The collectors received the tschorbadji's order, to return to
Praousta with Mohammed, with bowed heads and anxious countenances.

"They will murder us." groaned one of them. "They are all armed with
swords and knives, and they will tear our arms from us at once."

"If they should tear your arms from you, and you do not fall upon
them, with tooth and nail," cried Mohammed, with determined look,
"you are nothing but cowards, and I will kill you with my own hand."

The tschorbadji had, in the mean time, called his small body guard
together, and commanded them to go down to Praousta with Mohammed,
and to obey him in all things.

"Come, then, my men, let us go," cried Mohammed.

The tschorbadji detained him a moment. "Will you not take a weapon,
you are entirely unarmed?"

"Yes, I will take a weapon. Not that I fear for myself; no, I have
no fear; but I will make one more combatant against the rebels. Give
me a sword and a pistol."

The tschorbadji himself brought both to him, and then bade him
farewell.

Mohammed, at the head of the eight soldiers and the two collectors,
went down the mountain path to the village. There every thing had
become quiet. Obeying the words of the sheik, the men had gone to
their huts, and did not see that Mohammed and his followers had