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diff --git a/34574.txt b/34574.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6e21a1b --- /dev/null +++ b/34574.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4255 @@ +Project Gutenberg's In Love With the Czarina and Other Stories, by Mor Jokai + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: In Love With the Czarina and Other Stories + +Author: Mor Jokai + +Translator: Louis Felbermann + +Release Date: December 5, 2010 [EBook #34574] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN LOVE WITH THE CZARINA *** + + + + +Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +[Illustration: Jokai Mor] + + + + +_SPECIAL AUTHORISED EDITION_ + +IN LOVE WITH THE CZARINA +_AND OTHER STORIES_ + +BY MAURICE JOKAI + +TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL HUNGARIAN + +_WITH THE AUTHOR'S SPECIAL PERMISSION_ + +BY LOUIS FELBERMANN + +AUTHOR OF "HUNGARY AND ITS PEOPLE" ETC. + +[Illustration] + +LONDON +FREDERICK WARNE & CO. +AND NEW YORK + +[_All rights reserved_] + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE +INTRODUCTION 9 +IN LOVE WITH THE CZARINA 17 +TAMERLAN THE TARTAR 57 +VALDIVIA 111 +BIZEBAN 141 +THE MOONLIGHT SOMNAMBULIST 151 + + + + +DEDICATED TO +HUNGARY'S GREATEST WRITER + +MAURICE JOKAI + +BY LOUIS FELBERMANN + +"From him I took it; to him I give it" + EASTERN PROVERB + +_London 1894_ + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The entire Hungarian nation--king and people--have recently been +celebrating the jubilee of Hungary's greatest writer, Maurice Jokai, +whose pen, during half a century of literary activity, has given no less +than 250 volumes to the world. Admired and beloved by his patriotic +fellow-countrymen, Jokai has displayed that kind of genius which +fascinates the learned and unlearned alike, the old and the young. He +enchants the children of Hungary by his fairy-tales, and as they grow up +into men and women he implants within them a passion for their native +land and a knowledge of its splendid history such as only his poetic and +dramatic pen could engrave upon their memory. His versatility of +talent--for, besides being the Hungarian poet-laureate, he is a +novelist, playwright, historian, and orator--enables the Hungarians to +see in him their Heine, their Byron, their Walter Scott, and their +Victor Hugo. + +Jokai began his career at a period when Hungary aspired to political +freedom, and his powerful pen, in combination with that of his familiar +friend, Alexander Petofi, Hungary's greatest lyric poet, was mainly +instrumental in rousing the nation to arms. In 1849, when the Hungarian +nation had sustained a cruel defeat, it was Jokai who cheered the +flagging spirits of the Magyars, and by the potency and skill of his +extraordinary pen influenced that reconciliation between Sovereign and +people which was ultimately accomplished by Hungary's greatest +statesman, Francis Deak. + +The Hungarian language is one of the richest of Turanian tongues, and +particularly lends itself to the didactic and romantic styles. So far +back as the beginning of the thirteenth century we find traces of +Hungarian literature, and, if it had been permitted to develop, Hungary +might now have possessed a literature second to none in the modern +world. But in consequence of political struggles the Hungarian language +and literature had to give way, at times, either to the Latin or German +races, so much so that as late as 1849 all scientific subjects had to be +taught either in German or in Latin. It was then that a few patriotic +Magyars took the matter acutely to heart, and strove to restore the +language and literature of their country, with the happy result that +Hungary now, in proportion to its population, comes immediately after +Germany in the number of its universities, colleges, and scientific +institutions, where all subjects are taught in the _Hungarian language +only_. + +Maurice Jokai is not only one of those who restored Hungarian +literature, but is the creator of a particular style of romance, which +stamps his works as unique, and has caused them to be eagerly read, and +translated into almost every modern language. It is no wonder, +therefore, that the Hungarians, who are a cultured race, should delight +in showing all honour and respect to the veteran author, who has given +to the world over a hundred splendid works on all subjects, comprising +250 volumes. + +Jokai is descended from a middle-class family, a fact which he is always +proud to own, and has no ambition to rise in higher spheres of society, +although the greatest people in the land, including the Empress-Queen +herself, favour him with their personal friendship. + +He is a tall, fine-looking man, and carries himself well. He generally +dresses in a black-braided costume, which is the favourite national +Hungarian uniform of those patriots who belong to the forty-eight +period, which marks such an epoch in the history of Hungary. In his +younger days his beard was dark and silky, but now he is quite grey. He +occupies a modest house, and leads a very simple life. + +To give the full history of such a great writer as Maurice Jokai, the +titles of whose works fill nine pages of the British Museum catalogue, +would be a task of considerable research, and would itself extend to +volumes. I therefore only propose to touch upon a few of the salient +points of his career. + +Jokai was born on February 19, 1825, at Komarom, which city, by-the-by, +is known as the "Virgin Fortress of Hungary." + +He received his education partly in his native town and at Pozsony, the +ancient capital of Hungary, Papa and Kecskemet; and in 1846 he passed an +examination as an advocate, though he did not follow the profession +afterwards. + +In the same year he took up his abode at Budapest, where in the +following year he assumed the editorship of a paper called _Eletkepek_ +(Pictures of Life). + +In 1848 he played an important part in the revolution, both in inciting +the people by his literary writings and as a soldier. In 1849 he married +Rose Laborfalvi, the famous actress. In the same year he followed the +National Hungarian Government, which removed its seat to Debreczen, and +became the editor of the _Esti Lapok_ (Evening News). From that time +activity characterised his literary and general career. + +In the political movements of 1861 he was to the front both as member of +parliament and as newspaper editor. In 1860 he was elected member of the +Kisfaludy Society, and in 1861 he became a member of the Hungarian +Academy of Sciences, of which institute he is now a member of the +executive committee. He is also the president of the Petofi Society. + +His first novel was "A Hetkoeznapok" (Days of the Week), which appeared +in 1846, and since then hardly a year elapsed without the issue of +several volumes from his pen. + +Amongst his novels the most celebrated are: + +"Egy Magyar Nabob" (The Hungarian Nabob). + +"Karpathy Zoltan." + +"A Koszivu Ember Fiai" (The Sons of the Stonehearted Man). + +"Szerelem Bolondjai" (Love's Puppet). + +"Nevtelen Var" (The Nameless Fortress). + +"Erdely Aranykora" (The Golden Period of Transylvania). + +"Balvanyosvar" (Idol Fortunes). + +"Fekete Gyemantok" (Black Diamonds). + +"A Joevo Szazad Regenye" (The Romance of the Future Century). + +"Az Uj Foeldesur" (The New Landlord). + +"Nincsen Oerdoeg" (There is no Devil). + +"Az Arany Ember" (The Gold Man). + +"A Szep Mikhal" (Pretty Michael). + +Of his recent novels the most famous is the one published in 1892, in +which Monk Gregory is the hero. + +The short stories that we are presenting in this volume belong to his +earliest writings. + +Jokai's novels--in which his own strong personality everywhere reveals +itself--are characterised by great imaginative power and by a light, +humorous style which fascinates the reader. It may be said, without much +exaggeration, that in point of wit and humour few living writers can +compare with him. His subjects are principally drawn from history; but +many of his works are remarkable for their vivid descriptions of +Hungarian life, both past and present. In one word it might justly be +said that in reading Jokai's novels one reads the history of Europe, and +in reading Jokai's history one reads a novel drawn from actual life. + +As a poet he occupies a unique position, and stands altogether alone: +for his lyrics, ballads, and heroic verse are even sung by the +schoolchildren throughout Hungary. As a dramatist his fame is extensive; +and his "Koenyves Kalman" (Koloman, King of Hungary, surnamed the Book +King), "Dozsa Gyoergy, The Martyr of Szigetvar," "Az Arany Ember" (The +Golden Man), and "Fekete Gyemantok" (Black Diamonds), have been +incessantly performed with the greatest success. + +As a politician he has made a considerable mark, and no one who has had +the privilege of hearing him deliver an oration will forget the music +and sonority of his fine voice. What is less generally known is that he +is an enthusiastic botanical student and an admirable painter. + +These are a few outlines of the life of Hungary's greatest writer, and +in the interest of literature let it be hoped that his life may be long +spared, and that his remaining years may be spent in the utmost +happiness. Such is the fervent wish of all his admirers, who are drawn, +not only from this country, but from all civilised peoples, nations, and +languages. + +LOUIS FELBERMANN + +(_Author of "Hungary and its People"_). + + + + +IN LOVE WITH THE CZARINA + + +In the time of the Czar Peter III. a secret society existed at St. +Petersburg which bore the title of "The Nameless." Its members used to +assemble in the house of a Russian nobleman, Jelagin by name, who alone +knew the personality of each visitor, they being, for the most part, +unknown to one another. Distinguished men, princes, ladies of the Court, +officers of the Guard, Cossack soldiers, young commercial men, +musicians, street-singers, actors and actresses, scientific men, +clergymen and statesmen, used to meet here. Beauty and talent were alone +qualifications for entry into the Society, the members of which were +selected by Jelagin. Everyone addressed the other as "thee" and "thou," +and they only made use of Christian names such as Anne, Alexandra, +Katharine, Olga, Peter, Alexis, and Ivan. And for what purpose did they +assemble here? To amuse themselves at their ease. Those who, by the +prejudices of caste and rank, were utterly severed, and who occupied the +mutual position of master and slave, tore the chains of their barriers +asunder, and all met here. It is quite possible that he with whom the +grenadier-private is now playing chess is the very same General who +might order him a hundred lashes to-morrow, should he take a step on +parade without his command! And now he contends with him to make a queen +out of a pawn! + +It is also probable that the pretty woman who is singing sportive French +songs to the accompaniment of the instrument she strikes with her left +hand, is one of the Court ladies of the Czarina, who, as a rule, throws +half-roubles out of her carriage to the street-musicians! Perhaps she is +a Princess? possibly the wife of the Lord Chamberlain? or even higher in +grade than this? Russian society, both high and low, flower and root, +met in Jelagin's castle, and while there enjoyed equality in the widest +sense of the word. Strange phenomenon! That this should take place in +Russia, where so much is thought of aristocratic rank, official garb, +and exterior pomp; where an inferior is bound to dismount from his horse +upon meeting a superior, where sub-officers take off their coats in +token of salute when they meet those of higher rank, and where generals +kiss the priests' hands and the highest aristocrats fall on their faces +before the Czar! Here they sing and dance and joke together, make fun of +the Government, and tell anecdotes of the High Priests, utterly +fearless, and dispensing with salutations! + +Can this be done for love of novelty? The existence of this secret +society was repeatedly divulged to the police, and these cannot be +reproached for not having taken the necessary steps to denounce it; but +proceedings, once begun, usually evaporated into thin air, and led to no +results. The investigating officer either never discovered suspicious +facts, or, if he did, matters were adjourned. Those who were arrested in +connection with the affair were in some way set at liberty in peace and +quietness; every document relating to the matter was either burnt or +vanished, and whole sealed cases of writings were turned into plain +white paper. When an influential officer took energetically in hand the +prosecution of "The Nameless," he was generally sent to a foreign +country on an important mission, from which he did not return for a +considerable period. "The Nameless Society" must have had very powerful +protectors. At the conclusion of one of these free and easy +entertainments, a young Cossack hetman remained behind the crowd of +departing guests, and when quite alone with the host he said to him: + +"Jelagin, did you see the pretty woman with whom I danced the mazurka +to-night?" + +"Yes, I saw her. Are you smitten with her, as others have been?" + +"That woman I must make my wife." + +Jelagin gave the Cossack a blow on the shoulder and looked into his +eyes. + +"That you will not do! You will not take her as your wife, friend +Jemeljan." + +"I shall marry her--I have resolved to do so." + +"You will not marry her, for she will not go to you." + +"If she does not come I will carry her off against her will." + +"You can't marry her, because she has a husband." + +"If she has a husband I will carry her off in company with him!" + +"You can't carry her off, for she lives in a palace--she is guarded by +many soldiers, and accompanied in her carriage by many outriders." + +"I will take her away with her palace, her soldiers, and her carriage. I +swear it by St. Gregory!" + +Jelagin laughed mockingly. + +"Good Jemeljan, go home and sleep out your love--that pretty woman is +the Czarina!" + +The hetman became pale for a moment, his breath stopped; but the next +instant, with sparkling eyes, he said to Jelagin: + +"In spite of this, what I have said I have said." + +Jelagin showed the door to his guest. But, improbable as it may seem, +Jemeljan was really not intoxicated, unless it were with the eyes of the +pretty woman. + +A few years elapsed. The Society of "The Nameless" was dissolved, or +changed into one of another form. Katharine had her husband, the Czar, +killed, and wore the crown herself. Many people said she had him killed, +others took her part. It was urged that she knew what was going to +happen, but could not prevent it--that she was compelled to act as she +did, and to affect, after a great struggle with her generous heart, +complete ignorance of poison being administered to her husband. It was +said that she had acted rightly, and that the Czar's fate was a just +one, for he was a wicked man; and finally, it was asserted that the +whole statement was untrue, and that no one had killed Czar Peter, who +died from intense inflammation of the stomach. He drank too much brandy. +The immortal Voltaire is responsible for this last assertion. Whatever +may have happened, Czar Peter was buried, and the Czarina Katharine now +saw that her late husband belonged to those dead who do not sleep +quietly. They rise--rise from their graves--stretch out their hands from +their shrouds, and touch with them those who have forgotten them. They +turn over in their last resting-place, and the whole earth seems to +tremble under the feet of those who walk above them! + +Amongst the numerous contradictory stories told, one, difficult to +believe, but which the people gladly credited, and which caused much +bloodshed before it was wiped out of their memory, was this--that Czar +Peter died neither by his own hand, nor by the hands of others, but that +he still lived. It was said that a common soldier, with pock-marked face +resembling the Czar, was shown in his stead to the public on the +death-couch at St. Petersburg, and that the Czar himself had escaped +from prison in soldier's clothes, and would return to retake his throne, +to vanquish his wife, and behead his enemies! Five Czar pretenders rose +one after the other in the wastes of the Russian domains. One followed +the other with the motto, "Revenge on the faithless!" The usurpers +conquered sometimes a northern, sometimes a southern province, +collected forces, captured towns, drove out all officials, and put new +ones in their places, so that it was necessary to send forces against +them. If one was subjugated and driven away into the ice deserts, or +captured and hung on the next tree, another Czar Peter would rise up in +his place and cause rebellion, alarming the Court circle whilst they +were enjoying themselves; and so things went on continually and +continually. The murdered husband remained unburied, for to-day he might +be put in the earth and to-morrow he would rise again one hundred miles +off, and exclaim, "I still live!" He might be killed there, but would +pop out his head again from the earth, saying, "Still I live." He had a +hundred lives! When five of these Peter pretenders went the way of the +real Czar a sixth rose, and this one was the most dreaded and most +daring of all, whose name will perpetually be inscribed in the +chronicles of the Russian people as a dreadful example to all who will +not be taught wisdom, and his name is Jemeljan Pugasceff! He was born as +an ordinary Cossack in the Don province, and took part in the Prussian +campaign, at first as a paid soldier of Prussia, later as an adherent of +the Czar. At the bombardment of Bender he had become a Cossack hetman. +His extraordinary physical strength, his natural common sense and +inventive power, had distinguished him even at this time, but the peace +which was concluded barred before him the gate of progress. He was sent +with many discharged officers back to the Don. Let them go again and +look after their field labours! Pugasceff's head, however, was full of +other ideas than that of again commencing cheese-making, from which +occupation he had been called ten years before. He hated the Czarina, +and adored her! He hated the proud woman who had no right to tread upon +the neck of the Russians, and he adored the beautiful woman who +possessed the right to tread upon every Russian's heart! He became +possessed with the mad idea that he would tear down that woman from her +throne, and take her afterwards into his arms. He had his plans prepared +for this. He went along the Volga, where the Roskolniks live--they who +oppose the Russian religion, and who were the adherents of the +persecuted fanatics whose fathers and grandfathers had been continually +extirpated by means of hanging, either on trees or scaffolds, and this +only for the sole reason that they crossed themselves downwards, and not +upwards, as they do in Moscow! + +The Roskolniks were always ready to plot if they had any pretence and +could get a leader. Pugasceff wanted to commence his scheme with these, +but he was soon betrayed, and fell into the hands of the police and was +carried into a Kasan prison and put into chains. He might thus go on +dreaming! Pugasceff dreamt one night that he burst the iron chains from +his legs, cut through the wall of the prison, jumped down from the +enclosure, swam through the surrounding trench whose depth was filled +with sharp spikes, and that he made his way towards the uninhabited +plains of the Ural Sorodok, without a crust of bread or a decent stitch +of clothing! The Jakics Cossacks are the only inhabitants of the plains +of Uralszk--the most dreaded tribe in Russia--living in one of those +border countries only painted in outline on the map, and a people with +whom no other on the plains form acquaintanceship. They change locality +from year to year. One winter a Cossack band will pay a visit to the +land of the Kirghese, and burn down their wooden huts; next year a +Kirgizian band will render the same service to the Cossacks! Fighting is +pleasanter work in the winter. In the summer everyone lives under the +sky, and there are no houses to be destroyed! This people belong to the +Roskolnik sect. Just a little while previously they had amused +themselves by slaughtering the Russian Commissioner-General Traubenberg, +with his suite, who came there to regulate how far they might be allowed +to fish in the river Jaik, and with this act they thought they had +clearly proved that the Government had nothing to do with their pike! +Pugasceff had just taken refuge amongst them at the time when they were +dividing the arms of the Russian soldiers, and were scheming as to what +they should further do. One lovely autumn night the escaped convict, +after a great deal of wandering in the miserable valley of Jeremina +Kuriza, situated in the wildest part of the Ural Mountains, and in its +yet more miserable town, Jaiczkoi, knocked at the door of the first +Cossack habitation he saw and said that he was a refugee. He was +received with an open heart, and got plenty of kind words and a little +bread. The house-owner was himself poor; the Kirgizians had driven away +his sheep. One of his sons, a priest of the Roskolnik persuasion, had +been carried away from him into a lead-mine; the second had been taken +to serve as a soldier, and had died; the third was hung because he had +been involved in a revolt. Old Kocsenikoff remained at home without sons +or family. Pugasceff listened to the grievances of his host, and said: + +"These can be remedied." + +"Who can raise for me my dead sons?" said the old man bitterly. + +"The one who rose himself in order to kill." + +"Who can that be?" + +"The Czar." + +"The murdered Czar?" asked the old soldier, with astonishment. + +"He has been killed six times, and yet he lives. On my way here, +whenever I met with people, they all asked me, 'Is it true that the Czar +is not dead yet, and that he has escaped from prison?' I replied to +them, 'It is true. He has found his way here, and ere long he will make +his appearance before you.'" + +"You say this, but how can the Czar get here?" + +"He is already here." + +"Where is he?" + +"I am he!" + +"Very well--very well," replied the old Roskolnik. "I understand what +you want with me. I shall be on the spot if you wish it. All is the +same to me as long as I have anyone to lead me. But who will believe +that you are the Czar? Hundreds and hundreds have seen him face to face. +Everybody knows that the visage of the Czar was dreadfully pockmarked, +whilst yours is smooth." + +"We can remedy that. Has not someone lately died of black-pox in this +district?" + +"Every day this happens. Two days ago my last labourer died." + +"Well, I shall lay in his bed, and I shall rise from it like Czar +Peter." + +He did what he said. He lay in the infected bed. Two days later he got +the black-pox, and six weeks afterwards he rose with the same wan face +as one had seen on the unfortunate Czar. + +Kocsenikoff saw that a man who could play so recklessly with his life +did not come here to idle away his time. This is a country where out of +ten men nine have stored away some revenge of their own for a future +time. Amongst the first ten people to whom Kocsenikoff communicated his +scheme, he found nine who were ready to assist in the daring +undertaking, even at the cost of their lives; but the tenth was a +traitor. He disclosed the desperate plot to Colonel Simonoff, the +commander of Jaiczkoi, and the commander immediately arrested +Kocsenikoff; but Pugasceff escaped on the horse which had been sent out +with the Cossack who came to arrest him, and he even carried off the +Cossack himself! He jumped into the saddle, patted and spurred the +horse, and made his way into the forest. + +History records for the benefit of future generations the name of the +Cossack whom Pugasceff carried away with his horse: Csika was the name +of this timid individual! This happened on September 15. Two days +afterwards Pugasceff came back from the forest to the outskirts of the +town Jaiczkoi. Then he had his horse, a scarlet fur-trimmed jacket, and +three hundred brave horsemen. As he approached the town he had trumpets +blown, and demanded that Colonel Simonoff should surrender and should +come and kiss the hand of his rightful master, Czar Peter III.! Simonoff +came with 5000 horsemen and 800 Russian regular troops against the +rebels, and Pugasceff was in one moment surrounded. At this instant he +took a loosely sealed letter from his breast and read out his +proclamation in a ringing voice to the opposing troops, in which he +appealed to the faithful Cossacks of Peter III. to help him to regain +his throne and to aid him to drive away usurpers, threatening with death +those traitors who should oppose his command. On hearing this the +Cossack troops appeared startled, and the exclamation went from mouth to +mouth, "The Czar lives! This is the Czar!" The officers tried to quiet +the soldiers, but in vain. They commenced to fight amongst themselves, +and the uproar lasted till late at night, with the result that it was +not Simonoff who captured Pugasceff, but the latter who captured eleven +of his officers; and when he retreated from the field his three hundred +men had increased to eight hundred. It was a matter of great difficulty +to the Colonel to lead back the rest into the town. Pugasceff set up +his camp outside in the garden of a Russian nobleman, and on his trees +he hung up the eleven officers. His opponent was so much alarmed that he +did not dare to attack him, but lay wait for him in the trenches, at the +mouth of the cannon. Our daring friend was not quite such a lunatic as +to go and meet him. He required greater success, more decisive battles, +and more guns. He started against the small towns which the Government +had built along the Jaik. The Roskolniks received the pseudo-Czar with +wild enthusiasm. They believed that he had risen from the dead to +humiliate the power of the Moscow priests, and that he intended to +adopt, instead of the Court religion, that which had been persecuted. On +the third day 1500 men accompanied him to battle. The stronghold of +Ileczka was the first halting-place he made. It is situated about +seventy versts from Jaiczkoi. He was welcomed with open gates and with +acclamation, and the guard of the place went over to his side. Here he +found guns and powder, and with these he was able to continue his +campaign. Next followed