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diff --git a/40519-8.txt b/40519-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d11f339..0000000 --- a/40519-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12600 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Captain of the Janizaries, by James M. Ludlow - -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: The Captain of the Janizaries - A story of the times of Scanderberg and the fall of Constantinople - -Author: James M. Ludlow - -Release Date: August 17, 2012 [EBook #40519] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAPTAIN OF THE JANIZARIES *** - - - - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note: - - Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have - been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - - The book uses both Palæologus and Palælogus. - - The book uses both DeStreeses and De Streeses. - In both cases, both spellings have been retained as printed. - - Page 304: Ramedan should possibly be Ramadan. - - - - - - "_Your swarthy hero Scanderbeg, - Gauntlet on hand and boot on leg, - And skilled in every warlike art, - Riding through his Albanian lands, - And following the auspicious star - That shone for him o'er Ak-Hissar._" - - LONGFELLOW - - - - - THE CAPTAIN OF THE JANIZARIES - - _A STORY OF THE TIMES OF SCANDERBEG - AND - THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE_ - - BY JAMES M. LUDLOW, D.D. LITT.D - - ELEVENTH EDITION - - - NEW YORK AND LONDON - HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS - - - - - Copyright, 1886, by DODD, MEAD & CO. - - Copyright, 1890, by JAMES M. LUDLOW. - - _Electrotyped by Dodd, Mead & Co._ - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The story of the Captain of the Janizaries originated, not in the -author's desire to write a book, but in the fascinating interest of -the times and characters he has attempted to depict. It seems strange -that the world should have so generally forgotten George Castriot, or -Scanderbeg, as the Turks named him, whose career was as romantic as it -was significant in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean. Gibbon -assigns to him but a few brief pages, just enough to make us wonder -that he did not write more of the man who, he confessed, "with unequal -arms resisted twenty-three years the powers of the Ottoman Empire." -Creasy, in his history of the Turks, devotes less than a page to the -exploits of one who "possessed strength and activity such as rarely -fall to the lot of man," "humbled the pride of Amurath and baffled the -skill and power of his successor Mahomet." History, as we make it in -events, is an ever-widening river, but, as remembered, it is like a -stream bursting eastward from the Lebanons, growing less as it flows -until it is drained away in the desert. - -Though our story is in the form of romance, it is more than "founded -upon fact." The details are drawn from historical records, such as the -chronicles of the monk Barletius--a contemporary, though perhaps a -prejudiced admirer, of Scanderbeg--the later Byzantine annals, the -customs of the Albanian people, and scenes observed while travelling -in the East. - -The author takes the occasion of the publication of a new edition to -gratefully acknowledge many letters from scholars, as well as notices -from the press, which have expressed appreciation of this attempt to -revive popular interest in lands and peoples that are to reappear in -the drama of the Ottoman expulsion from Europe, upon which the curtain -is now rising. - - - - -THE CAPTAIN OF THE JANIZARIES. - -CHAPTER I - - -From the centre of the old town of Brousa, in Asia Minor--old even at -the time of our story, about the middle of the fifteenth -century--rises an immense plateau of rock, crowned with the fortress -whose battlements and towers cut their clear outlines high against the -sky. An officer of noble rank in the Ottoman service stood leaning -upon the parapet, apparently regaling himself with the marvellous -panorama of natural beauty and historic interest which lay before him. -The vast plain, undulating down to the distant sea of Marmora, was -mottled with fields of grain, gardens enclosed in hedges of cactus, -orchards in which the light green of the fig-trees blended with the -duskier hues of the olive, and dense forests of oak plumed with the -light yellow blooms of the chestnut. Here and there writhed the heavy -vapors of the hot sulphurous streams springing out of the base of the -Phrygian Olympus, which reared its snow-clad peak seven thousand feet -above. The lower stones of the fortress of Brousa were the mementoes -of twenty centuries which had drifted by them since they were laid by -the old Phrygian kings. The flags of many empires had floated from -those walls, not the least significant of which was that of the -Ottoman, who, a hundred years before, had consecrated Brousa as his -capital by burying in yonder mausoleum the body of Othman, the founder -of the Ottoman dynasty of the Sultans. - -But the Turkish officer was thinking of neither the beauty of the -scene nor the historic impressiveness of the place. His face, shaded -by the folds of his enormous turban, wore deeper shadows which were -flung upon it from within. He was talking to himself. - -"The Padishah[1] has a nobler capital now than this,--across the sea -there in Christian Europe. But by whose hands was it conquered? By -Christian hands! by Janizaries! renegades! Ay, this hand!"--he -stripped his arm bare to the shoulder and looked upon its gnarled -muscles as he hissed the words through his teeth--"this hand has cut a -wider swathe through the enemies of the Ottoman than any other man's; -a swathe down which the Padishah can walk without tripping his feet. -And this was a Christian's hand once! Well may I believe the story my -old nurse so often told me,--that, when the priest was dropping the -water of baptism upon my baby brow, this hand seized the sacred -vessel, and it fell shattered upon the pavement. Ah, well have I -fulfilled that omen!" - -The man walked to and fro on the platform with quick and jarring step, -as if to shake off the grip of unwelcome thoughts. There was a majesty -in his mien which did not need the play of his partially suppressed -fury to fascinate the attention of any who might have beheld him at -the moment. He was tall of stature, immensely broad at the shoulders, -deep lunged, comparatively light and trim in the loins, as the close -drawn sash beneath the embroidered jacket revealed: arms long; hands -large. He looked as if he might wrestle with a bear without a weapon. -His features were not less notable than his form. His forehead was -high and square, with such fulness at the corners as to leave two -cross valleys in the middle. Deep-set eyes gleamed from beneath broad -and heavy brows. The lips were firm, as if they had grown rigid from -the habit of concealing, rather than expressing, thought, except in -the briefest words of authority,--Cæsar-lips to summarize a campaign -in a sentence. The chin was heavy, and would have unduly protruded -were it not that there were needed bulk and strength to stand as the -base of such prominent upper features. Altogether his face would have -been pronounced hard and forbidding, had it not been relieved as -remarkably by that strange radiance with which strong intelligence and -greatness of soul sometimes transfigure the coarsest features. - -These peculiarities of the man were observed and commented upon by two -officers who were sitting in the embrasure of the parapet at the -farther end of the battlement. The elder of the two, who had grown -gray in the service, addressed his comrade, a young man, though -wearing the insignia of rank equal to that of the other. - -"Yes, Bashaw,[2] he is not only the right hand of the Padishah, but -the army has not seen an abler soldier since the Ottoman entered -Europe. You know his history?" - -"Only as every one knows it, for in recent years he has written it -with his cimeter flashing through battle dust as the lightning through -clouds," replied the young officer. - -The veteran warmed with enthusiasm as he narrated, "I well remember -him as a lad when he was brought from the Arnaout's[3] country. He was -not over nine years of age when Sultan Mahomet conquered the lands of -Epirus, where our general's father, John Castriot, was duke. As a -hostage young George Castriot was brought with his three brothers to -Adrianople." - -"Are his brothers of the same metal?" asked the listener. - -"Allah only knows what they would have been had not state -necessity----" The narrator completed the sentence by a significant -gesture, imitating the swirl of the executioner's sword as he takes -off the head of an offender. - -"But George Castriot was a favorite of the Sultan, who fondled him as -the Roman Hadrian did his beautiful page, Antinous. And well he might, -for a lad more lithe of limb and of wit never walked the ground since -Allah bade the angels worship the goodly form of Adam.[4] Once when a -prize was offered for the best display of armor, and the provinces -were represented by their different champions in novel helmets and -corselets and shields, none of which pleased the imperial taste, it -was the whim of the Padishah to have young Castriot parade before the -judges panoplied only in his naked muscle, and to order that the prize -should be given to him, together with the title Iscanderbeg.[5] And -well he won it. In the after wrestling matches he put upon his hip the -best of them, Turcomans from Asia, and Moors from Africa, and -Giaours[6] from the West. And he was as skilful on a horse's legs as -he was on his own. His namesake, Alexander, could not have managed -Bucephalus better than he. I well remember his game with the two -Scythians. They came from far to have a joust with the best of the -Padishah's court. They were to fight singly: if one were overthrown, -the other, after the victor had breathed himself, was to redeem the -honor of his comrade. Scanderbeg sent his spear-head into the throat -of his antagonist at the first encounter, when the second barbarian -villain treacherously set upon him from the rear. The young champion -wheeled his horse as quickly as a Dervish twists his body, and with -one blow of his sword, clove him in twain from skull to saddle." - -"Bravo!" cried the listener, "I believe it, for look at the arm that -he has uncovered now." - -"It is a custom he has," continued the narrator. "He always fights -with his sword-arm bared to the shoulder. When he was scarce nineteen -years old he was at the siege of Constantinople, in 800 of the -Hegira,[7] with Sultan Amurath. His skill there won him a Sanjak.[8] -Since that time you know his career." - -"Ay! his squadrons have shaken the world." - -"He has changed of late, however; grown heavy at the brows. But he -comes this way." - -As the general approached, the two bashaws bowed low to the ground, -and then stood in the attitude of profound obeisance until he -addressed them. His face gleamed with frank and genial familiarity as -he exchanged with them a few words; but it was again masked in sombre -thoughtfulness as he passed on. - -Near the gate by which the fortress was entered from the lower town -was gathered a group of soldiers who were bantering a strange looking -creature with hands tied behind him--evidently some captive. - -"What have you here?" said Scanderbeg, approaching them. - -"That we cannot tell. It is a secret," replied the subaltern officer -in charge of the squad, making a low salâm, and with a twinkle in his -eyes which took from his reply all semblance of disrespect. - -"But I must have your secret," said the general good-naturedly. - -"It is not our secret, Sire," replied the man, "but his. He will not -tell us who he is." - -"Where does he belong? What tongue has he, Aladdin? You who were once -interpreter to the Bey of Anatolia should know any man by his tongue." - -"He has no tongue, Sire. He is dumb as a toad. His beard has gone -untrimmed so long that it has sewed fast his jaws. He has not -performed his ablutions since the last shower washed him, and his ears -are so filled with dirt plugs that he could not hear a thunder clap." - -The face of the captive seemed to strangely interest the general, who -said as he turned away, "Send him to our quarters. The Padishah has -taken a fancy to deaf mutes of late. They overhear no secrets and tell -no tales. We will scrape him deep enough to find if he has a soul. If -he knows his foot from his buttocks he will be as valued a present to -His Majesty as a fifth wife.[9] Send him to our quarters." - -The general soon returned to the fortress. A room dimly lighted -through two narrow windows that opened into a small inner court, and -contained a divan or couch, a table, and a motley collection of arms, -was the residence of the commandant. A soldier stood by the entrance -guarding the unfortunate captive. - -"You may leave him with me," said Scanderbeg approaching. - -The man was thrust into the apartment, and stood with head bowed until -the guard withdrew. The general turned quickly upon him as soon as -they were alone. - -"If I mistake not, man, though your tongue be tied, your eye spake to -me by the gate." - -"It was heaven's blessing upon my errand reflected there," replied the -man in the Albanian language. "I bear thee a message from Moses -Goleme, of Lower Dibria, and from all the provinces of Albania, from -every valley and every heart." - -"Let me hear it, for I love the very flints on the mountains and every -pebble on the shore of old Albania," replied Scanderbeg eagerly. - -"Heaven be praised! Were my ears dull as the stones they would open to -hear such words," said the man with suppressed emotion. "For since the -death of thy noble father--" - -"My father's death! I had not heard it. When?" exclaimed the general. - -"It is four moons since we buried him beneath the holy stones of the -church at Croia, and the Sultan sent us General Sebaly to govern in -his stead." - -"Do you speak true?" cried Scanderbeg, laying his hand upon the man's -shoulder and glaring into his face. "My father dead? and a stranger -appointed in his stead? and Sultan Amurath has not even told me! -Beware, man, lest you mistake." - -"I cannot mistake, Sire, for these hands closed the eyes of John -Castriot after he had breathed a prayer for his land and for his -son--one prayer for both. Moses Goleme was with us, for you know he -was thy father's dearest friend and wisest counsellor, and to him thy -father gave charge that word should be sent thee that to thee he -bequeathed his lands." - -"Stop! Stop!" said Scanderbeg, pacing the little room like a caged -lion. "Let me think. But go on. He did not curse me, then? Swear to -me,"--and he turned facing the man--"swear to me that my father did -not curse me with his dying breath! Swear it!" - -"I swear it," said the man, "and that all Albania prays to-day for -George Castriot. These are the tidings which the noble Moses bade me -bring thee, though I found thee at the Indus or under the throne of -the Sultan himself. I have no other message. That I might tell thee -this in the free speech of Albania I have kept dumb to all others. If -it be treason to the Sultan for thee to hear it, let my head pay the -penalty. But know, Sire, that our land will rest under no other rule -than that of a Castriot." - -"A Castriot!" soliloquized the general. "Well, it is a better name -than Scanderbeg. Ho, guard! Take this fellow! Let him share your -mess!" - -When alone the general threw himself upon the divan for a moment, then -paced again the apartment, and muttered to himself---- - -"And for what has a Castriot given himself to the Turk! Yet I did not -betray my land and myself. They stole me. They seduced my judgment as -a child. They flattered my conceit as a man. Like a leopard I have -fought in the Padishah's arena, and for a leopard's pay--the meat that -makes him strong, and the gilded cage that sets off his spots. I have -led his armies, for what? For glory. But whose glory? The Padishah -cries in every emergency, 'Where is _my_ Scanderbeg? Scanderbeg to the -rescue!' But it means, 'Slave, do my bidding!' And I, the tinselled -slave, bow my head to the neck of my steed, and the empire rings with -the tramp of my squadrons, and the praise of Scanderbeg's loyalty! -Pshaw! He calls me his lightning, but he is honored as the invisible -Jove who hurls it. And I am a Castriot! A Christian! Ay, a Christian -dog,[10] indeed, to fawn and lick the hands of one who would despise -me were he not afraid of my teeth. He takes my father's lands and -gives them to another; and I--I am of too little account to be even -told 'Thy father is dead.'" - -Scanderbeg paused in the light that streamed through the western -window. It was near sunset, and a ruddy gleam shot across the room. - -"This light comes from the direction of Albania, and so there comes a -red gleam--blood red--from Albania into my soul." - -He drew the sleeve of the left arm and gazed at a small round spot -tattooed just above the elbow--the indelible mark of the Janizary. - -"They that put it there said that by it I should remember my vow to -the Padishah. And, since I cannot get thee out, my little talisman, I -swear by thee that I shall never forget my vow; no, nor them that made -my child-lips take it, and taught me to abjure my father's name, my -country's faith, and broke my will to the bit and rein of their -caprice. It may be that some day I shall wash thee out in damned -Moslem blood. But hold! that would be treason. Scanderbeg a traitor? -How they will hiss it from Brousa to Adrianople; from the lips of -Vizier and pot-carrier! But is it treason to betray treason? But -patience! Bide thy time, Castriot!" - -A slight commotion in the court drew the attention of Scanderbeg. In a -moment the sentry announced: - -"A courier from His Majesty!" - -The message told that the Ottoman forces had been defeated in -Europe--the noted bashaw, Schehadeddin, having been utterly routed by -Hunyades. The missive called the Sultan's "always liege and invincible -servant, Scanderbeg, to the rescue!" Within an hour a splendid suite -of officers, mounted on swift and gaily caparisoned steeds, gathered -about the great general, and at the raising of the horse-tail upon the -spear-head, dashed along the road to the coast of Marmora where -vessels were in waiting to convey them across to the European side. -Scanderbeg had but a moment's interview with the dumb captive, -sufficient to whisper, - -"Return our salutation to the noble Moses Goleme; and say that George -Castriot will honor his confidence better in deeds than he could in -words. I know not the future, my brave fellow, and might not tell it -if I did, even to ears as deaf as yours. But say to Goleme that -Castriot swears by his beard--by the beard of Moses--that brighter -days shall come for Albania even if they must be flashed from our -swords. Farewell!" - -The man fell at the general's feet and embraced them. Then rising he -raised his hand, "By the beard of Moses! Let that be the watchword -between our people and our rightful prince. Brave men scattered from -Adria to Hæmus will listen for that watchword. Farewell, Sire. By the -beard of Moses!" - -Scanderbeg summoned a soldier and said sternly, "Take this fellow -away. He is daft as well as dumb and deaf. Yet treat him well. Such -creatures are the special care of Allah. Take him to the Bosphorus -that he may cross over to his kin, the Greeks, at Constantinople." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] A title of the Sultan. - -[2] Bashaw; an old name for pasha. - -[3] Arnaout; Turkish for Albanian, a corruption of the old Byzantine -word Arvanitæ. - -[4] Koran, Chap. II. - -[5] Iscander-Beg; or The Lord Alexander. - -[6] Giaours; a term of reproach by which the Turks designate the -unbelievers in Mahomet, especially Christians. - -[7] 800 of the Hegira; 1422 of the Christian era. - -[8] Sanjak; a military and administrative authority giving the -possessor command of 5,000 horse. - -[9] The Moslems are allowed four wives. Beyond this number their women -can be only concubines. - -[10] The Moslems call Christians dogs. