ished.

A few days later the report reached him that Eminah had cast herself
at the feet of the Sultan and demanded judgment on the head of her
husband.

"I knew it beforehand," sighed Ali. "The Prophet told it all to me.
Nevertheless, I shall stand at the gates of the Seraglio on a silver
pedestal."

Next day he heard that Gaskho Bey had been appointed Pasha of Janina.

"They act as if I were dead already," murmured the veteran, with as
bitter a feeling as if he already saw his youthful supplanter standing
on his threshold. "They bury me before I am dead, they divide my
property before I have made my will. Nevertheless, one day I shall
stand in the gates of the Seraglio on a richer pedestal."

And with that Tepelenti sent forth his ciauses to all the towns within
his domains, and to all the local governors, commanding all who had
sons to send their sons and all who had brothers to send their
brothers to him without delay. Then he ordered that every beast of
burden that could be spared should be driven into the mountains, and
that every barque they could lay their hands upon should be brought
from the sea-coast into the Gulf of Durazzo. The arsenal of Janina
bristled with terrific rows of cannons and bombs, and the commanders
of the various army corps received instructions to concentrate their
forces under the walls of Janina. At any rate, he was determined not
to be taken unawares. At least, he would have time to unfurl the red
flag before the dread message arrived from Stambul that the Padishah
demanded his head.

Ah, ha! Ali Tepelenti would not surrender his gray beard so easily.
The hunters shall find out what manner of lion they are pursuing. A
firman of the Grand Signior nominated the banished Pehlivan Pasha,
Lord of Lepanto; Sulaiman Pasha was made Governor of Trikala, and the
two mountain passes guarding it; Muhammad Bey, whose father Ali had
slain, was proclaimed Lieutenant-General of Durazzo. Thus they had
divided his territories beforehand among his most bitter and most
dangerous enemies. Ah! this will, indeed, be a magnificent chase.

Ali called together his sons, of whom Vely was Lord of Lepanto,
Sulaiman of Trikala, and Mukhtar Pasha of Durazzo. He showed them on
the map where their territories lay, and pointed out that if they lost
them they would have nothing left. Let all three of them, therefore,
gird upon their thighs the swords he intrusted to them and fight like
men. The two younger sons sw