the stronghold of Kazizna. This did not +surrender of its own accord, but commenced heroically to defend itself, +and Pugasceff was compelled to bombard it. In the heat of the siege the +rebel Cossacks shouted out to those in the fort, and they actually +turned their guns upon their own patrols. All who opposed them were +strung up, and the Colonel was taken a prisoner to Pugasceff, who showed +no mercy to anyone who wore his hair long, which was the fashion at the +time amongst the Russian officers, and for this reason the pseudo-Czar +hung every officer who fell into his hands. Now, provided with guns, he +made his way towards the fort of Nisnaja Osfernaja, which he also +captured after a short attack. Those whom he did not kill joined him. +Now he led 4000 men, and therefore he could dare attack the stronghold +of Talitseva, which was defended by two heroes, Bilof and Jelagin. The +Russian authorities took up a firm position in face of the fanatical +rebels, and they would have repulsed Pugasceff, if the hay stores in the +fort had not been burnt down. This fire gave assistance to the rebels. +Bilof and Jelagin were driven out of the fort-gates, and were forced out +into the plains, where they were slaughtered. When the pseudo-Czar +captured the fort of Nisnaja Osfernaja, a marvellously beautiful woman +came to him in the market-place and threw herself at his feet. "Mercy, +my master!" The woman was very lovely, and was quite in the power of the +conqueror. Her tears and excitement made her still more enchanting. + +"For whom do you want pardon?" + +"For my husband, who is wounded in fighting against you." + +"What is the name of your husband?" + +"Captain Chalof, who commanded this fort." + +A noble-hearted hero no doubt would have set at liberty both husband and +wife, let them be happy, and love one another. A base man would have +hung the husband and kept the wife. Pugasceff killed them both! He knew +very well that there were still many living who remembered that Czar +Peter III. was not a man who found pleasure in women's love, and he +remained true to his adopted character even in its worst extremes. + +The rebels appeared to have wings. After the capture of Talicseva +followed that of Csernojecsinszkaja, where the commander took flight on +the approach of the rebel leader, and entrusted the defence of the fort +to Captain Nilsajeff, who surrendered without firing a shot. Pugasceff, +without saying "Thank you," had him hanged. He did not believe in +officers who went over to the enemy. He only kept the common soldiers, +and he had their hair cut short, so that in the event of their escaping +he should know them again! Next morning the last stronghold in the +country, Precsisztenszka, situated in the vicinity of the capital, +Orenburg, surrendered to the rebels, and in the evening the mock Czar +stood before the walls of Orenburg with thirty cannon and a +well-equipped army! All this happened in fifteen days. + +Since the moment when he carried off the Cossack who had been sent to +capture him, and met Kocsenikoff, he had occupied six forts, entirely +annihilated a regiment, and created another, with which he now besieged +the capital of the province. + +The towns of the Russian Empire are divided by great distances, and +before things were decided at St. Petersburg, Marquis Pugasceff might +almost have occupied half the country. It was Katharine herself who +nicknamed Pugasceff Marquis, and she laughed very heartily and often in +the Court circles about her extraordinary husband, who was preparing to +reconquer his wife, the Czarina. The nuptial bed awaited him--it was the +scaffold! + +On the news of Pugasceff's approach, Reinsburg, the Governor of +Orenburg, sent, under the command of Colonel Bilof, a portion of his +troops to attack the rebel. Bilof started on the chase, but he shared +the fate of many lion-hunters. The pursued animal ate him up, and of his +entire force not one man returned to Orenburg. Instead of this, +Pugasceff's forces appeared before its gates. + +Reinsburg did not wish to await the bombardment, and he sent his most +trusted regiment, under the command of Major Naumoff, to attack the +rebels. The mock-Czar allowed it to approach the slopes of the mountains +outside Orenburg, and there, with masked guns, he opened such a +disastrous fire upon them that the Russians were compelled to retire to +their fort utterly demoralised. Pugasceff then descended into the plains +and pitched his camp before the town. The two opponents both began with +the idea of tiring each other out by waiting. Pugasceff was encamped on +the snow-fields. The plains of Russia are no longer green in October, +and instead of tents he had huts made of branches of oak. The one force +was attacked by frost--the other by starvation. Finally starvation +proved the more powerful. Naumoff sallied from the fort, and turned his +attention towards occupying those heights whence his forces had been +fired upon a short time previously. He succeeded in making an onslaught +with his infantry upon the rebel lines, but Pugasceff, all of a sudden, +changed his plan of battle, and attacked with his Cossacks the cavalry +of his opponent, who took to flight. The victory fell from the grasp of +Naumoff, and he was compelled to fly with his cannon, breaking his way, +sword in hand, through the lines of the Cossacks. Then Pugasceff +attacked in his turn. He had forty-eight guns, with which he commenced a +fierce bombardment of the walls, which continued until November 9th, +when he ordered his troops to storm the town. The onslaught did not +succeed, for the Russians bravely defended themselves. Pugasceff, +therefore, had to make up his mind to starve out his opponents. The +broad plains and valleys were white with snow, the forests sparkled with +icicles, as though made of silver, and during the long nights the cold +reflection of the moon alone brightened the desolate wastes where the +audacious dream of a daring man kept awake the spirits of his men. The +dream was this: That he should be the husband of the Czarina of All the +Russias. + + * * * * * + +Katharine II. was passionately fond of playing tarok, and she +particularly liked that variety of the game which was later on named, +after a celebrated Russian general, "Paskevics," and required four +players. In addition to the Czarina, Princess Daskoff, Prince Orloff, +and General Karr sat at her table. The latter was a distinguished +leader of troops--_in petto_--and as a tarok-player without equal. He +rose from the table _semper victor_! No one ever saw him pay, and for +this reason he was a particular favourite with the Czarina. She said if +she could only once succeed in winning a rouble from Karr she would have +a ring welded to it and wear it suspended from her neck. It is very +likely that the mistakes of his opponents aided General Karr's continual +success. The two noble ladies were too much occupied with Orloff's fine +eyes to be able to fix their attention wholly upon the game, whilst +Orloff was so lucky in love that it would have been the greatest +injustice on earth if he had been equally successful at play. Once, +whilst shuffling the cards, some one casually remarked that it was a +scandalous shame that an escaped Cossack like Pugasceff should be in a +position to conquer a fourth of Russia in Europe, to disgrace the +Russian troops time after time, to condemn the finest Russian officers +to a degrading death, and now even to bombard Orenburg like a real +potentate. + +"I know the dandy, I know him very well," said Karr. "During the life of +His Majesty I used to play cards with him at Oranienbaum. He is a stupid +youngster. Whenever I called _carreau_, he used to give _coeur_." + +"It appears that he plays even worse now," said the Czarina; "now he +throws _pique_ after _coeur_!" + +It was the fashion at this time at the Russian Court to throw in every +now and then a French word, and _coeur_ in French means heart, and +_piquer_ means to sting and prick. + +"Yes, because our commanders have been inactive. Were I only there!" + +"Won't you have the kindness to go there?" asked Orloff mockingly. + +"If Her Majesty commands me, I am ready." + +"Ah! this tarok-party would suffer a too great loss in you," said +Katharine, jokingly. + +"Well, your Majesty might have hunting-parties at Peterhof," he said, +consolingly, to the Czarina. + +This was a pleasant suggestion to Katharine, for at Peterhof she had +spent her brightest days, and there she had made the acquaintance of +Orloff. With a smile full of grace, she nodded to General Karr. + +"I don't mind, then; but in two weeks you must be back." + +"Ah! what is two weeks?" returned Karr; "if your Majesty commands it, I +will seat myself this very hour upon a sledge, and in three days and +nights I shall be in Bugulminszka. On the fourth day I shall arrange my +cards, and on the fifth I shall send word to this dandy that I am the +challenger. On the sixth day I shall give '_Volat_'[1] to the rascal, +and the seventh and eighth days I shall have him as _Pagato ultimo_,[2] +bound in chains, and bring him to your Majesty's feet!" + +[Footnote 1: "_Volat_" is an expression used in tarok to denote that no +tricks have been made by an opponent.] + +[Footnote 2: This is another term in the game, when the player announces +beforehand that he will make the last trick with the Ace of Trumps.] + +The Czarina burst out laughing at the funny technical expressions used +by the General, and entrusted Orloff to provide the celebrated +_Pagato_-catching General with every necessity. The matter was taken +seriously, and Orloff promulgated the imperial _ukase_, according to +which Karr was entrusted with the control of the South Russian troops, +and at the same time he announced to him what forces he would have at +his command. At Bugulminszka was General Freymann with 20,000 infantry, +2000 cavalry, and thirty-two guns, and he would be reinforced by Colonel +Csernicseff, the Governor of Szinbirszk, who had at his command 15,000 +horsemen, and twelve guns; while on his way he would meet Colonel +Naumann with two detachments of the Body Guard. He was in particular to +attach the latter to him, for they were the very flower of the army. +Karr left that night. His chief tactics in campaigning consisted in +speediness, but it seems that he studied this point badly, for his great +predecessors, Alexander the Great, Frederick the Great, Hannibal, &c., +also travelled quickly, but in company with an army, whilst Karr thought +it quite sufficient if he went alone. He judged it impossible to travel +faster than he did, sleighing merrily along to Bugulminszka; but it was +possible. A Cossack horseman who started the same time as he did from +St. Petersburg, arrived thirty-six hours before him, informed Pugasceff +of the coming of General Karr, and acquainted him as to the position of +his troops. Pugasceff despatched about 2000 Cossacks to fall upon the +rear of the General, and prevent his junction with the Body Guard. + +Karr did not consult any one at Bugulminszka. He pushed aside his +colleague Freymann in order to be left alone to settle the affair. He +said it was not a question of fighting but of chasing. He must be caught +alive--this wild animal. Csernicseff was already on the way with 1200 +horsemen and twelve guns, as he had received instructions from Karr to +cross the river Szakmara and prevent Pugasceff from retreating, while he +himself should, with the pick of the regiment, attack him in front and +thus catch him between two fires. Csernicseff thought he had to do with +clever superiors, and as an ordinary divisional leader he did not dare +to think his General to be so ignorant as to allow him to be attacked by +the magnificent force of his opponent, nor did he think that Pugasceff +would possess such want of tactics as, whilst he saw before him a strong +force, to turn with all his troops to annihilate a small detachment. +Both these things happened. Pugasceff quietly allowed his opponents to +cross over the frozen river. Then he rushed upon them from both sides. +He had the ice broken in their rear, and thus destroyed the entire +force, capturing twelve guns. Csernicseff himself, with thirty-five +officers, was taken prisoner, and Pugasceff had them all hanged on the +trees along the roadway. Then, drunk with victory, he moved with his +entire forces against Karr. He, too, was approaching hurriedly, and, +thirty-six miles from Bugulminszka, the two forces met in a Cossack +village. General Karr was quite astonished to find, instead of an +imagined mob, a disciplined army divided into proper detachments, and +provided with guns. Freymann advised him, as he had sent away the +trusted squadron of Csernicseff, not to commence operations now with the +cavalry, to take the village as the basis of his operations, and to use +his infantry against the rebels. A series of surprises then befell Karr. +He saw the despised rowdy crowd approaching with drawn sabres, he saw +the coolness with which they came on in the face of the fiercest +musketry fire. He saw the headlong desperation with which they rushed +upon his secure position. He recognised that he had found here heroes, +instead of thieves. But what annoyed him most was that this rabble knew +so well how to handle their cannon; for in St. Petersburg, out of +precaution, Cossacks are not enlisted in the artillery, in order that no +one should teach them how to serve guns. And here this ignorant people +handled the guns, stolen but yesterday, as though accustomed to them all +their lifetime, and their shells had already set fire to villages in +many different places. The General ordered his entire line to advance +with a rush, while with the reserve he sharply attacked the enemy in +flank, totally defeating them. His cavalry started with drawn swords +towards the fire-spurting space. Amongst the 1500 horsemen there were +only 300 Cossacks, and in the heat of battle these deserted to the +enemy. Immediately General Karr saw this, he became so alarmed that he +set his soldiers the example of flight. All discipline at an end, they +abandoned their comrades in front, and escaped as best they could. + +Pugasceff's Cossacks pursued the Russians for a distance of thirty +miles, but did not succeed in overtaking the General. Fear lent him +wings. Arrived at Bugulminszka, he learnt that Csernicseff's horsemen +had been destroyed, that the Body Guard in his own rear had been taken +prisoners, and that twenty-one guns had fallen into the hands of the +rebels. Upon hearing this bad news he was seized with such a bad attack +of the _grippe_ that they wrapped him up in pillows and sent him home by +sledge to St. Petersburg, where the four-handed card-party awaited him, +and that very night he had the misfortune to lose his XXI.[3]; upon +which the Czarina made the _bon mot_ that Karr allowed himself twice to +lose his XXI. (referring to twenty-one guns), which _bon mot_ caused +great merriment at the Russian Court. + +[Footnote 3: The card next to the highest in tarok.] + +After this victory, Pugasceff's star (if a demon may be said to possess +one) attained its meridian. Perhaps it might have risen yet higher had +he remained faithful to his gigantic missions, and had he not forgotten +the two passions which had led him on with such astonishing +rapidity--the one being to make the Czarina his wife, the other, to +crush the Russian aristocracy. Which of these two ideas was the boldest? +He was only separated from their realisation by a transparent film. + +After Karr's defeat he had an open road to Moscow, where his appearance +was awaited by 100,000 serfs burning to shake off the yoke of the +aristocracy, and form a new Russian empire. Forty million helots awaited +their liberator in the rebel leader. Then, of a sudden, he cast away +from him the common sense he had possessed until now--for the sake of a +pair of beautiful eyes! + +After the victory of Bugulminszka a large number of _envoyes_ from the +leaders of the Baskirs appeared before him, and brought him, together +with their allegiance, a pretty girl to be his wife. + +The name of the maiden was Ulijanka, and she stole the heart of +Pugasceff from the Czarina. At that time the adventurer believed so +fully in his star that he did not behave with his usual severity. +Ulijanka became his favourite, and the adventurous chief appointed +Salavatke, her father, to be the ruling Prince of Baskirk. Then he +commenced to surround himself with Counts and Princes. Out of the booty +of plundered castles he clothed himself in magnificent Court costumes, +and loaded his companions with decorations taken from the heroic Russian +officers. He nominated them Generals, Colonels, Counts, and Princes. The +Cossack, Csika, his first soldier, was appointed _Generalissimus_, and +to him he entrusted half his army. He also issued roubles with his +portrait under the name of Czar Peter III., and sent out a circular note +with the words, "_Redevivus et ultor_." As he had no silver mines, he +struck the roubles out of copper, of which there was plenty about. This +good example was also followed by the Russians, who issued roubles to +the amount of millions and millions, and made payments with them +generously. Pugasceff now turned the romance of the insurrection into +the parody of a reign. Instead of advancing against the unprotected +cities of the Russian Empire, he attacked the defended strongholds, and, +in the place of pursuing the fairy picture of his dreams which had led +him thus far, he laid himself down in the mud by the side of a common +woman! + +Generalissimus Csika was instructed to occupy the fort Ufa, with the +troops who were entrusted to his care. The time was January, 1774, and +it was so terribly cold that nothing like it had been recorded in +Russian chronicles. The trees of the forest split with a noise as though +a battle were proceeding, and the wild fowl fell to the ground along the +roads. + +To carry on a siege under such circumstances was impossible. The +hardened earth would not permit the digging of trenches, and it was +impossible to camp on the frozen ground. + +The two rebel chiefs occupied the neighbouring towns, and so cut off all +supplies from the neighbouring forests. In Orenburg they had already +eaten up the horses belonging to the garrison, and a certain Kicskoff, +the commissary, invented the idea of boiling the skins of the +slaughtered animals, cutting them into small slices and mixing them with +paste, which food was distributed amongst the soldiers, and gave rise to +the breaking out of a scorbutic disease in the fort which rendered half +the garrison incapable of work. On January the 13th, Colonel +Vallenstierna tried to break his way through the rebel lines with 2500 +men, but he returned with hardly seventy. The remainder, about 2000 men, +remained on the field. At any rate, they no longer asked for food! A few +hundred hussars, however, cut their way through and carried to St. +Petersburg the news of what Czar Peter III. (who had now risen for the +seventh time from his grave) was doing! The Czarina commenced to get +tired of her adorer's conquests, so she called together her faithful +generals, and asked which of them thought it possible to undertake a +campaign in the depth of the Russian winter into the interior of the +Russian snow deserts. This did not mean playing at war, nor a triumphal +procession. It meant a battle with a furious people who, in forty years' +time, would trample upon the most powerful European troops. There were +four who replied that in Russia everything was possible which ought to +be done. The names of these four gentlemen were: Prince Galiczin, +General Bibikoff, Colonel Larionoff, and Michelson, a Swedish officer. +Their number, however, was soon reduced to two at the very commencement. +Larionoff returned home after the first battle of Bozal, where the +rebels proved victorious, whilst Bibikoff died from the hardships of the +winter campaign. + +Galiczin and Michelson alone remained. The Swede had already gained fame +in the Turkish campaign from his swift and daring deeds, and when he +started from the Fort of Bozal against the rebels his sole troops +consisted of 400 hussars and 600 infantry, with four guns. With this +small force he started to the relief of the Fort of Ufa. Quickly as he +proceeded, Csika's spies were quicker still, and the rebel leader was +informed of the approach of the small body of the enemy. As he expected +that they only intended to reinforce the garrison of Ufa, he merely sent +against them 3000 men, with nine guns, to occupy the mountain passes +through which they would march on their way to Ufa. But Michelson did +not go to Ufa as was expected. He seated his men on sledges, and flew +along the plains to Csika's splendid camp. So unexpected, so daring, so +little to be credited was this move of his, that when he fell on Csika's +vanguard at one o'clock one morning nobody opposed him. The alarmed +rebels hurried headlong to the camp, and left two guns in the hands of +Michelson. The Swedish hero knew well enough that the 3000 men of the +enemy who occupied the mountain pass would at once appear in answer to +the sound of the guns, and that he would thus be caught between two +fires; so he hastily directed his men to entrench themselves beneath +their sledges in the road, and left two hundred infantry with two guns +to defend them, whilst with the remaining troops he made his way towards +the town of Csernakuka, whither Csika's troops had fled. Michelson saw +that he had no time to lose. He placed himself at the head of his +hussars, sounded the charge, and attacked the bulk of his opponents. For +this they were not prepared. The bold attack caused confusion amongst +them, and in a few moments the centre of the camp was cut through, and +the first battery captured. He then immediately turned his attention to +the two wings of the camp. After this, flight became general, and +Csika's troops were dispersed like a cloud of mosquitos, leaving behind +them forty-eight cannon and eight small guns. The victor now returned +with his small body of troops to the sledges they had left behind, and +he then entirely surrounded the 3000 rebels. Those who were not +slaughtered were captured. The victorious hero sent word to the +commander of the Ufa garrison that the road was clear, and that the +cannon taken from his opponents should be drawn thither. A hundred and +twenty versts from Ufa he reached the flying Csika. The Generalissimus +then had only forty-two officers, whilst his privates had disappeared in +every direction of the wind. Michelson got hold of them all, and if he +did not hang them it was only because on the six days' desert march not +a single tree was to be found. In the meantime, Prince Galiczin, whose +troops consisted of 6000 men, went in pursuit of Pugasceff. On this +miserable route he did not encounter the mock Czar until the beginning +of March. Pugasceff waited for his opponent in the forest of Taticseva. +This so-called stronghold had only wooden walls, a kind of ancient +fencing. It was good enough to protect the sheep from the pillaging +Baskirs, but it was not suitable for war. The genius of the rebel leader +did not desert him, and he was well able to look after himself. Round +the fences he dug trenches, where he piled up the snow, on which he +poured water. This, after being frozen, turned almost into stone, and +was, at the same time, so slippery that no one could climb over it. Here +he awaited Galiczin with a portion of his troops, while the remainder +occupied Orenburg. The Russian general approached the hiding-place of +the mock Czar cautiously. The thick fog was of service to him, and the +two opponents only perceived one another when they were standing at +firing distance. A furious hand-to-hand fight ensued. The best of the +rebel troops were there. Pugasceff was always in the front and where the +danger was greatest, but finally the Russians climbed the ice-bulwarks, +captured his guns, and drove him out of the forest. This victory cost +the life of 1000 heroic Russians, but it was a complete one! Pugasceff +abandoned the field with 4000 men and seven guns; but what was a greater +loss still than his army and his guns, was that of the superstitious +glamour which had surrounded him until now. The belief in his +incapability of defeat, that was lost too! The revengeful Czar who had +but yesterday commenced his campaign, now had to fly to the desert, +which promised him no refuge. It was only then that the real horrors of +the campaign commenced. It was a war such as can be imagined in Russia +only, where in the thousands and thousands of square miles of borderless +desert scantily distributed hordes wander about, all hating Russian +supremacy, and all born gun in hand. Pugasceff took refuge amongst these +people. Once again he turned on Galiczin at Kargozki. He was again +defeated, and lost his last gun. His sweetheart, Ulijanka, was also +taken captive--that is, if she did not betray him! From here he escaped +precipitately with his cavalry across the river Mjaes. + +Here Siberia commences, and here Russia has no longer villages, but only +military settlements which are divided from each other by a day's march, +across plains and the ancient forests, along the ranges of the Ural +Mountains--the so-called factories. + +The Woszkrezenszki factory, situated one day's walk into the desert, is +divided by uncut forests from the Szimszki factory, in both of which +cinnamon and tin paints are made, and here are to be seen the powder +factory of Usiska and the bomb factory of Szatkin, where the exiled +Russian convicts work. At the meeting of the rivers are the small towns +of Stepnaja, Troiczka Uszt, Magitnaja, Petroluskaja, Kojelga, guarded by +native Cossacks, whilst others are garrisoned by disgraced battalions. +Hither came Pugasceff with the remnants of his army. Galiczin pursued +him for some time, but finally came to the conclusion that in this +uninhabited country, where the solitary road is only indicated by +snow-covered trenches, he could not, with his regular troops, reach an +opponent whose tactics were to run away, as far and as fast as possible. + +Pugasceff rallied to him all the tribes along the Ural district, who +deserted their homesteads and followed him. + +The winter suddenly disappeared, and those mild, short April days +commenced which one can only realise in Siberia, when at night the water +freezes, while in the daytime the melting snow covers the expanse of +waste, every mountain stream