mounted on a very sorry nag, set off with a party of men that were driving a large herd of horses.  The latter were ungovernable, and the party became separated, so that it was easy for Selim to drop out altogether and make his way to the grove where the horses were concealed.  In the same way Acson abandoned the party she started with, and within an hour from the time they left the aool, or encampment, the lovers met in the grove.

[Illustration:  THE ELOPEMENT.]

It was a long way to Selim’s tribe, but he knew it was somewhere in the mountains to the north and west, having left its winter quarters in the low country.  The pair said their prayers in the true Mahommedan style, and then, mounting their horses, set out at an easy pace to ascend the valley toward the higher land.  Their horses were in excellent condition, but they knew it would be necessary to ride hard in case they were pursued, and they wished to reserve their strength for the final effort.  An hour before nightfall, they saw, far down the valley, a party in pursuit.  The party was riding rapidly, and from appearances had not caught sight of the fugitives.  After a brief consultation the latter determined to turn aside at the first bend of the valley, and endeavor to cross at the next stream, while leaving the pursuers to go forward and be deceived.

They turned aside, and were gratified to see from a place of concealment the pursuing party proceed up the valley.  The departure of the fugitives was evidently known some time earlier than they expected, else the pursuit would not have begun so soon.  Guided by the general course of the hills, the fugitives made their way to the next valley, and, as the night had come upon them, they made a camp beneath a shady tree, picketing their horses, and eating such provisions as they had brought with them.

In the morning, just as their steeds were saddled and they were preparing to resume their journey, they saw their pursuers enter the valley a mile or two below them, and move rapidly in their direction.  Evidently they had turned back after losing the track, and found it without much delay.  But their horses wore more weary than those of the fleeing lovers, so that the latter were confident of winning the race.

Swift was the flight and swift the pursuit.  The valley was wide and nearly straight, and the lovers steadily increased the distance between them and their pursuers.  They followed no path, but kept steadily forward, with their faces toward the mountains.  Their pursuers, originally half a dozen, diminished to five, then to four, and as the hours wore on Selim found that only two were in sight.  But a new obstacle arose to his escape.

[Illustration:  THE FIGHT]