He knew that the valley he was ascending was abruptly enclosed in the mountains, and escape would be difficult.  Further to the east was a more practicable one, and he determined to attempt to reach it.  Turning from the valley, he was followed by his two pursuers, who were so close upon him that he determined to fight them.  Acson had brought away one of her father’s scimetars, and with this Selim prepared to do battle.  Finding a suitable place among the rocks, he concealed his horses, and with Acson made a stand where he could fight to advantage.  He took his position on a rock just over the path his pursuers were likely to follow, and watched his opportunity to hurl a stone, which knocked one of them senseless.  The other was dismounted by his horse taking fright, and before he could regain his saddle, Selim was upon him.  A short hand-to-hand fight resulted in Selim’s favor.

Leaving his adversaries upon the ground, one of them dead and the other mortally wounded, Selim called Acson and returned to his horses.  Both the fugitives were thoroughly exhausted on reaching the valley, and found to their dismay that a stream they were obliged to cross was greatly swollen with recent rains in the mountains.

They were anxious to put the stream between them and their remaining pursuers, and after a brief halt they plunged in with their horses.  Selim crossed safely, his horse stemming the current and landing some distance below the point where he entered the water.  Acson was less fortunate.

While in the middle of the stream her horse stumbled upon a stone, and sprang about so wildly as to throw her from the saddle.  Grasping the limb of a tree overhanging the water, she clung for a moment, but the horse sweeping against her, tore the support from her hand.  With a loud cry to her terror-stricken lover, she sank beneath the waters and was dashed against the rocks a hundred yards below.

[Illustration:  THE CATASTROPHE.]

Day became night, the stars sparkled in the blue heavens; the moon rose and took her course along the sky; the wind sighed among the trees; morning tinged the eastern horizon, and the sun pushed above it, while Selim paced the banks of the river and watched the waters rolling, rolling, rolling, as they carried his heart’s idol away from him forever, and it was not until night again approached that he mounted his steed and rode away, heart-broken, and full of sadness.  He ultimately made his way to his own tribe, but years passed before he recovered from the crushing weight of that blow; and when I saw him there was still upon his countenance a deep shadow which will never be removed.  Such is the story of Selim and Acson.  A more romantic one is hardly to be found.

[Illustration:  TAIL PIECE]

CHAPTER XLV.

One morning while I was in Barnaool the doctor left me writing, and went out for a promenade.  In half an hour he returned accompanied by a tall, well-formed man with a brunette complexion, and hair and mustache black as ebony.  His dress was Russian, but the face impressed me as something strange.