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -A little hamlet lay, like an eagle's nest, high on the southern slope -of the Balkan mountains. The half dozen huts of which it consisted -were made of rough stones, daubed within and without thick with clay. -The roofs were of logs, overlaid with mats of brushwood woven together -by flexible withes, and plastered heavily. The inhabitants were -goatherds. Their lives were simple. If they were denied indulgence in -luxuries, they were also removed from that contact with them which -excites desire, and so were contented. They seldom saw the faces of -any from the great world, upon so large a portion of which they looked -down. Their absorbing occupation was in summer to watch the flocks -which strolled far away among the cliffs, and in winter to keep them -close to the hamlet, for then terrific storms swept the mountains and -filled the ravines with impassable snow. - -Milosch and his good wife, Helena--Maika Helena, good Mother Helena, -all the hamlet called her--were blessed with two boys. Their faces -were as bright as the sky in which, from their lofty lodgings, they -might be said to have made their morning ablutions for the eleven and -twelve years of their respective lives. Yet they were not children of -the cherubic type; rather tough little knots of humanity, with big -bullet-heads thatched over with heavy growths of hair, which would -have been red, had it not been bleached to a light yellow by sunshine -and cloud-mists. Instead of the toys and indolent pastimes of the -nursery they had only the steep rocks, the thick copse, the gnarled -trees, and the wild game of the mountains for their play-things. They -thus developed compactly knit muscles, depth of lung and thickness of -frame, which gave agility and endurance. At the same time, the -associations of their daily lives, the precipitous cliff, the -trembling edge of the avalanche, the caves of strange beasts, the wild -roaring of the winds, the awful grandeur of the storms, the impressive -solitude which filled the intervals of their play like untranslatable -but mighty whispers from the unknown world taking the place of the -prattle of this,--these fostered intrepidity, self-reliance, and -balance of disposition, if not of character. For religious discipline -they had the occasional ministrations of a Greek priest or missionary -monk from the Rilo Monastir, many leagues to the west of them. They -knew the Creed of Nicæa, the names of some of the saints; but of truly -divine things they had only such impressions as they caught from the -great vault of the universal temple above them, and from the -suggestions of living nature at their feet. - -By the side of Milosch's house ran--or rather climbed and tumbled, so -steep was it--that road over the Balkans, through the Pass of Slatiza, -by which Alexander the Great, nearly two thousand years before, had -burst upon the Moesians. Again, within their father's memory, Bajazet, -the "Turkish Lightning" as he was called because of the celerity of -his movements, had flashed his arms through this Pass, and sent the -bolts of death down upon Wallachia, and poured terror even to the -distant gates of Vienna. Often had Milosch rehearsed the story of the -terrible days when he himself had been a soldier in the army of the -Wallachian Prince Myrtche; and showed the scar of the cut he had -received from the cimeter of a Turkish Janizary, whom he slew not far -from the site of their home. - -Their neighbor, Kabilovitsch, a man well weighted with years, not only -listened to these tales, but added marvellous ones of his own; -sometimes relating to the wars of King Sigismund of Hungary, who, -after Prince Myrtche, had tried to regain this country from the cruel -rule of the Moslems; more frequently, however, his stories were of -exploits of anonymous heroes. These were told with so much enthusiasm -as to create the belief that the narrator had himself been the actor -in most of them. For Kabilovitsch was a strange character in the -little settlement; though not the less confided in because of the -mystery of his previous life. He had come to this out-of-the-way -place, as he said, to escape with his little daughter the incessant -raids and counter-raids of Turks and Christians, which kept the -adjacent country in alarm. - -Good Uncle Kabilovitsch--as all the children of the hamlet called -him--named his daughter, a lass of ten summers, Morsinia, after the -famous peasant beauty, Elizabeth Morsiney, who had so fascinated King -Sigismund. - -Morsinia often braided her hair, and sat beneath her canopy of -blossoming laurel, while Constantine, the younger of Milosch's boys, -dismounted from the back of his trained goat at the mimic threshold, -and wooed her on bended knee, as the good king wooed the beautiful -peasant. Michael, the elder boy, was not less ardent, though less -poetic, in the display of his passion for Morsinia. A necklace of -bear's claws cut with his own hand from a monster beast his father had -killed; a crown made of porcupine quills which he had picked up among -the rocks; anklets of striped snake skin--these were the pledges of -his love, which he declared he would one day redeem with those made of -gems and gold--that is, when he should have become a princely warrior. - -To Constantine, however, the little maiden was most gracious. It was a -custom in the Balkan villages for the young people, on the Monday -after Easter, to twist together bunches of evergreens, and for each -young swain to kiss through the loops the maid he loved the best. With -adults this was regarded as a probationary agreement to marry. If the -affection were mutually as full flamed the following Easter, the kiss -through the loop was the formal betrothal. Constantine's impatience -wreathed the evergreens almost daily, and, as every kiss stood for a -year, there was awaiting them--if the good fairies would only make it -true--some centuries of nuptial bliss. - -The little lover had built for himself a booth against the steep -rocks. Into this Morsinia would enter with bread and water, and -placing them upon the stone which answered for a table, say, in -imitation of older maidens assuming the care of husbands, "So will I -always and faithfully provide for thee." Then she would touch the -sides of the miniature house with a twig, which she called her -distaff, saying, "I will weave for thee, my lord, goodly garments and -gay." She would also sit down and undress and redress her doll, which -Constantine had carved from wood, and which they said would do for the -real baby that the bride was expected to array, in the ceremony by -which she acknowledged the obligations of wifehood.[11] - -But Michael was not at all disconsolate at this preference shown his -brother; for he knew that Morsinia would prefer him to all the world -when she heard what a great soldier he had become. Indeed, on some -days Michael was lord of the little booth; and more than once the fair -enchantress put the evergreen loop around both the boys in as sincere -indecision as has sometimes vexed older hearts than hers. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[11] These are still Servian customs. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -In the winter of 1443--a few months subsequent to the events with -which our story begins--the Pass of Slatiza echoed other sounds than -the cry of the eagle, the bleating of the flocks, and the songs and -halloos of the mountaineers. Distant bugle calls floated between the -cliffs. At night a fire would flash from a peak, and be suddenly -extinguished, as another gleamed from a peak beyond. Strange men had -gone up and down the road. With one of these Uncle Kabilovitsch had -wandered off, and been absent several days. Great was the excitement -of the little folks when Milosch told them that a real army was not -far off, coming from the Christian country to the north of them, and -that its general was no other than the great Hunyades, the White -Knight of Wallachia--called so because he wore white armor--the son of -that same King Sigismund and the fair Elizabeth Morsiney. How little -Morsinia's cheeks paled, while those of the boys burned, and their -eyes flashed, as their father told them, by the fire-light in the -centre of their cabin, that the White Knight had already conquered the -Turks at Hermanstadt and at Vasag and on the banks of the Morava, and -was--if the story which Milosch had heard from some scouts were -true--preparing to burst through the Balkan mountains, and descend -upon the homes of the Turk on the southern plains. Little did they -sleep at night, in the excitement of the belief that, at any day, they -might see the soldiers--real soldiers, just like those of Alexander, -and those of Bajazet--tramping through the Pass. The tremor of the -earth, occasioned by some distant landslide, in their excited -imagination was thought to be due to the tramp of a myriad feet. The -hoot of the owl became the trumpet call for the onset: and the sharp -whistle of the wind, between leafless trees and along the ice-covered -rocks, seemed like the whizzing flight of the souls of the slain. - -Once, just as the gray dawn appeared, Kabilovitsch, who had been -absent for several days, came hurriedly with the alarming news that -the Turks, steadily retiring before the Christians, would soon occupy -the Pass. They were already coming up the defiles, as the mists rise -along the sides of the mountains, in dense masses, hoping to gain such -vantage ground that they could hurl the troops of Hunyades down the -almost perpendicular slopes before they could effect a secure lodgment -on the summit. The children and women must leave herds and homes, and -fly instantly. The only safe retreat was the great cave, which the -mountaineers knew of, lying off towards the other Pass, that of -Soulourderbend. - -The fugitives were scarcely gone when the mountain swarmed with -Moslems. The mighty mass of humanity crowded the cliffs like bees -preparing to swarm. They fringed the breastworks of native rock with -abattis made of huge trunks of trees. During the day the Turks had -diverted a mountain stream, so that, leaving its bed, it poured a thin -sheet of water over the steepest part of the road the Christians were -to ascend. This, freezing during the night, made a wall of ice. The -Christians were thus forced to leave the highway and attempt to scale -the crags far and near; a movement which the Turks met by spreading -themselves everywhere above them. Upon ledges and into crevices which -had never before felt the pressure of human feet clambered the -contestants. Every rock was empurpled with gore. Turkish turban and -Hungarian helmet were caught upon the same thorny bush; while the -heads which had worn them rolled together in the same gully, and -stared their deathless hatred from their dead eyes. - -The Turks in falling back discovered the mouth of the cave in which -the peasants had taken refuge. As the Moslem bugles sounded the -retreat, lest they should be cut off by the Christians who had scaled -the heights on their flanks, they seized the women and children, who -soon were lost to each other's sight in the skurry of the retiring -host. The hands of Constantine were tied about the neck, and his legs -about the loins, of a huge Moslem, to whose keeping he had been -committed. An arrow pierced the soldier to the heart. - -It seemed as if more than keenness of eye--some inspiration of his -fatherly instinct--led Kabilovitsch on through the vast confusion, far -down the slope, outrunning the fugitives and their pursuers, avoiding -contact with any one by leaping from rock to rock and darting like a -serpent through secret by-paths, until he reached the horsemen of the -Turks, who had not been able to follow the foot-soldiers up the steep -ascent. He knew that his little girl would be given in charge to some -one of these. He, therefore, concealed himself in the growing darkness -behind a clump of evergreen trees, close to which one must pass in -order to reach the horses. A moment later, with the stealth and the -strength of a panther, he leaped upon a Turk. The man let go the tiny -form of the girl he was carrying; but, before he could assume an -attitude of defence, the iron grip of Kabilovitsch was upon his -throat, and the steel of the infuriated old man in his heart. Under -the sheltering darkness, carrying his rescued child, Kabilovitsch -threaded his way along ledges and balconies of rock projecting so -slightly from the precipitous mountain that they would have been -discerned, even in daylight, by no eye less expert than his own. At -one place his way was blocked by a dead body which had fallen from the -ledge above, and been caught by the tangled limbs of the mountain -laurel. Without relinquishing his load, he pushed with his foot the -lifeless mass down through the entanglement, and listened to the -snapping of the bushes and the crashing of loosened stones, until the -heavy thud announced that it had found a resting place. - -"So God rest his soul, be he Christian or Paynim!" muttered the old -man. "And now, my child, are you frighted?" - -"No, father, not when you are with me," said Morsinia. - -"Could you stand close to the rock, and hold very tight to the bush, -if I leave you a moment?" - -"Yes, father, I will hold to the bush as tight as it holds to the -rock." - -Kabilovitsch grasped a root of laurel, and, testing it with main -strength, swung clear of the ledge, until his foot rested upon another -ledge nearly the length of his body below. Bracing himself so that he -spanned the interval with the strength of a granite pillar, he bade -the child crawl cautiously in the direction of his voice. As she -touched his hands, he lifted her with perfect poise, and placed her -feet beside his own on a broad table rock. - -"Now, blessed be Jesu, we are safe! Did I not tell you I would some -day take you to a cavern which no one but Milosch and I had ever seen? -Here it is. Unless Sultan Amurath hires the eagles to be his spies--as -they say he does--no eye but God's will see us here even when the sun -rises. You did not know, my little princess, what a coward your old -father had become, to run away from a battle. Did you, my darling?" -said he kissing her. "Never did I dream that Ar----, that Kabilovitsch -would fly like a frightened partridge through the bushes. But my -girl's heart has taken the place of my own to-night." - -As he spoke he slipped from his shoulders the rough cape, or armless -jacket, of bear-skin, and wrapped the girl closely in it. He then -carried her beneath the roof of a little cave, where he enfolded her -in his arms, making his own back a barrier against the cutting night -wind and the whirling snow. The cold was intense. Thinking only of the -danger to the already half-benumbed and wearied body of the child, he -took off his conical cap, and unwound the many folds of coarse woollen -cloth of which it was made, and with it wrapped her limbs and feet. - -Thus the night was passed. With the first streak of the dawn -Kabilovitsch crept cautiously from the ledge, and soon returned with -the news that the Turks had vanished, swept away by the tide of -Christian soldiers which was still pouring over and down the mountain -in pursuit. - -Horrible was the scene which everywhere greeted them as they clambered -back toward the road. The dead were piled upon the dying in every -ravine. Red streaks seamed the white snow--channels in which the -current of many a life had drained away. The road was choked with the -hurrying victors. But the old man's familiarity with the ground found -paths which the nimble feet of the maid could climb; so that the day -was not far advanced when they stood on the site of their home. -Scarcely a trace of the little hamlet remained. Whatever could be -burned had fed the camp-fires of the preceding night. The houses had -been thrown down by the soldiers in rifling the grain bins which were -built between their outer and inner walls. - -The old man sat down upon the door-stone of what had been his home. -His head dropped upon his bosom. Morsinia stood by his side, her arm -about his neck, and her cheek pressed close to his, so that her bright -golden hair mingled with his gray beard--as in certain mediæval -pictures the artist expresses a pleasing fancy in hammered work of -silver and gold. They scarcely noticed that a group of horsemen, more -gaily uniformed than the ordinary soldiers, had halted and were -looking at them. - -"By the eleven thousand virgins of Coln! I never saw a more unique -picture than that," said one who wore a skull cap of scarlet, while an -attendant carried his heavy helmet. "If Masaccio were with us I would -have him paint that scene for our new cathedral at Milano, as an -allegory of the captivity in Babylon." - -"Rather of the captivity in Avignon. It would be a capital -representation of the Holy Father and his daughter the Church," -replied a companion laughing. "Only I would have the painter insert -the portrait of your eminence, Cardinal Julian, as delivering them -both." - -"That would not be altogether unhistoric; for the deliverance was not -wholly wrought until our time," replied the cardinal, evidently -gratified with the flattering addition which his comrade, King -Vladislaus, had made to his pleasing conceit. "But if to-day's victory -be as thorough as it now looks, and we drive the Turks out of Europe, -it would serve as a picture of the captivity in which the haughty, -half-infidel emperor of the Greeks and his daughter, Byzantium, will -soon be to Rome." - -"But, by my crown," said Vladislaus, "and with due reverence for the -great cardinal under whose cap is all the brain that Rome can now -boast of--I think the Greeks will find as much spiritual desolation in -Mother Church as these worthy people have about them here." - -"I can pardon that speech to the newly baptized king of half-barbarian -Hungary, when I would not shrive another for it," replied Julian -petulantly. "The son of a pagan may be allowed much ignorance -regarding the mystery of the Holy See. But a truce to our badgering! -Let us speak to this old fellow. Good man, is this your house? By -Saint Catherine! the girl is beautiful, your highness." - -"It was my home, Sire, yesterday, but now it is his that wants it," -replied Kabilovitsch. - -"And where do you go now?" asked the cardinal. - -"Towards God's gate, Sire; and I wish I might see it soon, but for -this little one," said the old man, rising. - -"Holy Peter let you in when you get there," rejoined His Eminence, -turning his horse away. - -"Hold! Cardinal," replied the king. "I am surprised at that speech -from you. You have tried to teach me by lectures for a fortnight past -that Rome has temporal as well as spiritual authority, all power on -earth as well as in heaven. Now, by Our Lady! you ought to help this -good man over his earthly way towards God's gate, as well as wish him -luck when he gets there. But the priest preaches, and leaves the laity -to do the duties of religion. Credit me with a good Christian deed to -balance the many bad ones you remember against me, Cardinal, and I -will help the man. The golden hair of the child against the old man's -head were as good an aureole as ever a saint wore. And that Holy Peter -knows, if the Cardinal does not. Ho, Olgard! Take the lass on the -saddle with you. And, old man, if you will keep close with your -daughter, you will find as good provision behind the gate of -Philippopolis as that in heaven, if report be true. And, by Saint -Michael! if we go dashing down the mountain at this rate we will vault -the walls of that rich Moslem town as easily as the devil jumped the -gate of Paradise." - -Kabilovitsch trudged by the side of Olgard, who held Morsinia before -him. It was hard for the old man to keep from under the hoofs of the -horses as the attendant knights crowded together down the narrow and -tortuous descent. Suddenly the girl uttered a cry, and, clapping her -hands, called, - -"Constantine, Constantine!" - -The missing lad, emerging from a copse, stood for an instant in -amazement at the apparition of his little playmate; then dashed among -the crowd toward her. - -"Drat the witch!" said a knight--between the legs of whose horse the -boy had gone--aiming at him a blow with his iron mace. Constantine -would have been trampled by the crowding cavalcade, had not the strong -hand of a trooper seized him by his ragged jacket and lifted him to -the horse's crupper. - -"So may somebody save my own lad in the mountains of Carpathia!" said -the rough, but kindly soldier. - -"Ay, the angels will bear him up in their hands, lest he even dash his -foot against a stone, for thy good deed," exclaimed a monk, who, with -hood thrown back, and almost breathless with the effort to rescue the -lad himself, had reached him at the same moment. - -"Good Father, pray for me!" said the trooper, crossing himself. - -"Ay, with grace," replied the monk, extricating himself from the -crowd, and hasting back to the side of a wounded man, whom his -comrades were carrying on a stretcher which had been extemporized with -an old cloak tied securely between two stout saplings. - -As night darkened down, the plain at the base of the mountain burst -into weird magnificence with a thousand campfires. The Turks were in -full retreat toward Adrianople, and joy reigned among the Christians. -It was the eve of Christmas. The stars shone with rare brilliancy -through the cold clear atmosphere. - -"The very heavens return the salutation of our beacons," said King -Vladislaus. - -A trumpet sounded its shrill and jubilant note, which was caught up by -others, until the woods and fields and the mountain sides were flooded -with the inarticulate song, as quickly as the first note of a bird -awakens the whole matin chorus of the summer time. - -Cardinal Julian, reining his horse at the entrance to the camp, -listened as he gazed-- - -"'And with the angel there was a multitude of the heavenly host -praising God!' Let us accept the joy of this eve of the birth of our -Lord as an omen of the birth of Christian power to these lands, which -have so long lain in the shadow of Moslem infidelity and Greek heresy. -Our camps yonder flash as the sparks which flew from the apron of the -Infant Jesu and terrified the devil.[12] Sultan Amurath has been -scorched this day, though the infernal fiend lodge in his skin, as I -verily believe he does." - -"Amurath was not in personal command to-day. At least so I am told," -replied Vladislaus. "He is occupied with a rebellion of the -Caramanians in Asia. Carambey, the Sultan's sister's husband, led the -forces at the beginning of the fight. He was captured in the bog, and -is now in safe custody with the Servian Despot, George Brankovich. -Hunyades and the Despot have been bargaining for his possession. But -the real commandant, as I have learned from prisoners--at least he was -present at the beginning of the fight--was Scanderbeg." - -"Scanderbeg?" exclaimed Julian with great alarm. "What! the Albanian -traitor, Castriot?--Iscariot, rather, should be his name--This then, -Your Majesty, is no night for revelry; but for watching. The flight of -the enemy, if Scanderbeg leads them, is only to draw us into a net. -What if before morning, with the Balkans behind us, we should be -assaulted with fresh corps of Turks on the front? There is no -fathoming the devices of Scanderbeg's wily brain. And never yet has -he been defeated, except to wrest the better victory out of seeming -disaster. Does General Hunyades know the antagonist he is dealing -with? that it is not some bey or pasha, nor even the Sultan himself, -but Scanderbeg? I have heard Hunyades say that since the days of -Saladin, the Moslems have not had a leader so skilful as that Albanian -renegade: that a glance of his eye has more sagacity in it than the -deliberations of a Divan:[13] and that not a score of knights could -stand against his bare arm. We must see Hunyades." - -"I confess," replied King Vladislaus, "that I liked not the easy -victory we have had. I would have sworn to prevent a myriad foes -climbing the ice road we travelled yesterday, if I had but a company -of pikemen; yet ten thousand Turkish veterans kept us not back; and -they were led by Scanderbeg! There is mystery here. Jesu prevent it -should be the mystery of death to us all! Let's to Hunyades! If only -your wisdom or prayers, Cardinal, could reclaim Scanderbeg to his -Christian allegiance, I would not fear Sultan Amurath, though he were -the devil's pope, with the keys of death and hell in his girdle." - -Hunyades was found with the advance corps of the Christians. But for -his white armor he could scarcely be distinguished from some subaltern -officer, as he moved among the men, inspecting the details of their -encampment. The contrast of the commander-in-chief with the kingly and -the ecclesiastical soldier was striking. He listened quietly to their -surmises and fears, and replied with as little of their excitement as -if he spoke of a new armor-cleaner: - -"Yes! we shall probably have a raid from Scanderbeg before morning. -But we are ready for him. Do you look well to the rear, King -Vladislaus! And do you, Cardinal, marshal a host of fresh Latin -prayers for the dying; for, if Scanderbeg gets among your Italians, -their saffron skins will bleach into ghosts for fright of him." - -The cardinal's face grew as red as his cap, as he replied: - -"But for loyalty to our common Christian cause, and the example of -subordination to our chief, I would answer that taunt as it deserves." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[12] Vide Apochryphal Gospels. - -[13] Divan; the Turkish Council of State. