two　shadows。　It　took　a　moment　for　the　eye　to　find　these　shadows；　but　when　this　was　accomplished　it　was　plain　that　they　were　men。　The　captain　of　the　battery　explained　to　the　dragoman　that　he　did　not　know　that　they　were　not　also　Turks。　In　which　case　the　road　to　Arta　was　a　dangerous　path。　It　was　no　good　news　to　Coleman。　He　waited　a　moment　in　order　to　gain　composure　and　then　walked　back　to　the　Wainwright　party。　They　must　have　known　at　once　from　his　peculiar　gravity　that　all　was　not　well。　Five　of　the　students　and　the　professor　immediately　asked：　〃What　is　it？〃
  He　had　at　first　some　old…fashioned　idea　of　concealing　the　ill　tidings　from　the　ladies；　but　he　perceived　what　flagrant　nonsense　this　would　be　in　circumstances　in　which　all　were　fairly　likely　to　incur　equal　dangers；　and　at　any　rate　he　did　not　see　his　way　clear　to　allow　their　imagination　to　run　riot　over　a　situation　which　might　not　turn　out　to　be　too　bad。　He　said　slowly：　〃　You　see　those　mountains　over　there？　Well；　troops　have　been　seen　there　and　the　captain　of　this　battery　thinks　they　are　Turks。　If　they　are　Turks　the　road　to　Arta　is　distinctly…er…unsafe。〃
  This　new　blow　first　affected　the　Wainwright　party　as　being　too　much　to　endure。　〃　They　thought　they　had　gone　through　enough。　This　was　a　general　sentiment。　Afterward　the　emotion　took　colour　according　to　the　individual　character。　One　student　laughed　and　said：　〃　Well；　I　see　our　finish。〃
  Another　student　piped　out：　〃　How　do　they　know　they　are　Turks？　What　makes　them　think　they　are　Turks　〃
  Another　student　expressed　himself　with　a　sigh。　〃This　is　a　long　way　from　the　Bowery。〃
  The　professor　said　nothing　but　looked　annihilated；　Mrs。　Wainwright　wept　profoundly；　Marjory　looked　expectantly　toward　Coleman。
  As　for　the　correspondent　he　was　adamantine　and　reliable　and　stern；　for　he　had　not　the　slightest　idea　that　those　men　on　the　distant　hill　were　Turks　at　all。
  CHAPTER　XIV。
  〃OH；〃　said　a　student；　〃　this　game　ought　to　quit。　I　feel　like　thirty　cents。　We　didn't　come　out　here　to　be　pursued　about　the　country　by　these　Turks。　Why　don't　they　stop　it　？〃
  Coleman　was　remarking：　〃Really；　the　only　sensible　thing　to　do　now　is　to　have　breakfast。　There　is　no　use　in　worrying　ourselves　silly　over　this　thing　until　we've　got　to。〃
  They　spread　the　blankets　on　the　ground　and　sat　about　a　feast　of　bread；　water　cress　and　tinned　beef。　Coleman　was　the　real　host；　but　he　contrived　to　make　the　professor　appear　as　that　honourable　person。　They　ate；　casting　their　eyes　from　time　to　time　at　the　distant　mountain　with　its　two　shadows。　People　began　to　fly　down　the　road　from　Jannina；　peasants　hurriedly　driving　little　flocks；　women　and　children　on　donkeys　and　little　horses　which　they　clubbed　unceasingly。　One　man　rode　at　a　gallop；　shrieking　and　flailing　his　arms　in　the　air。　They　were　all　Christian　peasants　of　Turkey；　but　they　were　in　flight　now　because　they　did　not　wish　to　be　at　home　if　the　Turk　was　going　to　return　and　reap　revenge　for　his　mortification。　The　Wainwright　party　looked　at　Coleman　in　abrupt　questioning。
  〃Oh；　it's　all　right；〃　he　said；　easily。　〃They　are　always　taking　on　that　way。〃
  Suddenly　the　dragoman　gave　a　shout　and　dashed　up　the　road　to　the　scene　of　a　melee　where　a　little　ratfaced　groom　was　vociferously　defending　three　horses　from　some　Greek　officers；　who　as　vociferously　were　stating　their　right　to　requisition　them。　Coleman　ran　after　his　dragoman。　There　was　a　sickening　pow…wow；　　but　in　the　end　Coleman；　straight　and　easy　in　the　saddle；　came　cantering　back　on　a　superb　open…mouthed　snorting　bay　horse。　He　did　not　mind　if　the　half…wild　animal　plunged　crazily。　It　was　part　of　his　role。　〃They　were　trying　to　steal　my　horses；〃　he　explained。　He　leaped　to　the　ground；　and　holding　the　horse　by　the　bridle；　he　addressed　his　admiring　companions。　〃　The　groom…　the　man　who　has　charge　of　the　horses　…says　that　he　thinks　that　the　people　on　the　mountain…side　are　Turks；　but　I　don't　see　how　that　is　possible。　You　see…〃　he　pointed　wisely…〃　that　road　leads　directly　south　to　Arta；　and　it　is　hardly　possible　that　the　Greek　army　would　come　over　here　and　leave　that　approach　to　Arta　utterly　unguarded。　It　would　be　too　foolish。　They　must　have　left　some　men　to　cover　it；　and　that　is　certainly　what　those　troops　are。　If　you　are　all　ready　and　willing；　I　don't　see　anything　to　do　but　make　a　good；　stout…hearted　dash　for　Arta。　It　would　be　no　more　dangerous　than　to　sit　here。〃　The　professor　was　at　last　able　to　make　his　formal　speech。　〃　Mr。　Coleman；〃　he　said　distinctly；　〃we　place　ourselves　entirely　in　your　hands。〃　It　was　some。　how　pitiful。　This　man　who；　for　years　and　years　had　reigned　in　a　little　college　town　almost　as　a　monarch；　passing　judgment　with　the　air　of　one　who　words　the　law；　dealing　criticism　upon　the　universe　as　one　to　whom　all　things　are　plain；　publicly　disdaining　defeat　as　one　to　whom　all　things　are　easy…this　man　was　now　veritably　appealing　to　Coleman　to　save　his　wife；　his　daughter　and　himself；　and　really　declared　himself　de。　pendent　for　safety　upon　the　ingenuity　and　courage　of　the　correspondent。
