swords and fell this seditious sheik to the earth!"

"The people would have torn us to pieces!" exclaimed the collectors,
"if we had attempted it."

"You would have perished in the fulfilment of your duty!" cried
Mohammed. "Far better that, than to return home with the knowledge
that you had acted as cowards!"

Osman looked wonderingly at his friend, while the tschorbadji stood
lost in thought, his countenance growing darker and darker.

"This is revolt--rebellion!" he said, after a pause. "What shall I
do? The men of Praousta are remarkable for their strength, as well
as for their free and independent opinions."

He ordered the collectors to leave the room, and await his call
without; then paced thoughtfully up and down. The two young men
dared not disturb him.

"I do not know what to do," he said, after a long silence. "I have
no military force, and in Praousta dwell more than fifty brave, bold
men. You know I have only fifty collectors in my service in all the
districts of the peninsula. I do not know where to begin; even if I
had the men, I would very unwillingly use force. I believe the best
thing I can do would be to go down, with a few servants, to the
village, and seek, by kind words, to quiet the people, and induce
them to pay the tax. What do you think, my son, Osman?"

Mohammed listened, with flashing eyes, to the tschorbadji; and