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -The company which Kabilovitsch and the children had joined was halted -at the edge of the great camp. Other peasants and non-combatants -crowded in from their desolated homes; but neither Milosch's face, nor -Helena's, nor yet little Michael's, were among those they anxiously -scanned. The command of King Vladislaus secured for the three favored -refugees every comfort which the rude soldiers could furnish. The boy -and girl were soon asleep by a fire, while the old man lay close -beside them, that no one could approach without arousing him. He, -however, could not sleep. On the one side was the noisy revelry of -the victors; on the other, the darkness of the plain. Here and there -were groups of soldiers, and beyond them an occasional gleam of the -spear-head of some sentinel, who, saluting his comrade, turned at the -end of his beat. - -The dusky form of a huge man attracted Kabilovitsch's eye. As the -stranger drew near, his long bear-skin cape terminating above in a -rough and ungraceful hood, and his long pointed shoes with blocks of -wood for their soles, indicated that he was some peasant. He seemed to -be wandering about with no other aim than to keep himself warm. Yet -Kabilovitsch noted that he lingered as he passed by the various -groups, as if to scan the faces of his fellow-sufferers. - -"Heaven grant that all his kids be safe to-night!" muttered the old -man. - -As the walking figure passed across the line of a fagot fire, he -revealed a splendid form; too straight for one accustomed to bend at -his daily toil. - -"A mountaineer? a hunter?" thought Kabilovitsch, "for the -field-tillers are all round of shoulder, and bow-backed. But no! His -tread is too firm and heavy for that sort of life. One's limbs are -springy, agile, who climbs the crags. A hunter will use the toes more -in stepping." - -Kabilovitsch's curiosity could not keep his eyes from growing heavy -with the cold and the flicker of the fire light, when they were forced -wide open again by the approach of the stranger. The old man felt, -rather than saw, that he was being closely studied from behind the -folds of the hood which the wanderer drew close over his face, to -keep out the cutting wind which swept in gusts down from the -mountains. He passed very near, and was talking to himself, as is apt -to be the custom of men who lead lonely lives. - -"It is bitter cold," he said, with chattering teeth, "bitter cold, by -the beard of Moses!" - -The last words startled Kabilovitsch so that he gave a sudden motion. -The stranger noticed it and paused. Gazing intently upon the old man, -who had now assumed a sitting posture, he addressed him-- - -"By the beard of Moses! it's an awful night, neighbor." - -"Ay, by the beard of Moses! it is; and one could wear the beard of -Aaron, too, with comfort--Aaron's beard was longer than Moses' beard; -is not that what the priest says?" said Kabilovitsch, veiling his -excitement under forced indifference of manner, at the same time -making room for the visitor, who, without ceremony stretched himself -by his side, bringing his face close to that of the old man, and -glaring into it. Kabilovitsch returned his gaze with equal sharpness. - -"What know you of the beard of Moses?" said the stranger. "Was it gray -or black?" - -"Black," said Kabilovitsch, studying the other's face with suspicion -and surprise. "Black as an Albanian thunder cloud, and his eye was as -undimmed by age as that of the eagle that flies over the lake of -Ochrida."[14] - -"You speak well," replied the stranger, pushing back his hood. - -His face was massive and strong. No peasant was he, but one born to -command and accustomed to it. - -"You are----Drakul?" asked the man. - -"No." - -"Harion?" - -"No." - -"Kabilovitsch?" - -"Ay, and you?" - -"Castriot." - -Kabilovitsch sprang to his feet. - -"Lie down! Lie down! Let me share your blanket," said the visitor. -"This air is too crisp and resonant for us to speak aloud in it; and -waking ears at night-time are over quick to hear what does not concern -them. We can muffle our speech beneath the blanket." - -Kabilovitsch felt the hesitation of reverence in assuming a proximity -of such intimacy with his guest; but also felt the authority of the -command and the wisdom of the precaution. He obeyed. - -"I feared that I should find no one who recognized our password. I -must see General Hunyades to-night; yet must not approach his -quarters. Can you get to his tent?" - -"Readily," said Kabilovitsch. "During the day my little lass yonder -won the attention of King Vladislaus, and he gave me the password of -the camp to-night for her safety. '_Christus natus est_'." - -"You must go to him at once, and say that I would see him here. You -will trust me to keep guard over these two kids while you are away? I -will not wolf them." - -"Heaven grant that you may shepherd all Albania,"--and the old man was -off. - -"I knew that the prodigal Prince George would come back some day," -said he to himself. "Many a year have I kept my watch in the Pass, and -among the mountains of Albania. And many a service have I rendered as -a simple goatherd which I could not have done had I worn my country's -colors anywhere except in my heart. And, 'by the beard of Moses!' -During some weeks now I have carried many a message, had some fighting -and hard scratching which I did not understand, except that it was 'by -the beard of Moses!' And now Moses has come; refused at last to be -called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and will free his people. God -will it! And George Castriot has lain under my blanket! I will hang -that blanket in the church at Croia as an offering to the Holy -Virgin.--But no, it belongs to the trooper. Heaven keep me discreet, -or, for the joy of it, I cannot do my errand safely. I'll draw my hood -close, lest the moon yonder should guess my secret." - -Kabilovitsch was challenged at every turn as he wound between the -hundreds of camp-fires and tents; but the magic words, "Christus natus -est," opened the way. - -A circle of splendid tents told him he drew near to headquarters. In -the midst of them blazed an immense fire. Camp-tables, gleaming with -tankards and goblets of silver, were ranged beneath gorgeous canopies -of flaxen canvas, which were lined with blue and purple tapestries. A -multitude of gaily dressed servitors thronged into and out of them. -Here was the royal splendor of Hungary and Poland; there the pavilion -of the Despot of Servia; there the glittering cross of Rome; and, at -the extreme end of this extemporized array of palatial and courtly -pride, the more modest, but still rich, banner of the White Knight. - -Kabilovitsch approached the latter. - -"Your errand, man?" said the guard, holding his spear across the -flapping doorway of the tent. - -"Christus natus est!" was the response. - -"That will do elsewhere, but not here," rejoined the guard. - -"My business is solely with General Hunyades," said Kabilovitsch. - -"It cannot be," said the spearman. "He has no business with any one -but himself. If you are a shepherd of Bethlehem come to adore the -Infant Jesu--as you look to be--you must wait until the morning." - -"My message is as important to him as that of the angels on that -blessed night," said the goatherd, making a deep obeisance and looking -up to heaven as if in prayer, as he spoke. - -"Then proclaim your message, old crook-staff! we have had glad tidings -to-day, but can endure to hear more," said the guard, pushing him -away. - -"No ear on earth shall hear mine but the general's," cried the old -man, raising his voice: "No! by the beard of Moses! it shall not." - -"A strange swear that, old leather-skin! Did you keep your sheep in -Midian, where Moses did, that you know he had a beard. Your cloak is -ragged enough to have belonged to father Jethro; and I warrant it is -as full of vermin as were those of the Egyptians after the plague -that Moses sent on them. But the ten plagues take you! Get away!" - -"No, by the beard of Moses!" shouted Kabilovitsch. - -"Let him pass!" said a voice from deep within the tent. - -"Let him pass!" said another nearer. - -"Let him pass!" repeated one just inside the outer curtain. - -The goatherd passed between a line of sentinels, closely watched by -each. The tent was a double one, composing a room or pavilion, -enclosed by the great tent; so that there was a large space around the -private apartment of the general, allowing the sentinels to patrol -entirely about it without passing into the outer air. - -At the entrance of the inner tent Hunyades appeared. He was of light -build but compactly knit, with ample forehead and generous, but -scarred face; which, however, was more significantly seamed with the -lines that denote thought and courage. He was wrapped in a loose robe -of costly furs. He waved his hand for Kabilovitsch to enter, and bade -the guards retire. Throwing himself on a plain soldier's couch, he -drew close to it a camp seat, and motioned his visitor to sit. - -"You have news from the Albanians, by the beard of Moses?" said -Hunyades inquiringly. - -A moment or two sufficed for the delivery of Kabilovitsch's message. - -"Ho, guard! when this old man goes, let no one enter until he comes -back; then admit him without the pass, instantly," said Hunyades, -springing from the couch. "Now, old man, give me your bear skin--now -your shoes--your cap. Here, wrap yourself in mine. You need not shrink -from occupying Hunyades' skin for a while, since you have had to-night -a more princely soldier under your blanket. Did you say to the north? -On the edge of the camp? A boy and a girl by the fire; and he?" - -The disguised general passed out. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[14] A lake in Albania. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -"By the beard of Moses! I'll break your head with my stick if you come -stumbling over me in that way," growled Scanderbeg from beneath his -blanket, as a peasant-clad man tripped against his huge form extended -by the camp fire. - -"Then let the cold shrink your hulk to its proper size," replied the -stranger. "But you should thank me, instead of cursing me, for waking -you up; for your fire is dying out, and you would perish, sleeping in -the blanket that exposes your feet that it may cover your nose. But -I'll stir your fire and put some sticks on it, if I may sit by it and -melt the frost from my beard and the aches from my toes. But whom have -you here?" - -The man stooped down and eagerly removed the blanket from the -partially covered faces of the children. - -"Constantine!" he exclaimed, "God be praised! and Kabilovitsch's -girl,--or the starlight mocks me!" - -"Father!" cried the boy, waking and throwing his arms about the neck -of the man who stooped to embrace him. - -"And Michael? is he here, too?" asked Milosch. - -"No, father," said the child. "We were parted at the cave, and I have -not seen him except in my dream." - -"In your dream, my child? In your dream? Jesu grant he be not killed, -that his angel spirit came to you in your dream! Did he seem bright -and beautiful--more beautiful than you ever saw him before--as if he -had come to you from Paradise? No? Then he is living yet on the earth; -and by all the devils in hell and Adrianople! I shall find him, though -I tear him from the dead arms of the traitor Castriot himself, as I -was near to taking you, my boy, from the grip of the Turk whose heart -I pierced with an arrow the day of the fight;--but I was set upon and -nigh killed myself by a score of the Infidels." - -"And our mother dear?" asked Constantine. "She is safe?" - -"Ay! ay! safe in heaven, I fear, but we will not give up hope until we -have searched our camps to-morrow; nor then, until we have burned -every seraglio of the Turks from the mountains to the sea. But who -brought you and the lass here?" asked Milosch, eyeing the form of the -surly man beside him. - -"Why, good Uncle Kabilovitsch did," said the boy, staring in amazement -at the spot now usurped by the strange figure of Scanderbeg. - -"Kabilovitsch went to fetch some fire-peat from the gully I told him -of," muttered Scanderbeg. - -"Yes, he is coming yonder," said Milosch, as Kabilovitsch's well-known -hood and cape were outlined against the white background of a -snow-covered fir tree a short distance off. "But he has found no fuel. -Wrap close, my hearties: you will have no more blaze to-night. Ha! -Kabilovitsch!" said he, raising his voice, as the familiar form seemed -about to pass by. "Has the fire in your eye been put out by the cold, -that you cannot find your own place, neighbor? I would have sworn -that, if Kabilovitsch were blind, he could find a lost kid on the -mountains; and now he hardly knows his own nest." - -The assumed Kabilovitsch came near, and gave an awkward salute, which, -while intended to be familiar, was not sufficiently unlimbered of the -habit of authority to avoid giving the impression that its familiarity -was only assumed. - -"By the beard of Moses! I had almost mistook my own camp, now the -fires are smouldering," said he, approaching. - -"He is not Kabilovitsch," said Milosch, half to himself and half -aloud. - -"No," replied Scanderbeg. "But I'll go and find Kabilovitsch. Perhaps -he has more peat than he can carry. And, stranger, I'll help you find -what you are seeking--for you seem daft with the cold--if you will -help me find him I am to look for. By the beard of Moses! that's a -fair agreement; is it not?" - -"A strange swear, that!" said Milosch, looking after the two forms -vanishing among the fir trees. "It is some watchword, and I like it -not among these camp prowlers. I fear for Kabilovitsch. The newcomer -wore his clothes, which I would know if I saw them on the back of the -cardinal; for good Helena cut the hood for our neighbor as she cut the -skirt for his motherless child, little Morsinia there. Some mischief -is brewing. I shall watch and not sleep a wink." - -Had one been lurking in the copse of evergreens to which the men -withdrew, he would have overheard conversation of which these -sentences are parts. - -"Yes, General Hunyades, the time has come. I can endure the service of -the Sultan no longer. But for what I am about to do I alone am -responsible, and must decline to share that responsibility with any -other, either Moslem or Christian. I believe, Sire, that I am in this -directed by some higher power than my own caprice. I am compelled to -it by invisible forces, as really as the stars are dragged by them -through the sky yonder." - -"No star," replied Hunyades, "has purer lustre than that of your noble -purpose, and none are led by the invisible forces to a brighter -destiny than is Scanderbeg." - -"Let not your Christian lips call me Scanderbeg, but Castriot," said -his companion. "Yes, I believe that my new purpose comes from the -inbreathing of some celestial spirit, from some mysterious hearing the -soul has of the inarticulate voice of God. Else why should the thought -of it so strangely satisfy me? I cast myself down from the highest -pinnacle of honor and power and riches with which the Moslem service -can reward one;--for I am at the head of the army, and even the -Vizier has not more respect at Adrianople than have I wherever the -soldiers of the Sultan spread themselves throughout the world. To -leave the Padishah will be to leave every thing for an uncertain -future. Yet I am more than content to do it." - -"Not for an uncertain future, noble Castriot," replied Hunyades -warmly, grasping his hand. "The highest position in the armies of -Christian Europe is yours. My own chieftaincy I could demit without -regret, knowing that it would fall into your hands. The army of Italy -you can take command of to-morrow if you will; for that -scarlet-knobbed coxcomb of an ecclesiastic, Julian, is not fitted for -it. Or Brankovitch, the Servian Despot, will hail you as chief -voivode.[15] You have but to choose from our armies, and put yourself -at the head of whatever nation you will: for the legions will follow -the pointing of your invincible sword as bravely as if it were the -sword of Michael, the Archangel." - -"No! No! These things tempt me not," said Scanderbeg. "I must live -only for Albania. That strange spirit which counsels me comes into my -soul like a pure blast from off my Albanian hills. The voices that -call me are like the dying voice of my father, the sainted Duke John, -who prayed then for his land and for his son--for both in the one -breath that floated his soul to God. Let me look again upon the rocky -fastnesses of the Vitzi, the waters of little Ochrida and Skidar, and -call them mine; I shall then not envy even the plume on your helmet, -generous Hunyades; nor regret what I forsake among the Moslems, -though my estate were that of the entire empire which the Padishah -sees in his dreams, when, not the city of Adrian, but the city of -Constantine shall have become his capital." - -"Christendom will hardly forgive the slight you put upon it, noble -Castriot, by declining some general command, and will soon grow -jealous of your exclusive devotion to little Albania," said Hunyades, -with evident candor. - -"Christendom will not lose, but gain, thereby," replied Scanderbeg. -"For is not Albania, after all, a key point in the mighty battle which -is still to be waged with the Turk over these Eastern countries of -Europe, from Adria to the Euxine?" - -"How so?" asked Hunyades. "Have we not this day broken the power of -the Turk in Europe? and is he not now in headlong haste to the sea of -Marmora?" - -Scanderbeg replied with slow, but ominous, words: - -"General Hunyades, the Moslem power was not this day broken. Trust not -the semblance. My arm could have hurled your soldiers down the -northern declivities of yonder mountains with as much ease as yours -shattered the Turkish ranks at Vasag and Hermannstadt. The armies -still in front of you wait but the word to assail your camp with dire -vengeance for their mysterious defeat--ay, mysterious to them. And the -Padishah is hasting with the hordes released by his victories over the -Caramanians, to join them. No, Sire, the battle for empire on these -plains, and in Macedonia, and along the Danube, has not ended: it has -but just begun. And Albania will be the key spot for a generation to -come. No Ottoman wave can strike central Europe but over the Albanian -hills. A Christian power entrenched there will be a counter menace to -every invasion from the side of the Moslem, and a tremendous auxiliary -in any movement from the side of Christendom. My military judgment -concurs with the voice of that spirit which speaks within me, and bids -me as a Christian to live for Albania." - -"I see in your plan," replied Hunyades, "a gleam of that far wisdom -that won for you the title of 'The eye of the Ottoman,' as your valor -made you the 'right hand of the Sultan.' While my view of the relative -power of the two civilizations now fronting each other on our -battle-lines might be different from yours, and I should place the key -point in the great field rather on the lower Danube than so far to the -west, I yet submit my judgment to yours. Assign to me my part in the -affair you would execute, and, my word as a soldier and a Christian, -you shall have my help." - -"Nay," replied Scanderbeg. "As I said, I can share the responsibility -of my action with no one. Grave charges will ring against my name. My -old comrades will scorn my deed as treacherous. Even history will fail -to understand me. Let me act alone; obeying that strange voice which -will justify me, if not before men, at least at the last day of the -world's judgment. The Moslem has wronged me; outraged my humanity; -slit the tongue of my conscience that it should not speak to me of my -duty; and tried to put out the eyes of my faith. The Divinity bids me -avenge myself. But the vengeance is only mine, and God's. No other -hand must be stained with the blood of it, least of all thine, noble -Hunyades. My plan must be all my own. I only ask that, when I have -extricated myself from Moslem ties, I may have the friendship of -Hunyades. Especially that the way may be left open for my passing -through the places now held by your troops, without challenge and -delay. All else has been arranged by a handful of faithful Albanian -patriots." - -"It shall be as you desire, General Castriot. Choose your password, -and it shall open the way for you though it were through the back door -of the Vatican." - -"Let then the 'beard of Moses' be respected. My trusty Albanians are -accustomed to it." - -"Good!" replied Hunyades. "And I will seal our compact by taking -Adrianople in honor of the departure of its only defender." - -"Nay," said Scanderbeg. "It will not be wise to press upon the -capital. Every approach is guarded more securely than were those at -Vienna by the Christians. The Padishah's engineers are more skilful -than any in the land of the Frank or German. The new compound of -saltpetre and sulphur, of which you hardly know the use, is buried -beneath every gate; and a spark will burst it as Ætna or Vesuvius.[16] -Even the valor of the White Knight cannot conquer the soulless -element. The black grains never blanch with fear. No panic can divert -a stone ball hurled from cannon so that it shall not find the heart of -the bravest. I advise that your armies pause awhile with the prestige -of having scaled the Balkans. In a few months opportunities may have -ripened. Once I am in Albania, Sultan Amurath shall know that the -name of Scanderbeg--the Lord Alexander--was not his, but Fate's -entitling; for, unless my destiny is misread, the Macedonian legions -of the Great Alexander were not swifter than my new Macedonian braves -shall be. This will encourage the Venetians and Genoese; and with -their navies on the Hellespont, the timid Palælogus pressing out from -his covert of Constantinople, and insurrection everywhere from the -Crimea to Peloponnesus, there will not, a generation hence, be left a -turban in Europe. Believe me, General, the Turk's grip of nearly a -century, since he pinched the continent at Gallipoli, cannot be -loosened in a day." - -"To no other than Castriot would I yield my judgment; and not to him, -but that his words are as convincing as his sword. Then so let it be," -was the reply of the Christian leader. - -The Albanian disappeared. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[15] Voivode; a Servian and Albanian term for general. - -[16] Gunpowder was at this time coming into general use. