Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 1.djvu/216

 138 SOLDIERS AND SAILORS Nor indeed did Huniades keep them waiting for him. He hurried at the head of his troops to attack the Turkish leader who was laying siege to Her- mannstadt. Upon this Mezid Bey, calling his bravest soldiers around him, de- scribed to them once more Huniades' appearance, his arms, his dress, his stature, and his horse, that they might certainly recognize him. " Slay him only," he exclaimed ; " and we shall easily deal with the rest of them ; we shall drive them like a flock of sheep into the presence of our august master." On that occasion was seen with what self-sacrificing enthusiasm his soldiers loved their heroic leader. When they learned from their spies the purpose of the Turks, they took all possible measures to secure his precious life. One of their number, Simon Kemeny, who bore a striking resemblance to Huniades, de- termined to sacrifice himself for his leader. He announced that he would put on Huniades' clothes and armor. The Turks would then attack him under the belief that he was the celebrated chief, and while they were thus, engaged the real Huniades would fall upon them unexpectedly and put them to flight. At first Huniades would by no means consent to this plan, as he did not wish to expose Kemeny to such mortal danger ; but at last seeing the great military advantages likely to accrue from it he consented. And so indeed it fell out. As soon as the battle began, the Turks, perceiv- ing Simon Kemeny in the garb of Huniades, directed all their force against him. Kemeny, after a stout defence, fell together with a great number of his follow- ers, and the Turks, seeing him fall, set up a general cry of triumph and exulta- tion. Just at this critical moment they were hotly attacked in the flank by the genuine Huniades. Thus attacked in the very moment when they imagined that they had already gained the day, the Turks were thrown into confusion and took wildly to flight. Twenty thousand corpses were left on the battle-field ; among them were Mezid Bey himself, together with his sons. Fearful was the rage of the Turkish sultan when he heard of the defeat and death of Mezid Bey, and he at once despatched another army against Huniades, which like the first numbered 80,000 men. This time, however, Huniades did not let them enter Transylvania, but waited for them at the pass, known as the Iron Gate, among the high mountains on the southern boundary of Hungary. The Hungarian army was not more than 15,000 men, so that the Turks were at least five times as strong. But the military genius of Huniades made up for the small number of his followers. He posted them in a strong position in the rough pass, and attacked the enemy in places where it was impossible for him to make use of his strength. Thus more than half the Turkish army per- ished miserably in the battle. Again their commander-in-chief fell on the field together with six subordinate commanders, while two hundred horse-tail stand- ards fell into Huniades' hands as trophies of his victory. These two splendid victories filled all Europe with joy and admiration. Christendom again breathed freely ; for she felt that a champion, sent by a spe- cial Providence, had appeared, who had both the courage and the ability to meet and to repel the haughty and formidable foe. But Huniades was not content