Buckingham was close upon them.
They fled rapidly along, Cantemir following his servants and ever
glancing behind with eyes staring with fear.
Buckingham was not to be caught by fear-staring eyes and kept well in
shadow.
The passage was narrow with many windings and appeared to be
interminable.
The men began to run, which was very incautious under the
circumstances, for in a moment they were precipitated into a small
chamber occupied by two stalwart monks. The latter had barely time to
throw themselves upon the defensive ere they were attacked.
Cantemir had the advantage, as the monks were encumbered with their
long robes.
Then ensued a short fight, in which Cantemir's men won the day--he
remaining well in the background.
One of the servants was wounded and lay helpless upon the floor, his
head falling against some object that held him in a semi-upright
posture. Cantemir turned with the torch he had taken from the floor,
and looked about him, stumbling over the prostrate bodies of the monks
as they lay wounded.
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