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -Hunyades, closely muffled in his bear-skin disguise, returned to the -camp. - -"A desperate adventure that of Castriot," thought he. "It is well that -he permits no voice but his own to speak his plans, and no ear but -mine to hear them. - -"Hist! - -"No; it is but the ice crackling from the balsams. Yet who knows what -interlopers there may have been? and if the brave Scanderbeg may not -be hamstrung before he reaches his own camp? The ride will be long and -rattling after he enters the Turkish lines. Will it excite no -suspicion? Nor his absence? Heaven guard the brave heart, for the very -mole holes in the ground are the Sultan's ears, into which he drinks -the secrets of his soldiers. By the way, I must lift the dirty cap -from the fellow who called me Kabilovitsch at the herdsman's fire; for -the messenger who brought me word surely said that only Castriot and -the two children were there. Who may this other one be? I must -discover; and if he knows aught he should not, he shall know no more -this side of hell-gate, or my dagger's point has grown so honest that -it has forgotten the way to a knave's heart." - -Approaching the little group, Hunyades went behind them, that, if -possible, he might overhear some words before any persons there knew -of his presence. - -Milosch had been ill at ease through the continued absence of his -friend Kabilovitsch, the peculiar action of the strange man who had -taken his place beneath the blanket, and the apparition of the one who -wore the cap and cape which he thought he could not mistake. There had -always been a mystery about Kabilovitsch's early life, which their -long and close neighborly relations upon the mountain had not enabled -him to solve. The girl, he often thought, was of too light a build and -too fair featured to be the child of the mountaineer. The story -Kabilovitsch often told about the early death of the child's mother, -Milosch's wife never heard without impatience and a shrug of the -shoulders. Who was the child? Could there be any plot to carry her -away among persons who knew the secret of her birth? Milosch could -reach one definite conclusion about the matter, and that was that he -ought to guard the child just now. So, with senses made alert by -suspicion, he heard the soft footfall of Hunyades through the -crust-broken snow; and though with head averted, noted his stealthy -approach. The caution observed by the stranger made Milosch feel -certain of the intended treachery. Loosening the short sheath-knife, -which hung by the ring in its bone handle from his girdle, he grasped -it tightly, and with a sudden bound faced the intruder. - -"Your business, man?" said he, eyeing him as a hunter eyes a wolf to -anticipate the spring of the brute, that the knife may enter his -throat before the fangs strike. - -"A rude greeting to a neighbor, that," was the quiet reply. - -"A fair enough greeting to one who wears a neighbor's fleece, and -prowls by night about his flock. Stop! not a step nearer! or, by the -soul of Kabilovitsch, whom, for aught I know, you have murdered, I -will send you to meet him!" - -A motion of the stranger toward his weapon was anticipated by the -mountaineer, who gripped the intruder with the strength of a bear, -pinioning his arms by his sides, and falling with him to the ground. -In an instant more, however, the dagger point of his antagonist began -to penetrate Milosch's thigh. Clenching tighter to prevent a more -deadly thrust, he felt beneath his opponent's rough outer robe the -hard corselet woven with links of iron--not the coarse fabric such as -was worn by common soldiers, but the lighter steel-tempered underwear -of knights and nobles. - -"You have murdered another better than yourself, damned villain, and -have stolen his shirt. But it shall not save you this time." - -As he let out these words one by one and breath by breath, Milosch -worked the knife into such a hold that he could press it into the back -of his antagonist. Slowly but surely the stout point made its way -between the hard links until the man's flesh quivered with the pain. -Then Milosch hissed through his clenched teeth:-- - -"Who are you? If you speak not, you die. If you lie, let the devil -shrive your black soul! for I'll send you to him on the knife point. -Speak!" - -"I am General Hunyades," replied the almost breathless man. - -The words relieved him from the pressure of the knife, but not from -the crunching hug of his captor. - -"Prove it!" hissed Milosch. "I have heard that Hunyades has a scar on -the left side of the neck. Uncover your neck!" - -Milosch released Hunyades' left hand sufficiently to allow him to -reach upward. In an instant the leathern string which bound the -bear-skin cape about his neck was broken, the lacings of a velvet -jacket loosened, and the fingers of Milosch led over the roughened -surface of the scarred skin. - -The herdsman rose to his knees, and kissed the hand of the general. - -"Strike thy dagger into me! for I have raised my hand against the -Lord's anointed," cried he in shame and fear. - -"Nay, friend," said the chief; "the fault was mine, and yours shall be -the reward of the only man who ever conquered Hunyades. Your name, my -good fellow?" - -"Milosch!" - -"Milosch, the goatherd of the Pass? I have heard tell of your -strength; how you could out-crunch a bear; I believe it. You have been -faithful to your absent friend, as you have been severe with me." - -"But what of my friend Kabilovitsch? You surely wear his gear," said -Milosch. - -"Yes, I borrowed these of a passing stranger--I know not that he be -Kabilovitsch--with which I might pass disguised among the guards. The -owner of this cape and hood is keeping warm in a tent hard by until I -return. But whom have you here?" - -"The lad is mine. The lass is my neighbor's. He calls her Morsinia, in -honor of your fair mother," replied Milosch. - -"Then I must see her face. She should be fair with such a name." - -As he raised the coarse-knit hood which closely wrapped her, a flicker -of the dying fire-light illumined for an instant the features of the -child. The uncombed mass of golden hair made a natural pillow in which -lay a face unsurpassed in balance of proportion and delicacy of detail -by any sculptor's art. Her forehead was high and full, but apparently -diminished by the wealth of curling locks that nestled upon brow and -temples; her nose straight and thin, typically Greek; her lips firm, -but arched, as with some abiding and happy dream; her skin, purest -white, tinged with the glow of youthful health, as the snow on the -Balkans under the first roseate gleam of the morning sun. - -"A peasant's child?" asked the general. But without waiting for reply, -continued, "No, by the cheek of Venus! It took more than one -generation of noble culture, high thoughts and purest blood, to mould -such a face as that. She was not born in your neighbor's cot on the -mountains? Will you swear that she was? No? Then I will swear that she -was not. And the boy? Ah!" said he, scanning Constantine's face. "I -know his stock. He is a sprig of the same rough thorn-tree that came -near to tearing me to pieces just now. But his face is gentler than -yours. Yet, it is a strong one; very bold; broad-thoughted; -deep-souled; a sprig that may bear even better fruit than the old -one." - -"Heaven grant it may!" said Milosch, fervently. - -"Yes, if you will let me transplant it from these barren mountains to -the gardens of Buda and the banks of the Drave, it will get better -shelter than you can give it. The boy shall be my protégé for -to-night's adventure, if his father will enter my personal service. -You see, you gave me so warm a welcome that I am loath to part company -with you, my good fellow." - -"Heaven bless you, Sire!" replied Milosch; "but my heart will cling to -these cliffs until I know that my faithful wife and other boy are no -longer among them." - -"I shall give orders that the camp be searched," promised Hunyades. -"If they live, and have not been carried away by the Turks, they must -have sought refuge somewhere in the host. Farewell! When you will, -Hunyades shall stand the friend of Milosch." - -The apparent old herdsman returned through the heart of the camp to -headquarters. - -"Methinks, comrade, that you bandied words with a greater than you -knew, when you teased the old goatherd awhile ago," said a sentinel, -thrusting his thumb into the side of the spearman at the entrance to -the general's hut. "Do you note his mien as he comes yonder? That -crumpled old bear skin cannot hide his straight back; nor those shoes, -as big as Spanish galleons, break the firmness of his tread. If the -gust of wind should lift his cape you would see at least a golden -cross on his shoulders. You cannot hide a true soldier." - -The bear-skin passed between the fluttering canvas without challenge. -Hunyades made a playful salute to Kabilovitsch, who rose to meet him. - -"I found your camp. I have looked into the face of your little -daughter." - -"Mary save her!" said the old man with gratified look. - -"I say I saw your daughter, your _daughter_, you know," said the -general again, quizzing Kabilovitsch with his eyes. - -"Ay, my daughter! and the Virgin Mother never sent a fairer child, -save Jesu himself, to prince or peasant." - -"Come, now," said the general, "tell me, did the Holy Virgin send this -child to prince _or_ peasant?" - -"Why?" said Kabilovitsch, "these horny hands should tell thee, Sire, -that I was not royal born." - -"But the girl may be, if you were not. Is she your child?" - -"Yes, my child, if heaven ever sent one to man." - -"But, tell me," probed the general, "how did heaven send you the -maiden? Did the mother bring her, or did the angels drop her at your -door? For, if that girl be your child, heaven did not know you even by -sight; since it put not a freckle of your dark skin upon her fair -face, nor one of your bristles into her hair. The stars are not -begotten of storm-clouds; nor do I think she is your daughter." - -To this the old man replied, more to himself than to his interrogator, -"If she is not mine by gift of nature, she is mine by gift of Him who -is above nature." - -"I will not steal your secret," said Hunyades. "Her name has excited -my interest in her and her heaven-given or heaven-lent father. She -needs better protection than you can give her in the camp. I will send -her to headquarters." - -"I would gratefully put her under your protection for a few days," -said Kabilovitsch. "My duty takes me away from her for a while; -dangerous duty, Sire, and if I should fall--" - -"If Kabilovitsch falls, Hunyades will be as true father to the lass. -Have you any special desire regarding her or yourself, my brave man? -You have but to name it." - -"But one, Sire," replied Kabilovitsch. "That I may see her safely -conditioned at once. For it may be that before the day dawns I shall -be summoned. I serve a cause as mysterious as the Providence which -watches over it." - -"An Albanian mystery? They are generally as inscrutable as a thunder -cloud; but are revealed when its lightning strikes!" replied Hunyades, -dismissing the old man, accompanied by two guards, who were -commissioned to obey implicitly any orders the herdsman might give -regarding the party of refugees by his camp-fire. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -The Christian host prolonged the festival of the Nativity from day to -day, until the mustering forces of the Ottomans summoned them from -dangerous inactivity again to the march and the battle. The latter -they found at Mount Cunobizza, where the enemy had massed an enormous -force. The Christian army, with its splendid corps of Hungary, Poland, -Bosnia, Servia, Wallachia, Italy and Germany, was not a more -magnificent array than that of their Moslem opponents. For the most -part of the day the field was equally held, but in the afternoon the -Turkish left seemed to have become inspired with a strange fury. The -Janizaries, at the time renowned as the best disciplined and most -desperate foot-soldiers in the world, were rivalled in celerity and -intrepidity, in skilful manoeuvring and the tremendous momentum -with which they struck the foe, by other Moslem corps; such as the -squadrons of cavalry collected from distant military provinces, each -under its Spahi or fief-holder; and the irregular Bashi-Bazouks, who -seemed to have sprung from the ground in orderly array. Their diverse -accoutrements, complexions, and movements suggested the hundred arms -of some martial Briareus, all animated by a single brain. The war cry -of "The Prophet!" was mingled with that of "Iscanderbeg!" In the -thickest of the fight appeared the gigantic form of the circumcised -Albanian, his gaudy armor flashing with jewels,[17] his right arm -bared to the shoulder, his cimeter glancing as the lightning. The -Italian legions opposite him, upon the Christian left, were hurled -back again and again from their onslaught, and were pressed mile after -mile from the original battle site. Hunyades inflicted a compensatory -punishment upon the Moslem left, shattering its depleted ranks as a -battering ram crashes through the tottering walls of a citadel. The -chief of the Christians saw clearly Scanderbeg's plan[18] to leave the -victory in his hands, and at the opportune moment he wheeled his -squadrons to the assistance of King Vladislaus, thus combining in -overwhelming odds against the enemy's centre, which Scanderbeg had -effectually drained of its proper strength. As soon, however, as it -was evident that the Christians were the victors, Scanderbeg, by -superb generalship, interposed the Janizaries between the enemy and -the turbaned heads that, but for this, were being whirled in full -flight from the field. The rout was changed into orderly retreat. -Hunyades found it impossible to press the pursuit, and muttered, - -"Scanderbeg commands both our armies to-day. We can only take what he -is minded to give." - -At length night looked down upon the camps. Few tents were erected. -Hunyades sat for hours beneath a tree, waiting for he knew not what -developments. On the Turkish side even the Beyler Beys, the highest -commanders, were content to stretch their limbs with no other canopy -than the three horse-tails at the spear-head, the symbol of their rank -and authority. Far in the rear were the few pavilions of the suite of -the Grand Vizier, who represented the absent Sultan Amurath. Late into -the night the Vizier sat in counsel with the Sultan's Reis Effendi or -chief secretary, to whom was entrusted the seal of the empire. He was -enstamping the many despatches which fleetest horsemen carried to -distant Spahis, summoning them with their reserves to rally for the -defence of Adrianople. - -Just before the dawn the secretary was left alone. Even he, and, in -his person, the empire, must catch an hour's sleep before the exciting -and exacting duties of the new day. He reclined among his papers. But -a summons awakened him: the messenger announcing Scanderbeg. The -guards withdrew to a respectful distance from the outside of the tent. - -"Do not rise," said the general, gently pressing the secretary back to -his reclining posture. "I only need the imperial seal to this order." - -The secretary scanned the paper with incredulous eyes. It was a -firman, or decree of the Sultan, passing the government of Albania -from General Sebaly to Scanderbeg, with absolute powers, and ordering -the commandant of the strong fortress of Croia to place all its -armament and that of adjacent strongholds in Scanderbeg's hand as the -viceroy of the Sultan. As the secretary lifted his face to utter an -inquiry for the relief of his amazement, knowing that the Sultan, then -absent in Asia, could not have ordered such a document, the strong -hand of Scanderbeg gripped his throat, and his poniard threatened his -heart. - -"The mark!" whispered the assailant. - -The terrified man tremblingly reached the seal, and pressed it against -the wax. The weapon then did its work, and so suddenly that the -secretary had no time for even an outcry. Then silently, so that the -guards, who were but a few paces distant, heard no commotion, he laid -the lifeless form on the divan, and covered it with the embroidered -cloak it had worn when living.[19] - -Passing out, Scanderbeg gave orders that the tent should not be -entered by the guards until morning, that the secretary might rest. He -gave the password, "The Kaaba," as sharply as if his lips would take -vengeance on the once sacred, but now hated sound. His military staff -joined him at a little distance. Vaulting into the saddle he led the -way toward the north. At the edge of the camp by a rude bridge he -halted, and said to his attendants, - -"I meet at this point the Beyler Bey of Anatolia, whose staff will be -my escort to his camp. The Padishah's cause needs closest conference -of all the commanders; for treason is abroad. Ah! I hear the escort. -Return to quarters, gentlemen!" - -Riding forward alone in the direction of the noise, he cried, "Who -comes?" - -"The Kaaba at Mecca," was the response. - -"Well, if the Kaaba takes the trouble to come to me it is a good omen, -by the beard of Moses!" - -"By the beard of Moses!" murmured a group of horsemen, bowing their -turbaned heads in the first gray light of the approaching day. The -cavalcade closed around the fugitive chieftain, and moved along in -silence, except to respond to the sentinels. As they passed the -extreme picket of the Turks they halted. A wardrobe had been secreted -in a cave beyond a copse near the road. Dismounting, the men exchanged -their turbans for caps of wolf or beaver skin. Their gaily trimmed -jackets, such as were worn by the Turkish foot-soldiers, gave place to -short fur sacks. Their flowing, bag-bottomed trousers were kicked off, -leaving abbreviated breeches of leather. In a few moments the -splendidly uniformed suite of a Moslem bey was transformed into a -rough, but exceedingly unique-looking, band of Albanian guerillas. -Scanderbeg assumed a helmet, the summit of which carried as a device -the head and shoulders of a goat--since the times of Alexander the -Great the symbol of the powers in, or bordering upon, Macedonia. The -Turkish uniforms were bundled upon the cruppers for future use. - -The men stood for a moment, each by the side of his horse. At a motion -of the officer in charge they gave the salute; touching their bared -foreheads, and bowing to the ground. The officer then approached -Scanderbeg, and, presenting his sword, said: - -"Sire! to thee, as the son of our Duke John, we give our swords -together with our hearts and our lives." Instantly every sword was -laid upon the ground; and the crisp air rattled with the cry, "Long -live Duke George! A Castriot forever!" - -Scanderbeg gazed silently for a moment upon the faithful group. There -was no doubt of their loyalty: for they had proved it by an adventure -of rare daring in penetrating the Turkish camp. The face of the great -general, usually masking so completely his strongest feelings, lost -now its rigidity. His eyes were moist; his lips trembled; every -lineament was eloquent with the emotion he could neither conceal nor -tell in words. After a few moments' impressive silence, he returned -the sword to the officer, and, pointing westward, cried, - -"Forward to Albania!" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[17] The old chronicles admit, as one weakness of Scanderbeg, a -fondness for personal decoration. - -[18] The author adds these lines to the meagre details of this battle -as known, for the purpose of accounting for its immediate issue, and -for the subsequent events. - -[19] Some historians represent Scanderbeg as having had Albanian -accomplices in this murder. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -"Thank Heaven! the plan did not fail," said the chief officer, riding -by the side of the fugitive general. - -"In no particular has it failed, Colonel," replied Scanderbeg. "And -for this every praise is due your wise precautions. I have never known -better work of brain or nerve. With such grand soldiers as you and -your men, I fear nothing for Albania. But your name, Colonel?" - -"Moses Goleme," replied the officer courteously. - -Scanderbeg reined his horse, and gave him his hand heartily. "A man as -grand as he is brave! And do I really look into the face of him whom I -was to have sought out in Dibria, that I might tell him his words had -been to me like a voice from heaven? Heaven reward you, good Moses! -But you must vow to stand by me yet as patiently as you have done -hitherto--during my apostasy. I shall need your charity still; for I -am but a returning prodigal; a half-Christian; a man of strange ways; -of a temper which I understand not myself, and which will disappoint -you. Pledge me that you will be my good angel. Counsel me frankly, -fearlessly, as a man should always counsel a man. Rebuke me freely: -but bear with me in your heart, as you would with a child." - -"I may not advise the most capable general in the world," replied -Moses Goleme. "I vow to obey. Let that be my part. As I have already -imperilled my estates by open opposition to the Turkish rule, and -given my life to the liberty of my country, so I offer all to thee, -Sire, the sovereign of my heart, until you shall be acknowledged the -sovereign of Albania, and a new empire be founded on the east of the -Adriatic which shall take the place of the decaying powers of Italy on -the west." - -"The task your patriotism proposes is vast," replied Scanderbeg; "too -vast for one man and one lifetime." - -"Too great for any but the great Castriot!" was the answer, evidently -as honest as it was reverent. "But you do me too much honor, General, -in praising my plan of meeting you. I was ably seconded by my men, and -especially by two of them. One of them was wounded." - -"I trust you speak not of a brave fellow who brought me the time and -place of the rendezvous: for I never saw such strength and daring in -my life." - -"The same, I fear," said Moses. "A Servian, whom I had not known -before yesterday. But he was boiling over with rage for the slaughter -of his family, and commended to me by our most trusted scout." - -"Did he tell you how he found me out, and communicated your plan to -me?" - -"No, for he was too severely hurt to speak much." - -"I will tell that part for him, then," said Scanderbeg. "It was in the -hottest of the fight. My own body-guard was thrown into confusion. A -fellow, clad like one of my own staff, crowded close to my side. His -horse actually rested against my own, and I would have severed his -head from his shoulders for his impudent valor, had not his oath at -his beast been 'by the beard of Moses!' Seeing that I observed it he -grunted, 'At the brook to the north!' as he dodged the circles of the -cimeters; and 'Near the Roman road!' he hissed as he pared the cap -from a Christian's head with his sword; and 'At the ninth hour -to-night!' he shouted as he parried a thrust. Before I had breathing -space--for I was closely beset at the time--he had gone; borne back by -a Spahi,[20] who envied him his place and emulated his valor. But he -was not skilful in using his weapon or managing his horse. I am -grieved, but not surprised, at his receiving hurt. I thought he must -have fallen. But who was the other?" - -"Yonder old fellow with a huge green turban on the saddle before him. -If his brain were as big as his head-piece, he could not have planned -better. He has dwelt about here lately." - -"I must thank him in person," said Scanderbeg, riding back toward him. - -"What!" he exclaimed as the full daylight fell upon the man's -features, "Kabilovitsch?" - -The old man diverted Scanderbeg's compliments by an expression of -solicitude for Milosch, whom he had permitted to undertake the -desperate venture already narrated, although until a few days before -he, being a Servian, had no knowledge of the project of the Albanians. - -"We must haste, Sire," said Moses. "It is advised that you cross to -the north of the pass in the Balkans, and take thence the valley way -between Caratova and the Egrisu. A message from General Hunyades -informs me that relays can be provided along the road, and that every -facility shall be given us." - -"Kabilovitsch will accompany us?" asked Scanderbeg. - -"On one condition, Sire," replied the old man. "My little daughter -must go with me: a lass of ten spring tides--" - -"Impossible! for our ride