Follow me!"
And so, for a good half hour, cursing their leader bitterly beneath
their breaths, they painfully struggled after him up the dangerous path
and then, suddenly, a marvellous sight met their gaze. An immense cavern
gaped open before them through which, as through a tunnel, they could
reach the valley on the other side. This was the so-called "Roman Gate."
Many believe that the Romans dug this passage through the mountain, but
this marvellous piece of workmanship has been carried out on too vast a
scale for anybody else but Nature to be its architect; it is possible,
however, that the Romans may have used this passage for their campaigns.
And now the _pandurs_ understood the plan of their young leader and were
ready to follow him blindly through fire and water.
In another half hour they had passed through the "Roman Gate" and
reached the valley beyond, and by next morning Vamhidy had lit down
like a thunderbolt from the sky where nobody expected him.
By the evening he had run down eight persons who were under very strong
suspicion. After dusk the same day he sent the following letter to
Gerzson by one of his men: "I feel certain I hold the thread of the
whole conspiracy in my hands. We are on their track."
At nightfall he encamped in a lonely mill, which he chose because, in
case of necessity, it could easily be defended. He had reasons for
thinking that he might be attacked in the night.
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