becomes a torrent, and the traveller finds +in the place of every brook a vast sea. The runaway might still proceed +by sledge, but the pursuer would only find before him fathomless +morasses. Only one leader had the courage to pursue Pugasceff even into +this land--this was Michelson. Just as the Siberian wolf who has tasted +the blood of the wild boar does not swerve from the track, but pursues +him even amongst reeds and morasses, so the daring leader chased his +opponent from plain to plain. He never had more than 1000 men, cavalry, +artillery, and gunners all told. Every one had to carry provisions for +two weeks, and 100 cartridges. The cavalry had guns as well as sabres, +so that they might also fight on foot, and the artillery were supplied +with axes, so that, if necessary, they might serve as carpenters, and +all prepared to swim should the necessity arise. With this small force +Michelson followed Pugasceff amid the horde of insurrectionary tribes, +surrounded on every side by people upon whose mercy he could not count, +whose language he did not understand, and whose motto was death. Yet he +went amongst them in cold blood, as the sailor braves the terrors of the +ocean. On the 7th of May he was attacked by the father of the pretty +Ulijanka, near the Szimszki factory, with 2000 Baskirs, who were about +to join Pugasceff. Michelson dispersed them, captured their guns, and +discovered from the Baskir captives that Beloborodoff, one of the dukes +created by Pugasceff, was approaching with a large force of renegade +Russian soldiers. Michelson caught up with them near the Jeresen stream, +and drove them into the Szatkin factory. Riding all by himself, so close +to them that his voice could be heard, he commenced by admonishing them +to rejoin the standard of the Czarina. He was fired at more than 2000 +times from the windows of the factory, but when they saw that he was +invulnerable they suddenly threw open the gates and joined his forces. +From them he discovered the whereabouts of the mock Czar, who had at the +time once more recovered himself, had captured three strongholds, +Magitnaja, Stepnaja, and Petroluskaja, and was just then besieging +Troiczka. This place he took before the arrival of Michelson, who found +in lieu of a stronghold nothing but ruins, dead bodies, and Russian +officers hanging from the trees. Pugasceff heard of the approach of his +opponent, and, with savage cunning, laid a snare to capture the daring +pursuer. He dressed his soldiers in the uniforms of the dead Russian +soldiers, and sent messengers to Michelson in the name of Colonel Colon +that he should join him beyond Varlamora. Michelson only perceived the +trick when his vanguard was attacked and two of his guns captured. + +Although surrounded, he immediately fell upon the flower of Pugasceff's +guard, and cut his way through just where the enemy was strongest. The +net was torn asunder. It was not strong enough. Pugasceff fled before +Michelson, and, with a few hundred followers, escaped into the interior +of Siberia, near the lake of Arga. All of a sudden Michelson found +Szalavatka at his rear with Baskir troops who had already captured the +Szatkin factory, and put to the sword men, women, and children. +Michelson turned back suddenly, and found the Baskir camp strongly +intrenched near the river Aj. The enemy had destroyed the bridges over +the river, and confidently awaited the Imperial troops. At daybreak +Michelson ordered up forty horsemen and placed a rifleman behind the +saddle of each, telling them to swim the river and defend themselves +until the remainder of the troops joined them. His commands were carried +out to the letter amidst the most furious firing of the enemy, and the +Russians gained the other side of the river without a bridge, drawing +with them their cannon bound to trees. The Baskirs were dispersed and +fled, but whilst Michelson was pursuing them with his cavalry he +received news that his artillery was attacked by a fresh force, and he +had to return to their aid. Pugasceff himself, who again was the +aggressor, stood with a regular army on the plains. The battle lasted +till late at night in the forest. Finally the rebels retreated, and +Michelson discovered that his opponents meant to take by surprise the +Fort of Ufa. He speedily cut his way through the forest, and when +Pugasceff thought himself a day's distance from his opponent, he found +him face to face outside the Fort of Ufa. Michelson proved again +victorious, but by this time his soldiers had not a decent piece of +clothing left, nor a wearable shoe, and each man had not more than two +charges. He therefore had to retreat to Ufa for fresh ammunition. It +appears that Michelson was just such a dreaded opponent to Pugasceff as +the man not born of a woman was to Macbeth. Immediately he disappeared +from the horizon, he arose anew, and at each encounter with the +pretender beat him right and left. When Michelson drove him away from +Ufa, Pugasceff totally defeated the Russian leaders approaching from +other directions, London, Melgunoff, Duve, and Jacubovics were swept +away before him, and he burnt before their very eyes the town of Birszk. +With drawn sword he occupied the stronghold of Ossa, where he acquired +guns, and, advancing with lightning rapidity, he stood before Kazan, +which is one of the most noted towns of the province; it is the seat of +an Archbishop, and there is kept the crown which the Russian Czars use +at their coronation. This crown was required by the mock Czar. If he +could get hold of it, and the Archbishop of Kazan would place it on his +head, who could deny that he was the anointed Czar? Generals Brand and +Banner had but 1500 musketry for the defence of Kazan, but the citizens +of the town took also to the guns to defend themselves from within their +ancient walls. The day before the bombardment, General Potemkin, +accompanied by General Larionoff, arrived at Kazan. The Imperialists had +as many generals and colonels in their camp as Pugasceff had corporals +who had deserted their colours, yet the horde led by the rebel stormed +the stronghold of the generals. Pugasceff was the first to scale the +wall, standard in hand, upon which the generals took refuge in the +citadel. Larionoff fled, and on his flight to Nijni Novgorod did not +once look back. + +Pugasceff captured the town of Kazan, and gave it up to pillage. The +Archbishop of Kazan received him before the cathedral, bestowed upon him +gold to the value of half-a-million roubles, and promised that he would +place the crown on his head immediately he procured it; it being in the +citadel. Pugasceff set fire to the town in all directions, as he wanted +to effect the surrender of the citadel garrison by that means. Just at +this moment Michelson was on his way. The heroic General hardly allowed +his troops time for rest, but again started in pursuit of Pugasceff. No +news of him was heard, his footsteps alone could be traced. At Burnova +he was attacked by a gang of rebels, whom he dispersed, but they were +not the troops of Pugasceff. At Brajevana he came upon a detachment, but +this also was not the one he was looking for. He then turned towards the +Fort of Ossa, where he found a group of Baskir horsemen, whom he +dispersed, capturing many others, from whom he learnt that Pugasceff had +crossed the river Kuma; and he knew that he would find the rebel at +Kazan. He hastened after him, meeting right and left with camps and +troops belonging to his adventurous opponent. He found no boats on the +river Kuma, so he swam it. Two other rivers lay in his way, but neither +of these prevented his progress, and when he arrived at Arksz he heard +firing in the direction of Kazan. Allowing but one hour's repose to his +troops, he marched through the night, and at daybreak the thick dark +smoke on the horizon told him that Kazan was in flames. Pugasceff's +patrols communicated to their leader that Michelson was again at hand. +The mock Czar cursed upon hearing the news. Was it a devil who was again +at his heels, when he believed him 300 miles off? He decided that this +must not be known to the garrison, who had been forced into the citadel. +He collected from his troops those whom he could spare, and stationed +them in the town of Taziczin, seven miles from Kazan, to prevent the +advance of the dreaded enemy. Just as he was proclaiming himself Czar +Peter III. in the market-place of Taziczin, a miserable-looking woman +rushed in, and fell at his feet, embracing him, and covering him with +kisses. This woman was Pugasceff's wife, who thought her husband lost +long ago. They had been married very young, and Pugasceff himself +believed her no longer living, but the poor woman recognised him by his +voice. Pugasceff did not lose his presence of mind, but, gently lifting +the woman up, he said to his officers:--"Look after this woman; her +husband was a great friend of mine and I owe him much." But every one +knew that the sham-Czar was no other than the husband of Marianka, and +no doubt the appearance of the peasant woman told on the spirits of the +insurgent troops. The most bitter and decisive battle of the +insurrection awaited them. The night divided the two armies, and it was +only in the morning that Michelson could force his way into the town, +whence he sent word to the people of Kazan to come to his assistance. +Pugasceff again attacked him with embittered fury, and as he could not +dislodge him he withdrew the remainder of his troops from Kazan and +encamped on the plain. The third day of the battle, fortune turned to +the side of Pugasceff. They fought for four hours, and Michelson was +already surrounded, when the hero put himself at the head of his small +army and made a desperate rush upon Pugasceff. + +The insurrectionary forces were broken asunder. They left 3000 men on +the battlefield, and 5000 captives fell into the hands of the victors. + +Kazan was free, but the Russian empire was not so yet. + +Pugasceff, trodden a hundred times to the ground, rose once more. After +his defeat at Kazan, he fled, not towards the interior of Siberia, but +straight towards the heart of the Russian empire--towards Moscow. Out of +his army which was split asunder at Kazan he formed 100 battalions, and +with a small number of these, crossed the Volga. Immediately he appeared +on the opposite banks of the river, the entire province was enkindled: +the peasantry rose in revolt against the aristocracy. Within a district +of 100 miles every castle was destroyed, and one town after the other +opened its gates to the mock Czar. The further he advanced the more his +army increased and the faster his insurrectionary red flag travelled +towards the gates of Moscow. On their way the rebels occupied forts, +pillaged and destroyed the towns, and the troops which were sent against +them were captured. Before the Fort of Zariczin an Imperial force +challenged their advance. In the ensuing battle, every Russian officer +fell, and the entire force was captured. Again Pugasceff had 25,000 men +and a large number of guns, and his road would have been clear to Moscow +if the ubiquitous Michelson had not been at his back! This wonderful +hero did not dread his opponents, however numerous, and like the panther +which drives before him the herd of buffaloes, so he drove with his +small body Pugasceff's tremendous army. The rebel felt that this man had +a magic power over him, and that he was in league with fate. Finally, he +found a convenient place outside Sarepta, and here he awaited his +opponent. It is a height which a steep mountain footpath divides, and +this path is intersected by another. Pugasceff placed a portion of his +best troops on the ascending path, whilst to the riff-raff he entrusted +his two wings. If Michelson had caught the bull by the horns with his +ordinary tactics, he ought to have cut through the little footpath +leading to the steep road, and if he had succeeded then, the troops +which were at the point of intersection would have fallen between two +fires, from which they could not have escaped. But Michelson changed his +system of attack. Whilst the bombardment was going on, he, together with +Colonel Melin, rushed upon the wings of the opposing forces. Pugasceff +saw himself fall into the pit he had dug for others. The rebel army, +terror-struck, rushed towards his camp. The forces that flew to his +rescue fell at the mouth of his guns, and he had to cut his way through +his own troops in order to escape from the trap. This was his last +battle! He escaped with sixty men, crossed the Volga, and hid amongst +the bushes of an uninhabited plain. + +The Russian troops surrounded the plain, whence Pugasceff and his men +could not escape. And yet he still dreamt of future glory! Amidst the +great desert his old ambition came back to him--he pictured the golden +dome of the Kremlin, and the conquered Czarina. And with these dreams he +suffered the tortures of hunger. For days and days he had no nourishment +but horse-flesh roasted on the reeds, which was made palatable by +meadow-grass in place of salt. One night, as he was sitting over the +fire and roasting his meagre dinner on a wooden spit, one of the three +Cossacks who formed his body-guard said to him, "You have played your +comedy long enough, Pugasceff!" The adventurer sprang up from his place. + +"Slave, I am your Czar!" and whilst saying this he slew the speaker. The +two others made a rush at him, struck him to the ground, bound him, tied +him to a horse, and thus took him to Ural Sorodok and delivered him to +General Szuvarof. It was the very same Ural Sorodok whence he had +started upon his bold undertaking. From here he was taken to Moscow. The +sentence passed upon him was that he should be cut up alive into small +pieces. The Czarina confirmed the sentence, though her beautiful eyes +had had great share of responsibility for the sinner's fate. The hangman +was more merciful. It was not specified in the sentence where he should +commence the work of slaughter, so he began at once with the head, and +for this oversight he was sent to Siberia! Katharine about this time +changed her favourite. Instead of Orloff, Potemkin, a fine fellow, was +chosen. + + + + +TAMERLAN THE TARTAR + + + + +CHAPTER I + + +All around, as far as eye could range, not a palm, nor a plant, nor a +blade of grass was to be seen. From one end of the horizon to the other, +nothing on which the rising sun could cast a shadow! There was only a +small hillock in the centre of this desert, and against this a man was +resting, spreading out his hands upon the square stone which stood upon +it. He had either just risen from sleep or from the recital of prayer, +and, kneeling, he greeted the rising sun. His dress was similar to that +of an Eastern mendicant, for he was covered with a long woollen cloak, +and one could see through his wide-hanging sleeves the wounds on his +arms which had been scorched by the sun. He was short, and lame with a +crippled foot, and, although his hair and beard were already white, his +face, which was ruddy and youthful, belied his age, for on his forehead +no wrinkles were to be seen, and his eyes were bright and sparkling. The +expression of his face was as grave and gentle as that of a philosopher +or a pilgrim. + +To the eastern horizon of the desert, along the stony plain of Szivasz, +a red pyramid arrested the sun's rays, and appeared through the morning +mists like a red shadow, whilst westward, a long black streak of cloud +seemed to hover, which the morning breeze was powerless to agitate and +the light of dawn could not kindle into colour. Throughout the whole +extent of the plains not a human voice was to be heard, but in the +melancholy quietude some continuous and dismal sounds attracted the ear, +proceeding apparently from the interior of the earth. Far and wide as +the waste extended were these heartrending and distressing noises to be +heard. It seemed as though the earth were sobbing, or as though one +could recognise the sighs and groans ascending from lost souls in +purgatory, numbed into faint echoes in their transit from the depths +below. Or even as though the air were filled with the loud screams of +evil spirits, coming and going one knew not whence or whither. On the +face of the lonely wanderer no expression of fear was visible. He did +not shrink shudderingly from the phantom of the plain, nor from the +desolate picture spread before him. If he could pass the night alone +amidst these ghostly surroundings, was it likely that he would be afraid +in the sunlight? + +He knelt once again upon the hillock, touching the stone with his +forehead, speaking in low murmurs as though into the sand: + +"Oh! Wisdom beyond all wisdoms! grant to me to acquire thy knowledge +that I may wander throughout the world, and accomplish what Thou hast +left unfinished." + +Whilst saying this he rose, and, with dignified mien, gazed around the +expanse of plain. These plains were the blessed soil of Iran. But +yesterday it was the fourth paradise of Asia, while to-day it is a +desert. + +The little hillock was the sepulchre of Abu Mozlim who killed half a +million of people in his fierce and continuous fights. + +The philosopher, wanderer, and mendicant who rested upon it was Timur +(the man of the iron sword), nicknamed also Timur Lenk (the lame), who +in the language of flatterers was called Gurgan (the high and mighty +lord), Szabil Kiran (the master of all time), or Djeihangir (the +conqueror of the world)--one of the greatest of all conquerors. On his +head rested the crowns of twenty-seven countries, and from the Indus to +the Volga twenty-seven nationalities groaned under his yoke. + +It was he himself, the dreaded Tamerlan. The red pyramid to the east was +a pyramid of skulls, which had been piled up from the heads of 90,000 +soldiers captured during the war, whilst the immovable cloud towards the +west was the smoke rising from Szivasz, which only two days ago was +inhabited by 100,000 people and to-day held as many graves! + +The hollow murmuring from the centre of the earth was caused by the +cries of 4000 Armenians, whom the victorious conqueror had caused to be +buried alive in one vast timber-lined grave, so that their screams could +be heard for some time. It was their moans which came from beneath the +earth, whilst the cripple rested on his club, made from the horn of the +buffalo, and gazed with a satisfied air around the desert wastes which, +yesterday a paradise, had been battered down by his horses' hoofs into a +dismal plain. What he saw and heard was delight to his heart. The air of +the desert mourned, and the earth moaned in concert. + + + + +CHAPTER II + + +Timur's camp was always full of learned men, poets, and lute singers. +When he devastated a country or uprooted a town, there was never a +living soul left behind his track--not the sound of a child's cry, the +bark of a dog, or the crow of a cock--everything was destroyed! + +But he spared learned men and poets. On the day of destruction his camp +was a place of refuge to them, and they were guarded by his soldiers in +order that no evil might befall them; and when he moved onwards he +carried with him not only the treasures of the dead--silver, gold, and +jewels, but also those of the living--art and science. His camp was +swarming with astronomers, magicians, singers, poets, painters, +gymnasts, engineers, doctors, conjurers, monkey-trainers, and such like. +Timur caused them to be elegantly dressed and well fed, and paid them +handsomely. He carried them about everywhere with him, in order that +they might amuse all but himself. Why should he trouble his head with +astronomy when he knew no star so sparkling as himself? Why should he +learn history, when he was the one to make it; or listen to verses which +were sung in praise of love, when he distributed captive maidens to his +soldiers as a portion of their pay? If he had scientific men in his camp +it was in order that they should exert their power over his people. Let +them hear the poet's stories, and the recital of heroic deeds, and let +the chroniclers write on their parchment what he dictated. Let comedians +amuse the crowd, so long as it was acknowledged that all the amusement +was owing to him. + +It was 830 in the Hedjir year, and the countries of two great conquerors +adjoined one another. One was Timur, another was Bajazet, whose surname +was Djildirim (the lightning). This latter name is also inscribed in +letters of blood in the chronicles of other unfortunate nations, and a +people who yet cannot fail to remember his name are still called +Magyars. Bajazet was the victorious hero of Nicapol. Where two +sword-blades touch there is sure to be fighting, and how could two +conquerors of the world find room close to one another? Bajazet +conquered three provinces which were in vassalage to Timur, and drove +away the Khans of Taherten, Szarnchan and Aidin. The last he took +captive, together with his wife. Timur, with whom the Khan of Aidin was +a favourite, sent envoys to the Sultan, asking him to restore their +provinces to his _proteges_, and to set the Khan of Aidin and his wife +at liberty. The Sultan was inclined to slay these envoys, but was +dissuaded from doing so by his advisers, who said, "Timur, the son of +the desert, never causes the envoys sent by his opponents to be killed." +However, he ordered them to be scourged through the streets with +camel-hide whips, and thrust them into prison, whilst to Timur he sent +word that if he dared to say another word on behalf of the Khan of Aidin +he would send him back to him cut into two pieces. + +Timur kept silent and prepared for war, and he inspired and humoured his +troops by the aid of his dervishes, poets, and acrobats. + +One day Shacheddin, Timur's historian, interrupted him whilst plunged in +thought, "Master of the world, deign to be gracious! A magician wishes +to appear before you." + +"For what purpose? If he wants money he can have it without seeing me." + +"He does not want money; he only asks to be received into your favour." + +"If he does not gain that, then, he will have stolen my time, and time +is life; therefore, he will have deprived me of life, and will have to +be considered a regicide!" + +Such thoughts as those were frequent utterances from Timur's lips, and +it is a fact that he often had people killed for a mere trifle, and +spared their lives as a sort of good joke. + +Shacheddin did not relinquish his request, and a few minutes afterwards +Timur's guards hastened to bring the magician before their master. It +was a mark of respect that all should enter hurriedly into the presence +of this mighty man, and that they should throw themselves upon their +faces on the ground. To walk slowly was considered a mark of haughty +conduct by him. + +The magician was attired in grey robes, and on his head he wore a tall, +silk cap. His beard was painted yellow, and his eyebrows blue, whilst on +his face were inscribed Tallic words in green and red. + +"Magician," said Timur, with mocking condescension, "where have you +learnt your art? Amongst the idiots of Almanzor, or in the company of +Chinese clowns? Do you understand how to charm people back to this +country from another, or _vice versa_? Say, do you understand that?" + +"I understand that," answered the magician, bowing down to the ground. + +"If, indeed, you understand that, then command that in one moment my +beloved servant, the Khan of Aidin, shall stand before me; and, if you +cannot do this, perhaps you will manage to transplant yourself at least +a thousand miles from me, for my hands can reach even to that extent, +and may possibly cause your death!" + +"It shall be as you command," said the magician. "Will you please to +order your slaves to bring a vat of water before me?" + +"Shacheddin has tried that," said Timur, with cold irony. "Bring water +to the magician!" + +A vat filled with water was placed before the magician, and he jumped +into it, still wearing his clothes. + +Timur gazed upon him with doubting condescension, thinking to himself at +the same time what kind of death he should bestow upon this deceitful +mortal. All at once the water was divided and in place of the magician a +fine, tall young man, with hanging locks, stood before him. + +It was the Khan of Aidin himself! + +Timur rose hastily from his seat, and flew to him as a lioness who +discovers her lost cubs. He embraced the young fellow and carried him in +his arms to a panther skin, where he told him to be seated before him. + +"How did you get here?" + +"As an acrobat," replied the Khan of Aidin, with a smile. "I escaped +disguised as a rope-dancer from your enemy's country!" + + + + +CHAPTER III + + +A Prince as an acrobat! Could there be a greater humiliation? Could +there be anything in existence calling for more bitter revenge? + +"Which way did you come, and what towns did you touch?" asked Timur of +the Khan, who was seated at his feet. + +"From Smyrna I escaped as a running footman. The people praised my +running to such an extent that I felt compelled to prove how far I could +go by running away altogether! In Aleppo I was a monkey-trainer! In +Bagdad I turned somersaults! In Damascus I climbed by a rope to the +Tower of Minarch! At Angora I put sharp swords into my throat; whilst in +Szivasz I swallowed burning coals before the son of the Sultan!" + +Timur Lenk counted on his fingers the names of the towns as the Khan of +Aidin recapitulated them; Smyrna, Aleppo, Damascus, Bagdad, Angora, +Szivasz--not one stone of them should remain! And the people who had +been so amused by the acrobatic performances of a prince should bitterly +deplore this! Little time should be given them to lament! + +"And your children?" asked Timur of his _protege_. + +The Khan gave a sigh. + +"They are kissing the whips of Bajazet's slaves." + +"They shall not do so long!" + +Timur called Shacheddin before him, and had another letter written to +the Sultan, taking care that every time his name was mentioned it should +appear in a line with his in quite as large-sized letters, and not in +different ink; whilst, in accordance with his usual custom, he signed +his name at the top, not the bottom, of the page. The contents of the +missive were not couched in angry terms, though they were written in a +haughty manner. + +"Do you not know that the greater portion of Asia is submissive to my +sword and my laws? Do you not know that my army reaches from one sea to +another, and that the world's rulers stand humbly at my doors imploring +to be heard! What is your boast to me? A victory over the Christians? +You have been victorious over them because the swords of the +prophet--blessed be Allah!