must be night and day." - -"Then I may follow, but cannot accompany you," said Kabilovitsch. - -"I need such men as you with me. No true Albanian will delay for a -child. Country must be child and mother to us all," said the general. - -The cheeks of Kabilovitsch whitened; his eyes flashed. Looking -Scanderbeg squarely in the face, he said quietly, but putting -intention into every word, - -"George Castriot may lead, but may not rebuke the patriots who have -watched for Albania with sacrifices he knows not of, while he has been -among our country's enemies. An old man, thy father's friend before -thou wast born, may say that, Sire." - -Scanderbeg grew pale in turn. He had been unaccustomed to brook -insubordination, however righteous. Who had dared to question him? Who -to fling the taunt into his face? The hot words were upon his lips. -But he paused, at first from the mere habit of self-restraint. Then, -because he was a wise man, and realized that he was no longer the -tyrant, with power of life and death over his soldiers--men who had -been hired, stolen, impressed into the service, and transformed into -mere machinery of flesh and blood--but was to be the public liberator -of a people every man of whom was already as free as he. Then, he had -become a just man. Strange and sanguinary as had been the events -accompanying his desertion of the Turks, he had taken this step only -after a deep moral struggle. He had revolted from his own past life; -and felt an inward disgrace for what had been his outward glory--the -service of the Moslem; he despised himself more than any other person -could. It was this sense of the justice of Kabilovitsch's rebuke that -checked the rage which had blanched his face, and sent the flush to -his temples, as he slowly, replied, "I bow to the merited chastisement -of your words. Your years and your better life give you license to -utter them. My future shall atone for the past. But cannot your child -be left safely where she is?" - -"She is safe where she is; but I may not leave her without providing -for her future. Milosch is lying in a cottage but a little before us. -If his wounds are not fatal--as I believe they are not, though the -leech thought otherwise--I may bring the girl to him, and still -overtake you before you come in sight of the Black Mountains. I can -cross this country by paths through which I could not direct you. -During many years, for justice's sake and our country's, I have -wandered over these mountains where only the eagle's shadow has -fallen." - -"I will stop with you at the cottage," said Scanderbeg, "for, though -the moments are precious, I would bless the brave fellow for his work -yesterday." - -There were several wounded Christian soldiers at the little hovel. A -Greek monk was administering both spiritual and physical comfort; for -Rilo Monastir had sent its inmates along the track of the Christian -army in spite of the insults of the Latin soldiers, who, though in -sight of the common enemy of their faith, could not repress the -meanness of their sectarian jealousy and hatred. Milosch was doing -well. His wounds were, one in the fleshy part of the shoulder, the -other a contusion on the head, from a blow which had stunned him. A -few weeks would put him again upon his feet, though perhaps his -fighting days were over; for the flesh wound lay across an important -muscle, and would permanently destroy the strength of the right arm. - -Milosch fell in with the proposition of Kabilovitsch regarding -Morsinia. Though a Servian, he had lost interest in his own country -because of the vacillating course of the Despot, George Brankovitch, -who was half Christian and half Moslem, according to the policy of the -moment. Milosch would identify himself with the cause of Albania, for -which he had already done and suffered so much. - -The two men entered into what is known among the Servians and -Albanians as "Brotherhood in God," covenanting in the name of God and -St. John to devote their lives, each to the other, and both to their -common cause. The compact was sealed by each putting the left hand -upon the other's heart, and holding up the right hand in invocation of -the Divine witness. Kabilovitsch said: - -"My brother, I commit to thy keeping our daughter, Morsinia, thine and -mine, from henceforth. She is all I have but life to share with thee, -which also I freely give." - -To this Milosch replied: - -"My brother, I commit to thy keeping our boy, Constantine, thine and -mine from henceforth. He is all I have that I wot of to share with -thee, but my life which--God spare it--I freely give." - -"Bismallah!"[21] said Scanderbeg. "And if the girl and the boy were -the ones I saw asleep in each other's arms by the fire the other -night, the compact is good for two generations at least." - -It was agreed that, upon his sufficient recovery, Milosch should bring -the children from the camp of Hunyades to Albania. - -The ride by the Vitosh and Rilo Mountains where the mighty ranges of -the Balkans, the Upper Moesian, and the Rhodope are thrown close -together, was sufficiently grand to engross the eye and mind of the -dashing riders. Thus most of the day was passed in silence, broken -only by the clatter of the horses' hoofs against the rocks; the roar -of cascades making their awful plunge hundreds of feet from the -precipices; the complaint of rivers far down at the bottom of ravines, -fretting beneath the prison roof of ice and snow; and glorious pines, -pluming the brow of crag and ledge, through which the everlasting -winds breathed the dirge over fallen empires of men. - -As they forced their way up a long and tedious ascent, Scanderbeg -joined Kabilovitsch and said: - -"To relieve the tedium of this slow part of the journey you must tell -me about that lass you would not leave for the love of Albania. A -sweet face as I saw it. I could have run off with it myself, had I not -other business on hand. And I can pardon a father's heart for -clinging very closely to such a child. You will forget my rude speech -a while ago. I played with a little lass like that when I was a boy. -The face of your child, that night I watched for you, carried me back -to those happy days. I could see my little sweet-heart in her; though -thirty years have thrown their shadows of dark events across my -memory." - -Kabilovitsch turned familiarly to Scanderbeg with the query, - -"May I read your thoughts, Sire?" - -"Yes, he is welcome to do so who can find my soul beneath this -battered face." - -"That child was the fair Mara, the daughter of the noble George -Cernoviche, whose castle ruins lie now by the shore of Ochrida. Am I -not right?" - -"Right! but I knew not of the fall of her father's house. Can you tell -me aught of the history of my little maiden. If she lives, she must be -a goodly matron now." - -"Yes, I can tell her story and more. She married the noble Musache de -Streeses, whose castle once stood near the Skadar."[22] - -"Ah! I have heard of his sad fate," replied the general. "Oh, for -vengeance on these villains who have despoiled the land! Musache de -Streeses was the richest of all the land-owners on the coast of Adria, -the soul of honor, a genuine patriot, with whom my father held -confidential intercourse. His purse and sword were freely offered for -service against the Turk. It was a favorite scheme of my father to -some day unite our families. I hear that my nephew, Amesa, has become -possessed of those estates, being also nephew to De Streeses, who was -slain by the Turks. But my fairy, Mara, you said was married to De -Streeses. It was she, then, who, with her infant child, was killed by -the Turks during the raid?" - -"Noble Castriot! De Streeses and the Lady Mara were murdered, foully, -treacherously," said the old man, reining his horse, and speaking with -terrible passion. - -"Oh, to take vengeance!" exclaimed Scanderbeg. "By the fair face of -Mara! this, with the thousand other murders of these years, shall be -washed out, if my sword drains a myriad veins of Turkish blood to make -sure of his who struck so brutal a blow!" - -"Your sword need not search so wide as that," said Kabilovitsch. "The -family of De Streeses were murdered by hands we both know but too -well." - -"How know you, Kabilovitsch?" - -The man removed his cap as if inviting the inspection of his face, -and, lowering his voice, replied, - -"I am not Kabilovitsch, I am Arnaud." - -"Arnaud, the forester of De Streeses? Arnaud, whose shoulders I -bestrode before I ever mounted a steed?" exclaimed Scanderbeg, turning -his horse and stopping, but at his companion's motion indicating -caution, lowering his tone, and moving close beside him. - -"The same, Sire. And the Turks who murdered the nobleman and his -beautiful wife were not such Turks as you have been accustomed to -command. Too white of skin and too black of heart were they. I would -not say this, but that I give you also my reasons for so grave an -accusation. Turks in raiding do not discriminate in their -depredations; but these harmed not a leaf beyond the castle of De -Streeses. Nor do Turks swear by St. John, as I heard one of them do as -he cursed a fellow villain for some slip in the plan. Nor again would -Turks, seeking only for plunder, have shown as much eagerness to kill -the little babe as they did to slay its father; and this they did, -searching even among the ashes for evidence that the tiny bones had -been sufficiently charred to prevent their recognition. But the child -was not in the castle at the time. My good wife was suckling it--the -Lady Mara being of delicate condition--and that night the babe was at -the lodge. As soon as the commotion was heard at the castle the child -was hidden in the copse." - -"But where is this child now?" asked Scanderbeg eagerly. - -"You have gazed upon her by my camp-fire, sire; and your soul saw in -her face that of the sainted Mara, though your eyes detected her not." - -"And you know the perpetrator of this damnable deed?" asked -Scanderbeg. - -"I may not say I know, since your noble father refused to believe that -any other than Turkish hands did it. But he who possesses the estate -now knows too much of this affair to thank God in his prayers for his -inheritance. I saved the child; yet Lord Amesa has sworn that once a -Turk who fell beneath his sword in a private brawl confessed to him -that his hands had strangled the infant on the night of the raid. Some -one interested had suspicion of where the truth lay, for my own cot -was raided, and my wife slain one night during my absence. But the -child was safe elsewhere. Since then, knowing that her life was secure -only through her being secreted, I have been a wanderer. A price was -secretly set upon my head by Amesa. In the mountains of Macedonia, in -the pass of the Balkans, have I kept watch over my sacred charge. I -want not to see Albania, but as I can see justice done in Albania. -Therefore I said I would go only if the lass might go with me, and -under the strong protection of a Castriot who knows the truth, whose -very soul recognized the child of Mara." - -"The child's life shall be as sacred to me as if Mara had become my -wife as she vowed in her play, and the child were my own," said -Scanderbeg. "But this perplexes our cause. Amesa is one of our -bravest, wiliest voivodes. To antagonize him with this old charge -would imperil my reception with the people and the liberty of our -land. But I pledge you, my good Arnaud, that though vengeance waits, -it shall not sleep. In the time when it shall be most severe upon the -offender, and most honorable to the name of Albanian justice, the bolt -shall fall." - -It was readily foreseen by both that only at the peril of her life -could Morsinia be allowed to accompany her foster father, Arnaud or -Kabilovitsch, to the camp of Castriot. The former forester would be -recognized and suspicion at once excited as to the person of his ward. -It was, therefore, determined that she should be domiciled safely in a -little hamlet on the borders of Albania, where her history was -unknown; and that, to elude suspicion, Milosch and the boy, -Constantine, should accompany her, as her father and brother, neither -of whom knew her true history. The "Brotherhood in God" between -Kabilovitsch and his old neighbor gave sufficient warrant for -Milosch's claim to paternity. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[20] Spahi: master of cavalry. - -[21] Bismallah; "Please God," a Turkish common exclamation. - -[22] Lake Scutari. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -But while these refugees from the little hamlet on the mountains were -so favored of good Providence, what of the others? Our story must -return to the day of the battle in the Pass of Slatiza. Mother Helena -fell beneath the sword of a Turk while defending herself from his -insults. The boy, Michael, with arms bound above the elbows and drawn -back so that, while retaining the use of his hands, he could not free -himself, was driven along with others under guard of several soldiers. -As they descended the mountains the band of captives was steadily -increased by contributions from the cottages and hiding places along -the way. They were mostly boys and girls, the old men and women having -been slain or left to perish in the utter desolation which marked the -track of the army. Some of the captives were children too young to -endure the tramp, and were carried upon the horses of the mounted -soldiers. No one was treated unkindly. After the first day their bands -were untied so that they moved without weariness. They shared the best -of the soldiers' rations--sometimes feasting while their captors -fasted--and were snugly wrapped in the blankets by the camp-fires at -night. The daily march, after the Christian army had abandoned the -pursuit, was of but a few miles, with long intervals for rest. Indeed, -Michael thought that the troopers were more anxious about his being -kept in good condition, even in fresh and comely appearance, than -Mother Helena would have been. As they approached Philippopolis they -were all made to wash at a stream. Their matted locks were combed:--a -hard job with the mass of rebellious red bristles which stood about -Michael's head, like a nimbus on the wooden image of some Romish -saint. In some instances the captors went into the city and returned -with pretty skirts of bright colored wool or silk, and caps made of -shells and beads for the girls. Fantastic enough were the costumes and -toilets which the rough old troopers forced upon the little maidens; -but if they were pleasing to the captors they would prove, perhaps, as -pleasing to the rough slave buyers in the market square of -Philippopolis, who purchased the girls for disposal again at the -harems of the capital. An officer of excise presided over these sales, -and, before the property was delivered to the purchaser, retained -one-fifth the price as the share of the Sultan. If any of the girls -were, in the judgment of the officer, of peculiar beauty or promise, -they were reserved for the royal harem; the value of them being paid -to their captors out of the tax levied upon the others. This gave -occasion for the extravagant and often ludicrous costumes in which the -diverse tastes of the soldiers arrayed their captives for the contest -of beauty. - -The boys, however, were not sold. They were the special property of -the Sultan, to be trained as Janizaries for military service, or -employed in menial positions about the royal seraglio. The captors -received rewards according to the number and goodly condition of the -lads they brought in. - -The band of boys to which Michael was attached was marched at once to -Adrianople. Several hundreds were gathered in a great square court, -which was surrounded by barracks on three sides, and on the fourth -faced the river Marissa. A great soup kettle, the emblem of the -Janizary corps, was mounted upon a pole in the centre of the square, -and seemed to challenge the honors of the gilt star and crescent, the -emblem of royalty, that gleamed from the tall staff in an adjacent -court of the seraglio. There were scattered about utensils for -domestic use; the tools of carpenters, blacksmiths, armorers, -harness-makers and horse-shoers; old swords, battered helmets, broken -wagons, bow-guns, the figure heads of veteran battering rams; indeed -all the used and disused evidences that within these walls lived a -self-sustaining community, able to provide for themselves in war or in -peace. - -For several days the new boys were fed with delicious milk and meats, -prepared by skilful hands of old soldiers, who knew the art of nursing -the sick almost as well as they knew that of making wounds. For a few -nights the lads slept upon soft divans, until every trace of weariness -from the journey had disappeared. They were then stripped naked and -examined carefully by the surgeons. If one were deformed, or -ill-proportioned, or failed to give promise of a strong constitution, -he was taken away to be trained as a woinak or drudge of the camps. -Perhaps three-fourths of the entire number in Michael's company were -thus branded for life with an adverse destiny. - -The more favored lads were graded into ojaks, or messes; and among -them were daily contests in running and wrestling, according to the -results of which the ojaks were constantly changing their members; the -strongest and most agile living together in honorary distinction from -their fellows. - -The officers in charge of these Janizary schools were old or crippled -men, whom years or wounds had rendered unfit for service in the field, -and who were assigned to the easier task in compensation for past -fidelity. The spirit of the veterans was thus infused into the young -recruits by constant contact and familiarity with them; and the rigid -habits of the after service were acquired almost insensibly through -the daily drill and discipline. - -Michael's rugged health and mountain training enabled him to advance -rapidly through the various grades. Though almost the youngest in his -company, he was the first in the race, and no one could take him from -his feet in the wrestling match. - -"A sturdy little Giaour," said old Selim, a fat and gouty Janizary, -the creases of whose double chin were good companions to the -sabre-scar across his cheek. - -"Ay, tough and handy!" responded Mustapha, an old captain of the -corps, ogling Michael with his widowed eye, and stroking his beard -with his equally bereaved hand, as he watched the boy wriggling from -beneath to the top of a companion nearly double his size. "If the -little fellow is as agile in wit as he is in limb he will not long be -among the Agiamoglans.[23] A splendid build! broad in the shoulders; -deep-chested, but not flat; narrow loins; compact hips--just the make -of a lion. As lithe a lad as you were once, my now elephantine Selim, -when Bajazet stole you from your Hungarian home. Ah! you have changed -somewhat since the old Padishah had you for his page. I remember when -your waist was as trim as a squirrel's--but now--from the look of your -paunch I would think you were the soldier who drank up the poor -woman's supper of goat's milk, and had his belly ripped open by the -Padishah to discover his guilt.[24] Only goat's milk swells like that. -Let us see if some of the butter sticks not yet to your ribs," said -the old soldier, making a pass at his comrade's middle. - -"That's not a true soldier's pass, to strike so low," said Selim, -laughing. "But you, Mustapha, were once a better runner than yon lad -will ever be." - -"I was as good with my legs as with my arms," replied the veteran, -pleased with the compliment, and fondling his bare calves with his -hand. "But at what match did you see me run?" - -"I only saw you run once," said Selim, "and that was at Angora, when -Timour the Lame[25] was after you to get your ugly head for the -pyramid of skulls he left there as a monument. But see the lad! He -tosses the big one as a panther topples an ox. We have not had his -match in the school since Scanderbeg was a boy." - -"Poor Scanderbeg!" said Mustapha. - -"How now!" inquired Selim, "is there any news from him?" - -"Yes. He has met his first defeat. He was in command at the last -battle under the Balkans. Carambey got fast in a bog, in the first -battle, and Scanderbeg was unable to redeem the defeat in the second. -But he lived not to know it. He sent a host of gibbering Giaour ghosts -to hell while on his way to heaven. 