  The　attitude　of　the　students　was　utterly　indifferent。　They　did　not　consider　themselves　helpless　at　all。　they　were　evidently　quite　ready　to　withstand　anything　but　they　looked　frankly　up　to　Coleman　as　their　intelligent　leader。　If　they　suffered　any；　their　only　expression　of　it　was　in　the　simple　grim　slang　of　their　period。
  〃　I　wish　I　was　at　Coney　Island。〃
  〃　This　is　not　so　bad　as　trigonometry；　but　it's　worse　than　playing　billiards　for　the　beers。〃
  And　Coke　said　privately　to　Coleman：　〃　Say；　what　in　hell　are　these　two　damn　peoples　fighting　for；　anyhow？　〃
  When　he　saw　that　all　opinions　were　in　favour　of　following　him　loyally；　Coleman　was　impelled　to　feel　a　responsibility。　He　was　now　no　errant　rescuer；　but　a　properly　elected　leader　　of　fellow　beings　in　distress。　While　one　of　the　students　held　his　horse；　he　took　the　dragoman　for　another　consultation　with　the　captain　of　the　battery。　The　officer　was　sitting　on　a　large　stone；　with　his　eyes　fixed　into　his　field　glasses。　When　again　questioned　he　could　give　no　satisfaction　as　to　the　identity　of　the　troops　on　the　distant　mountain。　He　merely　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　said　that　if　they　were　Greeks　it　was　very　good；　but　if　they　were　Turks　it　was　very　bad。　He　seemed　more　occupied　in　trying　to　impress　the　correspondent　that　it　was　a　matter　of　soldierly　indifference　to　himself。　Coleman；　after　loathing　him　sufficiently　in　silence；　returned　to　the　others　and　said：　〃　Well；　we'll　chance　it。〃
  They　looked　to　him　to　arrange　the　caravan。　Speaking　to　the　men　of　the　party　he　said：　〃　Of　course；　any　one　of　you　is　welcome　to　my　horse　if　you　can　ride　it；　but…if　you're　not　too　tired…I　think　I　had　myself　better　ride；　so　that　I　can　go　ahead　at　times。〃
  His　manner　was　so　fine　as　he　said　this　that　the　students　seemed　fairly　to　worship　him。　Of　course　it　had　been　most　improbable　that　any　of　them　could　have　ridden　that　volcanic　animal　even　if　one　of　them　had　tried　it。
  He　saw　Mrs。　Wainwright　and　Marjory　upon　the　backs　of　their　two　little　natives；　and　hoisted　the　professor　into　the　saddle　of　the　groom's　horse；　leaving　instructions　with　the　servant　to　lead　the　animal　always　and　carefully。　He　and　the　dragoman　then　mounted　at　the　head　of　the　procession；　and　amid　curious　　questionings　from　the　soldiery　they　crossed　the　bridge　and　started　on　the　trail　to　Arta。　The　rear　was　brought　up　by　the　little　grey　horse　with　the　luggage；　led　by　one　student　and　flogged　　by　another。
  Coleman；　checking　with　difficulty　the　battling　disposition　of　his　horse；　was　very　uneasy　in　his　mind　because　the　last　words　of　the　captain　of　the　battery　had　made　him　feel　that　perhaps　on　this　ride　he　would　be　placed　in　a　position　where　only　the　best　courage　would　count；　and　he　did　not　see　his　way　clear　to　feeling　very　confident　about　his　conduct　in　such　a　case。　Looking　back　upon　the　caravan；　he　saw　it　as　a　most　unwieldy　thing；　not　even　capable　of　running　away。　He　hurried　it　with　sudden；　sharp　contemptuous　phrases。
  On　the。　march　there　incidentally　flashed　upon　him　a　new　truth。　More　than　half　of　that　student　band　were　deeply　in　love　with　Marjory。　Of　course；　when　he　had　been　distant　from　her　he　had　had　an　eternal　jealous　reflection　to　that　effect。　It　was　natural　that　he　should　have　thought　of　the　intimate　camping　relations　between　Marjory　and　these　young　students　with　a　great　deal　of　bitterness；　grinding　his　teeth　when　picturing　their　opportunities　to　make　Marjory　fall　in　love　with　some　one　of　them。　He　had　raged　particularly　about　Coke；　whose　father　had　millions　of　dollars。　But　he　had　forgotten　all　these　jealousies　in　the　general　　splendour　of　his　exploits。　　Now；　when　he　saw　the　truth；　it　　seemed。　to　bring　him　back　to　his　common　life　and　he　saw　himself　suddenly　as　not　being　frantically　superior　in　any　way　to　those　other　　young　men。　The　more　closely　he　looked　at　this　last　fact；　the　more　convinced　he　was　of　its　truth。　He　seemed　to　see　that　he　had　been　impropererly　elated　over　　his　services　to　the　Wainwrights；　and　that；　in　the　end；　the　girl　might　fancy　a　man　because　the　man　had　done　her　no　service　at　all。　He　saw　his　proud　position　lower　itself　to　be　a　pawn　in　the　game。　Looking　back　over　the　students；　he　wondered　which　one　Marjory　might　love。　This　hideous　Nikopolis　had　given　eight　men　chance　to　win