--were in your hands. But who will defend you +against me? Your only protector is the Koran, whose commands I obey as +you do. Be wise! Do not despise your opponent because he was once +insignificant. When the locust grows up, and its wings become red, it +attacks the very birds who wished to consume it before!" + +Timur's envoys carried the message to Bajazet as quickly as Arab horses +could gallop. In it he once more demanded that the captured towns of the +Khan of Aidin should be restored to him in peace and quietness, and that +his wife and children should be set at liberty, and he suggested that +the joint armies of the Sultan and himself should afterwards start +together and branch off in different directions, one east, the other +west--one to destroy the Pagans, the other the Christians. Timur's +messengers returned to his camp with Bajazet's reply, also as swiftly as +Arab horses could gallop. Hardly had he opened the letter when Timur's +face became flushed with anger. Bajazet's name was written in a +different line to his, and was at least an inch larger, whilst Timur's +name was similar in size to the rest of the lettering, and was in black +ink! The name of the Sultan was in historic characters ornamented with +gold. Nor were the contents of the letter couched in mild form. Timur +saw here no flattering terms. He was not styled Gurgan, or Djeihangir, +but "the Spoiler of Countries," "the Thief of the Desert," "the Worm," +"the Crippled Man," &c.; and he had to read how his fame was disparaged, +his guns ridiculed, his requests mocked at, and his threats ignored. + +"What I have conquered belongs to me, quite as much as does my own +country. Those whom I have captured are my slaves. If you want them, +come for them! Come, and bring with you your million soldiers with their +miserable arrows, who will be quickly scattered by my heroes as chaff +before the wind! Come, and find me face to face! Come! If not, may you +be thrice separated from your wife!" + + + + +CHAPTER IV + + +"May you be thrice separated from your wife if you do not appear before +me!" Every Eastern chronicler notes these words with shuddering horror! + +Ibu Shimah, Arabshah, Sherefeddin, and the Persian Khandemir all record +them with the greatest loathing, and Christian historians, such as +Phranzas and Chalcondylas, admit that a greater curse could not befall a +Mussulman! "May you be thrice separated from your wife!" + +He who loves, nay adores, and respects his faithful wife, the mother of +his children, who is to him a queen of the world as well as the queen of +his heart, and he who knows that in accordance with the Alkoran it is +easy to be separated from a wife, but should remarriage be desired, she +must live with another man first, and only when he has thrust her aside +can she again marry her first husband--he it is who will understand +what a frightful curse is this to a Mussulman! + +"May you be thrice separated from your wife!" + +It is a greater insult than to slap the face; it is far worse than to +break in two your opponent's sword! Nay, it is even more than to have +the graves of one's ancestors uprooted, and is a deadly offence to all +Mussulmans. And when this Mussulman is a Monarch! and this Monarch, +Timur! + +Timur Lenk did not appear to be furious. He did not howl with rage. He +stood up, speechless, and held the letter towards heaven as though he +would say, "Here is this letter; read it!" His sons and generals and the +vassal princes were horrified to see him as he stood there in his camp, +apparently speaking, though none could hear him nor understand him, save +those who are unseen, for his lips remained closed. He folded the letter +slowly and placed it in his breast in order that he might carry it there +until he could revenge himself for the insult. After this, anger was no +longer visible on his countenance. He did not put the envoys in chains, +though Bajazet had so treated those sent by him; he did not have their +noses and ears cut off. On the contrary, he gave them presents of golden +caps and richly embroidered coats, and had them mounted on horseback and +escorted through his camp, in order that they might count his standards +and number his troops. He had the fighting elephants brought before +them; he let them know that his cavalry wore armour beneath their +uniforms, in order that they might go back to their master and tell him +that Timur was quite prepared and would soon meet him, or should he +decide to come himself, that he would await him. The Sultan was not to +hurry! He would do well to prepare himself in a befitting manner to meet +his enemy! Meantime Timur would bombard the Fort of Szivasz, the +Sultan's most important stronghold! + +Timur Lenk looked down from the Taurus Mountains into the Valley of +Anadot. A new Paradise stretched before his feet. He saw hundreds and +hundreds of places amidst the green meadows, and as far as eye could +reach his troops were to be seen; and before him, in the mouth of the +valley, lay Szivasz, surrounded on either side by massive citadels and +canals, quite unapproachable, owing to morasses. There was but one route +by which the gates could be reached, and this was defended by triple +walls and high watch-towers. + + * * * * * + +The woeful news was brought to Bajazet that Timur had started his +expedition against him. He had received tidings of this beforehand, and +therefore had time to prepare himself. Szivasz had 100,000 inhabitants, +amongst whom were 20,000 military. The Sultan reinforced them by sending +10,000 Armenians, the pick of his regiments, who were commanded by his +second son, Ertogrul. The fort, which was called the "Unconquerable," +was provided with ammunition for one year. One year's ammunition! Within +that space of time barley was being reaped in its courtyard after its +capture by Timur! + + * * * * * + +Timur's followers were divided into a camp of twenty-seven sections. +Tartars and Persians formed the cavalry; Manchou miners made the +subterranean ways, whilst the supple Hindoos scaled the walls. These men +were all veritable magicians! They climbed the enemy's ramparts like +snakes, they were quite nude, with ropes round their shoulders, and they +carried sharp iron prongs in their hands, and in their teeth yataghans. +They clung partly to the bricks, partly to the smooth surface of the +walls, and resting on the shoulders of their comrades beneath them, they +reached the summit. Whilst this living ladder, man on man, made its way +up the giddy heights and attained the foot of the citadel, those beneath +were being continuously dragged up after them. Had they swerved or +fallen they would have been dashed to pieces. Those who first reached +the citadel, crept slowly, like so many panthers, to the unsuspecting +guards, and stretched themselves along the ground as their backs were +turned, then threw the ropes suddenly over their necks and pulled them +down to the earth. Thus they died without making a sound. When one or +two thousand Hindoos had reached the citadel, they flew down to the +watch-towers, strangled the guard, and cut the chains of the bridges. +Then Timur's iron men, with swords in both hands, made a rush to +slaughter the whole population. They had been frequently successful in +these cunning attacks upon the walled towns. Strong forts which had been +prepared to resist an attack of a year's duration had often fallen +suddenly in one night into the hands of the conqueror. + +This fate awaited Szivasz! The gates and trenches had been well seen to +by spies, but yet Timur was ignorant of one fact--viz., that the +Sultan's son, Ertogrul (called the "nightbird," as he only slept in +daytime), guarded the walls at night, like an owl. + +Timur and his men waited before the gates with drawn swords until +midnight, and, indeed, until daybreak, to receive the expected signal +for the onslaught to be made. The Polar Star and the Morning Star +appeared in the skies, yet no sound was to be heard in the fort. When it +was daylight, Timur caused twenty-four huge machines, used for flinging +blocks of stone, to be brought into operation. With the bullets which +were returned in answer, came back to him the heads of his own soldiers! +From early in the morning till late at night the heads of his bravest +men were thrown at him! Timur saw them coming in tens and twenties from +the heights above him! They had been all selected athletes and clever +mechanics who had completed their studies at Delhi, and had silently +slidden down on ropes from the precipitous rocks of Georgia to surprise +and slaughter the enemy. Until late at night these gory balls fell at +Timur's feet. He could have added to the large collection he already +possessed, but these were cherished heads, belonging to his own men! +Ertogrul had indeed lashed the lion! + +Suddenly Timur put into work 8000 miners! The wall of the fort was only +to be got at on one side, and under this he made a subterranean way, +walled it with timber, and filled it up with sulphur and resin, which he +caused to be ignited. After the seventeen days' bombardment, the +watchmen of Szivasz perceived a suffocating smell in the air, which +seemed to settle heavily down upon them, and took away their courage. +The earth beneath them became burning hot, the grass in the woods around +the citadels dried up, and the walls could be heard to split and crack +from top to basement. The heat became unbearable, the iron railings +assumed a fiery red hue, whilst the grain stored away in the citadel was +burnt as black as soot, and the wine-casks exploded. This was on the +seventeenth day. On the eighteenth the walls of the citadel, together +with the iron gates, fell down all together into a veritably burning +hell! Then could be heard the Tartar cry of enthusiasm "Sueruen!" + +Thus were forced open the gates of the Ottoman Empire, and the enemy +slaughtered the whole population of the town. Not a man, woman or child +was spared on the day of the capture of Szivasz. + +The lives of four thousand Armenians were alone preserved. Timur was +merciful enough to promise Ertogrul that he would spare their lives, and +that he would not kill the young prince himself until he should himself +desire it, and he kept his word. He caused the four thousand soldiers to +be buried alive in a huge vault, whilst Ertogrul was handed over to his +slaves in order that he might be paraded about the camp with a crown on +his head and golden circlets about him, and thus shown to the people as +some curious monster. Three days later the Sultan's son himself prayed +to be killed, and Timur acceded to his request. + +On the very day that this happened, Timur absented himself from the camp +and went to the grave of Abu Mozlim the Cruel, on the burying-ground +where he could yet hear the curses and cries of despair which came from +those whom he had caused to be buried alive. He gazed with admiration on +the wilderness which his people had created, and passed a whole night +there. + +At daybreak his leaders came to him, bringing the copper gates of +Szivasz, on which he rested his feet. These gates he caused to be +afterwards sent to Samarcand, the capital of his empire, where were +stored all the gates of those towns which he had captured or destroyed, +making a terrible museum. They were placed at the base of an enormously +high jasper monument raised to the god of the Delhi Brahmins, and were +put along the roadway in order that every follower of the faithful might +tread upon the emblems of Christianity with which they were adorned. + +After the gates of Szivasz had been placed at Timur's feet, the +venerated Tumanaga, the mother of his children, and Csolpan (the Morning +Star), his youngest favourite, came before him. They always accompanied +the conqueror to his battles, and whilst he bombarded forts, these +revered women went in pilgrimage to the graves of the prophets, and +caused mosques to be built and gardens planted upon them. When Timur +proved victorious they proceeded to reward the prophets by throwing gold +and pearls upon their graves! After these followed the learned men. +Shacheddin, the historian, then pulled out his parchment, and read aloud +his record of an event which he had described, in order that it might be +handed down to posterity in the following terms: + +"In the year 830 of the Hedjir--the day after the death of the Prophet +Omar--at the mere glance of the never-to-be-opposed Djeihangir, the +world-renowned conqueror, the impregnable walls of Szivasz, built up by +the Alaeddin to an enormous height, fell to the ground. A hundred +thousand armed men who defended this fort fell down on their faces, and +surrendered at the word of the mighty Szabil Kiran. The gracious Gurgan, +who has ever been merciful, gave his gracious pardon to those who were +left alive, and forbade that their blood should be shed. May honour and +glory attend his footsteps!" + +Timur Lenk praised this description, and, after bestowing gifts upon the +chronicler, shouldered his club and proceeded to further shatter the +gates of the town. The desert plain continued to wail and groan after +this, and who knows when it ceased to do so? + + + + +CHAPTER V + + +I wonder at what hour commence the reveries of a heart which has not yet +been opened fully into the light of life? What are the dreams which +woman's soul creates whilst she remains yet between childhood and +womanhood, whilst she is yet half a slave, half a queen, partly a +careless being, partly an angel of light! + +On the day of the birth of Maria, the daughter of Eleazar, the King of +Bulgaria, the horoscope which was cast for her by the soothsayers +foretold that this woman would be the cause of a great monarch's death. +King Eleazar naturally thought that this mighty monarch must mean +himself, and on the day of her christening he left her in the convent +where the ceremony had been performed, fully intending that she should +never leave the place. + +Just about this time the Osman Emperors commenced to overrun Europe, and +Eleazar was vanquished by them, and, in order to save himself from +slavery, he offered his daughter as wife to the notorious enemy, in +accordance with a custom then prevalent. At this time the Sultans had +their own lawful wives, and it happened that Maria became the last +Sultana upon the Ottoman throne. Those who followed her were merely +favourites, and sat on footstools at the steps of the throne. + +Maria was just sixteen when she exchanged the walls of the nunnery for +those of the Seraglio. + +One is as closely guarded as the other. + +In this abode of innocent virgins she was taught that the world is +divided into three parts. The portion above is Paradise, which is +inhabited by angels; that below is Hades, where the devils abide; and +between these comes the earth, where dwell women, and heartless beings, +alien to animals, and nothing more! The inhabitants of the upper and +lower worlds are continually fighting one against the other, and it is +the duty of the women who live on earth to pray incessantly and to +glorify and honour the angels. + +The Sultan sent his chariot to fetch Maria away, and she only descended +from this at the door of the Emerald Room of the palace, where she was +greeted by three hundred maidens. + +She now learnt to know that there was such a thing as a man in the +world, and that he was the Sultan Bajazet! She believed in the existence +of one man alone. The others she thought were all _Dzsins_ +(Christians)--that is to say, good and evil spirits, who continually +fight against one another. She imagined Bajazet to be the chief of the +good _Dzsins_, whom he led into battle against the bad. + +Maria was just sixteen, and she did not know that there was more than +one man in the world, and that was her husband, the Emperor Bajazet, +whom she loved, revered, and adored, and for whom she forgot everything, +even all that she had been taught by the sainted, marble-faced sisters +in the convent, concerning the paradise which is lit up by the rays of +the stars. + +She was happy, and she made others happy. Both in the Seraglio and in +the convent she saw none but women's faces. The only difference was that +_here_ were glitter and pomp, and nothing but cheerfulness and +merriment, whilst _there_ all was coldness and severe simplicity. _Here_ +she had a variety of enjoyments, whilst _there_ she had to renounce all +pleasure. _Here_ her idol was a living man with a smiling countenance, +who heaped love and flattery upon her, whilst _there_ it was an unhappy +Saviour who wore a crown of thorns, and whose pale face looked down upon +her from the cross. + +Bajazet reposed in the society of Maria after his victories, and it +gratified him to recount to her how many of his opponents he had slain +in one day, whilst she caressed his snowy beard, and kissed his wrinkled +forehead, being glad to know that there were so many _Dzsins_ the less +in the world. + +Little did she know that those very _Dzsins_ were of her own creed, and +that they were having their last desperate fight for existence with him. + +The Odalisc (women of the harem) sang of the Sultan's glories in +something like the following strain, in which Maria delighted: "The +unbelievers disappear as a flock before a hailstorm, and as tow in the +flames. They are burned in their own cities!" Maria applauded this +singing, little knowing that amongst the _Dzsins_ fell her own brothers! + +"Should you kill the King of the _Dzsins_ bring me his eyes," she said +one day to the Sultan. + +Bajazet was a tender husband and a cunning inventor of tales. The next +day he made her a present of two diamonds as large as a man's eyes, and +he said they had come from the forehead of the King of the _Dzsins_. + +The eyes of other spirits were made, said Bajazet, of opals, emeralds, +and rubies, and he, after each of his victories, heaped these precious +stones upon her, and pearls, which he made her believe were the teeth of +fallen _Dzsins_, were so heavy as to weigh down her bodice! + +"When will you start again on a fresh campaign? And what will you bring +me back? I have myself plaited your whip and I have embroidered the +saddle which your horse is to wear when it carries you into battle." + + * * * * * + +Bajazet was at this time just starting on an expedition against the +Greek Emperor, whose empire was then limited to the extent of the walls +of Constantinople, which were being bombarded by his adversary. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + + +One morning the Sultan was awakened by what seemed to him to be the +voice of a nightingale, and, looking up, he saw Maria near him kneeling +down, with bent head and arms crossed. The Sultan gazed long upon the +childish figure. He could not understand what she was doing. + +Finally he interrupted her. "Morning Star, what are you doing?" + +The girl started. "I am praying!" + +Bajazet had never seen anything like this before. + +"To whom do you pray?" he questioned her, with astonishment. + +"To God!" + +The Sultan shook his head, for amongst Mussulmans it is not customary +for women to pray. + +"And why are you praying?" + +"That God may be with you when you start for battle, and that He may +grant you victory!" + +The Sultan was overcome with joy at the idea that Maria should pray to +her own God when her husband started for battle--a battle which was to +cause the destruction of her God's own altars. This idea was sweeter to +him than the thought of the blood to be shed. + +"Pray for me. Pray fervently, with all the orthodox prayers to which you +are accustomed. I do not understand them, but your prophets will know +how they can persuade the ruler of good and evil to act differently to +what he had intended, perhaps, a million years before. Tell me about +your prayers. I find delight in them. I do not believe in them, but you +do, and that is pleasurable to me. And I swear to you by the name of my +own prophet Allah, and in the name of your God, that when I return from +the battle, concerning which you pray, you shall have whatever your +heart desires. In the meantime think of some desire which is as yet +unfulfilled--a desire which is yet hardly existent--which may be only a +fancy--waken it into life, demand it, and I will fulfil it!" + + * * * * * + +Soon afterwards he left to bombard Byzantium. + +The Sultan was right in his belief that the world's history does not +depend on the tears of women. It was decided a million years ago that +this rotten country was to fall to pieces, but no one man was empowered +to hasten the destruction before the allotted day and year. Just when +the siege was completed the frightful news reached Bajazet that the +avenging Timur had accepted his challenge. Impregnable Szivasz had +fallen, and his greatest hero, his son, had been killed by the enemy! +Bajazet at once suspended the bombardment of Byzantium. He had neither +time nor desire to attack the Christian Churches when an enemy, mightier +than himself, approached. Byzantium, therefore, had for a short time to +be spared the fate of having its name changed to Stamboul, just as, 450 +years later, it was spared from being rechanged to Byzantium, though the +change was already looming in the distance. + +Bajazet was quite certain that he would take Byzantium. It was a dream +from which he could not free himself until it was fulfilled. Every one +was against the war. The soothsayers prophesied evil to come. His +leaders warned him not to commence the bombardment until he had finished +with Tamerlan. But he would not be dissuaded. The soothsayer who +advised him to start against Timur before proceeding to Byzantium was +dismissed from his presence. + +When Timur approached towards Szivasz the Sultan's advisers again +implored him. + +"Do not let Szivasz fall, or your son be lost!" + +When he was tired of hearing this he had a few of them killed, but the +warning did not die with them. Though his advisers could no longer speak +to him, a sad and moaning song was heard amongst the soldiers, the +refrain of which was, "Do not let Szivasz fall, or your son be lost!" +The Sultan had to listen to this nightly from his tent, and when he +forbade it to be sung in his camp, it was passed on to the shepherds in +the Izmid mountains. In the silent night, and in the far distance, the +wailing of the shepherds' horn was heard from the Pontus as far as the +Sultan's tent, "Do not let Szivasz fall, or your son be lost!" + +Bajazet had the shepherds driven into the mountains, or killed, in order +that he could no longer hear the cursed song! But he heard afterwards +what he little wanted to believe, that both Szivasz and his hero had +fallen, and had been destroyed by the hands of his enemy. Bajazet +strewed ashes on his head! This was his own fault. + +He no longer attacked the gates of Byzantium. He left the subways in the +midst of their construction, crossed the Pontus with his army, collected +his generals and all his war-utensils, and was ready to start on his big +and revengeful expedition. As he anchored near the Izmid mountain, a +shepherd was seen close by, resting on his crook. Bajazid exclaimed to +him: "Now blow with your horn that song to me: 'Do not let Szivasz fall, +or your son be lost!'" The shepherd obeyed his commands and blew the sad +and melancholy sounds, which were re-echoed in the mountains. They found +an echo in the heart of the Sultan, who cried out, with grief and +despair, that he had let his bravest son die; and from that moment the +trumpeters were ordered to constantly play the melancholy song during +the expedition to Szivasz. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + + +Timur Lenk did not hasten. He had time to look through the towns in +which the Khan of Aidin had been made to turn somersaults. He also had a +little account to settle with the Sultan of Egypt. It was a short and +gory one. He only took with him the metal gates of the towns--the others +he left behind amongst the ruins. He did not leave one stone upon +another, but he piled up the heads of the inhabitants in heaps. + +This was his style of architecture! + +When Damascus was burnt down, the tops of the burning cypresses and +cedars and the smoking resin perfumed the plain with their odour ten +miles around. Of the holy town, only one minaret was left standing. It +was that of the altar of the Ommiads, which was covered with lead, and +the metal from it streamed down into the street. The top being of wood, +remained standing. It was this tower which the Khan of Aidin had +ascended by means of ropes, and, according to the Turkish saying, when +the day of resurrection comes, it will be here that the Lord will +descend and give judgment as to life and death. + +Whilst Bajazet was collecting his lightning forces, Tamerlan had time to +destroy the three Iron provinces, and as many regiments, together with +the Egyptian Mameluks. The heroic Syrians could not bar his way, and he +made them fly like a cloud of mosquitos or a flock of swallows. Kings +disappeared before him. The only one who escaped--and that by mere +chance--was _Ferndzs_. In token of homage he sent gifts to the great +Shah, nine, in number, of every kind, according to the religious system +of counting in vogue with the Tartars: nine horses, nine camels, nine +female slaves, and eight men slaves. Timur understood by this that it +was intended to represent the sender himself as a ninth fraction, and +for this reason he showed him mercy. Drunk with victory, thirsting for +revenge, and loaded with treasure, Timur left Syria to meet his +mightiest opponent, to whom he had now given time for preparation; and +in the 804th year of the Hedjir, on a bright summer's day, he crossed +the Araxes river! + +Bajazet, the "lightning," dreamt a waking dream of revenge as he sat by +Maria's side, and caused his forces to be collected together to await +his opponent's arrival on to the battlefield which was to decide the +fate of the world. Under such a roof of sweet delight no one could talk +of battles. Here even the Sultan did not deplore his lost son; Maria did +not even know that he was the father of sons--men like himself, but +minus grey beards! The Sultana found in her returned husband a return of +all her happiness, and at this joyful moment she remembered the promise +he had made to her before his departure, "Whatever your desire may be, +it shall be fulfilled." And when her husband asked of her "What do you +desire?" she replied: + +"Oh! my dear Djildirim, when will you next start against the _Dzsins_?" + +"This year, perhaps this very month." + +"Oh! how I should like to see a living _Dzsin_." + +"That is impossible. A _Dzsin_ is not a doll, my darling. Do you not +know, from the tales your women tell you daily, that if you tread upon a +talisman you will force a spirit to appear who will be always at your +bidding, but who will rend you asunder if you do not keep him +continually employed?" + +But she was so delighted with this new idea that she would not allow +herself to forget it for a moment. + +Next day she said to Bajazet, "Bring me a _Dzsin_, and be here to order +him about for me!" + +"It is impossible. _Dzsins_ do not tolerate the presence of another man +near a woman." + +"What idiots the _Dzsins_ must be!" + +The third day she said to Bajazet: "My lightning, my love, I have a +desire which I want you to fulfil." + +"It is already fulfilled, if you really desire it." + +"What I wish is this, that when you next start against the _Dzsins_ you +will take me with you." + +Oh! tempting heart of woman! + +"My morning star, my darling, what would you do in the midst of battle? +It is a cruel tempest, where lightning rages. The glittering stars have +no place there. The thoughts of your heart are alluring songs heard +amidst the thunder and tempest of the battle. There is no room there for +your sweet soul. If you pass a mown meadow, you weep over every flower +which has been trampled under foot. The battle blood flows from the +cut-down human flowers. How could you see this? You would die at the +sight of it." + +But women do not give way. + +"I want to see how thousands of Dzsins melt away at your glance; to note +how they fall to the ground when you only look at them. Does not the +song say this? 