'In the crossing of the cimeters -there is the gate of paradise,' says the Koran; and, though his body -could not be found, he went through the gate, beyond a doubt." - -"That is a loss, comrade, the Padishah can never make good with any -man in the service. But have you not noted, Mustapha, that Scanderbeg -never fought so well against Christians as against the Caramanians, -the Kermians and rebellious Turks. In Anatolia I have seen his lips -burst with blood,[26] through sheer rage of fight; but in Servia he -seemed listless and without heart for the fray. The Grand Vizier has -noted it, and twitted him with remembering too well that he was -Christian born." - -"And how did he take that?" - -"Why, the color came to his face; his lips swelled; his whole body -shook;--just as I have seen him when compelled to restrain himself -from heading a charge, because the best moment for it had not -arrived." - -"Did the Vizier take note of his manner?" - -"Yes, and spoke of it to the Padishah. Amurath looked troubled, and I -overheard him say, 'I must not believe it, for I need him. No other -general can match Hunyades.' And the Padishah said well; and he had -done well if he had taken the Vizier's head from his shoulders for -such an insinuation. For Scanderbeg only half loyal were better than -all the rest of the generals licking the Padishah's feet. But, -Mustapha, we must train the little devil yonder to forget that he ever -heard the name of Jesu, Son of Mary, except from the Koran." - -"Let us see if he has as much courage as he has cartilage," said -Mustapha. "The day is one fit for the water test. Let us have the -squad on the river's bank. If you will bring them, I will go and -arrange the test." - -"It is too cold, and besides I do not like it," said Selim. "I have -known some of the best and hottest blood that ever boiled in a child's -veins to be chilled forever by it. It is too severe, except for -trout." - -"But it is commanded. And to-day is as mild as we shall have for a -whole moon yet," was the reply, as Mustapha moved toward the water. - -The river Marissa was covered with thin ice, not strong enough to bear -the weight of a person. A young woinak had attached a small red flag -to a block of wood, and whirled it out over the slippery surface some -three rods from the shore. The boys gathered naked and shivering at -the barrack doors, and, at a signal were to dash after the flag. All -hesitated at the strange and cruel command, until a whip, snapping -close to their bare backs, started them. Some slipped and fell upon -the rough and icy stones of the paving in the court. Others halted at -the river's edge. Only a few ventured upon the brittle ice; and they, -as it broke beneath them, scrambled back to the shore. One or two -fainted in the shock of the cold plunge, and were drawn in by the -woinaks. But three pressed on, breaking the ice before them with their -arms, or with the whole weight of their bodies, as they climbed upon -its brittle edge. Soon they were beyond their depth; one dared to go -no further, and, blue and bleeding, gave up the chase. The prize lay -between Michael and his companion. This boy was larger and older than -he; and finding that the ice would sustain his weight, stretched -himself on it, and crawled forward until he grasped the flag. But the -momentary pause, as he detached it from the wooden block and put it -between his teeth, was sufficient to allow the crackling bridge to -break beneath him; and he sunk out of sight. At the same instant -Michael disappeared. Though several yards from his companion, he -plunged beneath the ice, and reappeared carrying the flag in his teeth -and holding his comrade's head above the water until the woinaks could -reach and rescue them both. - -"Bravo!" shouted the attendants. The boys were hurried into the -barracks, and given a hot drink made from a decoction of strong mints; -while the woinaks smeared their bodies with the same, and rubbed them -until the shock of their exposure was counteracted by the generous -return of the natural heat. - -"I thought," said old Mustapha, "that we would have drowned some -to-day. It is a cruel custom; but it is worth months of other -practices to find out a lad's clear grit and power of endurance. The -two boys who got the flag will some day become as valiant as -ourselves, eh, Selim?" and the living eye of the veteran nodded to the -empty socket across his nose--the nearest approach to a wink he was -capable of. - -"As the boys were floundering in the water," said Selim, "I thought of -a scene which I saw about at the same spot--now three score years have -gone since it--for it was just after I was brought into the Janizary's -school. Our Padishah's great grandfather, the first Amurath, had -erected a high seat or throne on the river's bank yonder. You know -that Saoudji, the Padishah's son, had joined the Greeks; but the young -traitor was captured. Well! old Amurath bade the executioner pass the -red hot iron before his son's eyes until the sight was dried up in -them. Then, while the blind prince was groping about and begging for -mercy, the Padishah, his father, commanded a circle of swordsmen to be -formed about him, swinging their cimeters, so that his head would fall -by the hand of him whom he chanced to approach. Thus it might be said, -that since he was a king's son, he had used the princely privilege of -selecting his own executioner. And having thus set them an example of -paternal duty, Amurath commanded the fathers of the Greek youths, whom -he had captured, to cut off the heads each of his own son. Those whose -fathers were not known or could not be found, were tied together in -groups and thrown into the stream; the Padishah betting heavily with -the Grand Vizier upon those who should float the longest. So, cruel -though our customs are, you see, Mustapha, we are not so barbaric as -our ancestors." - -"Nor so abominably vicious as the Greeks," said Mustapha. "With them -the loving mothers put out the eyes of their children.[27] No, we are -quite gentle nurses of the lads committed to our charge, though -sometimes our tiger claws will prick through the velvet." - -"Come, help me up! good Mustapha," said Selim, trying to rise from a -bench in the sunshine of the court where they were sitting. "The cold -stiffens my bones." - -"Bah! comrade, you have no bones, only flesh and belly. How will you -balance your fat hulk on the bridge that is finer than a hair and -sharper than the edge of a sword that takes you over hell into -paradise? I fear me, Selim, that I shall have to content myself with -the company of the Prophet and the houris in heaven, for you will -never get there, unless I give you a lift across Al Sirat,"[28] said -Mustapha, giving his comrade a jerk which sent him far out into the -court, where with difficulty he kept his feet upon the slippery -stones. - -The old fellow took the rough play good-naturedly, and replied, - -"You will never see paradise, Mustapha. The houris will have nought to -do with so ugly a face as yours. It will turn them all squint-eyed to -look at you." - -"Do you think I know not the art of love-making?" said Mustapha, -striking the attitude of a fashionable young man of the day. - -Selim roared with laughter. "Mustapha making love? The thing is -impossible; since, if the houri be in the sunshine of your good eye, -you have no arm on that side to embrace her; and if you embrace her -with the arm you have got, you have no eye on that side to look upon -her beauty. Trust me, you old moulted peacock, that I shall get over -Al Sirat before Mustapha has found a houri----" - -"Hist!" said Mustapha, pointing to the entrance of the square from the -seraglio court adjoining, and assuming an attitude of the gravest -dignity. In a moment more the two officers knelt, and resting their -foreheads on the ground, remained in that position until a lad of some -twelve years approached them and touched the head of each with his -foot, bidding them rise. - -"I have come, good Selim, to see what new hounds you have for me," -said the young Prince Mahomet.[29] - -"Ah! my little Hoonkeawr![30] the Prophet, your namesake, has sent you -a fine one; as lithe as a greyhound and as strong as a mastiff; and, -if I mistake not, already trained for the game; for he came from the -Balkans, where foxes run wild when and where they will." - -"That is capital. I shall like him," cried the prince, with delight. -"I must see him." - -"Not to-day, your highness; for the boys are under the leech's charge. -They have been put to the water-test, and are all packed snugly in -their beds." - -"The water-test, Selim, and you called me not?" said the boy, looking -furious in his rage. "You knew I wanted to see it; and you told me not -for spite. You will pay for this one day, you fat villain! And I want -the hunt now. I came for it; did I not, Yusef?" addressing a eunuch, -an old man with ashen face and decrepit body, but gorgeously arrayed, -who accompanied the prince as his constant attendant. - -"We must wait, I suppose," said the man, with a supercilious tone and -toss of his head, as if to even speak in the presence of the soldiers -were a degradation to his dignity. - -"To-morrow we will have the hunt in better style than we could arrange -it now were the boys able," said Selim, endeavoring to appease the -young tyrant. - -The prince and his escort moved away without deigning a reply - -"It is best not to insist," said the eunuch. "A wise maxim I will give -thee, my prince:--Beware of demanding the impossible--check back even -the desire of it. The rule of the Janizary school is that the boys -have rest after the water-test, and the Padishah would not allow even -his own son to break it. I would train thee to self-command; for the -time may come when thou shalt command the empire. Your brother, -Aladdin, is mortal." - -"So you always interfere with me. You hate me, Yusef; I know you do. I -wish the boys had all been drowned in the river, and old Selim, and -you too," cried the royal lad, giving way to an outburst of childish -rage. - -"Wait until thou canst get the bit between thy teeth before attempting -to run thine own gait," coolly replied the old eunuch. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[23] The Inexpert, or lower grade of Janizaries. - -[24] An incident narrated in Turkish history. - -[25] Timour-lenk or Timourlane; Timour the Lame. - -[26] See old annals. - -[27] Vide, the Greek Empress Irene and her son Constantine. - -[28] The bridge over hell mentioned above. - -[29] Afterward Sultan Mahomet II. - -[30] Literally, Man of Blood, a title of the Sultan. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -Beyond the walls of the seraglio lay the royal hunting grounds. Many -acres of the city were enclosed within high walls of clayey earth, -packed into huge square blocks and dried in the sun; on the top and -outside of which bristled a miniature abattis of prickly vines. Some -parts of this park were adorned with every elegance that the art of -landscape gardening could devise. In the summer season these portions -were covered with floral beauties, interspersed with water-jets, which -tossed the light silver balls like fairy jugglers; broad basins -sparkling with gold fish; and walks leading to little kiosks and -arbors. Even its winter shroud could not conceal from the imagination -what must have been its living beauty in summer. - -The greater part of this reserve was, however, left in its natural -state. Gnarled old olive trees twisted themselves like huge serpents -above the dense copses of elder and hazel bushes. Dusky balsams rose -in pyramids, overtopped by the pines, which spread their branches like -umbrellas. Here and there were open fields, encumbered with stinted -underbrush, and either broken with out-cropping rocks, or smooth with -strips of meadow land now white and glistening under the snow. - -This section of the park presented a fascinating appearance on the day -of the fox-hunt. Scores of lads from the Janizary school were there, -dressed in all shades of bright-colored jackets, and short trousers -bagged at the knees; the lower part of the limbs being protected with -close-fitting stockings of leather, terminating in light, but strong, -sandals. Each wore a skull cap or fez of red flannel, from the top of -which and down the back hung a tassel, that, by its length and -richness, indicated some prize won by its wearer in previous games. -Old soldiers gathered here and there in groups; some, the Janizaries, -wearing tall sugar-loaf-shaped hats of gray; others, white turbans, or -green ones, indicating that their possessors had made a holy -pilgrimage to Mecca. Elegant burnooses, or sleeveless cloaks, of -white, black, orange and yellow silks, fluttered in the wind or were -gathered at the waist by rich sashes, from which hung great cimeters. - -Near an open spot was a stand, or running gallery, enclosed in -lattice-work, from behind which the ladies of the harem could witness -the sports, themselves unseen. The presence of these invisible -beauties was indicated by the stiff, straight forms of the black -eunuchs, whose faces appeared above their white cloaks like heads of -ebony on statues of alabaster. - -Prince Mahomet rode a horse, small but compactly built, with head and -mane suggestive of the power of his well-rounded muscles; slim ankles, -seemingly better adapted to carry the lighter form of a deer; jet -black, in strongest contrast with the white tunic and gaily -embroidered jacket of the little prince, as well as with the -saddle-cloth of purple silk, in which the star and crescent were -wrought with threads of gold. With merry shout the young tyrant chased -the boys, who, carrying wands decorated with ribbons, ran ahead of him -to clear the way. - -"So it will be if he ever comes to the throne," said Selim to a -comrade. "Mahomet II. would follow no one. There would be no use of -viziers and generals, and he would even attempt to drive the -Janizaries like his sheep. It is well that Aladdin is the elder." - -"But woe to Aladdin if Mahomet lives after his brother comes to the -throne," said the man addressed. "With such fire-boxes about him one -could justify the practice of a sovereign inaugurating his reign by -the slaughter of his next of kin."[31] - -The woinaks brought in several crates, with latticed sides, containing -the foxes, which, one by one, were to be let loose for the chase; the -boys to act the part of hounds, and drive the game from the thickets, -in which they would naturally take refuge, out into the open space, -and within arrow range of the prince. Mahomet, by constant practice, -had acquired great dexterity in managing his steed, and almost -unerring aim in using the bow from the horse's back. - -A splendid red fox was thrust out of the crate. For a moment he -remained crouching and trembling in his fright at the crowd; then -darted suddenly for the underbrush. The boys, imitating the sharp cry -or prolonged baying of a pack of hounds, scattered in different -directions; some disappearing in the copse; others stationing -themselves at the openings or run-ways where they thought the animal -would appear. The bugle of the white eunuch, who was constantly near -the prince, kept all informed of his position, so that reynard might -be driven toward him. In a few moments the arrow of Mahomet laid him -low. - -A second fox was liberated--like many of the Sultan's nobler -creatures--only to fly to his speedy execution. The third animal was -an old one, who persisted in taking the direction opposite to that in -which the chasers would drive him. Again and again, as the boys closed -about him, he dashed through the thickest of their legs, leaving them -tumbled together in a heap. At one time he sprang through the opening -at which Michael, studying the tricks of the quick-witted brute, had -stationed himself. Sudden as were his movements, the young -mountaineer's were not less so; for, like a veritable hound, he threw -himself bodily upon the prey. Passing his right hand beneath the -entire length of the animal's body from the rear, he grasped his front -leg and bent it back beneath him; at the same time using his whole -weight to keep the animal's head close to the ground, so as to escape -his fangs. He had taken more than one beast in a similar way from the -holes in the old mountain pass. In the excitement of the sport he now -forgot that he was merely to enable another to get the game without -effort or danger. - -Prince Mahomet rode to the spot toward which the fox had turned, and, -in a sudden outburst of anger at this interference with his shot, -drove the arrow at the two as they were struggling on the ground. The -whirring barb cut the arm of Michael before it entered the heart of -the prey. The sharp cry of pain uttered by the lad recalled Mahomet -from his insane rage. The rushing attendants showed pity for Michael, -but no one ventured a remonstrance against this act of imperial -cowardice and cruelty. A moment's examination showed that the lad's -wound was not serious, being only a cut through the flesh. But as the -pallor of his fright died away from his face, it was followed by a -deep flush of anger. Tears of vexation filled his eyes. His glance of -scorn was hardly swifter than his leap: for, with a bound, his arms -were around the prince's body, while his weight dragged him from the -saddle to the ground. Mahomet, rising, drew a jeweled dagger, and made -several hasty passes at his assailant, who, however, dextrously -avoided them. The posing of the lads would have done justice to the -fame of professional gladiators. The prince pressed upon his -antagonist with incessant thrusts, which, by skilful retreating and -parries with his bare arm, Michael avoided; until, with a ringing blow -upon Mahomet's wrist, he sent the weapon from his hand, and closed -with him; the prince falling to the ground beneath the greater -strength of Michael. - -The spectators at this point interfered. As they rose the eunuch -grasped the little victor, and shaking him, cried: "I will cut the -throat of the Giaour cub of hell." - -But the one hand of old Mustapha was upon the eunuch's throat, and his -one eye flashed like a discharging culverin, as he cried, "Had I -another hand to do it with, I would cut yours, you white-faced -imbecile! Don't you know that the boy belongs to the Janizaries? and -woe to him who is not a Janizary that lays a hand on him!" - -"The prince's honor must be avenged," wheezed out the eunuch between -the finger grips of the old soldier. "I care not for the Janizary, -though you were the Aga[32] himself, instead of a mutilated slave." - -The eunuch had drawn his dagger, and was working his hand into a -position whence he could strike, when old Selim's hand grasped his. - -"None of that treachery, or we will let out of your leprous skin what -manhood is left in you, you blotch on your race! Touch one hair of -Black Khalil's[33] children and you die like the dog you are. Let him -go, Mustapha! His coward throat is no place for you to soil a brave -hand. We will get a snake to strangle him; a buzzard to pick his grain -of a soul out of his vile carcass;[34] an ass to kick him to death. We -must observe the proprieties." - -"Pardon my heat!" said the eunuch. "My zeal for my prince has led me -too far." - -"Not at all!" said Selim. "It is pleasant to see that you have some -heat in your cold blooded toad nature." - -"It is better for us to retire," said the eunuch to Mahomet. "I shall -sound the signal for the close of the games." - -Mahomet stood stubbornly for awhile; then turning to Michael said in a -tone which was strangely without a shade of anger or petulance in it: - -"Say, young Giaour, you and I must have this out some day." - -Michael could not help a half-smiling recognition of the boyish -challenge, and replied: - -"I have seen more foxes than you have, and know some tricks I didn't -show you to-day." - -As they moved out of the park, Yusef delivered a brief lecture to his -princely pupil. "Hark thee, my master. I warn thee, that thou have an -eye always open and a hand always closed to the Janizaries. They have -grown from being the heel to think that they are the head of the -state. They dictate to thy father, the Padishah, and snub the very -Vizier. I would have killed both those old imbeciles, but that it -would not have been politic. I am glad, too, that thou didst not let -thy dagger find the heart of the Balkan boy. That would not have been -politic. For, Allah grant! thou mayest one day be Padishah. Then this -day would be remembered against us." - -"But, Yusef, I did not spare the boy. I think he spared me; and if I -ever get to be Padishah, I will make him my vizier, for his -cleverness. It would be a pity that so brave a man were elsewhere than -at my right hand. Though he angered me awfully at the moment, I shall -like that fellow. Did you see how he gripped the fox with his bare -arms? He must teach me how to do that. Was it between the hind legs he -thrust his hand, or across the beast's body? I could not see for my -being so mad because he spoiled for me a fine running shot." - -"Thou art a strange child, Mahomet. Thou seemest to have forgotten -that the boy leaped at thy throat, and would have torn out thine eyes, -but that thou wast more valiant than he." - -"Well, I should despise him as white-livered and milk-galled if he had -not sprung at me," said Mahomet. "Has not every noble fellow quick -blood, as well as a prince, Yusef? That boy shall be mine. He shall -teach me his tricks, and I shall give him all my sweetmeats; for they -get none of such things in the school." - -"Ah! my little prince, thy head is as full of wit as a fig is of -seeds. Thou art gifted to know and use men. One that is born to rule -must make his passion bend to policy. He must not allow himself the -pleasure of hating those whom he can use. But take heed of this:--whom -he cannot use he must not love." - -"But I was not born to rule, Yusef. If so, I would have been born -earlier, before my brother Aladdin cried in his nurse's arms, and -would not be comforted until they had covered the soft spot on his -bare head with a paper crown. Do you believe in omens, Yusef?" - -"Not in such; only in dreams," said the eunuch. - -"Well; I dreamed that our two heads--yours and mine, Yusef--were -together on a pike-staff, grinning at Aladdin's coronation." - -"Nonsense, child!" said the eunuch, his white face bleaching a shade -whiter under the thought, as they passed through the gateway into the -seraglio grounds. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[31] The custom also in other Oriental nations than the Turkish. - -[32] Aga; commander. - -[33] Kara Khalil Tschendereli, the founder of the Janizaries in the -time of Sultan Orchan. - -[34] According to a Moslem tradition the beautiful birds of paradise -hold in their crops the souls of holy martyrs until the resurrection. