swearing eternal fellowship like brothers.

Then Ali produced his best long-range rifles, with bayonets attached,
and distributed them amongst the captive Suliotes; he had not the
least fear now that they would turn these arms against him. Then he
kissed the brother and sister on their foreheads, and, giving them his
blessing, let them through that secret tunnel which led into the town.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, in Gaskho Bey's camp outside curious reports began to
circulate. A pair of captured Albanians, who had been surprised
amongst the ruins of the town when Ali retreated, began to make the
most astounding revelations before their judges; amongst other things
they maintained that the Suliotes, in the camp of the bey, had a
secret understanding with the Pasha of Janina--their former master.
And, as a matter of fact, every one had observed that Ali had quitted
the field of battle rather than fire upon the Suliotes.

But the captives confessed still more. They said that Artemis and
Kleon had had secret meetings with Ali in the subterranean tunnel,
and had surrendered to him voluntarily. It must have been so, argued
those who had survived the last sally. Ali had made his assault from
the tower at the head of the bridge, and yet the Suliotes there had
not so much as fired a gun to signify his approach.

The captives also insisted that Ali was going to make another sally on
the following night against the besieging army, and then all the
Christians in the camp of the bey would join him.

These reports, with still more terrible variations, began to extend
throughout the whole army, and here and there slight _melees_ even
took place between Christians and Moslems. The Osmanlis began to
threaten the foreign soldiers, and the latter began to everywhere form
themselves into independent little bands for mutual protection.

Gaskho Bey and Pehlivan Pasha hastily summoned a council of war at
this disquieting symptom, and it was there resolved that the Greeks
should be disarmed. For this purpose they assembled them together in
the midst of the camp, surrounded them with Turkish veterans, and
then, pointing the guns at them, summoned them to instantly lay down
their arms or they should all be shot down like dogs.

The Suliotes and Albanians listened to this summons with terror. They
beheld the bloodthirsty masses around them, and reflected how many
times men had lost their lives by surrendering