Part 21 (1/2)

”Yes,” replied Sanga-moarta, with blood evidently on fire and his temples swollen to bursting. ”There in that pool she bathes; here I have listened day after day, but have not had the courage to go near.”

He stammered in scarcely audible words though they were pa.s.sionate.

”Who?” asked the Lieutenant, perplexed.

”The fairy,” stammered the Wallachian, with quivering lips, and buried his burning lips in his hands.

”What kind of a fairy?” said Clement, turning to Zulfikar. ”I am looking for a panther.”

”Hush, there is the sound of a key in the door,” said Zulfikar, ”step back.”

The two men had to pull Sanga-moarta from the door. This opened noiselessly and a woman stepped forth leading a panther by a spiked collar of gold. Sanga-moarta had good cause to call her a fairy. A magnificent woman stood there in delicate Oriental garb. The long gold ta.s.sel of her red fez fell down over her white turban; above her ermine-embroidered caftan gleamed her ivory white shoulders; her movements were sinuous and bewitching. The three men held their breath while the woman pa.s.sed by without noticing them.

”Ha, there she is!” whispered Zulfikar, when she had pa.s.sed.

”Who is she? So you know her,” said Clement.

”Azraele, once the favorite of Corsar Bey.”

”Where are we then?”

”Be still, or she will hear us.”

Meantime the woman had reached the pool, seated herself on a stone bench and loosed her turban. The dark curls fell down over her shoulders.

Sanga-moarta's hot panting was heard in the darkness. The panther lay quietly at the feet of his mistress, his wise head resting on his forepaws. Azraele now took her gay Persian shawl from her waist and made ready to lay aside her caftan. But first she made a few steps toward the cliff, which shut her off from the sight of the men.

Sanga-moarta was ready to plunge after her.

”You are crazy,” said Zulfikar in his ear. ”Are you going to betray us by your curiosity?”

”The boy is in love with the woman,” whispered Clement.

At this instant a splash was heard in the water as if some one had jumped in and was playing in the waves. Sanga-moarta tore himself madly from the grasp of his comrades and ran with a wild cry down to the pool. At this cry Azraele, in all her enchanting beauty, sprang out of the water, looked with flas.h.i.+ng eyes at the bold man, and said to her panther,

”Oglan, seize him!”

Until then the panther had lain motionless, but the instant his mistress called him to a struggle he jumped up with a snarl, caught hold of the Wallachian, and with one movement drew him to the ground.

Sanga-moarta did not defend himself against the beast, but stretched out his hands entreatingly to the charming woman, appeared to be drawing in her beauty with his thirsty glance, while he dragged himself with a groan to her feet; Azraele gazed at him wildly, and, wrapped in her cloak, watched her pet panther tear the youth; for the beast was never drawn to any one except for his death.

”I'll go to his help,” said Clement, mad with terror,--and drew his sword.

”Stop. Don't be foolish,” said Zulfikar. ”There is something more sensible for us to do. The iron door has been left open; let us slip in while the lady is occupied and find out what there is of interest here for our masters. If not of interest to yours it certainly will be to mine.”

With that the two men stole through the doorway, groped their way along the narrow pa.s.sage that seemed to be hewn into the rock and at its end discovered, by the light of a lamp hanging from the ceiling, that there were several small doors on both sides. They opened one door after another and came to a room with no other doorway. The light of the outer world came through the window. Through this they hurried on and coming to a second iron door, pa.s.sed through and found themselves in a large court surrounded by high walls. By climbing the wall they saw from its summit the vale of Szamos stretched below them; and then they discovered a footpath leading from the wall into the forest below. Down they ran breathlessly. There first the two men dared look at each other. Clement thought he still heard the wild, clear voice of the demon-woman, the growl of the panther and death-cry of the Wallachian.

”We have done well to take this path,” said Zulfikar. ”For we never could have found our way back without a guide over the way we came.

From here we shall easily make our way.”