Suddenly the palace was announced to be on fire. A tall white-blueish
flame darted up from a cloud of smoke, and soon, as if by magic, the
whole back of the building was encompassed with rising tongues of red
and raging light. Amid a Babel of shrieks, and shouts, and cheers, and
prayers, and curses, the roof of the palace fell in with a crash, which
produced amid the besiegers an awful and momentary silence, but in an
instant they started from their strange inactivity, and rushing
forward, leapt into the smoking ruins, and at the same time completed
the massacre and achieved their freedom.



CHAPTER 7


At break of dawn Iskander sent couriers throughout all Epirus,
announcing the fall of Croia, and that he had raised the standard of
independence in his ancient country. He also despatched a trusty
messenger to Prince Nicaeus at Athens, and to the great Hunniades. The
people were so excited throughout all Epirus, at this great and
unthought-of intelligence, that they simultaneously rose in all the
open country, and massacred the Turks, and the towns were only
restrained in a forced submission to Amurath, by the strong garrisons
of the Sultan.

Now Iskander was very anxious to effect the removal of these garrisons
without loss of time, in order that if Amurath sent a great power
against him, as he expected, the invading army might have nothing to
rely upon but its own force, and that his attention might not in any
way be diverted from effecting their overthrow. Therefore, as soon as