he rebel pacha, shut up in his
citadel with seventy-two warriors, had seen collapse at his feet the
united forces of four great provinces of the Ottoman Empire, commanded
by twenty-two pachas, who were almost entirely annihilated in one day by
the Guegues. He reminded them also, of the brilliant victory gained
by Passevend Oglon, Pacha of Widdin, of quite recent memory, which is
celebrated in the warlike songs of the Klephts of Roumelia.

Almost simultaneously, Ali's sons, Mouktar and Veli, arrived at Janina.
Veli had been obliged, or thought himself obliged, to evacuate Lepanto
by superior forces, and brought only discouraging news, especially as
to the wavering fidelity of the Turks. Mouktar, on the contrary, who
had just made a tour of inspection in the Musache, had only noticed
favourable dispositions, and deluded himself with the idea that the
Chaonians, who had taken up arms, had done so in order to aid his
father. He was curiously mistaken, for these tribes hated Ali with a
hatred all the deeper for being compelled to conceal it, and were only
in arms in order to repel aggression.

The advice given by the sons to their father as to the manner of
treating the Mohammedans differed widely in accordance with their
respective opinions. Consequently a violent quarrel arose between them,
ostensibly on account of this dispute, but in reality on the subject of
their father's inheritance, which both equally coveted. Ali had brought
all his treasure to Janina, and thenceforth neither son would leave the
neighbourhood of so excellent a father. They overwhelmed him with marks
of affection, and vowed that the one had left Lepanto, and the other
Berat, only in order to share his danger. Ali was by no means duped by
these protestations, of which he divined the motive only too well, and
though he had never loved his sons, he suffered cruelly in discovering
that he was not beloved by them.

Soon he had other troubles to endure. One of his gunners assassinated a
servant of Veli's, and Ali ordered the murderer to be punished, but
when the sentence was to be carried out the whole corps of artillery
mutinied. In order to save appearances, the pacha was compelled to allow
them to ask for the pardon of the criminal whom he dared not punish.
This incident showed him that his authority was no longer paramount,
and he began to doubt the fidelity of his soldiers. The arrival of the
Ottoman fleet further enlightened him to his true positio