'They are numerous and come in great numbers. Their +noise, like thunder, makes heaven tremble. My Djildirim steps forward, +and they fall to the ground, and their voices fill hell.' Does not the +song say, 'The opponents' leader is a metal idol, but Bajazet is the +lightning, and the lightning melts the metal.' Does not the song tell +the truth?" + +Bajazet had to admit that all was true which the women of the harem sang +about him. + +"I wish to see you," urged Maria, "I wish to see you in the blaze of +your glory. I wish to see you as Djildirim, as the lightning which +pursues the enemy! I want to admire you in the height of your glory! I +want to applaud at and delight in your glory! I want to be on the spot, +so that I may weave the wreath, and place it upon your brow, so that, +dazzled by the light of victory upon your face, I may fall at your feet! +Will you not take me with you, my Djildirim?" + +The Sultan said, "Let it be so!" + +He was excited at the idea of fighting in the presence of his wife, and +of proving to her, who believed him to be an earthly god, that he was +one indeed. The desire being roused in his heart, he was now doubly +thirsty for revenge and also for glory! His wife's eyes would watch his +deeds; therefore they must be magnificent! + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + +In the year 1446, according to the Christian era, an enormous comet +appeared upon the horizon. The golden tint of this phenomenon of the +heavens was observed for six months amongst the stars, and when it was +closest to earth two-fourths of the sky was covered by the dreaded +spectre. When the sun set and the gigantic marvel made its appearance, +the pale phosphor head drawing its tail after it, everything was lit up +by its wonderful light. Forests, mountains, people's faces, appeared +ghastly by its illumination, and all around amongst the mountains was +to be seen a glow which appeared like a distant fire lighting up the +sky. Only the reflection of the light was not red, but green; and when +the moon made her appearance, with her silver-tipped crescent, the two +heavenly wanderers followed after one another with curious wonder. Once +it happened that the moon went into the vaporous element of the comet, +and astronomers then calculated how many million miles it covered and +how long it would take before it would touch the moon with its head in +place of its tail. Then both would shoot down from heaven, and the Day +of Judgment would arrive. Religious folk went on pilgrimages and awaited +the _Dies Irae_; whose herald was this Lampadias, the name given it by +Greek astronomers. Under the fearful glitter of this heavenly +phenomenon, which wandered over the horizon and lit up the entire +surface of the earth, compelling the inhabitants to breathe its deadly +poison, the two most dreaded men in the Mussulman world prepared to +fight against one another in a life and death struggle. Sultan Bajazet +had 420,000 men; Timur Lenk had 780,000. One million two hundred +thousand fighting men, therefore, had to seek a suitable place amidst +the Asiatic wastes, which would afford sufficient space for the blood +required to be shed. + +The two conquerors of the world were not alarmed by the sign from +Heaven. They not only divided between them the stars which led them, but +they also cut the comet asunder! The head of the Lampadias bent towards +the west, and the thinner end of its long mane hung to the east. Bajazet +said it was a sword which the Prophet had sent to him, and that with its +aid he should kill the heretic Shitaa. Tamerlan, however, gave out that +this was the same club which the Prophet had given into his hands, and +that the head was turned towards the heretic Szunnita. The stars at the +end of the tail he held to be the head of the club, with which he would +lay him low! And so, the two greatest generals of the period started in +search of one another with two enormous forces, and as quickly as they +neared one another, so quickly did the dreaded star approach the earth! +The two conquerors debated to themselves which of them would first grasp +the comet by its tail! + + + + +CHAPTER IX + + +Both Bajazet and Timur Lenk did what no conqueror of the world ever did +before or after them. They each carried their favourite wives with them +to view the decisive battle of the world! It was as though they were to +witness a dramatic spectacle, in which one million armed men took part, +and by which the government of a portion of the world would be decided +either to the right or to the left. Such a spectacle was surely never +before presented by a general to his wife! + +Bajazet's wife was in the camp in an elevated tent made of muleskin. +One thousand women riders went before, and one thousand after her, to +keep from her gaze the face of every man. These were masculine women, +accustomed to sword-handling, and to cutting off heads, women for whom +men can feel but horror, and of whom it is difficult to form an idea. +Bajazet headed this woman's camp with 10,000 veteran Janesars and old +soldiers scarred with wounds. They were picked out from amongst the +Nicapol victors. Every one of them was a hero, and their attacks on the +enemy were always made simultaneously. To the right of Maria were 15,000 +Christians, mounted and mailed, and under the leadership of Stephen +Lazaruvich, the Servian Waidwode. These were the most faithful adherents +of the Sultan. The remainder of the troops were led by the Sultan's +sons. Suleiman, the eldest, was in the centre of the camp; whilst the +two wings, consisting of Turcomans and Tartars, were commanded by Isa +and Muza. Amongst these troops were the people of the Khan of Aidin. +Mustafa, another of the sons of the Sultan, led the heroic Arab troops; +and Mohammed, yet another, was in command of the reserve. Timur Lenk's +sons, Miran Shah, Chalit Shah, and Mirza Mohammed, were also in the +camp. Fathers fought against fathers, sons against sons, and women +against women! Mirza Mohammed Khan led his own troops, and each +detachment was dressed in different colours--some, for instance, in red +uniform and red bucklers, with red standards, red saddles, &c., others +in blue or yellow, white or black. When they moved in square, it seemed +as though figures were moving on a chess-board! + +The name of the place where the two opposing forces met was Csibuk Abad. +It is an historic spot. Here Pompey and Mithridates fought a decisive +battle! At the back stand the celebrated Stetta cedar-forests, and +facing it are the endless plains where the tall oriental reeds grow in +line from which the people cut stalks to make the stems of pipes, +calling them from the place, Csibuk. + +Towards the eastern horizon the towers of the citadels of Angora were to +be seen, whence Timur might be observed approaching. He was engaged in +bombarding this place against the Bey Yakab, when the approach of his +opponent caused him to raise the siege. + +Between the two forces was only one well (Miral) which supplied the +district abundantly with water. The inhabitants were, therefore, right +to call it the Sainted Well. Bajazet hastened to seize this before his +enemy. He knew very well that he who secured it would have the advantage +of tiring out his opponents, who would be forced out into the desert. +Sheik Trzlan, an old Dervish, at one time an adherent of Timur Lenk, was +the guardian of the well. As a follower of Shi he possessed magic power +over the people. + +Bajazet rode to this Sainted Well, and asked the Dervish for a drink of +water out of it. He filled the jug, and gave it over to the Padishah +with the usual blessing, "Glory be to Him who created clouds and +wells!" + +The Sultan threw a golden piece to the Dervish. Sheik Irzlan picked up +the money and looked at the portrait. Then he returned it, saying, "Oh! +my Lord, of what use is this money to me, when Timur Lenk's head is +engraved here?" + +The Sultan dragged the coin out of the Dervish's hand and threw it with +horror into the air, wondering how his enemy's money could possibly have +found its way into his camp. Then he took out another gold piece, upon +which he first looked earnestly; then, seeing his own likeness engraved +upon the coin, he threw it to the Dervish. Sheik Irzlan picked it up, +and then, with marks of the greatest respect and reverence, he handed it +back to him again. + +"Why here, my master, on this piece also is engraved Timur's portrait!" + +And so indeed it was. + +Bajazet, who was now furious, took out a third coin, which he threw to +the Sheik, who, on picking it up, showed him that again it bore the same +superscription. + +"You scoundrelly magician!" shouted Bajazet in despair, "it is your +delusive magic!" and he slashed the Dervish across the face and breast +with his whip. + +"Thank you for your gracious kindness, mighty lord," said the Dervish, +putting his blood-stained face into the dust. + +Timur Lenk would not have acted like this. He allowed blood to flow in +streams, but never in his life did he hurt a scholar or a Dervish. +Afterwards when the infuriated Sheik ran bleeding from the breast +through the streets of Chorazan, Timur Lenk, looking at him, smiled and +said: "This is a sign that Chorazan itself, which is the breast of Asia, +will fly to me voluntarily." + +And so indeed it came to pass. + +Bajazet was so certain of having obtained possession of the Miril well, +that the next day he organised a hunting expedition to the ancient +forest of Stetta for Maria's amusement. Whilst half of his troops were +pursuing the stag or shooting game, and he himself was shooting wild +peacocks, the enemy, at a distance of trumpet-call, commenced to pull +down the stakes of his camp. In the evening, when the party returned, +tired out, from the chase, Bajazet's son, Suleiman, who had been left +behind with the rest of the forces, came to him in a furious state, and +said: + +"To-morrow we shall have to face the enemy." + +"Why?" asked the Sultan, with surprise. + +"Because we have no water!" + +"Surely the well has not dried up in one night?" + +"It has not dried up, but it is contaminated. The Dervish whose face you +struck yesterday hung heavy stones round his neck last night and jumped +into the well, where this morning he was found drowned. You know that +when a man has been found dead in a well no one will touch its waters +until the new moon. So the camp has been parched with thirst throughout +the whole day!" + +"Oh! cursed Dervish!" + +"Ah! the Dervishes were all devoted to Timur. Beware, for he who was +capable of killing himself might yet kill you! And now you had best +decide whether you will retreat or make an advance to-morrow, for in +this place it is impossible for us to remain longer." + +Bajazet angrily pointed to the watch-fires of Timur Lenk, and exclaimed, +in hot fury, "Advance!" + + + + +CHAPTER X + + +It is quite natural that two loving hearts should think and dream alike, +but it happens often, too, that the hearts of two opponents who bitterly +hate one another think in concord. That night neither Bajazet nor Timur +shut his eyes. Both of them were tortured by the conjecture as to which +of the two should lead the morrow's attack, prove victor, and destroy +his adversary. They both anxiously awaited the break of day, for each +longed to be first upon the battle-field. + +It was yet dark when the priests completed their morning prayer in +Bajazet's camp, and as the Sultan stepped out from his tent, the 10,000 +Janesars, who stood ready for attack, commenced to sing the +blood-curdling song which thus concludes: + + Do not let your son be lost! + +This was the Sultan's daily greeting, and he now stood face to face with +his son's murderer! At the other end of the camp the dreaded signal of +the _gurgach_, twice repeated, responded to the strains of the song, and +this was accompanied by the screaming and clacking of the _kernai +reveille_. The _gurgach_ was a big drum and the _kernai_ a trumpet, and +these signals announced that the attack had commenced. When the sun +peeped out from behind the lilac-coloured mountains of Karadegh both +camps were in marching order. The standards and the horses' tails used +as banners were flying aloft in the centre, and the tails of two horses +dyed red let it be known that two sovereigns were fighting face to face. +Here were Bajazet's Janesars, while there were Timur Lenk's brave +Samarcand troops, and between them two rows of fighting and mailed +elephants were placed to form barriers. Skilful armed throwers of Greek +fire were placed in towers with orders not to waste their arrows on +other heads but those of princes. Timur, who was resting upon the bare +earth, was greeted in turn by his officers, who stood with their horses' +bridles in their hands, exclaiming: + +"_Raszti ruszti!_" + +These were historical words by which leave was taken, and they signified +"Justice" and "Aid." Amongst the rows of elephants stood a white one, +the largest of all. This Timur had brought from the Court of the Prince +of Burmah, where it used to be worshipped as a holy animal. On the back +of this curious beast a tower had been erected, where the two favourite +wives of the Khan, Tumanaga and Csolpan, were seated. The one was the +mother of his children, the other his latest favourite. Timur rode up +to them before the commencement of the battle, greeted them lovingly, +and unsheathed his sword before them. Raising it towards Heaven he +exclaimed: + +"Now may it be decided which of us is to be thrice separated from his +wife!" + +Sheriff Said then knelt down upon the ground at Timur's feet, filled his +hands with grass, and as a symbol of cursing and destruction, he threw +this towards Bajazet's camp. Then turning towards Timur, with a +trembling voice he murmured: + +"Go, and be thou victor!" + +To these words the trumpeters in camp responded. + +On the opposite side Bajazet had raised a high wooden tower for his +wives, from whence they inspected as from an amphitheatre-box the +magnificent and dreadfully dramatic spectacle which was being enacted +before them by two real heroes. It could not indeed have been other than +a truly novel spectacle to Maria. What a fearful array of _Dszins_ she +saw clad in iron and copper armour! Such garb surely could only be worn +by inhabitants from another world! What tremendous camps! Surely only +evil spirits who fly, constantly following one another through the air, +could come in such large flocks! Likerbuli, the favourite songstress, +was seated at Maria's feet when the attack commenced, and the strains of +her lute seemed to bring the spectators into line to watch the battle +which was proceeding before them. + +"Look how they come towards us, the cursed enemy! Seven detachments in +seven colours like the rainbow! The leader--Timur Lenk's son--the devil +whose name is Mirza Abubekr, rides before them. His armour is made +entirely of rubies. How it sparkles in the sun! He who faces him, clad +in dark armour, and seated on a black horse, is our hero, Lazaruvich. He +can be recognised by his standards, which bear crosses. Hearken! how the +earth trembles beneath the tramp of their horses. Listen! how the skies +ring with the tumult of the battle!" + +"'Sueruen! Sueruen!' exclaim the cruel enemy. 'Allah! Allah!' scream our +troops. 'Jesus! Jesus!' shout the men of Lazaruvich, but Allah listens +also to these!" + +Maria secretly crossed herself, and prayed to Jesus. + +"Look, they have just come into collision. The clashing of the swords +and axes upon their shields can be heard up here. Look, Timur's +seven-hued troops become disordered. Lazaruvich sweeps them away before +him as a whirlwind tosses the mown grass, or as the waves of the sea +sweeps the shells towards the shore. Ha! Mirza Abubekr's chosen horsemen +no longer keep to their own colours. White is mixed with red, and green +has yellow patches like china fragments trodden under foot! Lazaruvich +is the first hero amongst our troops!" + +Maria herself bent forward from her balcony, and applauded this +wonderful spectacle, which was soon, however, obliterated from the sight +of all in the reedy forest by the clouds of dust which were uplifted. +Lazaruvich now commenced to pursue the despised Tartar horsemen who +were fleeing towards Angora. Maria, intoxicated with joy, tore the lute +out of Likerbuli's hands, and began to sing herself the song glorifying +Bajazet and his hero "Korona" (Lazaruvich). + +The wild madness of the battle seemed to enter into her soul, and she, +too, cursed the drunken enthusiasm of these demons who were always the +cause of glory or trouble to her own people. + +In the dust-cloud of the battle, Khan Mohammed Mirza noticed his +brother's flight, and rushed to his aid, with his crack Samarcand +regiment. In the midst of the Csibukabad reeds he reached one of the +wings of Lazaruvich, whilst Shah Miron, and Chalid with his archers +threw themselves upon the troops of Prince Mustafa just where a gap had +been caused owing to Lazaruvich having made a rush from thence upon the +enemy. Mohammed, the Sultan's son, was there with reserve troops, but he +had orders from Bajazet not to move until ordered to do so by him, for +the deceitful enemy might make a circuit, and then there would be need +for this reserve. Bajazet, in order to relieve his two sons, ordered +Suleiman, who commanded the left wing, to throw himself upon Timur with +his entire force. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + + +Suleiman had 15,000 Tartars amongst his troops, principally inhabitants +of Aidin and Saruchan, who were led by Bey Illisz. These Tartar hordes +were suddenly let loose in one body, being sheltered on either side by +the Anatol troops. Timur's opposing force advanced slowly towards the +rushing enemy. At its head was the Khan of Aidin who, on that day, wore +neither armour nor helmet, and did not even draw out his sword from its +scabbard, though he made straight for Illisz. + +The Bey of Illisz was twirling his pike, and turned it towards the Khan. +As he nearly reached him and was within throw, the Bey exclaimed, +"Defend yourself," and threw the pike at him. + +The Khan of Aidin smiled. Had he earned his bread for a whole year as a +magician in vain that he should be frightened by a pike? + +"You had better defend yourself," he replied to Illisz, as the pike +hissed towards him. He grasped it in its flight, and threw it back to +the Bey, and the iron penetrated his cheek-bone. In this state his +terrified charger ran away with him. Then the Khan of Aidin rose in his +saddle and straightened himself on his horse's back, whilst with ringing +voice he cried out to the Tartars, "I am your Khan! Return to me, and +aid me against the enemy!" In a moment the entire Tartar force turned +round to him and threw clouds of arrows upon the Turkish horsemen +behind them, and thus cut open a space in the left wing for the advance +of Timur's troops. + +This move decided the fate of the battle. Bajazet could not believe that +his Tartar soldiers would desert him at the sight and by the command of +their late master. Those whom he believed to be his own followers had +now actually gone over to the enemy! The Sultan's son Suleiman upon this +stroke of ill-fate turned his horse's head, struck spurs into him, and +was the first to leave the battle-field. + +Another son, Mohammed, commenced a fight with the reserve, but no +success attended their efforts. The day was lost to Bajazet. The +"lightning" was vanquished, and the iron sword prevailed; but Bajazet +still could have escaped with the rest of his troops, and might have +overcome his enemy from his European forts, could he have reconciled +himself to the notion of flight. All round was heard the tumult of the +tempestuous war. It was impossible to see, owing to the clouds of dust, +and the women away yonder in the velvet tower no longer sang of victory, +but trembling awaited the close of the day. Once during the afternoon a +ray of hope sprang up, when Timur's force made an advance, and the +Waiwode Lazaruvich cut his way through the Csibukabad reeds across +Mohammed Mirza, and joined Bajazet in correct battle order. The Sultan +stood motionless amidst his unconquered veterans. Lazaruvich, with his +fagged out and wounded troops, who were blackened by dust and covered +with the blood of the enemy, with broken pikes and torn standards, +suddenly appeared before the Sultan. + +Lazaruvich hardly recognised him. + +"Is it you, my faithful friend?" the Sultan asked, with emotion. + +"It is I, father. Escape; the battle is lost!" + +"Then let me perish," replied the Sultan. "You had best return. You have +wife and children, and have yet a long life to live." + +"God can alone bring help," answered Lazaruvich, and quitted the +battle-field. + +It was already twilight. The escaping forces were seen in all +directions. Only 10,000 Janesars stood steadfast round Bajazet. Since +the morning they had been thirsting for water: now they thirsted for +blood! They could have had plenty of time and opportunity for escape, +for Timur did not attack them until later on. The night came on; the sun +disappeared, and the comet--the dread of heaven and earth--shone out on +the sky. By the aid of its demoniacal glitter Bajazet could see the +opponent's army. He was not frightened, either by the star or by Timur's +victory, and motionless he stood with his ten thousand men on the spot +where half a million men had already perished. Then Timur raised his +hand to heaven, as though he would grasp the flaming club, and with it +strike his enemy. + +"Well, so be it," he said, and with this he gave the signal to start his +troops of mailed men, the Dzsagata horsemen and the rows of fighting +elephants, against Bajazet's Janesars. Maria heard tremblingly from her +tower the bellowing of the elephants. "Ah! the _Dzsins_, the _Dzsins_! +But Bajazet will pursue them and rout them asunder, for he is the +'lightning.'" + +The flying Greek fire opened the attack. From the elephants' towers the +blinding sparks came in clouds, and created dazzling colours in this +night battle, whilst arrows shot at the same instant from all sides. The +Janesars fought and died speechless, as though they were not men, but +spectres. The two forces fought without a word. Only the clanking of +their swords spoke. Oh! the _Dzsins_, the _Dzsins_! + +Suddenly one of the flaming arrows cut its way through the ranks of the +Janesars, and flew to the women's tower, igniting a velvet curtain, and +so setting the whole place on fire. The women, terror stricken, rushed +down from the burning amphitheatre, which, in a few moments, was as a +burning torch in the midst of the camp, lighting up the spectacle of +slaughter. Immediately Bajazet saw this his heart gave way, and he +turned back with his suit of horsemen, and, leaving behind him the +fighting Janesars, he galloped towards the women. Maria was then lying +on the earth, her face covered with dust. + +Oh, the _Dzsins_--the _Dzsins_! "To horse quickly, by my side, away to +the mountains!" exclaimed the defeated "lightning," lifting his wife +from the dust, and with these words he escaped from the field. One +thousand brave horsemen and two thousand fighting Amazons accompanied +them. Mahmud Khan saw the Sultan's flight, and rushed after him with +4000 Dzsagata horsemen. Until midnight he pursued him up to the foot of +the mountain. The soldiers left behind fought with Timur's men whilst +the Sultan got away. + +The Khan of Dzsagat did not relax his search after Bajazet, whose +horsemen and horses fell to the right and left, and by daybreak only +forty men remained. The Sultan was, therefore, left almost alone with +his women. He then stopped and awaited his pursuers. He was clad in +impenetrable armour, and held a good Damascus blade in his hand, for he +had to defend his beloved harem. Ten of his pursuers fell before their +swords could touch him, but finally becoming dazzled by the frequent +strokes of his sword, he fell down from his horse at Maria's feet, where +he was captured. Maria had to see the face of her demigod become pale +and besmirched with dust. His eyes were heavy, and from his lips issued +impotent curses. