocolate　tablets　and　also　some　tinned　sardines。　He　was　content　with　the　day's　work。　He　did　not　see　how　he　could　have　improved　it。　There　was　only　one　route　by　which　the　Wainwright　party　could　avoid　him；　and　that　was　by　going　to　Prevasa　and　thence　taking　ship。　But　since　Prevasa　was　blockaded　by　a　Greek　fleet；　he　conceived　that　event　to　be　impossible。　Hence；　he　had　them　hedged　on　this　peninsula　and　they　must　be　either　at　Nikopolis　or　Prevasa。　He　would　probably　know　all　early　in　the　morning。　He　reflected　that　he　was　too　tired　to　care　if　there　might　be　a　night　attack　and　then　wrapped　in　his　blankets　he　went　peacefully　to　sleep　in　the　grass　under　a　big　tree　with　the　crooning　of　some　soldiers　around　their　fire　blending　into　his　slumber。
  And　now；　although　the　dragoman　had　performed　a　number　of　feats　of　incapacity；　he　achieved　during　the　one　hour　of　Coleman's　sleeping　a　blunder　which　for　real　finish　was　simply　a　perfection　of　art。　When　Coleman；　much　later；　extracted　the　full　　story；　it　appeared　that　ringing。　events　happened　during　that　single　　hour　of　sleep。　Ten　minutes　after　he　had　lain　down　for　a　night　of　　oblivion；　the　battalion　of　infantry；　which　had　advanced　a　little　beyond　the　village；　was　recalled　and　began　a　hurried　night　march　back　on　the　way　it　had　so　festively　come。　It　was　significant　enough　to　appeal　to　almost　any　mind；　but　the　dragoman　was　able　to　not　understand　it。　He　remained　jabbering　to　some　acquaintances　among　the　troopers。　Coleman　had　been　asleep　his　hour　when　the　dashing　young　captain　perceived　the　dragoman；　and　completely　horrified　by　his　presence　at　that　place；　ran　to　him　and　whispered　to　him　swiftly　that　the　game　was　to　flee；　flee；　flee。　The　wing　of　the　army　which　had　advanced　northward　upon　Jannina　had　already　been　tumbled　back　by　the　Turks　and　all　the　other　wing　had　been　recalled　to　the　Louros　river　and　there　was　now　nothing　practically　between　him　and　his　sleeping　master　and　the　enemy　but　a　cavalry　picket。　The　cavalry　was　immediately　going　to　make　a　forced　march　to　the　rear。　The　stricken　dragoman　could　even　then　see　troopers　getting　into　their　saddles。　He；　rushed　to；　the；　tree；　and　in。　a　panic　simply　bundled　Coleman　upon　his　feet　before　he　was　awake。　He　stuttered　out　his　tale；　and　the　dazed；　correspondent　heard　it　punctuated　by　the　steady　trample　of　the　retiring　cavalry。　The　dragoman　saw　a　man's　face　then　turn　in　a　flash　from　an　expression　of　luxurious　drowsiness　to　an　expression　of　utter　　malignancy。　However；　he　was　in　too　much　of　a　hurry　to　be　afraid　of　it；　he　ran　off　to　the　little　grey　horse　and　frenziedly　but　skilfully　began　to　bind　the　traps　upon　the　packsaddle。　He　　appeared　in　a　moment　tugging　at　the　halter。　He　could　only　say：　〃Come！　Come！　Come！　Queek！　Queek！　〃　They　slid　hurriedly　　down　a　bank　to　the　road　and　started　to　do　again　that　which　they　had　accomplished　with　considerable　expenditure　of　physical　power　during　the　day。　The　hoof　beats　of　the　cavalry　had　already　died　away　and　the　mountains　shadowed　them　in　lonely　silence。　They　were　the　rear　guard　after　the　rear　guard。
  The　dragoman　muttered　hastily　his　last　dire　rumours。　Five　hundred　Circassian　cavalry　were　coming。　The　mountains　were　now　infested　with　the　dread　Albanian　irregulars；　Coleman　had　thought　in　his　daylight　tramp　that　he　had　appreciated　the　noble　distances；　but　he　found　that　he　knew　nothing　of　their　nobility　until　he　tried　this　night　stumbling。　And　the　hoofs　of　the　little　horse　made　on　the　hard　road　more　noise　than　could　be　made　by　men　beating　with　hammers　upon　brazen　cylinders。　The　correspondent　glanced　continually　up　at　the　crags。　From　the　other　side　he　could　sometimes　hear　the　metallic　clink　of　water　deep　down　in　a　glen。　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　seriously　opened　the　flap　of　his　holster　and　let　his　fingers　remain　on　the　handle　of　his　revolver。　From　just　in　front　of　him　he　could　hear　the　chattering　of　the　dragoman's　teeth　which　no　attempt　at　more　coolness　could　seem　to　prevent。　In　the　meantime　the　casual　manner　of　the　little　grey　horse　struck　Coleman　with　maddening　vividness。　If　the　blank　darkness　was　simply　filled　with　ferocious　Albanians；　the　horse　did　not　care　a　button；　he　leisurely　put　his　feet　down　with　a　resounding　ring。　Coleman　whispered　hastily　to　the　dragoman。　〃　If　they　rush　us；　jump　down　the　bank；　no　matter　how　deep　it　is。　That's　our　only　chance。　And　try　to　keep　together。〃