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -The physical training of the young Janizaries consisted in such daily -exercises as would develop strength and tirelessness of muscle, -steadiness of nerve, keenness and accuracy of eye, as well as grace of -mien. They were also taught by expert workmen all the arts of daily -need; to make as well as to use the bow; to trim and balance the -arrow; to forge, temper, and sharpen the sword; to shoe the horse; to -make and mend their clothing and the entire trappings of their steeds; -to build and manage the keelless kaiks[35] which darted like fishes -through the surface of the river; to bind rafts into pontoons for the -crossing of streams; to reap and grind the grain, and cook their food. -Any special talent or adaptability was noted by the instructors, and -the Janizaries encouraged to attain to rare expertness in single arts. - -The training in arms was especially severe, and under masters in -fencing, archery, riding, swimming, marching, deploying--the ablest -tacticians, whose wounds or age permitted their absence from active -campaigns, being found always at the head of the various departments. -The Janizary, while a mere lad in years, was often more than a match -in single combat for the most stalwart men in other corps, such as the -Piadé and Azabs among footmen, the Ouloufedji and Akindji among -troopers. - -But, notwithstanding this individual prowess and ambition were -stimulated to the highest degree, they were disciplined to abject -obedience within the corps. Each one was as a part of some intricate -mechanism, all moved by one spring, which was the will of the chief -Aga. At a moment's notice they must start, in companies or alone; on -military expeditions, or secret service as spies and scouts; it might -be to the recesses of Asia or the upper Danube; to assail forts or to -conduct intrigues; having always but one incentive, that of the -common service and the common glory. - -To develop in the same person these two seemingly antagonistic -qualities--of intensest individuality and abject subserviency to their -order--required the shrewdest manipulation of the mind and will of the -cadet from his earliest enrollment in childhood. As certain expert -horse-trainers control the spirit of noble steeds, without -extinguishing any of their fiery ardor, and tell the secret of their -power to those who come after them in the guild, so from the days of -Black Khalil this marvellous system of discipline had been perpetuated -among the corps, producing but rarely a weakling and as rarely a -rebel. - -Michael learned his first lesson in subordination upon the return from -the hunt. While the Janizary officers were not displeased with the -prowess the little fellow had shown, even against the prince, it was -foreseen that such an impetuous nature needed the curb. For three days -he was confined to a room in solitude and silence. No one spoke or -listened to him. His only attendant was an old man, both deaf and -dumb, who evidently knew nothing and cared nothing for Michael's -offence or its punishment. - -During this time the lad's suspense was terrible. Was he to be killed -for having assaulted the prince? Would they take him to the torture? -Perhaps this old man had been guilty of some such offence, and they -had cut his tongue and bored out his ears! He had heard of the searing -iron passed before the eyes, and then the life-long darkness. When he -slept his overwrought imagination fabricated horrid dreams in which -he was the victim of every species of cruelty. He fancied that he was -being eaten by a kennel of foxes, to whom he is given every day until -their hunger shall be satisfied; then taken away and reserved for -their next meal. He tried to compute how many days he would last. -Sometimes he imagined that he was exposed naked in the cold, and made -to stand day and night on the ice of the Marissa, until he should be -frozen: but his heart is so hot with his rebel spirit that it will not -freeze. Once he thought that Prince Mahomet came each day and stabbed -him with that pearl-set dagger he drew on him at the hunt. - -His dreams were too frightful to allow him to sleep long at a time; -yet, when awake, his fears were such that he longed to get back again -among the terrible creatures of his fancy. Oh, that some one would -speak to him, and tell him his fate! He would welcome the worst -torture, if only he could be allowed to talk to the torturer. - -After a while rage took the place of, or at least began to alternate -with, fear. He regretted that he had not killed the impudent prince. - -"There stands his horse," he would say to himself--marking a line on -the wall--"now I leap; seize his dagger; strike him to the heart; and, -before they can stop me, plunge it into my own heart, so! Ah! when I -am out of this place I will kill him! I will! and go down to hell with -him!" And the little frame would swell, and the eyes gleam with -demoniacal light through the dusky chamber. - -There are deep places even in a child's soul--ay, bottomless -depths--which, when unfretted by temptation, are so tranquil and -clear that the kindliness and joy of heaven are reflected in them, -warranting the saying of the old Jewish Rabbis, "Every child is a -prophet of the pure and loving God." But when disturbed by a sense of -wrong and injury, these depths in a child's heart may rage as a -caldron hot with the fires of hell; as a geyser pouring out the wrath -and hatred which we conceive to be born only in the nether world. - -After a time Michael's fury died away. Another feeling took its -place--the crushing sense of his impotence. His will seemed to be -broken by the violence of its own spasm. He was stunned by his -realization of weakness. He fell with his face to the cold stones of -the floor, moaning at first, but soon passing into a waking stupor in -which only consciousness remained: hopeless, purposeless, without -energy to strive, and without strength to cry--a perfectly passive -spirit. The centipede that crawled from the dusty crevice of the -walls, and raised half his body to look at the strange figure lying -there, might have commanded him. The spider might have captured him, -and spun about his soul a web of destiny, if only he could have -conveyed a thought of it from his tiny eyes. For, as the body faints, -so also does the spirit under the pressure of woe. - -The old mute brought in the meal on the third day, placed it beside -him, and retired. An hour later he returned and found the bread -untasted; the child in the same attitude, but not asleep. He touched -him with his foot, but evoked no sign that his presence was -recognized. He gazed for a few moments; then shook his head like an -artisan who, upon inspecting some piece of work he has been making, is -not satisfied with it. - -He summoned Selim. The old soldier, finding that his entrance did not -arouse the lad, crossed his legs upon the floor beside him, and -waited. The light from the high window of the room fell upon Selim's -wrinkled face. But it seemed as if another light, one from within, -blended with it. His harsh features were permeated by a glow and -softness, as he gazed upon the exhausted child. His eyes filled with -tears; but they were speedily dried by the stare with which he turned -and looked first at the blank walls, and then, following back the ray -of light, to the window and beyond; his soul transported far away over -lands, through years, to a cottage on the banks of the Grau. He saw -there a face so beautiful! was it really of one he once called -"Mother?" or a dim and hazy recollection of a painting of the -Christian Madonna he had seen in his childhood? Happy groups of -village children were playing down among the lilies by the water's -edge, and over the hills gently sloping back from the river's bank. -Their faces were as clear cut there against the blue sky beyond the -window, as once--sixty years ago--they were against the green grass of -the meadow. He heard again the sweet ring of the chapel bell echoing -back from the ragged rocks of the opposite shore. And now the midnight -alarm! A fight with strange looking turbaned men! Flames bursting from -the houses of the hamlet! Men shrieking with wounds, and women -struggling in the arms of captors! And a little child, ah, so lonely -and tired with a long march! and that child--himself!--His eyes -rested as fondly upon Michael as did ever a father's upon his boy. - -But as the wind extinguishes a candle, a movement of Michael sent all -the gleams gathered out of former days from old Selim's features. -Severity, almost savageness, took the place of kindliness among the -wrinkles of his countenance, as naturally as the waters of a rivulet, -held back for a moment by a child's hand, fill again their channels. - -The boy raised his head. His face was pale; the eyes sunken; their -natural brilliance deepened, but as that of the flashing waters is -deepened when it is frozen into the glistening icicle. Or shall we say -that the dancing flames of the child's eyes had become the steady glow -of embered coals;--their life gone out, but the hot core left there, -not to cheer, only to burn. Those three days of silence, with their -successive dramas of mystery, terror, rage and depression, had wrought -more changes in him than many years of merely external discipline -would have done. - -The close searching glance of Selim detected all this; and also that -the child was in a critical condition. The will was broken, but it was -not certain that this had not been accomplished by the breaking of the -entire spirit; instead of curbing, destroying it: not taming the -tiger's daring, but converting it into the sluggishness and timidity -of the cat. - -"Michael!" cried he. - -There was no response except the slight inclination of the head -indicating that the word had been heard. - -"Follow me!" - -The lad rose mechanically, showing no interest or attention beyond -that required for bodily obedience. - -Pausing at the door-way the old man put his hand upon the boy's -shoulder and said sternly, yet with a caution ready to change his -tone-- - -"Do you know that we have power to more severely punish you?" - -The words made no impression upon the child. - -"The bastinado? The cage?" The boy raised his face, but upon it was no -evidence of fear; perhaps of scorn. He had suffered so much that -threats had no power over him. - -Selim was alarmed at these symptoms. His experience with such cases -taught him that this lethargic spell must be broken at whatever cost. -Feeling must be excited; and if an appeal to the child's imagination -failed, physical pain must be inflicted. Something must rouse him, or -insanity might ensue. - -A peculiar instrument of torture was a frame set with needles pointing -inwards. Into this sometimes a culprit was placed, and the frame -screwed so close about the person that he could not move from a fixed -position without forcing the needles into his flesh. This frame was -put about the boy. He stared stupidly at the approaching points, but -did not shrink. Selim pressed one of the needles quickly. Instantly -the boy uttered a cry of pain. His face blanched with fright. The -tears sprang to his eyes, and through them came an agonizing look of -entreaty. - -Selim's whole manner changed as suddenly. Schooled as he was to -harshness; to strike one's head from his shoulders at the command of -the Aga without an instant's hesitation; to superintend the slow -process of a "discipline" by torture, without a remorseful -thought;--yet this was not his nature. And now that better, deeper, -truer nature, hitherto unexercised for years, asserted itself. His -heart went out to Michael the instant there was no further necessity -for its restraint. - -"Bravo! my little hero," cried he, catching him to his arms. "You are -of the metal of the invincibles, and henceforth only valiant deeds, -bright honors and endless pleasures are to be yours. You shall lodge -with me to-night." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[35] Kaiks or caiques; light row-boats. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -Selim's apartment was off from the common barracks of the Janizaries. -It was luxuriantly furnished in its way. Elegant rugs lay upon the -marble floor. A divan, with silken covering, filled one end of the -room. The walls were hung with a variety of richly wrought weapons and -armor:--short swords, long crescent-shaped cimeters, spears of -polished wood headed with glistening steel, helmets, breastplates, -greaves. Badges and honorary decorations shone among costly robes -which had accumulated since the days when he had been a page to the -Sultan Amurath I. - -Upon a low table, reaching to the edge of the divan, had been placed -salvers holding cups and open dishes of silver. A woinak entered with -basins of scented water in which to wash the hands and bathe the face. - -Selim placed his little guest by his side upon the divan. Mustapha -also appeared, and, removing his shoes, made a profound and dignified -salâm--quite in contrast with his usual rough and badgering manner -when with Selim--then placed himself beside his comrade upon the -cushions. An excellent repast was served. There was hare's flesh -chopped and rolled with rice into balls, made more savory with curry -sauce. Sweet cakes, pastry of figs and candied orange blossoms excited -a thirst for the sweetened water, which was so strongly flavored with -the juices of fruits that the more scrupulous Moslems refused to drink -it, lest they should disobey the command of the Koran prohibiting the -use of wine. - -The two old men vied with each other in telling thrilling stories of -adventure in battle and on secret service; of the romance of castles -and courts; of how they won their honors and got their scars; of the -favors of princes and princesses; and of exploits in which, though the -rules of their order forbade their marrying, they retaliated the -captivity of the maiden's eye by capturing her person. The burden of -every story was the praise of the Janizary organization, which alone -enabled them to attain such glories and joys. The close brotherhood, -which gave to each the help of all the ten thousand, was commended by -incidents illustrating it. They told of their Aga or chief, who was -more powerful than the Grand Vizier--for sultans made these latter by -a word, and unmade them with equal caprice, often with the stroke of -the sword; but to touch a hair of the Aga would be for the Sultan to -lose the favor of the entire band, whom he regarded as the main -support of his throne, as their hands had won it for his fathers. Did -not the word of Mustapha and Selim, at the fox-hunt, cow the pride of -Yusef, who was next to the Capee Aga or chief of the white eunuchs? -Yet Selim and Mustapha were but captains in the Janizaries. No general -in any other arm of the service would have dared to antagonize the -eunuch as they did. - -As Michael listened, his cheeks flushed and chilled by turns with the -excitement of his martial ambition. The dreams he used to have in his -mountain home, of being a soldier and coming back covered with badges -of honor to claim Morsinia as his bride, seemed to be dissolving into -the reality. Nor was his ardor damped when he learned from Selim that -the first step toward all this was the total surrender of himself to -the service of the brotherhood, in pledging and keeping obedience to -its rules; as a part of the body, like the hand, must never be severed -from the rest, but keep the contact perfect in every muscle and nerve, -in order to have the strength which only the health of the whole body -can give to it. Selim explained to him how wrong it had been for him -to seize the fox, no matter how excited he was, or how much daring it -showed to do so, since he had not been ordered to seize, but only to -turn the beast toward the Prince. Besides, to raise a hand against the -prince was treason--unless it were ordered by the chief of the -Janizaries. Therefore he had been punished according to the Janizary -discipline; though they would not have allowed any one else to touch -him--no not even the Padishah himself. - -Michael's spirit was fully healed with such words. His depression gave -way to a hotter ambition and pride of expectation than he had ever -felt before, when Selim put upon his head the whitish gray cap, like -that worn by the dervishes, and differing from it only in having upon -the back a strip of wool which the old man thus explained, as he told -the story of the organization of the Janizary corps. - -"The death angel, Azrael, has reaped the earth more than five times -since the mighty Othman,[36] who founded our empire, entered paradise. -His queen, Malkhatoon, the most beautiful of women, had given him two -sons. Never since Khalif Omar followed the Prophet was nobler -successor than would have been either Alaeddin or Orchan to Othman. -The stars shone not with deeper lustre than did the wisdom of -Alaeddin. The storm never burst more resistlessly on your Balkan -mountains than did the bravery and strength of Orchan beat down the -foe. To Orchan the empire came by will of Allah and Othman. But to -Alaeddin the new king said, 'Thou art wise, my brother, above all men. -Be thou the eyes of the throne, and I will be its arm!' So Alaeddin -was the great minister of the mighty Orchan. To Prince Alaeddin we owe -our best laws, our system of drilling and marching in all the Ottoman -armies. - -"But two lights are better known than one. And in a dream the Angel -Gabriel, who knows the secrets of Allah regarding men, said to -Alaeddin, 'Go look into the eyes of Kara Khalil Tschendereli. We have -given him a thought for thee and thy people.' And Kara Khalil said, -'Know, O wise and virtuous Prince Alaeddin, I have been permitted in -my dreams to stand upon the wall Al Araf, that runs between paradise -and hell. In the third story of the seven which divide perdition I saw -the ghosts of the Giaours. But while I watched their torments the -spirit of Othman, the Blessed, came to me, and, pointing to a gate in -the wall, said, in a voice so sweet that all the birds in paradise -echoed it, but so strong that it shook the mighty wall Al Araf as if -it would fall, "I charge thee, as thou art a true believer in Mahomet, -open that gate that some of the believers in Jesu, Son of Mary, may -escape into paradise." - -"'"What power have I for such a miracle, O Othman," I cried. But -Othman said: - -"'"Thou shalt save the souls of the boys among the captives Allah -gives thee in battle. Is it not written in the Koran that all the -children are at their birth gifted with the true faith. Believe this, -and teach the captive boys to trust the Prophet, to breathe the holy -Islam of Father Abraham, and to draw the sword for Allah. So shalt -thou be a saviour of many souls. And such valor will Allah send these -rescued ones, and such blessings shall follow them, that the Giaour -children shall conquer for thee the Giaour nations."' - -"And so, Michael," added Selim, "the wisdom of earth and heaven -appointed our order. We are still the Yeni Tscheri,[37] though a -century has gone by since we were founded; for the vigor of perpetual -youth is ours. - -"When Orchan, at such advice of Alaeddin and Kara Khalil enrolled the -first of the new troop--bright Christian boys like yourself, -Michael--they were led to the old dervish, Hadji Beytarch, whose -sanctity was as the fragrance of paradise itself. The face of the holy -man caught the lustre of the prophecy from heaven. As he drew the -sleeve of his mantle over each bowed head--and the strip of wool on -our cap is the sign of his sleeve--he uttered this benediction: 'Thy -face shall be white and shining; thy right arm shall be strong; thy -sabre shall be keen; and thine arrows sharp. Thou shalt be fortunate -in fight, and thou shalt never leave the battle-field save as a -conqueror.'" - -"And have they never been conquered?" asked Michael with incredulity. - -"Never!" cried Selim. - -"Except," added Mustapha, "that they might prepare themselves for some -greater victory. Allah sometimes makes known to us his will that we -should retreat; then we take up our kismet as joyfully as we would -shout the advance. That we may make sure of Allah's will, before -retreating we always assault the enemy thrice. If at that sacred -number we cannot conquer we know that the victory has been reserved, -still held for us, but in the closed hand of Fate." - -"But what of those who were killed? I certainly saw many Janizaries -lying dead in the snows of the Balkans the day of the fight. Are they -not conquered?" asked the boy. - -"Nay, more than conquerors," said Mustapha. "If one falls in battle -paradise flings wide its gates, and troops of angels and houris come -to lead his soul in a triumphal procession into that beautiful land -where the earth is like purest musk, and where the great Tuba tree -grows--a branch of which shades the kiosk of every believer, and bends -down to place its luscious fruit into his hand, if he so much as -desires it; where are grapes and pomegranates, and such as for spicy -sweetness have never been tasted on earth; where are streams of water -and milk and wine and honey, whose bottoms are pebbled with pearls and -emeralds and rubies; where the houris, the fairest of maidens, dwell -close beside the believer in pavilions of hollow pearls, and serve -every wish of the faithful even before he can utter it."[38] - -But Michael's eyes were heavy; and as the old veterans diverted the -conversation to some matter of business between them, his excited -imagination reproduced the description of paradise in his dreams. -Only, the pavilion of pearl was shaped like good Uncle Kabilovitsch's -cot on the mountains, and the houris were all fair-haired Morsinias. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[36] Whence the word Ottoman. Also written Osman, whence the Osmanlis. - -[37] Yeni Tscheri; new troop; corrupted in Janizary. - -[38] _Vide_ Koran. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -Weeks and months passed away, during which the physical exercises of -the lads in the Janizary school were varied with lessons in the -Turkish language; and, in the case of a select number, in the Arabic, -mastering it at least sufficiently to read the Koran, large sections -of which they were compelled to commit to memory. - -The teachers in the Janizary schools were far from ordinary men. They -were highly learned, and, like most Orientals of education, gifted -with great eloquence. After the daily tasks had been accomplished the -boys were gathered in a semicircle upon the floor about the -instructor, who sat cross-legged among them, and narrated in glowing -language the history of the Prophet and his successors in the -khalifate; inflaming their young minds with the most heroic and -romantic legends of Arabia and Egypt, Algiers and Granada, where the -Koran had conquered the faith of the people whom the swords of the -true Moslems had subdued. Wild stories of the early days of the Turks, -before Ertoghral,[39] "The Right-hearted Man," led the tribes from the -banks of the Euphrates; and earlier still when Seljuk[40] led his -people from north of the Caspian; of the settlement of their remote -ancestors in Afghanistan, where the great chief was first called -Sultan;[41] of how they had once held the religious faith of -Zoroaster. Indeed, myths from the very dawn of known history, when the -Turkius did all sorts of valiant deeds in far-off China.[42] - -The Christian books were made to appear to the young proselyte as but -imperfect suggestions of the completed teaching of the book of -Mahomet; while the peculiar dogmas of the Christians were restated -with such shrewd perversion that to the child's judgment they seemed -puerile or untrue. - -"Behold the sky!" one would exclaim. "Is it not one dome, like the -canopy of one mighty throne? Behold the light! Does it not pour from -one sun and fill all space with one flood? Breathe the air! Is it not -the same over all lands and in all lungs? Do not all birds fly with -one mechanism of wings? and all men live by the same beating of the -heart? How then can there be three Gods, Allah, and Jesu and Mary, as -the Christians teach?