Corsar's horse whinnied
restlessly.

"What's that?" asked knight.

"The Djinns," answered Azraele. "Don't look behind you."

Then she raised the magic wand and uttered an incantation over the
grave interspersing it with unintelligible words.

"Restless spirit, appear at my command. Whether you are beneath the
dark tree of Hell, or in the garden of the houris. Whether you sleep
bound by chains of fire, or on beds of roses, hear my call. Flee
through the air, cleave the darkness and appear before me in living
form as you were. Appear!"

At the words she struck with her wand against the side of the stone,
and there rose up from behind a figure wrapped in white.

"Now take three steps toward him," said Azraele to the dazed knight,
"and speak to him."

Corsar Bey approached the figure before him with tottering steps, and
said in a hoarse, quavering voice:

"My name is Corsar Bey; and you, accursed shade, who are you?"

"I am Balassa," said the spirit with a clear voice.

The white shroud fell off and revealed a mighty man with unsheathed
sword in his hands.

"Corsar Bey, you are my prisoner," he said to the Turk, who stood
petrified at the sudden turn.

The next moment the Bey put his hand to his side and not finding any
sword there, ran with a cry of rage to his horse, threw himself into
the saddle and used his spurs, but Oglan held the horse firmly with
the bridle in his teeth, and when the horse tried to move, the panther
dug his claws into him and held him back.

"To Hell with you, you cursed beast," yelled Corsar, foaming with
rage, and gave the panther a kick.

But the panther only pulled the bridle this way and that, stood in the
horse's way and frightened him with its leaps, compelling him to
circle about.

"Speak to your beast, Azraele," screamed the Bey, turning around, and
looking for his beloved saw her in the arms of the young Hungarian.

At this instant the churchyard became alive. The Hungarian soldiers
who had been lying concealed tore the Bey from his horse. Even when
thrown to the ground he tried to defend himself with stones.

"A curse upon you," said the vanquished outlaw.

The troops moved past him along the secret passage to his castle, and
an hour later by the light of his burning castle he saw his favorite
ride away mounted behind Balassa.

CHAPTER IX

THE PRINCE AND HIS MINISTER

A few years had passed since Apafi rose to his princely rank. We are
in the period w