Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/142

 was in the garden; and, as everything can be obtained there for money, he found no small number of spies, who watched for the Christian day and night, until, one or two hours before evening, they espied him entering the garden.

When this was made known to the chiaous, hearing of his strength and speed, and also knowing that both Turks and Christians loved him, he dared not have him arrested in the daytime. He, therefore, beset the places by which the young man had to return, and which he could not avoid, with stout fellows; and as he returned home, fearing nothing, he was seized and put in prison. The chiaous also had his beautiful wife well watched that night, and in the morning laid a complaint before the cadi, or judge, alleging that she had committed adultery with a Christian, and requiring that both should be sentenced according to law. He also made the matter known to the Emperor and pashas himself, bewailed his fate, and demanded their judgment, adding, in aggravation of the charge against them, that they had been taken in the act. Still, however, many people making intercession for them, the matter was deferred for more than a week. But as the chiaous had previously loved his wife exceedingly, even so, on the contrary, did he now exceedingly hate her, and refused to allow himself to be softened by any entreaties, but caused the mufti, or chief priest, to confirm the sentence of death against them both.

As soon as it became generally known that two such handsome people were to be led to death a countless multitude assembled, and the execution took place in the following order. First rode the sub-pasha, or im-