  All　they　saw　of　the　universe　was；　in　front　of　them；　a　place　faintly　luminous　near　their　feet；　but　fading　in　six　yards　to　the　darkness　of　a　dungeon。　This　repre…　sented　the　bright　white　road　of　the　day　time。　It　had　no　end。　Coleman　had　thought　that　he　could　tell　from　the　very　feel　of　the　air　some　of　the　landmarks　of　his　daytime　journey；　but　he　had　now　no　sense　of　location　at　all。　He　would　not　have　denied　that　he　was　squirming　on　his　belly　like　a　worm　through　black　mud。　They　went　on　and　on。　Visions　of　his　past　were　sweeping　through　Coleman's　mind　precisely　as　they　are　said　to　sweep　through　the　mind　of　a　drowning　person。　But　he　had　no　regret　for　any　bad　deeds；　he　regretted　merely　distant　hours　of　peace　and　protection。　He　was　no　longer　a　hero　going　to　rescue　his　love。　He　was　a　slave　making　a　gasping　attempt　to　escape　from　the　most　incredible　tyranny　of　circumstances。　He　half　vowed　to　himself　that　if　the　God　whom　he　had　in　no　wise　heeded；　would　permit　him　to　crawl　out　of　this　slavery　he　would　never　again　venture　a　yard　toward　a　danger　any　greater　than　may　be　incurred　from　the　police　of　a　most　proper　metropolis。　If　his　juvenile　and　uplifting　thoughts　of　other　days　had　reproached　him　he　would　simply　have　repeated　and　repeated：　　〃Adventure　be　damned。〃
  It　became　known　to　them　that　the　horse　had　to　be　led。　The　debased　creature　was　asserting　its　right　to　do　as　it　had　been　trained；　to　follow　its　customs；　it　was　asserting　this　right　during　a　situation　which　required　conduct　superior　to　all　training　and　custom。　It　was　so　grossly　conventional　that　Coleman　would　have　understood　that　demoniac　form　of　anger　which　sometimes　leads　men　to　jab　knives　into　warm　bodies。　Coleman　from　cowardice　tried　to　induce　the　dragoman　to　go　ahead　leading　the　horse；　and　the　dragoman　from　cowardice　tried　to　induce　Coleman　to　go　ahead　leading　the　horse。　Coleman　of　course　had　to　succumb。　The　dragoman　was　only　good　to　walk　behind　and　tearfully　whisper　maledictions　as　he　prodded　the　flanks　of　their　tranquil　beast。
  In　the　absolute　black　of　the　frequent　forests；　Coleman　could　not　see　his　feet　and　he　often　felt　like　a　man　walking　forward　to　fall　at　any　moment　down　a　thousand　yards　of　chasm。　He　heard　whispers；　he　saw　skulking　figures；　and　these　frights　turned　out　to　be　the　voice　of　a　little　trickle　of　water　or　the　effects　of　wind　among　the　leaves；　but　they　were　replaced　by　the　same　terrors　in　slightly　different　forms。
  Then　the　poignant　thing　interpolated。　A　volley　crashed　ahead　of　them　some　half　of　a　mile　away　and　another　volley　answered　from　a　still　nearer　point。　Swishing　noises　which　the　correspondent　had　heard　in　the　air　he　now　know　to　have　been　from　the　passing　of　bullets。　He　and　the　dragoman　came　stock　still。　They　heard　three　other　volleys　sounding　with　the　abrupt　clamour　of　a　hail　of　little　stones　upon　a　hollow　surface。　Coleman　and　the　dragoman　came　close　together　and　looked　into　the　whites　of　each　other's　eyes。　The　ghastly　horse　at　that　moment　stretched　down　his　neck　and　began　placidly　to　pluck　the　grass　at　the　roadside。　The　two　men　were　equally　blank　with　fear　and　each　seemed　to　seek　in　the　other　some　newly　rampant　manhood　upon　which　he　could　lean　at　this　time。　Behind　them　were　the　Turks。　In　front　of　them　was　a　fight　in　the　darkness。　In　front　it　was　mathematic　to　suppose　in　fact　were　also　the　Turks。　They　were　barred；　enclosed；　cut　off。　The　end　was　come。
  Even　at　that　moment　they　heard　from　behind　them　the　sound　of　slow；　stealthy　footsteps。　They　　both　wheeled　instantly；　choking　with　this　additional　terror。　Coleman　saw　the　dragoman　move　swiftly　to　the　side　of　the　road；　ready　to　jump　into　whatever　abyss　happened　to　be　there。　Coleman　still　gripped　the　halter　as　if　it　were　in　truth　a　straw。　The　stealthy　footsteps　were　much　nearer。　Then　it　was　that　an　insanity　came　upon　him　as　if　fear　had　flamed　up　within　him　until　it　gave　him　all　the　magnificent　desperation　of　a　madman。　　He　jerked　the　grey　horse　broadside　to　the　approaching　　mystery；　and　grabbing　out　his　revolver　aimed