But they raised their yataghans in readiness.

The shots had alarmed them; and they meant to do the murder now--messenger or no messenger But though the men did not see the danger from above, the Voivodin did.

She raised her eyes quickly at the first sound, and even from where we were, before we began to run towards the ravine path, I could see the triumphant look in her glorious eyes when she recognized the identity of the man who was seemingly coming straight down from Heaven itself to help her--as, indeed, she, and we too, can very well imagine that he did; for if ever heaven had a hand in a rescue on earth, it was now.
Even during the last drop from the rocky foliage the Gospodar kept his head.

As he fell he pulled his handjar free, and almost as he was falling its sweep took off the head of one of the assassins.

As he touched ground he stumbled for an instant, but it was towards his enemies.