n Pasha! They are the cause of
our desolation. The chiefs of the Giaours pay them to destroy their
country. Tear all these up by the roots, and if there be any children
of their family, destroy them also, even to the very babes and
sucklings, that the memory of them may perish utterly!"

The mob thundered angrily at the gates of the Seraglio, which were
shut and fastened with chains. The Janissaries blew the horns of
revolt, the drums rolled, and within there the Sultan was reposing his
head on the bosom of a beautiful girl. Suddenly a loud report shook
the whole Seraglio. An audacious ichoglan had fired his gun upon the
mob as it rushed to attack the water-gate.

The Sultan, in dismay, quitted the harem, and hastened to the middle
gate in order to address the mob. On his way through the corridor, his
servants and his ministers threw themselves at his feet and implored
him not to show himself to the people. Mahmoud did not listen to them.
In the confusion of the moment, moreover, it never occurred to him
that he was wearing a Frankish costume, which the people hated and
execrated.

When he appeared on the balcony the light of the torches fell full
upon him, and the Janissaries recognized him. Every one at once
pointed their fingers at him, and immediately an angry and scornful
howl arose.

"Look! that is the Sultan! Behold the Caliph--the Caliph, the Padishah
of the Moslems--in the garb of the Giaours! That is Mahmoud, the ally
of our enemies!"

The Sultan shrank before this furious uproar of the mob, and,
involuntarily falling back, stammered, pale as death:

"With what shall we allay this tempest?"

His servants, with quivering lips, stood around him. At that moment
they neither feared nor respected their master.

Suddenly a bold young ichoglan rushed towards the Sultan, and
answered his question in a courageous and confident voice:

"With swords, with guns, with weapons!"

It was Thomar.

The Sultan scrutinized the youth from head to foot, amazed at his
audacity; then hastening back to his dressing-chamber, exchanged his
ball dress for his royal robes, and, coming back from the inner
apartments, descended into the court-yard.

The guns were already pointed at the gates, the topijis stood beside
them, match in hand, impatiently awaiting the order to fire.

When the Sultan appeared in the court-yard he was at once surrounded
by some hundreds of the ichoglanler, determined to defend him to the
last dro