336 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT. 



less in the interior of the cave, the light from the 

 flames glowing on their red garments, and giving 

 them the appearance of two statues of fire. In the 

 handsome countenance of one of the figures thus 

 suddenly revealed to her, Strasolda recognised the 

 young Moslem, whose prisoner she had been, and 

 whose noble person and bearing, courteous manners, 

 and gentle treatment, had more than once since the 

 day of her captivity occupied the thoughts and fancy 

 of the Uzcoque maiden. Unaware of Ibrahim's cap- 

 ture, Strasolda did not for an instant suppose that 

 she beheld him in flesh and blood before her. To 

 her excited and superstitions imagination, the figures 

 of the Turks appeared formed out of fire itself, and 

 she doubted not that the spirits of the cave had 

 chosen this means of presenting to her, as in a pro- 

 phetic mirror, a shadowy foreknowledge of future 

 and more favourable events. 



"\Vhile she yet gazed eagerly on what she deemed 

 a supernatural appearance, the rent in the veil of 

 smoke suddenly closed, the flame sank down, and 

 again all was gloom and darkness in the cavern. The 

 thick stifling vapour of the damp wood, augmenting 

 as the flame diminished, was now so overpowering 

 that the Turks were in imminent danger of suffocation. 

 In their extremity, making a violent effort, their pent- 

 up voices found vent in a cry of such startling wild- 

 ness, that the Uzcoques, struck with terror, sprang 

 back from the mouth of the cave, hurrying the maiden 



