rom nose and mouth, sprang on the horse
he was holding and struck the stirrup into its flank. At the outcry of
the servant thrown down by the horse but still holding to the halter
the Szeklers came running up with wild cries. It suddenly occurred to
Banfy to put his hand in the saddlebags where there were always
pistols, and seizing one he fired two shots into the crowd pressing
about him. In the confusion that resulted he made his horse rear and
fled through the garden. The stable boy still clung to the halter and
was dragged along until his head struck against the trunk of a tree
and he lay there senseless. Banfy galloped to the ditch and crossed it
with a bold leap. His pursuers dared not follow him and had to go
round by the gate, by which Banfy gained on them several hundred
paces, gave rein to the beast, maddened by the noise of pursuit, and
chased away over sticks and stones, hills and valleys, without aim or
direction.

* * * * *

"A curse on the woman!" growled Daczo, when he learned that Banfy had
succeeded in escaping, and he threatened the wife with clenched fist.
"You are to blame that Banfy has escaped us!"

"Thanks to Thee, Almighty God!" said Margaret, with hands upraised to
heaven.

The Szeklers, exasperated at the husband's escape, rushed at the wife
with weapons aimed to kill her.

"Let her die!" "Death on her head!" they roared, with inhuman fury.

"Kill me. I shall be glad to die," said Margaret, kneeling before
them. "I had only that one wish left, to be able to die for him. I am
in God's hand."

"Get away from here!" cried out Kornis; struck down the Szeklers'
weapons with his sword and covered the kneeling woman with his long
cloak.

"Are you not ashamed of yourselves! Would you kill a woman, you mob
more pagan than Tartar! Since you have let Banfy escape, go after
him!"

"We will kill her!" "We will put an end to her!" roared the Szeklers,
and tried to pull Kornis away.

"You cursed beasts! who is in command here? am I not your captain?"

"Not ours," replied a stiff-necked Szekler. "Our captain is Nicholas
Bethlen and he is not here!"

"Go find him. But first one word; if a man stays in this room I'll
crush him to pulp!"

This did not humble the Szeklers, however, until some one cried: "Let
us go to Bonczida!" The others took up the cry "To Bonczida!" and went
off with loud curses and in great disorder.

Caspar Kornis took Madame Banfy at once t