Lieutenant of the circuit to make inquiries among the people whether a
panther had not been seen in the forest, for he felt quite sure that
this tamed beast would wander widely. In this way they got trace of
the hiding place among the rocks, saw the girl,--and all is betrayed."

"Hell and the devil!" said Banfy, turning white.

"Hear the rest. Csaki communicated his plan to Ali Pasha, who was the
one concerned; according to this plan, when Ali fell upon
Banfy-Hunyad, Csaki with his thousand Wallachians was to go up into
the mountain under pretext of a hunt and storm Gregyina-Drakuluj."

"Unheard of knavery!" cried Banfy, with his hand on his sword.

"It is possible, my lord, that you may yet get there in time," added
the deserter, cunningly,--"if you do not delay too long."

"Let us start at once," said Banfy, pale with rage. "I'll teach these
sycophants to touch the possession of a free nobleman while he himself
is fighting against the foe of his fatherland. A few hundred men will
be enough to hold Ali Pasha in check here; with the rest I'll wager
that I can make it uncomfortable for Ladislaus Csaki if he crosses my
borders."

And at once Banfy sent orders to his men to start for Marisel in
perfect silence; he ordered the few troops remaining to light a great
many fires in the forest to make the enemy believe that the entire
force was still there, and he himself hurried on to Azraele's hiding
place. For Zulfikar he counted out five hundred gold pieces for his
information.

Ali Pasha, according to agreement, had attacked by night with his
entire force the line of military posts left by Banfy and held by a
few hundred men; had driven them back after a short resistance and
leaving behind two thousand dead and all his baggage, and swallowing
down his vexation at a great defeat, had hurried away to ward Gross
Nagy Varad. From him too Zulfikar received the thousand gold pieces
stipulated; he had done a service alike to the Hungarian and to the
Turk, and had allowed himself to receive pay from both parties.

CHAPTER XIV

THE COURT OF JUSTICE IN THE BANQUET HALL

A blast of hunting horns echoed from the mountains of Batrina and the
din of the chase drew nearer. A group of distinguished-looking riders
was seen in the cavalcade and at their head rode Ladislaus Csaki.

"After him! After him!" rang out from all sides. Evidently the beast
had been started when the group of riders, coming out of a thicket
into a