position as I wish, and it shall not interfere with yours."

And Kemeny staid at table with a few of the men. Wenzinger had hardly
time to make the necessary arrangements when word was brought the
Prince that the army was in line of battle. Kemeny rose calmly from
his place, girded on his sword, but forbade them to put on his coat of
mail.

"What for," he cried, "is the heart beneath any bolder?"

Then he had his finest horse led forward, which tossed his head so
fiercely that two men could hardly hold his bridle. The spirited black
beast reared and plunged; his nostrils steamed, the white foam flecked
his breast and his long waving tail reached almost to the ground.
Kemeny swung himself into his saddle, drew his sword and galloped to
the head of the army. Everybody was astonished at the fine rider. He
adapted his movements to the horse as if they were one creature. When
the high-spirited horse reached the front he began to slacken his
pace, struck his hoofs on the ground and seemed to salute the army
with his head.

The men broke out into a loud huzza. At this moment the Prince's horse
stumbled and fell forward, breaking the silver bit in his mouth; only
the greatest skill and presence of mind saved the Prince from plunging
over his horse's head. His attendants crowded about him.

"That's a bad sign, your Majesty," stammered Alexis Bethlen. "Let your
Majesty mount another horse."

"No, it is not a bad sign," replied Kemeny, "for I staid in my
saddle."

"However it would be well if your Majesty would not ride this horse.
He will keep stumbling now that he has been frightened."

"I intend to stay on this horse just to show that I do not give in to
omens and am not afraid of them," replied Kemeny, defiantly, and
ordered the bridle with broken bit to be taken away and another
brought. Just then Kutschuk's trumpeter sounded for the attack.

* * * * *

The Turkish horsemen were drawn up in the form of a crescent with the
ends turned backward, and in the centre rode Kutschuk Pasha. The
Turkish general on this occasion wore a costume of unusual splendor.
His caftan was of heavy silk embroidered in flowers of gold; under
this a dolman woven in threads of gold, and around his waist a costly
Oriental shawl; his sword was studded with precious stones; in his
turban was the entire wing of a gerfalcon, with a diamond clasp. He
rode a fiery Arab steed with slender neck, long braided mane an