You know that soon after the Wallachian mass-meeting at Balazsfalva came the Szekler muster at Agyagfalva, and presently we found ourselves like an island in the midst of the sea.

A Wallachian army ten thousand strong, under Moga's command, beset us on all sides, while we had but three hundred armed men all told,--just the number that Leonidas had at Thermopylae.

Our eldest brother, Berthold, who, since he turned vegetarian, can't bear to see a chicken killed for dinner, and is dead set against all bloodshed, advised us to make peaceful terms with the enemy.

So we drew lots to see who should go out and parley with them, and it fell to our brother Simon.

He took a white flag and went into the enemy's camp; but they held him prisoner and refused to let him go.