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + + +Timur Lenk was playing chess with his favourite son. The young prince +was commonly known as Schach Roch (castleing). He had been called this +because it was he who had invented the chessmove where the king changes +places with a castle. Just as the prince was saying "Schach Roch" to +Timur, the curtains of the tent were drawn back, and before them stood +the captured Bajazet. Schach Roch! A king who had exchanged his throne +for a tower, indeed; the tower of captivity! + +Timur got up from his place, and held out his hand to his opponent, +leading him to the divan, upon which he placed him beside him. + +"Bajazet, fortune has turned against you. Not so my heart! Fate has made +you a captive. I shall allow you to remain a Sovereign. Your tent is +ready. You will not be watched by any one. You will find there your wife +and your son Muza, who have been taken prisoners, and they will remain +with you. I only ask you one thing. That is, your solemn promise not to +attempt to escape from me by trickery whilst I remain fighting your +sons. If we can conclude peace, then you can return quietly to your +country, for Allah does not permit two faithful Sultans to humiliate one +another! Therefore you had best give me your solemn word of honour." + +Bajazet was moved by his opponent's generosity, so he gave his solemn +word, accompanied by a grasp of the hand, that he would not attempt to +escape from Timur Lenk's camp. After this he was led to a pompous tent, +where his wife and son awaited him. The tent was magnificent, and those +whom he loved were there, yet it was a tower in place of a kingly +throne. Schach Roch! + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + + +"So long as you keep your sovereign word to me you will be regarded as a +Sovereign in my camp." This was Timur Lenk's promise to his opponent. +Whichever direction Bajazet took, he was received with the honours paid +to a Sovereign, and imperial pomp surrounded his tent. Overnight, whilst +the captive Sultan was walking in front of his camp, he found a screw of +parchment lying before him, on which the following words were written: + + "MY SULTAN,--Your sons are coming with fresh forces + against Tamerlan; Jacob Bey will break upon Angora. + The Waiwode is returning with reinforcements. Be + prepared. We are making a subterranean way from the + Bakery which will lead into your tent. To-night all + will be ready. Be ready yourself also. At daybreak + disguise yourselves as bakers, and you can escape with + your wife and sons into the open, where you will find + your horses awaiting you. Be ready! + + "YOUR FRIENDS!" + +This letter was too tempting for Bajazet, and he eagerly seized the +opportunity offered. It was indeed a fact that a subterranean way was +made to his tent, but it was Tamerlan's workmen who constructed it! At +midnight the hammering of the subterranean poleaxes let the Sultan know +that his rescuing body of moles were coming! The earth gave way under +his feet, and from a narrow passage human heads rose up from the earth +before him. "Come!" whispered the head which ascended from the earth's +depths. "Come!" And the Sultan followed the enticer, taking with him +Maria and his son Muza. They could only proceed in bent form along the +footpath, holding one another's hands. Finally the neck of the cavernous +way became visible. The extreme end was the Bakery oven. When Bajazet +was going to step out from the low opening, some one put out a hand to +assist him, and when he emerged he who had given him a helping hand did +not release his own. The Sultan looked at him. Timur Lenk stood before +him! + +"What! Is this your sovereign word?" he softly demanded of the terrified +Bajazet. + +The Sultan saw that he was trapped. Timur threw away his hand from him: + +"This is not the hand of a Sovereign. It is the hand of a slave." + +So saying, he turned away and left him to himself. Bajazet saw only the +executioners before him, carrying chains and iron rods in their hands! + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + + +Timur was not an ordinarily cruel man--satisfied to be able to bathe +himself in the blood and break the limbs of his opponents. He was a +veritable poet and artist in mercilessness! He required poisoned arrows +by which to strike his foes. He did not want to kill Bajazet, but he +wanted to drive him mad. After this attempt at escape he had a cage +made for him out of iron rods, wherein he caused him to be imprisoned, +and he placed the cage on a car and had it drawn about the camp. A crier +preceded this, pointing out with his pike this spectacle to the curious +multitude. + +"Here is a captive Sultan; a celebrated wild animal whose name is +Bajazet, the King of Kings, the Padishah, the Master of the Seas and +Earth, a crowned king who has got four hundred thousand soldiers, foot +and horsemen. Look at the conqueror of the Round World! who is the only +Master from East to West! He is in the cage!" + +Ha! ha! ha! laughed the armed crowd gathered together. Bajazet sat mute +and motionless inside the iron bars as though nothing could hurt his +feelings. The crowd threw jibes and curses after him, and the youth +threw oranges and walnuts into his cage as it is customary to do to +monkeys. But Bajazet's face did not change. The crier now formed the +idea of playing on the drum and cornet an air which evidently amused +him, and which ended in the refrain "Do not let Szivasz fall, or your +son be lost!" If anything could fill the captive's heart with bitter +sorrow it was this song! Oh, had he only listened in time to this! Oh, +if he had not in the days of his pride forbidden it to be blown by the +shepherds of Izmid! Had he but only hastened in time to the rescue of +his son Ertogrul, he would not then have had to listen to it from the +cornet of this bear-dancer and buffoon, who now paraded a King in place +of strange animals! + +The fellow carried him away in his cage up to the hills where the heads +of his heroes were piled up. On the summit of these piles were placed +here and there the heads of leaders, whose turbans fluttered in the +wind! Bajazet knew these faces too well! They were the heads of his most +trusted veterans. He had frequently distinguished them for their +services, and kissed their faces after victorious battles! Now they +stared at him with glassy eyes from the top of these piles raised from +the heads of his troops! After this buffoon had carried the Sovereign +captive about the camp, he returned with him to Tamerlan. The Khan, his +sons, and the vassal princes, the Khan's wives, and the slaves of the +Court were taking part in a _fete_, and at the height of its amusement +the gilded iron cage arrived with its sad captive. A vanquished Sultan +brought thus before drunken slaves! + +Mockery and shouts of laughter greeted the appearance of the conquered +lion from his intoxicated victors, and still Bajazet's face remained +unchanged! Timur Lenk himself was drunk. Wine, victory, and +revenge--this triple inebriety filled his veins. + +"This glass I raise to the health of the master of half of this world," +exclaimed the conqueror, and threw the contents upon his opponent's face +in the cage. + +Yet Bajazet's face remained unchanged! + +"Bring fresh wine--more women slaves," said Timur Lenk, thumping with +his hand, and Bajazet saw the figure of an elegant slender woman walking +totteringly forward. On her head rested a floral wreath. Her hair hung +loosely and carelessly around her. Her silken mantle was rent from top +to bottom in accordance with Tartar fashion. This woman tottered, for +she was herself intoxicated. She went forward to fill the Khan's glass, +and in her Bajazet recognised Maria! This was the final blow to the +captive Sultan when he saw his wife so humbled and tottering towards the +Khan's footstool. Then he sprang up from his seat and grasped the iron +bars of the cage, and burst out ravingly, "Oh, you demoniacal beast, +Timur! You crippled dog, who have buried your soul's better part in your +useless foot, and remain here living in this world, half of you a demon! +You are no vanquisher of men! You have never wholly been a man. You can +only revenge yourself on women. You grave-worm, who chew treacherously +what a greater hero than you has let fall! Detestation rest upon your +filthy name! Every woman will execrate you as a coward, and will throw +your image on the ground to be played with and broken by her children. +Disgrace be upon you and ignominy rest upon your belongings--you, who +were hatched by a slave and will be buried by the executioner! You were +born to drive camels, you wretch, and your father, who died on a +dust-heap, was a better man than you! Faugh! I spit upon you! This will +be the best spot in your filthy glory! Curses be upon you and upon your +offshoots! Your soul to hell, and your bones to the dogs! Your name to +derision! I shall await you, where both of us are to meet!" + +With these words he struck his head with such force against the iron +railings that he fell down dead. + +Tamerlan could no longer joy in his opponent's impotent fury. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + +Timur Lenk arranged a pompous funeral for Bajazet. His entire troops +came out to accompany the body. On his tombstone he caused to be +engraved a recital of his glorious deeds, and he commanded the Sultan's +women to wail and mourn for him. As he returned from the funeral +ceremony his historian, Shacheddin, came before him, to read out what he +had written down concerning the event, for the benefit of future +generations. It was as follows: + +"When Timur Djeihangir defeated his enemy and captured him, he treated +him as a brother. He placed him next to him at table, calling him +friend, and treated him with the distinction due to a Sovereign. When +Bajazet, following fate's decree, departed to his ancestors, he had him +buried like a King, and raised a royal mausoleum over his ashes. Glory +be to Him who sees everything!" + + * * * * * + +The Comet disappeared, and did not destroy the Earth after all! + + + + +VALDIVIA + + +Valdivia is the name of a Chilian province; also of the river which +there pours down from the mountains into the plains: and likewise of a +city which is remarkable for its architecturally constructed +bamboo-bridge, and for the fact that every man you meet in the street is +called Rocca, and prides himself on his ancestors having been the +ancient rulers of Chili and walked about there barefooted. Now the +inhabitants have degenerated into wearing boots and they talk Spanish. +Even, however, after centuries of blood-mixture by intermarriage, the +men of the nation are still peculiar for a certain kind of beard which +grows very thin, whilst the women still possess somewhat bronzed +complexions and a love of ornamenting their hair with long feathers and +snake-skins. Although the male population retain a traditional fondness +for slaughtering an enemy when they get fairly hold of him, they no +longer, like their fathers, hunt the wild boar; this unfortunate animal, +indeed, having long since been hunted out of existence. The noble +Roccas, no longer occupied with the chase or war, have become merchants. +One, Bria Rocca, is a great sugar-planter; another, Marco Rocca, owns a +huge coal-mine; and a third, Alvarez Rocca, does a nice little business +in the slave trade. + +The Rocca is a fine, powerfully built man, six feet in height, whom one +would not care to meet in a lonely road. The native woman is a handsome +creature with beautiful eyes, whom one would be charmed to meet in a +lonely road were it not that she is a little too quick in slapping one's +face. + +Descendants of a long kingly lineage, these people to-day go about the +streets and along the banks of the river selling Spanish onions and +little trinkets. + +The town of Valdivia, situated on the river, had a widely different +aspect three hundred years ago. At that time stood there the bamboo +palace of Bria Rocca, whose facade rested upon two mighty bamboos +resembling, in appearance, a couple of polished marble columns. The +whole palace was built of this same wood. Its walls were curiously +carved, and, but for its majestic dimensions, it might have reminded you +of the toy palaces you build in childhood. Its doors and windows were +made of interwoven tree branches, whilst its roof was thatched with +agave leaves. In front of the palace was a balcony where Bria Rocca was +accustomed to hold councils with the sages of his nation, and from this +balcony two doors opened into the interior. One of them led into the +apartment of Bria Rocca. It was an immense lofty room, and the ceilings +were lined with jaguar skins, while the walls were covered with the +skins of the black buffalo. Here and there hung axes and hatchets, +arrows, specimens of the dreaded tomahawk, sundry warlike weapons of +stone, and the deadly globe which, furnished with sharp teeth and +hurled at an enemy, would not leave his body until it had torn out his +heart. Finally, in a row, were ranged various trophies of victory, +including a blood-stained helmet which the king had worn. + +The other door led into the queen's apartment. It was finely painted +with the dye obtained from the native indigo trees, whilst its ceilings +were covered with curiously woven mats. There were two magnificent +bedsteads in the room, remarkable for the beauty of their coverlets and +still more for that of the curtains with which they were hung; for had +not Queen Evoeva spun them with her own hand? It was no wonder that Bria +Rocca had chosen her to be his wife; for what woman in the land could +weave such gorgeous tapestry as she, or prepare such delicious cheese? +It was said of her, moreover, that in the whole dominions there was no +woman of such entrancing beauty, her eyes being ablaze with all the +colours of the finest opal; and if she only threw one momentary glance +through her long, dark eyelashes she could tame the fiercest tiger--and +even man himself. Her figure was exceedingly beautiful, and when she +danced before her husband she would gracefully curve her head backwards +and downwards until she could kiss her own heel. Yet she was wonderfully +powerful, and if she was suddenly attacked by a jaguar she would press +the beast to her bosom until she had crushed it to death. One might, +therefore, easily imagine how highly her embraces would be prized by a +man whom she was really in love with, and what pleasures would lurk in +one kiss from her sweet lips. Once, when the king had been poisoned in +the shoulder by an arrow, she herself sucked the poison out. She was, +consequently, very ill for a year afterwards, and the king, of course, +thenceforward loved her more passionately than ever. + + * * * * * + +In the happy land of Chili the trees never cast their beautiful green +leaves and the flowers never hide their heads in consequence of the +cold. The bears do not betake themselves to slumber during the winter +season; and the singing birds do not periodically fly away to a warmer +climate. Summer, in this region, is only distinguished from winter by +the fresh budding of the flowers, by the falling of cocoa-nuts from the +trees; by a glittering appearance assumed by the stem of the _hevea_ +tree, which then sheds its juice in abundance; by the strewing of the +ground with the nuts of the urcur tree, and by the flowers of the _pao_ +tree casting off their wool. There is no difference between the seasons +but these, except that winter means a six weeks' spell of rain. + +About that time a great fete is held in honour of the gods of the +_hevea_, the _urcur_, and the _pao_, who have provided their chosen +people with so many good things. On this occasion the inhabitants would +cut open the bark of the hevea tree, from which would flow a white fluid +which, when boiled by the fire of the urcur nut, was changed into a +leathery solid, from which they manufactured all kinds of fancy articles +in order to sell them to the surrounding countries, who, not knowing the +secret of manufacture, were ready purchasers. On the day of the +festival the male inhabitants would wash their skin with the sticky +juice of the hevea, and then cover their bodies with the beautiful white +wool which comes from the pao-tree, whereupon they painted themselves +with gorgeous colours, and the whole covering looks as if it grew to +their flesh. The women were not, however, permitted to practise this +custom; they had to content themselves with ornamenting their necks with +rows of coral, their ears with snake-pendants, and their waist with a +girdle of long feathers. + +When the flowers are beginning to open afresh, and the beautiful roses +for which this land has so long been famous commence to re-expand, then +the summer is approaching, and a fete is held in honour of the goddess +Morinka. The _morinka_ is a gigantic flower which, growing from the +bottom of the lake, expands the petals of its flower on the surface. So +huge is it that one single petal would suffice for the cradle of a +child, while a single flower will perfume the entire neighbourhood far +and wide. + +At the time when the morinka commences to spread forth its beauty the +inhabitants bring sacrifices to the goddess, who, if in a good temper +and auspicious, causes the flower to expand freely and with great +beauty. In this case there will be a splendid harvest; but if the flower +is scanty and reluctant to open, then the goddess is angry--there will +be dearth, drought, and plague, and a foreign foe will invade the land. + +The home of the Aruacans was indeed a happy land. The gigantic walls of +the Andes mountains surrounded it like a fortification, and the steep +mountain clefts cut it off from its neighbours, whose curiosity, desire +of conquest, and thirst for treasures made them long to explore its +unknown regions. It would have been useless for them to build bridges +across the tremendous waterfalls that tore up the mountain peaks; in +vain would they have made tunnels through the massive mountains; in vain +would they have constructed winding pathways over the ridges; a December +rain would have destroyed all man's labour. If that were not sufficient +to protect the country from invasion, the Andes mountains had four +mighty forts in addition--whose names were Maypo, Peteroa, Chollan, and +Antuco. They were volcanic mountains. If only one of these strongholds +would have started the campaign against the conquerors there would have +been an end to all toils of theirs; the roads would have been replaced +by precipices, while the valleys would be covered with lava and +icebergs; the plains would be concealed by avalanches dotted over them +like soap-bubbles; the entire district, with its cliffs and waterfalls, +would appear in a different light, as though in a huge kaleidoscope: +towering hills would have taken the place of running waters in the +mountain basin. + +One day two hundred strangers appeared before Bria Rocca's town; +peculiar looking people--such indeed as the good inhabitants had never +yet beheld in their country. Straight to the Palace of Bria Rocca did +the two hundred horsemen ride along, in presence of curious crowds and +with sound of trumpet. Then the leader placed his soldiers in line, and +a respectful message that he should allow them to pay him their respects +was sent to the Cazcique. The leader's name was Valdivia, now for the +first time pronounced in that territory. Did not the land of Chili +tremble when she heard this name for the first time? Did not the river +swell? Did not the volcanic mountains which had lain dormant for a long +time burst out into violent eruption? No, oh no! They are deceived who +imagine that the soil is mother of her people and that she feels and +grieves over her sons' dangers. The soil is a coquette who delights in +strangers, reveals her bosom to them, and to them as to others gives her +bloom; she makes love to a new-comer and protects him from hostile +attacks; on the graves of her old admirers does she grow him flowers. + +Why should she not in the present instance? Were not the Spaniards +stately men, superior to the ancient inhabitants? Their whole apparel +was bright, and sparkled; the sun could see himself in their glittering +buckles, the breeze found an attraction in their fluttering ribbons. And +how much more intellectual were they than the old inhabitants! Why, they +could actually hold communication by means of signs, and towards +whatever direction they desired could shoot out fire by means of metal +tubes; they could travel by ocean, and they knew those who lived beyond +it; they could build high-towered palaces from stones, and from small +threads they made delightful raiment; from seeds they prepared such +savoury dishes! Why should not the land prefer them to her old +inhabitants! Bria Rocca has already heard of the fame of those white +fairies--rumour travels unaided--for now Pizarro had long conquered +Peru, which is divided from Chili only by the snow-peaked Cordillera +mountains. He accorded a warm reception to Valdivia; he conducted him to +his palace, asked him to be seated on his finest bear-skin, and placed +before him the best coca drinks in cocoa-nut shells. And no one could +prepare them so well as Evoeva! Then Valdivia could talk the language of +the Redskins; he acquired their tongue and primitive phrases and could +talk as well as if he had been an Inca. + +"Gentle Cazcique," he said to Bria Rocca, "brethren never come to visit +you with strong and friendly arms. In one hand they hold glittering +pearls and jewellery, which would gracefully adorn your women's necks, +also fire-concealing liquor which exhilarates the sad ones and +strengthens the feeble; it cools in hot weather, warms in cold. The +other hand contains sharp iron which would cut your shields, and +fire-throwing implements which aim from a distance! You can choose which +one you please. We do not ask much of you, only give us that little hill +you call Guelen, that we may build ourselves a shelter there, near the +Matocko river. Consider your reply to my proposal." + +Bria Rocca puffed thrice from his hookah, and while looking through its +smoke, pondered what he should say. + +"You remarked that you are white brethren and that you come with full +arms; in the one hand carry presents, in the other guns. We are +accustomed to catch monkeys in a similar manner; in one hand we hold +fruit, in the other spears, and when the animal approaches for the fruit +we hurl the spear at it. We desire not your presents--neither those from +the right hand nor those from the left. Our women are pretty enough +without your pearls, we are in good spirits without your liquors, and if +you have more effective guns we have stronger arms; and if you present +fire, we throw poison, which also brings death. If you wish for the +Guelen mountain in exchange for your pearls and liquors you will not get +it; if you ask it in return for sharp swords and fiery arrows, once +more, you will not get it; but if you ask it nicely, you can have it +gratis." + +"What is the 'nice' phrase, gentle Cazcique?" + +"That you will never do us any harm, that you will leave us in peace and +not destroy our forests." + +Valdivia promised the Cazcique that they would remain faithful brethren, +and as a proof of eternal friendship they both drank water from the +river Matocko out of a pumpkin-shell. They then broke the shell and +divided its pieces as a token of the sealed friendship, the idea being +that just as the pumpkin-shell could not be put together without mutual +consent, so they themselves could not be happy the one without the +other. They finally smoked the pipe of peace and parted company. +Valdivia mounted his horse and his followers went away, leaving behind +them a cask filled with the "drink of wisdom"--the phrase by which the +Spaniards designated brandy when speaking of it to the Indians. + +The Indian fathers asked Bria Rocca to divide the spirit amongst them, +in order that they might all taste it and become as wise as the white +people--"And such slaves as the Peruvians," thought Bria Rocca, though +he did not say so. The spirit of the great Tao-tum had blessed him with +the art of keeping judiciously silent. He poured out the spirit into a +large tank and placed all the curious people around it, remarking that +when he gave the signal they should bend down and drink to their hearts' +contents. Bria Rocca then lit a long camphor laurel switch, which burned +with a white flame, and twirled it round his head, thereafter dipping it +into the tank. Hardly had the burning shoot touched the tank's contents +when, in a moment, they became ignited, and the wonderful white +transparent liquid began to burn with a pale blue flame from every part +of the vessel's surface. The Indians recoiled in terror from this +strange phenomenon, but Bria Rocca thrust his switch into the flaming +fluid, and the blazing drops were spurted over their naked bodies like a +shower of fire-sparks. He then grasped the edge of the tank and poured +out from it the flaming liquid, which followed the Indians as they +retreated. Even those of them who managed to escape carried on their +heels some flames, and a certain amount they dropped at each step they +took. The good people asked no more to taste the wise men's spirit, and +the Spanish calabasse did not have the same destroying charm over them +as it did over their copper-coloured brethren. + + * * * * * + +In the Tlenoch legendary lore there was a strange and ancient tradition, +originated long before the Spaniards set foot on that soil. According to +one legend the Queczalcot gnome had appeared hundreds and hundreds of +years before in South America; its face was white, with a beard and +moustache, and it taught the people what herbs to eat, also chronology, +the use of copper, and the building of houses. The gnome remained there +for a century, spreading happiness all over the country. Then it +disappeared across the sea, towards the east, promising to return +hundreds of years thereafter, when it would teach much more. Well! the +legend has just been fulfilled. The blessed white-faced, black-bearded +descendants of Queczalcot have come, and have brought many nice things. +In the rich Aztec province of Tlenoch this teaching was very easy; the +Aztec tribe were already an extremely submissive people; they knew +already the value of gold and apparel; they had their own fashions and a +rich capital, which overlooked on one side a salt-water, and on the +other, a fresh-water, lake. Around the earth were built houses, +pyramids, and sacrificial _teocallis_, where at holiday time hundreds +and hundreds of their chosen men are sacrificed to their bloodthirsty +gods. Gold and men's lives were of small value, but pleasures were +expensive. No wonder, therefore, that the Spaniards taught them so +quickly how to appreciate their imported pleasures. But in Chili the +gold was still under the soil; the people were treading upon it, not it +upon them. Their hatred of foreigners existed from time immemorial, and +also the desire to