ts puberty. You Servians are in a
considerable minority here in Ushitza. I hope you live on good terms
with the Moslems."

_Natchalnik_. "Yes, on tolerable terms; but the old ones, who remember
the former abject position of the Christians, cannot reconcile
themselves to my riding on horseback through the bazaars, and get
angry when the Servians sing in the woods, or five off muskets during
a rejoicing."

The Vayvode now arrived with a large company of Moslems, and we
proceeded on foot to see the castle, our road being mostly through
those gardens, on which the old town stood, and following the side of
the river, to the spot where the high banks almost close in, so as to
form a gorge. We ascended a winding path, and entered the gate, which
formed the outlet of a long, gloomy, and solidly built passage.

A group of armed militia men received us as we entered, and on
regaining the daylight within the walls, we saw nothing but the usual
spectacle of crumbling crenellated towers, abandoned houses, rotten
planks, and unserviceable dismounted brass guns. The doujou, or keep,
was built on a detached rock, connected by an old wooden bridge. The
gate was strengthened with heavy nails, and closed by a couple of
enormous old fashioned padlocks. The Vayvode gave us a hint not to ask
a sight of the interior, by stating that it was only opened at the
period of inspection of the Imperial Commissioner. The bridge which
overlooked the romantic gorge,--the rocks here rising precipitately
from both sides of the Dietina,--seemed the favourite lounge of the
garrison, for a little kiosk of rude planks had been knocked up;
carpets were laid out; the Vayvode invited us to repose a little after
our steep ascent; pipes and coffee were produced.

I remarked that the castle must have suffered severely in the
revolution.

"This very place," said the Vayvode, "was the scene of the severest
conflict. The Turks had twenty-one guns, and the Servians seven. So
many were killed, that that bank was filled up with dead bodies."

"I remember it well," said a toothless, lisping old Turk, with bare
brown legs, and large feet stuck in a pair of new red shining
slippers: "that oval tower has not been opened for a long time. If any
one were to go in, his head would be cut off by an invisible hangiar."
I smiled, but was immediately assured by several by-standers that it
was a positive fact! Our party, swelled by fresh additions, all well
armed, that made u