Suddenly, on reaching the entrance of a peculiarly long and narrow lane, the loud-sounding note of a song, bawled by someone coming straight towards them, struck upon their ears.  It was some drunken man evidently, but whoever the individual might be, he was certainly the possessor of a tremendous pair of lungs, for he could roar like a buffalo, and not content with roaring, he kept thundering at the doors of all the houses he passed with his fists.

“Alas! worthy Mussulman, I suppose this is some good-humoured Janissary, eh?” stammered the new-comer with a terrified voice.

“Not a doubt of it.  A peace-loving man would not think of making such a bellowing as that.”

“Would it not be as well to turn back?”

“We might meet a pair of them if we went another way.  Take this lesson from me:  Never turn back from the path you have once taken, as otherwise you will only plunge into still greater misfortunes.”

Meanwhile they were drawing nearer and nearer to the bellowing gentleman, and before long his figure came full into view.

And certainly his figure was in every respect worthy of his voice.  He was an enormous, six-foot high, herculean fellow, with his shirt-sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, and the disorderly appearance of his dolman and the crooked cock of his turban more than justified the suspicion that he had already taken far more than was good for him of that fluid which the Prophet has forbidden to all true believers.

“Gel, gel!  Ne miktar dir, gel!” ("Come along the whole lot of you!”) roared the Janissary with all his might, staggering from one side of the lane to the other, and flourishing his naked rapier in the air.

“Woe is me, my brave Mussulman!” faltered the Wallachian butcher in a terrified whisper, “wouldn’t it be as well if you were to take my stick, for he might observe that I had it, and fancy I want to fight him with it.”

The Turk took over the stick of the butcher as the latter seemed to be frightened of it.

“H’m! this stick of yours is not a bad one.  I see that the head of it is well-studded with knobs, and that it is weighted with lead besides.  What a pity you don’t know how to make use of it!”

“I am only too glad if people will let me live in peace.”

“Very well, hide behind me, and come along boldly, and when you pass him don’t so much as look at him.”

The Wallachian desired nothing better, but the Janissary had already caught sight of him from afar, and as, clinging fast to his guide’s mantle, he was about to slip past the man of war, the Janissary suddenly barred the way, seized him by the collar with his horrible fist, and dragged the wretched creature towards him.

“Khair evetlesszin domusz!” ("Not so fast, thou swine!”) “a word in thine ear!  I have just bought me a yataghan.  Stretch forth thy neck!  I would test my weapon upon thee and see whether it is sharp.”