There are in existence about thirty-eight poems and twice as many prose legends detailing the thrilling exploits of Marko. In spite of certain accounts of his death, it is generally thought that he never died, but withdrew to a cave near the castle of Prilip and is still asleep there. At times he awakes and looks to see if a sword has come out of a rock where he thrust it to the hilt. When it is out of the rock, he will know that the time has come for him to appear among the Serbians once more to reestablish the Empire destroyed at Kossovo. Even now, on occasions, he may appear to help his disheartened country-men. An interesting story of the War of 1912-13 is told that bears directly on this belief. The Serbian forces were storming the fort at Prilip when their general ordered a delay. In spite of this, they pushed on and ran straight to the castle of the royal prince, Marko. The general trembled, believing that without the help of his artillery, for which he was waiting, these men of the infantry would be wholly destroyed. But even while dreading this, he saw the Serbian national colors flying from the donjon of Marko's castle. His Serbs had driven the Turks away and were victorious, as it proved, with little loss of life. When he reproved them for risking so much: "But we were ordered by Prince Marko, did you not see him on his Sharaz? Prince Marko commanded us all the time--'Forward! forward!'" They really believed that they had seen their hero. Two passages from the heroic pesmas may serve to show Marko under different aspects. In the first he has been invited by the Grand Vizier to go hunting, in company with twelve Turks. He has obeyed the Vizier's command and has loosed his falcon. Then the princely Marko loosed his falcon; To the clouds of heaven aloft he mounted; Then he sprung upon the gold-wing'd swimmer-- Seized him--rose, and down they fell together. When the bird of Amurath sees the struggle, He becomes indignant with vexation: 'Twas of old his custom to play falsely-- For himself alone to gripe his booty: So he pounces down on Marko's falcon, To deprive him of his well-earn'd trophy. But the bird was valiant as his master; Marko's falcon has the mind of Marko: And his gold-wing'd prey he will not yield him. Sharply turns he round on Amurath's falcon, And he tears away his proudest feathers.