Tombstone epitaph., 1915-06-13
appeared. to instantly se,ss aim and do tain him tfli [ arrived

tain him till arrived.
 "'These arrangements completed. ! gave out to my regular household that l was going to sup with a friend and should not return for some hours. took my departure. spent an hour away. and then returned by way of the gar den.
 "As, I approached the postern heard loud cries. and a group of men came rushing away down the road l noticed that they were supporting one in the center. who was closely wrapped up. and who appeared to be unable to walk by himself. I also observed that the gate from which they were hasten ing was standing an inch or two ajar. The next moment 1t was flung wide | open. and my men streamed out ip pursuit of the fugitives.
 A secret intuition warned me to | restrain them. and to let that yelled | figure go in safety. Filled with vague forebodings. I led the way inside. and as soon as the door was closed and locked. I made them tell me what had | taken place.
 "'It appears that immediately after | my own departure the head eunuch. on whom had so blindly relied. had gone out by the postern gate alone. At the | end of an hour he returned, letting | himself in with the key with which he | was intrusted. Behind him entered a | muffied-up stranger, who paused to give some directions to body of men outside.
 Hardly was he well within the door when the slaves whom had post | forward to take him. He turned to flee. and would have escaped entirely had not some one in the confusion | pushed the door to in time to catch him by the left foot.
 l "'His friends outside began fran tically attacking the door to release him. and then 1t was that one of the slaves. fearing that the intruder would | get clear away, gave a sudden blow with his sword and cut clean through the ankle with one stroke. Thereupon | the wounded man had been dragged of | in the manner I had witnessed. | "In proof of their story the men held up the still bleeding foot Im- pelled by the dread which had taken possession of me. drew of the slip per. You, who have seen that horrid sight. know what it was that made me shudder as looked,
 Wears ago i had heard of a dark tradition in the palace that the foot of the sultan was not like a natural foot. that there was some revolting blemish hereditary in the house of Os- man. which had to be concealed from all eyes. The moment 1 had looked upon this foot l realized my dreadful situation. That Abdul-Aziz had been mutilated by my household was little: but had stumbled upon the knowledge of one of those palace secrets which even the mothers of sultans hardly dare to whisper to each other: at the bare hint of which eunuchs stop their ears and turn pale; to be suspected of knowing which means death.
 There was only one alternative. It was the sultan's life or mine 1 de- parted instantly to the palace and sought secret audience of the mother of Prince Murad.
 We arranged the matter swiftly. Every moment was heavy with peril. Fortunately. everything was ripe for this revolution. which I had too long delayed. and you are no doubt already acquainted with the steps by which it was carried out. As soon as Prince Mu- rad had been proclaimed. and the oaths of allegiance had been taken. 1 summoned the officer of the guard and a dozen picked soldiers, and under their escort. accompanied by the sul- tana. forced a way through the terri fled eunuchs into the presence of Ab- dul-Aziz. He had just set his seal to a paper as we entered. I snatched 1t up. and read. IL was my death-war- rant,'
 The vizier trembled as he came to this point. It was an experience to unnerve even a brave man.
 Then I informed Abdul-Aziz that he had ceased to reign. lie received the news in perfect stupor. I pointed to the soldiers and invited him to es- cape the degradation of death at their hands. He understood the situation. and covered down on his couch, shrinking from us in a peculiar and dreadful way. Then the sultana spoke to him.
 "'She had long intrigued for his downfall. and knew that her son would not be safe while AbdulAziz lived She urged him to preserve his honor
 "'Still he hesitated, and finally nut tered something about not having a weapon. Instantly the sultana snatched a sharp pair of scissors from her waist, and thrust them into his unwilling hands. Still he hung back It was becoming shocking.
 Finally I was compelled to order one of the soldiers to advance with his sword drawn. Then at last. with a sob. the sultan thrust the steel points into his arm at the place you saw and the soldier was allowed to finish the work