So, as the
    great clock at Vissarion clanged of noon, the eight fastest runners
    of the Blue Mountains, together with the Gospodar Rupert and myself,
    swept out on our journey. It had been signalled to us that the
    course which the marauders had as yet taken in their flight was a
    zigzag one, running eccentrically at all sorts of angles in all sorts
    of directions. But our leader had marked out a course where we might
    intercept our foes across the main line of their flight; and till we
    had reached that region we paused not a second, but went as fast as
    we could all night long. Indeed, it was amongst us a race as was the
    Olympic race of old Greece, each one vying with his fellows, though
    not in jealous emulation, but in high spirit, to best serve his
    country and the Voivodin Teuta. Foremost amongst us went the
    Gospodar, bearing himself as a Paladin of old, his mighty form
    pausing for no obstacle. Perpetually did he urge us on. He would
    not stop or pause for a moment, but often as he and I ran
    together--for, lady, in my youth I was the fleetest of all in the
    race, and even that now can head a battalion when duty calls--he
    would ask me certain questions as to the Lady Teuta and of the
    strange manner of her reputed death, as it was gradually unfolded in
    my answers to his questioning. And as each new phase of knowledge
    came to him, he would rush on as one possessed of fiends: whereat our
    mountaineers, who seem to respect even fiends for their thoroughness,
    would strive to keep pace with him till they too seemed worked into
    diabolic possession. And I myself, left alone in the calmness of
    sacerdotal office, forgot even that. With surging ears and eyes that
    saw blood, I rushed along with best of them. Then truly the spirit of a great captain showed itself in the
    Gospodar, for when others were charged with fury he began to force
    himself into calm, so that out of his present self-command and the
    memory of his exalted position came a worthy strategy and thought for
    every contingency that might arise. So that when some new direction
    was required for our guidance, there was no hesitation in its coming. We, nine men of varying kinds, all felt that we had a master; and so,
    being willing to limit ourselves to strict obedience, we were free to
    use such thoughts as well as such powers as we had to the best
    advantage of the doing. We came across the trail of the flying marauders on the second
    morning after the abduction, a little before noon. It was easy
    enough to see, for by this time the miscreants were all together, and
    our people, who were woodlanders, were able to tell much of the party
    that passed. These were evidently in a terrified hurry, for they had
    taken no precautions such as are necessary baffle pursuit, and all of
    which take time. Our foresters said that two went ahead and two
    behind. In the centre went the mass, moving close together, as
    though surrounding their prisoner. We caught not even a single
    glimpse her--could not have, they encompassed her so closely. But
    our foresters saw other than the mass; the ground that had been
    passed was before them. They knew that the prisoner had gone
    unwillingly--nay, more: one of them said as he rose from his knees,
    where he had been examining of the ground:

    "The misbegotten dogs have been urging her on with their yataghans! There are drops of blood, though there are no blood-marks on her
    feet." Whereupon the Gospodar flamed with passion. His teeth ground
    together, and with a deep-breathed "On, on!" he sprang off again,
    handjar in hand, on the track. Before long we saw the party in the distance. They this were far
    below us in a deep valley, although the track of their going passed
    away to the right hand. They were making for the base of the great
    cliff, which rose before us all. Their reason was twofold, as we
    soon knew. Far off down the valley which they were crossing we saw
    signs of persons coming in haste, who must be of the search party
    coming from the north. Though the trees hid them, we could not
    mistake the signs. I was myself forester enough to have no doubt. Again, it was evident that the young Voivodin could travel no longer
    at the dreadful pace at which they had been going. Those blood-marks
    told their own tale! They meant to make a last stand here in case
    they should be discovered. Then it was that he, who amongst us all had been most fierce and most
    bent on rapid pursuit, became the most the calm. Raising his hand
    for silence--though, God knows, we were and had been silent enough
    during that long rush through the forest--he said, in a low, keen
    whisper which cut the silence like a knife:

    "My friends, the time is come for action. God be thanked, who has
    now brought us face to face with our foes! But we must be careful
    here--not on our own account, for we wish nothing more than to rush
    on and conquer or die--but for the sake of her whom you love, and
    whom I, too, love. She is in danger from anything which may give
    warning to those fiends. If they know or even suspect for an instant
    that we are near, they will murder her . . . " Here his voice broke for an instant with the extremity of his passion
    or the depth of his feeling--I hardly know which; I think both acted
    on him. "We know from those blood-marks what they can do--even to her." His
    teeth ground together again, but he went on without stopping further:

    "Let us arrange the battle. Though we are but little distance from
    them as the crow flies, the way is far to travel. There is, I can
    see, but one path down to the valley from this side. That they have
    gone by, and that they will sure to guard--to watch, at any rate. Let us divide, as to surround them. The cliff towards which they
    make runs far to the left without a break. That to the right we
    cannot see from this spot; but from the nature of the ground it is
    not unlikely that it turns round in this direction, making the hither
    end of the valley like a vast pocket or amphitheatre. As they have
    studied the ground in other places, they may have done so in this,
    and have come hither as to a known refuge. Let one man, a marksman,
    stay here." As he spoke a man stepped to the front. He was, I knew, an excellent
    shot. "Let two others go to the left and try to find a way down the cliff
    before us. When they have descended to the level of the valley--path
    or no path--let them advance cautiously and secretly, keeping their
    guns in readiness. But they must not fire till need. Remember, my
    brothers," said, turning to those who stepped out a pace or two to
    the left, "that the first shot gives the warning which will be the
    signal for the Voivodin's death.