my again joining you. Believe me, we shall meet again, but act upon
what I say, as if they were my dying words. God bless you, Nicaeus! No
murmuring. For once let the physician, indeed, command his page.
Gentle lady, commend me to your father. Would I had such a daughter in
Epirus, to head my trusty brethren if I fall. Tell the great Hunniades
my legacy to him is my country. Farewell, farewell!"

"I will not say farewell!" exclaimed Iduna; "I too can fight. I will
stay and die with you."

"See they come! Believe me I shall conquer. Fly, fly, thou noble
girl! Guard her well, Nicaeus. God bless thee, boy! Live and be
happy. Nay, nay, not another word. The farther ye are both distant,
trust me, the stronger will be my arm. Indeed, indeed, I do beseech
ye, fly!"

Nicaeus placed the weeping Iduna in her saddle, and after leading her
horse over the narrow and broken bridge, mounted his own, and then they
ascended together the hilly and winding track. Iskander watched them
as they went. Often Iduna waved her kerchief to her forlorn champion.
In the meantime Iskander tore off his Armenian robes and flung them
into the river, tried his footing on the position he had taken up,
stretched his limbs, examined his daggers, flourished his scimitar.

The bridge would only permit a single rider to pass abreast. It was
supported by three arches, the centre one of very considerable size,
the others small, and rising out of the shallow water on each side. In
many parts the parapet wall was broken, in some even the pathway was
almost impassable from the masses of fallen stone, and the dangerous
fissures. In the centre of the middle arch was an immense key-stone,