preserve their ancient customs, which they +worshipped. So the Spaniards found them very bad pupils, their alluring +words were not appreciated by the old ones; their presents were not +esteemed by the young; the women's eyes refused to rest upon them. These +people could be subdued by bold and daring means only. + +Valdivia gave wonderful presents to Bria Rocca for the Guelen +mountain--a fully caparisoned horse, a kingly present and one worthy of +acceptance being amongst the number. Cazcique could not refuse such a +gift, and after having learnt to ride was pleased to know how he looked +on horseback. At that time the proper use of the noble horse was unknown +to the Indians. Valdivia had calculated well. As soon as Bria Rocca +became possessed of his horse he rode about for several weeks upon the +Salt Plains, and employed his time in pursuing herds of musk-ox in the +high and luxuriant prairie grass, never dreaming that the Spaniards were +building a fort on the top of Mount Guelen. When the Morinka fete was +about to be held, Bria Rocca, according to established custom, ordered +every man to retire from the scene; the Morinka fete was for women only, +and no man's eye was allowed to witness it. On such occasions the people +would retire to the forests to hunt; in town none were left but children +and old women; the young married women and maidens were at the Morinka +lake, and nobody was allowed to disturb them. Let that man beware who +would dare to set eyes on this fete! He would carry the sentence of +death upon his face. Although he should hide in forest after forest yet +would he be traced out and killed for presuming to invade the Morinka +fete. The heavenly flower _morinka_ is herself goddess amongst flowers; +a most peculiar plant is she; eleven months of the year she reposes +under water, twelve feet beneath the surface. During this time she has +no actual existence. When her birthday arrives, which it never fails to +do, for it falls at that precise date when the day is longest and the +night shortest, all of a sudden the lake gets covered with brown and +orange-coloured bubbles a span long, which float on the surface like +many small boats. One day later the bubbles will burst open, and the +knotted membranes will expand, enormous cup-shaped leaves coming out, +whose inside is painted a pale carmine colour, which glitters on the +rich and fleshy fibres of the leaves like the inside of an autumn peach. +Its light green netted veins turn to a bright gold as they approach the +stamens, the leaves begin to develop with astonishing rapidity, and +spread on the water's surface like round tables. The pale carmine enamel +changes into a mild green colour, and the veins that from yellow and +lily colour have become carmine in netted form divide it up into 1000 +squares. The tremendous leaves grow and extend with visible rapidity; +some of them are a fathom in width. Thus they cover the Morinka lake +with a wonderfully rich carpet, over which, indeed, one may walk to and +fro. The wide leaf may bend, but it will not become filled with water +under the tread. A man's weight is no more to it than is a butterfly's +to an ordinary flower. Ten days afterwards the buds--their huge closed +cups as large as a child's head--burst from under the leaf, resting +sideways owing to its weight. The outer leaves, which are white and +netted, are as large as melon slices; two days afterwards they have +changed to a pink colour, and on the night of the fourth day they burst. +The flower does not bend any more, but stands straight. + +As the cup bursts open many white petals appear from the light pink +calyx. An indescribably sweet perfume spreads all over the district; and +so intoxicatingly delicious a sensation does it produce upon those who +have inhaled its pure and virgin fragrance that a woman forgets she is a +woman and imagines herself a fairy. On the fifth and sixth days the +flower opens quite, and one petal after another develops; on the seventh +day it appears in its fullest glory. + +The petals have snow-white branches, coloured deep red; their centre is +of a rich gold colour, containing thousands of thready moulds. The +length of the calyx is then from three to four spans. The Morinka fete +takes place on the night when the flower opens. It is held at new moon, +under a dull sky; for so sensitive to light are the petals of our fairy +plant that with the moon's light even they open but half-way; when the +sun shines they shrink together again; but the stars' cold glitter is +very dear to them, as also are those star mimics which are visible from +afar, and whose virgin brilliancy does not affect the picturesque +senses, I mean the fire-fly.[4] + +[Footnote 4: By the most serious people of serious Europe, this plant +has been named "the Queen." _Victoria Regina_ is the name by which it is +called. It is to be found in royal collections only.] + +When the flowers begin to burst open millions of fire-flies appear by +the lake--attracted perhaps, by the perfume; possibly they are born with +the flower, so that each may be fated to take delight in the other. Now +the tremendous calyx, with a light green colour like diamond glitter, +bends to and fro. Nature's artistic hand has ornamented its crown with +precious stones, for thousands of dewdrops, those stars of floral +creation, are glittering from the petals, while the fire-flies are +continually flitting from one leaf to another, thus forming a fairy-like +walk; on the majestic flower glistens the sovereign fire-fly, the +magnificent _avra_, the lenten insect, on whose glittering colours the +petal shades are thrown. The night is moonless, but rich in stars; the +surface of the Morinka lake is covered with a green leaf carpet, on +which many little stars are shining as if in heaven above. The dense +banana grove that surrounds the enchanting lake gives it the appearance +of a temple encircled by thousands of green columns. And the surface of +the lake forms a magnificent altar, whence, from the gigantic calyx, the +most delicate sacrifice, the most delightful odour, rises to heaven. By +the sides of the lake, on a grassy plot, the Indian women solemnise the +sacrificial rites. Thousands of the most beautiful virgins and childless +women, placed in three circles, dance about and sing praises to the +Great Spirit who brought forward the budding season of the +water-flowers, and who awakes the feeling of the slumbering heart. +Whoever saw them from a distance would imagine them to be fairy circles. +Each woman had a chain of glittering gems round her neck. These in fact +consisted of many hundred Brazilian insects, which the Indian women +strung upon thread and used as neck-ornaments. The colours of the +insects were continually changing from green and marigold to a ruby hue, +and _vice versa_, and surpassed in brilliancy the most precious stones. + +In the midst of the circle stood Queen Evoeva. She was distinguished by +her wearing three insect chains on her neck. Round her waist, too, was +arranged a broad girdle, ornamented with many dazzling insects; their +light was not, however, sufficiently great to allow one to see the +shadow cast by this charming woman. In her dark hair there glittered a +splendid "lampyris," whose moon-shaped light was thrown upon the lovely +creature's face, to which it imparted a pale serenity. + +Could one have seen those women one would have imagined they were +fairies. But who would have presumed to approach them? Would not the +Great Spirit have been enraged at the breaking of a divine command? + +Indeed an Indian would not have dared to do this, even were he an enemy. +A Spaniard, however, does it, though a friend. + +All of a sudden wild noises of men were heard in the banana groves; the +women, frightened, rushed into one group. "Men, it seems," cried they, +"have broken into the Holy Grove on the eve of the Morinka fete." It was +Valdivia with one hundred and fifty of his comrades. When Queen Evoeva +recognised the Spaniards she stepped forward with stately tread, and +boldly asked Valdivia how they dared appear on the sacred ground while +the Morinka fete was being held, and when every man was required to keep +at a respectful distance. Valdivia's reply was to embrace the queen's +beautiful form, and to implant a kiss upon her cheek, burning with fury. +"Ah!" shouted the Indians, "our queen has been kissed by a strange +man--a kiss has reached her lip on the eve of Morinka! The kiss of a +_strange man_!" The Indian women madly attacked Valdivia and his +comrades and began a severe struggle for her majesty. Here, then, was a +conflict between feeble, naked women, unarmed, and strong mailed men. +With nails and teeth did the former fight, like wild beasts, considering +but little the wounds which they themselves received. The Spaniards were +obliged to have recourse to arms against those enraged attacking ones, +and before long red streams were flowing towards the Morinka +lake--streams of women's blood. But Evoeva was freed from Valdivia's +grasp, and one moment gave her time to jump into the lake, whose surface +was covered with huge nymphean leaves. These clod themselves upon her +and did not part asunder again. Hundreds upon hundreds of women followed +the queen's example, throwing themselves into the lake to escape their +pursuers. The Spaniards saw none rise to the surface; the nymphic leaves +floated there as before. But the women swam under the smooth leaf-carpet +to the river's mouth; the river emptied itself into the lake, and +farther up formed a waterfall ten fathoms in height; across this the +women proceeded. Those only escaped who were neither dashed by the rocks +nor suffocated by the waterfall. + + * * * * * + +Bria Rocca was until late evening pursuing a jaguar--which he contrived +to reach and kill--on the wild plains. It was nightfall when he returned +with his men and reached the banks of the Mapocho river, where they +encamped. + +Bria Rocca led his horse to the river to drink. The noble animal had +been moving about quickly the whole day and was very thirsty; but as +soon as it bent its head towards the water it retreated and galloped to +its master, shaking all over; then, tossing its mane from side to side, +it broke into a violent snorting. The king thought that the horse had +smelt an alligator in the stream, and conducted it to another part; but +she manifested the old signs of aversion. "There is blood in the water, +Bria Rocca, woman's blood; your horse dreads it, and that is why he +refuses to drink." It was now midnight, but still a light seemed to +shine from the forest. "Look how soon it gets light now!" said the +Indians, awaking from their dreams. "It is not daybreak, nor is it the +flames of a burning forest." The king's town was in flames, and beneath +that spot where the sky seemed brightest blazed the royal palace. The +strangers had set it on fire! Towards daybreak there was great commotion +in the grove. At first a few crying children rushed thither and awoke +the slumbering camp. These informed his majesty that the white strangers +had disturbed their dreams and made fire on the roofs of their homes, +and that those who could not run away were slain. Then came other +messengers to Bria Rocca, and the heads of slaughtered women and +children could be seen floating down the river. These could not speak to +the king, but sufficient could be gathered from their silent +communication. + +Bria Rocca stood on the river bank, resting on his axe and looking at +the floating human remains. All around the following raving noise was +heard, "It is all up with Matocka town; the dreaded of the Guelen +mountain have by stealth broken into it and bombarded it with metal +dragons; they have killed the children, carried away the women, and +burnt down the king's palace." + +The King himself replied quickly, "If the Great Spirit desires that Bria +Rocca should bathe his feet in blood, and should warm himself at his +town's flame, Bria Rocca is silent and refrains from shedding tears." + +The old people told his majesty that the white men from the Papua and +Omagua tribes had secretly collected in force in the Guelen mountain, +and during the Morinka fete, when all had withdrawn to the forest, had +attacked every village of Bria Rocca and destroyed them; and that +Valdivia was proclaimed master of the country. The King quietly +replied, "If the Great Spirit desires that Bria Rocca's people should +leave their kingdom, Bria Rocca refrains from shedding tears." + +Lastly, there became visible on the Mapocko river rush-boats, on which +the women who had escaped, with their tiny children--many of whom, that +possibly life might again appear, were still pressed to their mother's +breasts, dead from the strokes of the enemy--lay terror-stricken and +furious. + +Now approached the king's wife, the beautiful Evoeva. Her black hair +hung loosely over her face in order that her shame might be covered. The +women grasped Bria Rocca's hand with great fury, pointing to Evoeva. + +"Look," said they, "here is your wife; her cheeks were kissed by a +strange man." + +Bria Rocca's lips paled, and every vein on his temples became swollen; +yet the war-lance did not move in his hand. He resignedly answered the +women, "If the Great Spirit desires that I shall not behold Evoeva any +more Bria Rocca is content and never will look at her again." + +Whilst saying these words he covered with a skin the wife who knelt at +his feet, and turned away from her. The Indians seized their arms and, +beating upon their shields, vowed vengeance upon the strangers. Bria +Rocca approached them softly, and said: + +"Let your arms rest; this day we have lost, let our enemies gain it; it +is to-day the fight of kings against beggars whose lances are weak as +straw. Let them have happiness, splendid towns, fine women and +children, and abundance of earthly treasure. At present they have +nothing to give us in return for this evening's gift. Let us wait until +they have." + + * * * * * + +Ten years have elapsed since Bria Rocca's palace was burnt, and since +then many changes have taken place in Chili. Valdivia has occupied Chili +in the name of Pizarro; then he goes over to the king's side and helps +to overthrow Pizarro, and as a reward receives the Viceroyalty of Chili. +A portion of the province which he had first conquered was named +Valdivia, and also that river from which Bria Rocca's horse refused to +drink. The splendid city too, which was built on the site of the ancient +bamboo town of Bria Rocca, was named Valdivia. This Valdivia gave quite +a different appearance to the whole district. Stone-made roads, +constructed by European adventurers, were laid, and from town to town +people have ploughed and gathered in the earth's produce, and have +exposed the precious metal of the mountains, just as if they were really +quite at home. Nobody has disturbed them in their work; the +copper-coloured persons have disappeared, not a sound of them can be +heard in the forest, nor a trace of their footsteps observed on the +ground--like a crowd of grasshoppers before a seven-days' rain have they +become entirely destroyed. + +Perhaps they have gone up to the mountains or into the wastes of the +interior, where the Golden Land has already sprung into existence, and +concerning which so many wonderful stories have been related to +adventurous Spaniards about the monks Cabeca de Vaca and Nica: where +wild people were walking about in civilised clothing, where the towns +were laid out with emerald and turquoise, and whose fort Cibolla was ten +miles long. + +Some people who tried to find out this remarkable land, never returned +from it. In the time of Valdivia the Spanish imagination became excited +about this El Dorado. If any wondered how Bria Rocca's people +disappeared, without leaving a trace behind them, they could console +themselves with the fact that they were now very happy, and that they +had gone in search of brethren to Cibolla town, where they were now +wallowing in milk and honey. Although they wondered why they could not +follow the Indians, the Spaniards now quietly settled in Chili; they +have ceased to dig trenches round the town, and to post guards along the +roads; they no longer teach their bloodhounds to scent out the +two-footed wild animal; there is peace and tranquillity in the whole +country. The merchants count out their money and the great lords +lavishly spend it; pretty women walk about in silks, and little children +ride on their fathers' knees. Yes, yes! the Spaniards have +everything--riches, happiness, and splendid towns, also beautiful women +and tiny, chattering offspring. . . . . + +"Let us wait until they can repay us," said Bria Rocca. + + * * * * * + +A new lake would be found, and the waterfalls would have cut for +themselves new passages. Still, Bria Rocca's people have taken refuge +there with their herds and flocks, whilst the eager searchers for El +Dorado have failed to discover the way to fairyland. The Chilian volcano +has rested for a hundred years, and only a few craters have shown from a +distance that he too was one of those gigantic bombarders of the heavens +who now rests conquered. But perhaps he sleeps merely--such great beings +dream long. Whilst, then, he is thus dreaming, the Southern voluptuous +plants have entwined themselves round about him, and every kind of grass +and tree derives nourishment from his presence; at his foot a forest of +red cedar has formed, and on his head tamarisk bushes live and flourish. +From the autumn greenery which covers the mountain, dark caverns peep +out. These are the mouths of ancient lava-streams by which one might get +at the mountain's heart. According to the stories of the Omagua tribes, +it was through such that the Aruacans made their way to the Cordillera +interior. There were always a few adventurers who attempted to penetrate +these caverns in search of the Golden Land, but they, as a rule, never +returned, and nobody troubled about them. Once, however, two monks, +accompanied by an Indian who understood the language, left Sant-Jago in +search of this mysterious country. Had all three disappeared, no one +would have made much ado; but it so happened that the Indian returned +soon afterwards without the monks. He was interrogated on the subject, +but he merely said that his comrades had perished--in what way he +declined to tell. He had sworn by the great teeth of Mahu-Mahu that he +never should divulge the secret. Valdivia had him placed on the bench of +torture, and it appears that he felt the thumb-screwing instruments, +and boiling oil had greater effect upon him than the big teeth of +Mahu-Mahu, and so he promised to disclose everything. According to his +story he and his comrades, after they had provided themselves with +torchlights, entered the Chillon cavern, where, after proceeding a few +hundred yards, they discovered on the moist soil the footprints of +Aruacans. They knew them to be theirs, for they were marked by +india-rubber heels, worn as a rule by the Aruacans to protect them from +serpents. As they advanced further the cavern got wider in extent, and +from its steep sides great rocks stood out. The descent, which became +steeper and steeper as they advanced, was crossed by a stream that one +could hear but not see from the cavern's mouth. Over this stream a +bamboo suspension bridge become visible later on, similar to that which +the Aruacans had erected over the Matocka river. + +The volcanic footpaths got more and more difficult to tread upon, and at +times he and his companions were obliged to climb upon the rocks, as if +they were trying to ascend a mountain. + +Finally the opening became so narrow that two men could hardly walk +through it, and there they reached a spot that seemed hollowed out +beneath. They advanced further when the earth gave way, and they all +fell down to the cavern depths. It was a trap from which there was no +escape. After they had for a few hours vainly endeavoured to rise from +this pitfall, they suddenly heard sounds of voices, and--recognised the +Aruacans. They recognised them from the wool which covered their +bodies. The Indians pulled them up with long ropes, blindfolded them, +and bound their hands behind their backs, driving them on between two +tough trees. Ere long the echo from the narrow passage ceased, and the +atmosphere revealed to them that they were in the open air. When their +eyes were unfolded they saw they were in the Chillon crater. It was a +dreadful smoking valley, with a funnel-like descent, whose sides were +then just as bare as when the last eruption had taken place. + +All around there were red-brown stone piles, quite burnt out--dead for +ever--on which no plant could live. Not even a piece of moss or of +lichen was to be seen upon them. + +Lower down the valley got compressed, and on its sides numberless small +holes, like wasps' nests, were visible. Neither grass nor flower could +be observed anywhere--nothing of that kind, indeed, but a few pale green +trees scattered about at intervals. These were upas-trees, in the poison +of whose sap the Indians dip their spears. Every surrounding plant had +been killed by their exhalations, so that they alone grew in the valley. + +On the sides of this dreadful valley a wide, hollow border was to be +seen; it represented the last active volcano; in appearance it resembled +the gallery of a great amphitheatre. On this gallery stood the Aruacan +fathers with Bria Rocca. Under it was formed a sort of semicircle, where +many large china jugs might be seen placed near one another, whose +mouths were for the most part covered with india-rubber; some were +open. As the captives were brought before Bria Rocca two such jugs were +procured, and the two monks, tied to a couple of columns, were then +killed with two long axes, similar to those with which the Aruacans cut +the hevea-trees. Their blood poured out into the jugs; their bodies were +thrown down the precipice. After this the Indians carried away the jugs +with the blood and placed them near the others. Soon thereafter numerous +serpents peeped out of holes in the walls: in appearance they were like +cigars. A traveller who does not know this serpent might be deceived, +and, imagining it a cigar, pick it up--which would mean death. One bite +from this serpent is fatal. These dreaded reptiles crept in thousands +into the jugs in which the murdered Spaniards' blood had been placed, +and when they filled them two Indians approached and carefully put two +india-rubber covers over them, so as to prevent their exit. + +They meant at first to kill the priest's dusky guide, but Bria Rocca +said that black blood was useless, and they let him go. But he had to +swear by the great Mahu Mahu that he should not tell a soul what he had +seen; if he did tell, the Aruacans would come for him in tens of +thousands, and they would not be particular as to who was white and who +black. So they let him go through the same way as he and the monks came +in, and he could not say how he got out of the crater. + +Of course, nobody believed a word of the Indian's story, and they +believed that he himself killed the monks and invented a fable. It was +all a tissue of lies, they thought, and the unfortunate man was pinned +to a stake outside Sant-Jago. + + * * * * * + +The Indian's story had long been forgotten in Chili. Valdivia returned +with glory and overwhelmed with distinction from Peru, and settled down +to live peacefully in the town which bore his name. He dispersed his +troops amongst the various towns and settlements, and he had hardly more +than three hundred soldiers left with him. These, moreover, got out of +practice, as they seldom had occasion to handle the gun. + +All of a sudden, on a still and quiet night, a wild noise awoke the +peaceful inhabitants of Valdivia. Frantic shouting came from the +surrounding hills, and all around the farm-buildings were set on fire; +the faces of hundreds of people were distinguished by the flames. "The +Aruacans have returned!" were the words, distractedly uttered, that +sounded through the town, and that also reached Valdivia's palace. Yes, +the Aruacans _have_ returned--to ask for an explanation regarding the +presumption of building a town over the graves of their ancestors; and +Bria Rocca was there to inquire who it was that killed thousands of his +subjects, and also who it was that kissed the cheek of Evoeva. The +attack was so sudden and unexpected that there was no time to report the +great danger to the adjoining town; and before Valdivia had time to draw +his sword all the hills surrounding the town were occupied by thousands +of the Red Indians. There was only one outlet from the town through +which the Spaniards might have escaped, and it seemed as if the Indians +had purposely left that unguarded. The Spaniards were not, however, to +be led into a trap, rightly thinking that it would have been folly to +throw themselves upon thousands of wild and enraged Indians, who would +have despatched them with their poisonous spears; they, therefore, drew +up their guns on the fortification walls. How, possibly, can the simple +arrows of the Indians compete with such weapons? + +The Indians occupied all the adjoining hills, and had they had guns in +their possession they could very easily have fired into the town. + +Valdivia's men looked quietly down from the rampart walls, for they +observed that the Indians had no storming engines with which they might +attack the stronghold. + +Bria Rocca's tent was erected on a hill concealed from view by huge +cocoa-palms, from which Valdivia's palace could be seen. At the Indian +chief's command the brown leaves of eight trees were pulled down, and +the trunks of the trees were cut open to the extent of several feet in +width; then were tied to their tops long ropes of sap-wood, the other +end of the ropes being twisted round a potter's wheel which was made to +turn by means of long rods. Under the influence of these ropes the trees +got quite bent and their tops touched the ground. Then the Indians +placed some strange-looking vessels into the hollows of the trunks; the +mouths of these vessels were covered over with india-rubber. Bria Rocca +next pulled his axe from his belt and cut the ropes in twain. The palm +trunks flew up with great force, and with a tremendous noise the jugs +that had been placed in the tree-hollows shot into the market-place of +Valdivia. Each tree discharged its dangerous bombs as did the others. +Oh, what a curse those bombs proved! Thousands upon thousands of +poisonous serpents escaped from the broken jugs and, maddened by white +man's blood, rushed at the people in every direction. Guns were of no +avail when dealing with these cursed little monsters. The bloodthirsty, +devil-moved insects crept up the legs of the horses, and getting beneath +the armour killed their riders. They swarmed all over the streets and +streamed into the houses, killing the women and children and those who +could not fly from them. In one hour's time Valdivia had more dead than +fighting men. Valdivia himself became desperate and mounted his horse, +and, accompanied by a hundred horsemen, proceeded towards the gate +leading to Sant-Jago, that gate which the Indians had left unguarded. He +heard the triumphant shouts of the Indians and saw before him the +ancient forest shooting out flames in hundreds of directions. He was +surrounded! The enraged Indians followed him up behind, and in front the +burning forest cut off the means of escape. His companions rode away in +alarm; they preferred to die fighting, not in this manner. Valdivia +thought it best to boldly cut his way through the burning forest, and so +effect his escape--or perish in the attempt. The Indians pursued him to +the edge of the forest, but seeing how boldly he galloped through the +flames they nearly all held back there. One man only attempted to +pursue him further--namely, Bria Rocca. The Spanish horses on which both +were mounted did not fear the fire. Burning foliage fell over them and +little embers glowed under their feet; still the two horses wildly +plunged forward, step for step. Valdivia did not even look back, and he +did not, therefore, observe the Indian chief when he threw a long +harpoon spear at him. This spear entered his body, and when it was +pulled out the heart came away along with it. + + * * * * * + +The spot on which Valdivia stood was strewn with the charred ruins of +the burned town, and there--on that gloomy space--Bria Rocca, after ten +years' mourning, held a feast in honour of the injured Goddess Morinka. +He sent for his wife Evoeva, whom he had thrust away from him, and upon +whose countenance he had not gazed for ten years; and when he had +embraced her he presented her with a tambourine and a flute of bone, as +well as a cup filled with native wine. Then he said: "This is a day of +great rejoicing, Evoeva. To-day you must sing, drink and dance. Strike +upon this tambourine, blow the flute, empty the cup--the tambourine is +made from Valdivia's skin, the flute is his bone, the cup his head." + + * * * * * + +Up to the present day the Aruacan's country has remained unconquered. + + + + +BIZEBAN + + +Such is the name of the deaf and dumb boy who waits upon the Sultan. + +The art of manufacturing these _bizebans_ is very simple, and at Gozond +there are several hundred professors of it who find it lucrative enough. +From poor people, who possess families, they buy children, at ten or +twenty rupees apiece--mere infants a twelvemonth old. As yet, of course, +they cannot talk. These men begin by pouring into the ears of the little +creatures a fluid prepared from herbs, which renders them absolutely +deaf. Two-thirds of the children die under the process. Those which +survive are valuable articles of commerce. Having lost their hearing +they can, of course, no longer learn to talk, and they remain dumb, as +well as deaf, for life. These children, as they grow up, see the world +around them but cannot comprehend what they see. Their native +intelligence cannot become developed: they are like human beings from +whom the soul has been snatched. These soulless boys are very valuable +articles in the seraglio. They are always hovering around the Sultan. In +the most secret chambers they are in attendance; the most valuable +documents are entrusted to their care; and beneath their eyes passes all +the private correspondence between the Sultan and his confidential +advisers. They do not hear a syllable of any conversation--of such a +thing as speech they have no conception. How can they imagine what those +peculiarly shaped letters mean which their eyes behold? There is no +corresponding knowledge or intelligence within them which would render +this possible; and the few things which they both see and understood, +they could not communicate to other people. + +Such were the unfortunate _bizebans_. Nevertheless they were dressed in +purple and silk robes. Long chains of pearls hung from their neck, and +they were fed upon what overflowed from the Sultan's own table. In all +respects they were treated with especial consideration--like monkeys or +parrots which are kept as playthings. + +These creatures, deprived of soul, know how to do one or two things, but +no more. They understand that they must remain on guard at a certain +post and not move thence; they can carry a certain article to a certain +place; they can cut the Sultan's nails to beautiful fine points and +adjust his turban--such is the utmost limit of their accomplishments. +They are indeed like dogs, taught to fetch and carry things for their +masters in their mouth. + +Before Sultan Mustapha II. ascended the throne he already possessed a +number of _bizebans_. One of these was his especial favourite--a boy who +was quite superior to the rest and who excited more sympathy; for in +his big, dreamy eyes so much sentiment and intelligence was visible that +it seemed sad that he could not be taught to feel and think like a human +being. Like other _bizebans_ he had no name. Why should a _bizeban_ have +a name? He won't hear it even if it is addressed to him. + +As a rule the _bizeban_ also fulfilled the office of eunuch, and walked +freely into the seraglio. Prince Mustapha used often, by the hand of his +pet _bizeban_, to send to his sister, the beautiful Saliha, presents of +a certain kind of very choice melon which only grew in the Sultan's +garden and concerning which fruit a very sad story was told. + +One day, noticing that one melon was missing from the beds, the Sultan +had all his gardeners tortured that the culprit might confess his theft. +Then, when this experiment failed, he had seven of them cut open. To no +purpose; but when the eighth was ripped up fragments of the melon were +revealed, which was very fortunate, as a few hundred other servants +would, but for this, have been treated likewise. + +The lovely Saliha was a very kind-hearted creature. She thought her +brother's _bizeban_ was a very sweet and gentle little thing, and she +did not hesitate to pet him. She tried to make him understand this and +that, and he seemed to have a very quick intelligence. Why should he not +one day possess a soul? This idea occurred to her as she was walking, on +one occasion, in the shrubbery. Could she not give back to him the soul +of which he had been deprived, could she not teach him the alphabet? If +she showed him a certain letter and then pointed to some object with +which he was familiar could he not by degrees be made acquainted with +the world? + +Saliha made the experiment. She found it a very pleasant recreation, for +life in the seraglio is extremely monotonous. + +We have heard that prisoners in their dungeons have even taught spiders +to dance at the sound of music (and the seraglio as a place of detention +is scarcely more exhilarating than a dungeon). Why should not the deaf +and dumb boy prove as apt as a spider? At her first essay, Saliha was +amazed to see how the soul of the _bizeban_ began to expand. He grasped +anything in a moment. Once shown the alphabet he could afterwards trace +out each letter on the ground. Once shown the name of a certain article +he never forgot it. This success encouraged Saliha to further attempts. +Would it not be possible to speak to the _bizeban_? But how could the +speaking be done so that no beholder comprehended it? Ah! with the +hands! The human hand has five fingers, and their variety of motion, as +they open and shut, is such that the entire alphabet might thereby be +distinctly expressed. Saliha determined to teach the boy to converse +with her by means of his fingers; and the success of her experiments +exceeded her expectations. He quickly learned the secret signs. It was +delightful to Saliha; and she determined to get amusement out of it too. +She would extract from the _bizeban_ secrets concerning her brother +which he thought no one living knew, and then she would tease this +relative by pretending that she had discovered them through the mystic +words of the Cabala. Who could ever dream of suspecting a _bizeban_ who +was deaf and dumb? + +After the death of Osman, Prince Mustapha ascended the throne. His +youthful gaiety now quickly fled--his shoulders began to bend beneath +the weight of the Turkish Empire, which was then already in a tottering +condition, with enemies on every side. + +At that time the country possessed a great statesman in the person of +Raghib Pasha, whose potent hand had preserved the empire from +destruction. It was he who crushed the forces of the rebellious Egyptian +princes and laid the province at the feet of the Padishah. Raghib was +not only a hero in war, he was also a famous poet and the greatest +scholar in the land. Historians describe him, in his character of +statesman, as a "leader of leaders," _szad rul vezir_, and in that of +writer as the "Prince of Roumelian poets". (_Sultani suari Rum_). In his +gigantic work entitled _Zezinet Olulum_ ("Ship of Knowledge") all the +legends are collected which had lain scattered about the Arab plains. It +was he who founded the splendid library which bears his name. + +At the time of which we now write, Saliha was in the very springtide of +her beauty--like the lotus-flower which opens its petals before the dew +of dawn. Sultan Mustapha could not have given Raghib Pasha a greater +reward than by bestowing upon him the hand of his lovely sister; and as +to whether he inspired her with real affection I need only say that he +was fifty-nine when he married her and that she loved him so much that +when he died her mind became deranged. + +Raghib Pasha ruled not only over the Mussulmans but also over the ruler +of the Mussulmans, for he had divined the Sultan's thoughts--yes, his +innermost thoughts. + +It was the Sultan's habit not to retire at night to his bedchamber until +he had recorded, in a voluminous diary, all the events of the day and +his impressions concerning them. This book he habitually kept in the +secrecy of his own room, and the _bizeban_ watched over it until the +morning. To whom would it ever have occurred that the deaf and dumb from +birth could read, or that he could communicate the written lines to some +one else? In the room where this diary was kept there was a little +window which opened into the _khazoda_, the Sultan's place of worship. +But it was so shut off from view by various corridors as to be only +visible from the seraglio. Every evening, just as the Sultan was leaving +his apartments in order to go and say his final prayers in this +sanctuary, the murzims were accustomed to strike seven times with a +hammer a bell without a tongue. Then the Imam who stood before the altar +would say: "Ahamdu lillahi Rabbil alemum" ("Grace descends from Heaven, +which rules over all"). Thereupon the congregation would fall on their +faces. They remained prostrate until the Sultan reached the door; when +the Imam would exclaim: Allehu ekber! ("The Lord is powerful"), and all +present rose to their feet. During the period of prostration a secret +hand would be stretched out from the little window we have mentioned, +and would make all kinds of signs. No one noticed this hand, except +Saliha, who carefully watched its mysterious movements whilst she was +upon her knees. From these signs she knew everything that the Sultan had +that day recorded in his diary; and the very same night she would +whisper the information to her husband. + +Raghib Pasha was a wise man, who knew how to keep such information +secret. He thereby learned who his enemies were and managed to clear +them out of his way. He got to know the wishes of the Sultan and could +long before anticipate them. Everything he did was done in the name of +the Sultan: the pomp and glory which he himself achieved he allowed +people to ascribe to his Sovereign, and he even made Mustapha imagine +that he ruled; whereas the feeble-hearted monarch was a mere puppet in +the hands of his skilful Grand Vizier. + +In his poems Raghib extolled the Sultan for his mighty and politic +deeds--eulogised him for inspecting the navy and the military magazines, +for increasing the nation's revenue by 6,000,000 piastres, and doing +other things which Raghib himself had in fact done on his own account. + +Throughout Turkey, throughout Europe, it was known well enough that, not +the Sultan, but his Minister, ruled at Stamboul; it was only Mustapha +who did not know it. + +One day Raghib's enemies, Hamil Pasha, Bahir Mustapha, and Mohamed Emin, +who were jealous of the Minister's great power, said to the Sultan: + +"This man only calls you Sultan in mockery. He does everything without +you, just as if the State were his. He has just concluded, without your +knowledge, an alliance with the ruler of one of the infidel empires--an +alliance which, although it may prove the destruction of other +unfaithful nations, he should never have dared to make before obtaining +the consent of his monarch, in whose presence he is nothing but dust." +It was Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, who, believing in the +wisdom of the distinguished Minister, had invited his alliance, and the +documents ratifying it had already been signed. Had that alliance been +allowed to continue, perhaps the crescent of Turkey would have risen +again. But the heart of Mustapha had been perturbed by these malicious +whisperings. When the traitors had left him he said nothing, but simply +ordered his _bizeban_ to bring him his diary, wherein he proceeded to +record his impressions of the day. Then, shutting the book and giving it +to the _bizeban_, he went to evening prayers. On this occasion the hand +appeared at the little window and made certain signs which Saliha +watched intently. They said: "Escape, Raghib. The Sultan knows of your +letter to the Prussian king. To-morrow your head will be cut off and +your documents confiscated." + +The Sultan returned from his profound devotions with a lightened heart. +No one, he said to himself, knew his secret, and to-morrow morning he +would send his executioner to fetch him Raghib's head. Yes, he longed to +possess that head ignominiously severed from its trunk. + +But when the executioner reached the Grand Vizier's residence, he found +there his dead body, which could no longer be killed. On his table lay a +letter addressed to the Sultan and enclosed in a velvet envelope. It was +taken to the Sovereign with the news that the Minister had been found +dead. The letter ran thus: + + "Mustapha, the Omniscient has vouchsafed, in His + mysterious providence, to let me know that you wished + to kill me because, without your knowledge, I + concluded, for the benefit of your dominion, an + alliance with the King of Prussia. I did not run away + from death; I simply anticipated it. I consider I have + lived long enough in order to die fitly now, and long + enough not to be forgotten. All the documents at my + palace I have burned. You will see what I have done + for your country; the rest will be said when we meet + in presence of the great Prophet." + +The Sultan was paralysed with wonder and fear. How could that secret, +which had been locked up only in his own heart, have been divined by +Raghib? First he accused the _dsins_ (Christian prophets), then the +Hindoo soothsayers, then the interpreters of dreams--then the very pen +with which he had written. How could he dream that the deaf and dumb +could speak? + +When Mustapha endeavoured to further the alliance with the King of +Prussia, this great ruler of the infidels replied that there had until +recently been one wise man in Turkey, but that he did not now propose +to do business with fools. This was a bitter humiliation to the +Sultan--to think that his late slave could have procured an alliance +which was contemptuously refused to the King of Kings! + +Mustapha frequently lamented the loss of Raghib, and was constantly +tortured by the mystery whereby the secret of his heart had been +penetrated. After the Grand Vizier's death the _bizeban_ ceased to +communicate to Saliha the secrets of the Sultan. He had no longer any +motive to do so. + +First came Hamil, who only, however, remained Grand Vizier for six +months, when he was executed for his negligence; and chroniclers relate +of him that he let the empire go as it pleased, doing it neither good +nor harm. Then followed the head of Bahir Mustapha. It was cut off for +his barbarity. The third was Mohamed Emin, whom the Sultan beheaded for +cowardice on the battlefield. Mustapha shed tears over the loss of his +three Grand Viziers--but not on their personal account, for he had never +forgotten Raghib, who was so wise, brave, and noble; and whenever he +beheaded one of his Grand Viziers he would always think of the +unfortunate Raghib. + +The _bizeban_ laughed within himself; for the deaf and dumb can laugh +when they are alone. His secret no one ever knew. + + + + +THE MOONLIGHT SOMNAMBULIST + + +Pozdordy was one of the best known and respected farmers in the province +of B----, and the surrounding gentry were accustomed to visit him at his +picturesque homestead. The frequency of their visits was, however, due +chiefly to the circumstance that he was possessed of a lovely daughter. +This maiden, besides being enchantingly beautiful, was as proud as a +queen. + +It was quite natural that the young men from round and about should be +helplessly in love with her and willing to hazard life itself in the +hope of winning such a prize. But many as were the rival suitors, they +all at last had to give way to one upon whom Etelka bestowed her +preference, and that preference could not be divided either in two or +more parts. As a matter of fact no objection could have been made +against her choice, for it fell upon such a man as is generally regarded +as the ideal of a woman's dreams. He was of fine stature, tall, +well-proportioned, no longer young, it is true, but far from his +decline. He was a retired major, and bore himself with a faultless +military carriage. His manners were polished, his education extensive, +and his wit by no means inferior. He was good-hearted, patriotic, and +keen in business matters; he did not gamble, neither did he run into +debt--in fact, from top to toe, you could not find a fault in him. + +Of course the various competitors for the hand of Etelka had to bow +before her decision, they could not help themselves; but one of them, in +his fierce dissatisfaction, vowed inwardly that he would not yield the +prize so easily. This rival was a young man who fancied that Etelka had +regarded him with a degree of favour which was only second to that which +she had bestowed on the victorious Major. + +But Mogyorody, the malcontent in question, knew that Major Duranczy was +very handy with rapier and pistol and did not care to be trifled with. +He therefore determined to use diplomacy. He paid a friendly sort of +visit to the father of Etelka, and spent the evening with him. Pozdordy +had a pretty good suspicion as to why the visitor had come. + +In due course the conversation turned upon Duranczy. + +"A very nice fellow indeed, isn't he?" said the farmer. + +"Oh, yes," replied Mogyorody, who at the same time made a grimace which +betrayed his real opinion. + +The farmer, who was evidently uneasy at the young man's obvious +jealousy, exclaimed: + +"But you have nothing to say against him?" + +"Oh, no, nothing in the world!" + +"But you have something on your mind. It is true he's not so youthful as +you, but he is not yet old." + +"Oh, no, he's in the prime of life." + +"Do you wish to imply that there is anything against his past?" + +"No; for who amongst us has not got a past?" + +"Perhaps you wish to make out that he is only marrying Etelka for her +money?" + +"By no means." + +"Do you accuse him of being a gambler?" + +"He never touches cards." + +"A spendthrift?" + +"He is the very reverse--stares on both sides of every halfpenny before +he parts with it." + +"Do you think him lazy?" + +"No, a model of plodding industry." + +"Then what is amiss with his character?" + +"It is perfect--almost monotonously so; but he has one peculiarity with +which you ought to be made acquainted if you are going to marry your +daughter to him." + +"What is that?" + +"Well, if you want to know, he's a lunar somnambulist--when the moon is +at the full he rises at night from his bed, and, with open eyes, walks +about the house in a dream, muttering all kinds of extraordinary things. +If swords or pistols were then within his reach he would probably wound +or kill any one, and I shouldn't like to see your daughter murdered in +one of these moonlight perambulations." + +"Oh, that is nonsense. I will believe no tale of that kind." + +"Do as you please. I have discharged my duty, and told you. Now, +good-night." + +But after Mogyorody had departed, the farmer, although he had pretended +to be unconcerned, said to himself: + +"This might possibly be true; I must investigate the matter further +before the marriage takes place." + +His mind being very uneasy, he determined to invite Duranczy to his +house on the next occasion, when the moon would be at its full; and when +the night in question arrived he entertained the Major at his farm with +all the outward demonstration of confidence and friendship. + +It so happened that during the evening Mogyorody looked in, for although +a rejected lover, he was still a recognised visitor, owing to business +and family connections with the farmer. + +Pozdordy, albeit that he was somewhat alarmed at the appearance of his +rival, politely welcomed him, and was relieved to notice, as his two +guests conversed together, that the old jealousy seemed to have quite +disappeared, and that Mogyorody evinced towards the Major every symptom +of good fellowship. + +The wine circulated freely, and the night wore pleasantly away, until +the clock reminded Pozdordy that there was a limit to every festivity. +He had already intended to press Duranczy to sleep with him; but, as it +was already late, he felt he could not do less than extend the +invitation to Mogyorody. Wishing, however, to have the alleged +somnambulist under his inspection, he assigned to the Major a spare bed +in his own dormitory, and gave Mogyorody a separate room. + +In due course, both host and guests retired. The farmer, as soon as he +was between the sheets, lit a massive long-stemmed pipe, and began to +smoke, keeping his eye upon Duranczy. + +The moonlight was streaming in upon the Major's pillow. It looked weird. +The farmer watched Duranczy as he lay prostrate--watched and watched +until he himself dozed off into an involuntary slumber. + +Presently he was awoke by a noise. In the moonlight he perceived a +figure, robed in a night-shirt. Ah! the Major, who seemed to be gazing +around him with an air of mysterious inquiry. Then, step by step, with +great circumspection, he advanced towards the farmer's bedside. Pozdordy +held his breath. "Yes," he said to himself, "this man is a lunar +somnambulist!" + +Upon tiptoe the figure now went nearer and nearer to the farmer's couch. +Pozdordy, in breathless expectation, grasped his heavy long-stemmed +pipe--the only weapon of self-defence within arm's length--and just as +the somnambulist was reaching towards an antique and richly inlaid +sword, suspended high up against the wall, he dealt him a blow, so +terrific as to produce a howl from the apparition. The farmer leaped out +of bed, and, to protect his own life, was proceeding to half-strangle +the sleepwalker, when, to his astonishment, he saw that it was not the +Major. + +"Who are you?" he exclaimed. + +There was no answer. The farmer looked towards the Major's bed--there, +in the moonlight, lay the warrior, who was just beginning to be roused +from sleep by the noise of the scuffle, and who dreamily exclaimed, +"What the devil?" + +Pozdordy released his hold of the neck of this unknown man, who hastily +escaped from the room; and the report goes that Mogyorody travelled home +at 2 A.M. in his night-shirt. Anyhow, after hiding under the Major's bed +in order to make him out to be a somnambulist, he never again dared to +put his nose into Pozdordy's household; and the gallant soldier is +to-day in peaceful possession of the beautiful Etelka. + + + + +_Printed by BALANTYNE, HANSON & CO._ +_London & Edinburgh_ + + + + +Transcriber's Note: Many of the Hungarian titles listed in the +Introduction were misspelled. "Estilapok" was changed to "Esti Lapok", +"A Magyar Nabob" was changed to "Egy Magyar Nabob", "A Koszivue Ember +Fiaa" was changed to "A Koszivu Ember Fiai", "A Szerelem Bolondja" was +changed to "Szerelem Bolondjai", "A Nevtelen Var" was changed to +"Nevtelen Var", "Balvanyvarak" was changed to "Balvanyosvar", "A Fekete +Gyemantok" was changed to "Fekete Gyemantok", "A Jove Szazad Regeje" was +changed to "A Joevo Szazad Regenye", and "Az Uj Foeldes Ur" was changed to +"Az Uj Foeldesur". + +In addition, the following typographical errors in the text have been +corrected. + +In "In Love With the Czarina", "she nodded to Genera Karr" was changed +to "she nodded to General Karr". + +In "Tamerlan the Tartar", Chapter I, "the immovable cloud towards the +east" was changed to "the immovable cloud towards the west", and "the +victorious couqueror" was changed to "the victorious conqueror". In +Chapter III, a period was changed to a comma after "the Thief of the +Desert". In Chapter VIII, "two real hereoes" was changed to "two real +heroes", and "Mirza Abubker's chosen horsemen" was changed to "Mirza +Abubekr's chosen horsemen". + +In "Valdivia", "If you wish for the Guelin mountain" was changed to "If +you wish for the Guelen mountain". + +In "Bizeban", a quotation mark was added before "This man only calls you +Sultan". + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of In Love With the Czarina and Other +Stories, by Mor Jokai + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN LOVE WITH THE CZARINA *** + +***** This file should be named 34574.txt or 34574.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/5/7/34574/ + +Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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