[43] What does reason say? What does the universe -testify? What says the true and wise believer?" - -"There is one God and Mahomet is His Prophet," would be the response -of the pupils, bowing their heads to the floor. - -"Can the less contain or give out the greater? Can a stone bring forth -the orange tree? Can a stick give birth to the eagle? A worm be the -father of a man? How, then, can we say with the Christians, that Mary -of Bethlehem is the mother of God? What says the faithful and wise -believer?" - -"There is one God, and Mahomet is His prophet," would be the choral -response. - -"Is God weak? Can men thwart His plans? Shall we then believe that the -infidel Jews crucified the Son of God?" - -"God is great, and Mahomet is His Prophet," would roll up from the -lips of the scholars. - -"Shall we, then, kiss the toe of the pope because he calls himself the -grand vizier of Allah, when our Janizaries can cut the throats of his -soldiers, as our brethren of Arabia destroyed the crusaders? Or shall -we kiss the hand of the patriarch of the Greeks, who claims supremacy -in the name of Allah, when already our arms have shut up the whole -Greek empire within the walls of Constantinople? What says the -faithful and wise believer?" - -"God is great, and Mahomet is His Prophet," is the reply. - -"Who would cringe and beg forgiveness at the feet of a dirty priest, -when the sword of every Janizary may open for him who holds it the -gate of paradise?" - -Not only such arguments, but every event of the day that could -emphasize or illustrate the superiority of the Moslem faith, was -skilfully brought to bear upon the susceptible minds of the youths. -And within the first year of Michael's cadetship one such significant -event occurred. - -In the year of the Hegira 822,[44] six months after the flight of -Scanderbeg, it was solemnly agreed between Christian and Moslem that -the sword should have rest for ten years. A stately ceremony was made -to seal the compact. Vladislaus of Hungary represented in his person -the pledge of kingly honor. Hunyades gave the sanction of a soldier's -word. And Cardinal Julian was supposed to have added to the treaty the -confirmation of all that was sacred in the religion of which he was so -exalted a representative. On behalf of the Christians, the concord was -signalized by an oath upon the Gospels. On the other side, Sultan -Amurath, in the presence of his generals and the holiest of the Moslem -dervishes, swore upon the Koran. This compact, guarded by all that men -hold to be honorable on earth and sacred in heaven, lulled the -suspicions of the Turks. The rigid drill, the alert espionage, the -raids along the border gave way to the indolence of the barracks and -the pastimes of the camp. Thousands of horses and their riders were -returned to till the fields in the Timars, Ziamets and Beyliks[45] -scattered throughout distant provinces. The Sultan retired to meditate -religion, or devise the things belonging to permanent peace, in his -secluded palace at Magnesia in Asia Minor. The death of his eldest -son, Prince Aladdin, led him to put the crown of associate Padishah -upon the brow of the young Mahomet that in these quiet times the -prince might learn the minor lessons of the art of ruling. - -But this sense of security among the Turks offered too strong a -temptation to the cupidity of the Christian leaders. King Vladislaus -opposed conscientious objections to any breach of the compact. -Hunyades maintained his personal honor by at first refusing to draw -his sword. But Cardinal Julian stood sponsor to a breach of faith, -and announced that principle which has, in the estimate of history, -made his scarlet robe the symbol of his scarlet sin--that no faith -need be kept with infidels; and, in the name of the Holy Father, -granted absolution to the chief actors for what they were about to do. - -Without warning, the tide of Christian conquest poured from Servia -eastward until it was checked in that direction by the Black Sea. The -hordes of Europe then turned southward, seized upon Varna, and pitched -their camps amid the pennants of their ill-gotten victory near to its -walls. To human sight no power could avert irrevocable disaster to the -arms, if not the subversion of the entire empire of the Ottomans in -Europe. - -In their extremity the lands of the Moslem made their solemn appeal to -Allah. Every mosque resounded with reiterated prayers. The camps -echoed the pious invocations with loud curses and the rattle of the -preparation of armor. Scurrying messengers flew from the centre to the -circumference of the Ottoman domain, and hastily gathered legions -concentrated for one supreme blow in retaliation for the grossness of -the insult, and in vindication of what they believed to be the cause -of honor and truth, which, in their minds, was one with that of Allah -and the Prophet. - -The Sultan hurried from his retreat, and with marvellous celerity -marshalled the faithful against the invaders at Varna. Riding at the -head of the Janizaries, he caused the document of the violated treaty -to be held aloft on a lance-head in the gaze of the two armies, and -with a loud voice uttered this prayer--a strange one for a Moslem's -lips-- - -"O, Thou insulted Jesu, revenge the wrong done unto Thy good name, and -show Thy power upon Thy perjured people!" - -Victory hovered long between the contending hosts, but at last rested -with the Moslems. To make the intervention of Allah more apparent, it -was told everywhere, how, when Amurath believed that he was defeated, -and had given the order for retreat, a soldier seized the bridle of -the Sultan's horse and turned him back again toward the enemy. The -very beast felt the inspiration of heaven, and led the assault upon -the breaking columns of the Christians, until the victors returned, -bearing upon spear-points the heads of Cardinal Julian and King -Vladislaus; while Hunyades fled in disgrace from the field. - -It is not to be wondered at that such an event, which led many whole -communities to renounce their alliance with the Christian powers, and -many of the chiefs of Bosnia and Servia to accept the Moslem faith, -should have rooted that faith more deeply in the hearts of those who -already held it. A flame of fanaticism ran throughout the Mohammedan -world. The most rabid sects increased in the number and fury of their -devotees. Many who were engaged in useful occupations left them to -became Moslem monks, spending their lives in meditation, if perchance -they might receive more fully the blessings which heaven seemed ready -to pour upon every true believer; or to become preachers of the -jehad--the holy war against the infidels. - -In the schools of the Janizaries the fanaticism was fed and fanned to -a flame of utmost intensity. The square court within their barracks -was transformed into a great prayer place of the dervishes. Here the -Howlers formed their circles, and swaying backward and forward with -flying hair and glaring eyes, grunted their talismanic words from the -Koran, until they fell in convulsions on the pavement. And the -Wheelers spun round and round in their mystic motions until, full of -the spirit they sought, they dropped in the dizzying dance. Learned -sheiks preached the gospel of the sword, and the imams watered the -seed thus sown with fervent prayers, until the ardent souls of the -youth seemed to have lost their human identity, and to be transformed -into sparks and flashes of some celestial fire which was to destroy -the lands of the Christians. - -Michael's mind was not altogether unimpressed by the religious -fanaticism that raged around him. While in quiet moments he was -troubled with what he heard against the Christian faith which he had -been taught in his mountain home, at other times he was caught in the -tide of the general enthusiasm and felt himself borne along with it, -swirled around in the rings of the mad maelstrom; not unwilling to -yield himself to the excitement, and yet by no definite purpose -committing himself to it. If it requires all the strength of an adult -mind, with convictions long held and character well formed, to -maintain its faith and principles against the attrition of daily -temptation in a Christian land, we must not be surprised if the child -gave way to the incessant appeal of the Moslem belief, accompanied as -it was by extravagant promises of secular pleasure, and counteracted -by no word of Christian counsel. - -But the spiritual impulse in Michael was less active than the martial -instinct; and this latter was stimulated to the utmost by the -associations of every day and hour. The battles which were fought on -the great fields were all refought in the vivid descriptions of the -Janizary teachers, and sometimes in the mimic rencounters of the -playground. Michael rebelled against his childish years which -prevented his joining some of the great expeditions that were fitted -out;--against the Greeks of the Peloponnesus, the Giaour lands to the -north, and the Albanians on the west, who, under Scanderbeg, had -become the chief menace against the Ottoman power. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[39] About 1280 A. D. - -[40] About the end of the tenth century. - -[41] Between 997 and 1030 A. D. - -[42] Tribes of Turkius were mentioned by Pliny. - -[43] This perversion of the Christian dogma of the Trinity was taught -by heretical sects in the time of the Prophet Mahomet, and is embodied -in the Koran. - -[44] A. D., 1444. - -[45] Fiefs or portions of conquered lands given to soldiers. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -The career of Scanderbeg, or Castriot, as the Albanians love to call -their great national hero, makes one of the most illustrious pages in -history, whether we look for the display of personal courage, astute -generalship, or loftiest patriotism. His military renown, already so -wide-spread as the commander of the Turks, became universal through -the almost incredible skill with which, for many years, his handful of -patriots held the mountains of Albania against the countless armies of -the Sultan. His superlative devotion to his country, was maintained -with such sacrifices as few men have ever rendered to the holiest -cause. He resisted the bribes of riches, power and splendor with -which the Sultan, baffled by his arms, attempted to seduce his honor. -These things went far to atone for the treachery of his defection from -the Turkish service. - -Upon his arrival in Albania, the citadel of Croia was given into his -hands by the commandant, who was either unsuspicious of the false -order that was sealed by the now dead hand of the Sultan's secretary, -or who had found that the wily Albanians had already access to its -gates. Sfetigrade and other prominent fortresses fell rapidly, won by -strategy or by the valorous assault of the patriots. The Albanians had -been almost instantaneously transformed into an invincible army by the -electric thrill which the coming of Castriot had sent everywhere, from -the borders of Macedonia to the western sea; and by the skill with -which that great captain organized his bands of Epirots and Dibrians. -An army of forty thousand Turks was at one time divided by his -masterly movements, and slain in detail. A second army met a similar -fate. The great Sultan himself attempted the capture of this Arnaout -"wild beast," as he had learned to call him. One hundred and fifty -thousand men, supplied from the far-reaches of Asia where the Ottoman -made most of his levies, swarmed like a plague of locusts through the -valleys of Epirus. By sheer momentum of numbers they pressed their way -up to the fortress of Sfetigrade. - -The defence of this place is one of the most heroic in the annals of -war or patriotism. As the glacier melts at the touch of the warm earth -in the Alpine valleys so the mighty army of Amurath dissolved in blood -as it touched the beleaguered walls. At the same time Scanderbeg, -adopting some new expedient in every attack, made his almost nightly -raids through the centre of the Turkish host, like a panther through -the folds of the sheep, until Amurath cried in sheer vexation among -the generals, "Will none of you save us from the fury of that wild -beast?" The incessant slaughter that broke the bewildered silence of -the generals was the only response. - -Thus passed some six years since the time when our story opens; years -which, had they stood by themselves, and not been followed by fifteen -years more of equal prowess, would have won for Scanderbeg the -unstinted praise of that distinguished writer who enrolls him among -the seven greatest uncrowned men of the world's history.[46] - -During these years Castriot had studied with closest scrutiny the -character of his nephew, Amesa. His natural discernment, aided by his -long observation of human duplicity while among the Turks--and, indeed -by his own experience, as for many years he had masked his own -discontent and ultimate purpose--gave him a power of estimating men -which may be called a moral clairvoyance. He discovered that in his -nephew which led him to credit the story of Kabilovitsch--as the -forester Arnaud was still called, although some more than suspected -his identity. The chief saw clearly that Amesa's loyalty would be -limited by his selfish interests. Those interests now led him to most -faithful and apparently patriotic devotion. Besides, the loss or -alienation of so influential a young voivode, involving a schism in -the house of the Castriots, might be fatal to the Albanian cause. The -general, therefore, fed the ambition of his relative, giving him -honorable command, for which he was well fitted by reason of both -courage and genius. Nor did Amesa disappoint this confidence. His -sword was among the sharpest and his deeds most daring. The peasant -soldiers often said that Amesa was not unworthy the blood of the -Castriots. To Sultan Amurath's proposal of peace on condition of -Scanderbeg's simple recognition of the Ottoman's nominal suzerainty, -allowing him to retain the full actual possession of all his ancestral -holdings, Amesa's voice joined with that of Moses Goleme and the other -allied nobles in commending the refusal of their chief. - -Amesa's courage and zeal seemed at times to pass the control of his -judgment. Thus, in a sharp battle with the Turks, during the temporary -absence of Castriot, who was resisting an encroachment of the -Venetians on the neighboring country of Montenegro, the fiery young -voivode was seized with such blind ferocity that he knew not where he -was. He had engaged a group of his own countrymen, apparently not -discerning his mistake until he had unhorsed one of them, whom he was -on the point of sabering, when his arm was caught by a comrade. The -endangered man was Kabilovitsch, who saw that there was a method in -Amesa's madness which it behoved him to note. - -It was evident to Kabilovitsch not only that he was recognized by -Amesa, but also that the young voivode was more than suspicious of the -former forester's knowledge of the affair by which the magnificent -estate of De Streeses had passed into his hands. The good man's -solicitude was intense through fear that Amesa had become aware of the -escape of the child heir, and might discover some clue to her -whereabouts. Several times Milosch had visited the camp inquiring for -Kabilovitsch; and Constantine had made frequent journeys carrying -tidings of Morsinia's welfare. Had neither of these been spied upon? -Did no one ever pass the little hamlet where she was in covert who -recognized in the now daily developing womanly features the likeness -of her mother, Mara De Streeses? - -A little after this assault of Amesa upon Kabilovitsch, came news -which startled the latter. To understand this the reader must -penetrate a wild mountainous district a double score of miles from the -camp of Castriot. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[46] Sir William Temple. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - -Out of a broad valley, through which lies the chief highway leading to -the north-west of Albania, there opens a narrow ravine which seems to -end abruptly against the precipitous front of a mountain range. But, -turning into this ravine, one is surprised to find that it winds -sharply, following a swift stream, and climbing for many miles through -the mountain, until it suddenly debouches into a picturesque valley, -which affords grazing space for sheep and enough arable land to -sustain the peasants who once dwelt there. - -A hamlet nestled in this secluded vale. No road led beyond it, and it -was approached only by the narrow and tortuous path we have described. -A rude mill sentineled a line of three houses. These dwellings, though -simple in their construction, were quite commodious. A room of ample -dimensions was enclosed with walls of stone and loam, supporting a -conical roof of thatch. On three sides of this room and opening into -it were smaller chambers, having detached roofs of their own. The -central apartment was the common gathering place for quite an -extensive community, consisting of a family in three or four -generations; for each son upon marrying brought his wife to the -paternal homestead, and built a new chamber connecting with the -central one. The three houses contained altogether nearly a hundred -souls. The last of these dwellings was of ampler proportions than the -others, and was occupied by a branch of an ancient family to which the -inhabitants of the other houses were all of kin. By reason of its -antiquity as well as the comparative wealth of its occupants, it was -regarded as the konak, or village mansion; and the senior member of -its little community was recognized as the stargeshina, or chief of -the village. - -It was the latter part of April; the day before that upon which from -time immemorial the peasants among these mountains had observed the -festival of Saint George, which they devoted to ceremonies -commemorative of the awakening summer life of the world. - -It was still early in the afternoon, though the high mountain wall on -the west had shut out the sun, whose bright rays, however, still -burning far overhead, dropped their benediction of roseate shadows -into the valley they were not permitted to enter; loading the -atmosphere with as many tints as there were in Buddha's bowl when the -poor man threw in the bud of genuine charity, and it burst into a -thousand flowers. - -A group of maidens gathered at the little mill, each holding an -earthen bowl to catch the glistening spray drops which danced from the -edge of the clumsy water-wheel. When these were filled they cast into -the "witching waters" the early spring flowers, anemones and violets -and white coral arbutus, which they had picked during the day. It was -a pleasing superstition that the water, having been beaten into spray, -received life from the flowers which the renewed vitality of the -awakening spring spirit had pressed up through the earth; and that, if -one should bathe in this on St. George's day, health and happiness -would attend him during the year. - -"What is it?" cried one as a crackling in the bushes far above their -heads on a steep crag was followed in a moment by the beat of a -pebble, as it glanced from ledge to ledge almost to their feet. - -"The sheep are not up there!" said another. - -"Perhaps the Vili!"[47] suggested a third, "for I am sure that I have -seen one this very day." - -"What was he like?" exclaimed several at once, while all kept their -eyes upon the cliff above. - -"There! there! Did you see it?" Several avowed that they saw it -stealing along the very brow of the hill; but all agreed that it -passed so swiftly that they could not tell just what they saw. - -"It was just so with the one I saw to-day," said the former speaker. -"I was on the ledge by the old eagle's nest, gathering my flowers. A -tall being passed below me on the path, dressed so beautifully that I -know it was none of us, and had dealings with none of us. It seemed -anxious not to be seen; for my little cry of surprise caused it to -vanish as if it melted into the foam of the stream as it plunges into -the pool." - -"That was just like the Vili," interposed one. "They live under the -river's bank. They talk in the murmur of the streams. Old Mirko, who -used to work much in the mill, learned to understand what they said. -Did this one you saw have long hair? The Vili, Mirko said, always -did." - -"I cannot say," replied the girl, "for its head was hidden in a -blossoming laurel bush between it and me." - -"It was one," cried another, "for there are no blossoming laurels yet. -It was its long white hair waving in the wind, that you saw." - -"Let us go down to the pool!" proposed one, "maybe we can see it -again." - -"No! No!" cried the others, in a chorus of tremulous voices. - -"No, indeed," said one of the larger girls, "for it might be they are -eating, or they are dancing the Kolo--which they always do as the sun -goes down, and if any body sees them then they get angry, and will -come to your house and look at you with the evil eye." - -Hasting home with their bowls of water crowned with flowers, they told -their story to the stargeshina. - -The old man laughed at their credulity:-- - -"Girls always see strange things on the eve of Saint George." - -At the evening meal in the great room of the first house, the -patriarch, taking his cue from the story the girls belonging to that -household had told of their imagined vision, repeated legend after -legend about those strange beings that people the unknown caverns in -the mountains, and rise from the brooks, leaving the water-spiders to -mark the spot where they emerged so that they may find their way back -again, and of the wjeshtiges, who throw off their bodies as easily as -others lay aside their clothes, flit through the fire, ride upon the -sparks as horses, float on the threads of white smoke--all the time -watching the persons gathered about the blazing logs, that they may -mark the one who is first to die. "This doomed person," the old man -said, "they visit when he has gone to sleep, and, with a magic rod, -open his breast; utter in mystic words the day of his death; take out -his heart and feast upon it. Then they carefully close up the side, -and, though the victim lives on, having no heart, no spring of life in -him, sickens and droops until the fatal day; as the streams vanish -when cut off from the fountains whence they start." - -These stories were followed by songs, the music of which was within a -narrow range of notes, and sung to the accompaniment of the gusle--a -rude sort of guitar with a single string. The subjects of these songs -and the ideas they contained were as limited in their range as the -notes by which they were rendered; such as the impossible exploits of -heroes, and improbable romances of love. The merit of the singing -generally consisted in the additions or variations with which the -genius of the performer enabled him to adorn the hackneyed music or -original narrative. - -"Let Constantine take the gusle, and sing us the song about the -peasant maid who conquered the heart of the king," said the -stargeshina. - -"Constantine is not here," replied a clear and sweet, but commanding -sort of voice. "He went out as it began to darken, and has not -returned." - -The speaker rose as she said it, and went toward the large door of the -room to look out. She was a young woman of slender, but superb form, -which the costume of the country did not altogether conceal. She was -tall and straight, but moved with the graceful freedom of a child, for -her straightness was not that of an arrow--rather of the unstrung bow, -whose beauty is revealed by its flexibility. Her limbs were rounded -perfectly to the feminine model, but were evidently possessed of -muscular strength developed by daily exercise incident to her mountain -life. A glance at her would disprove that western theory which -associates the ideal of female beauty only with softness of fleshly -texture and lack of sinew. Her face was commanding, brow high, eyes -rather deep-set and blue, mouth small--perhaps too straight for the -best expression of amiability--chin full, and suggestive of firmness -and courage. As she gazed through the doorway into the night a -troubled look knit her features--just enough, however, to make one -notice rather the strong, steady and heroic purpose which conquered -it. When she turned again to the company the firelight revealed only a -girlish sweetness and gentleness of face and manner. She took the -gusle and sang a pretty song about the dancing of the witches; her -merry voice starting a score of other voices in the simple chorus. -Then followed a war song, in which the daughter of a murdered -chieftain calls upon the clan to avenge her father, and save their -land from an insulting foe. It was largely recitative, and rendered -with so much of the realistic in her tones and manner as to draw even -the old men to their feet, while, with waving hands and marching -stamp, they started the company in the refrain. - -Milosch set the example of retiring when the evening was well -advanced. Though Constantine was still absent, it gave his father no -anxiety, for the boy was accustomed to have his own private business -with coons in the forest, and the eels in the pool, and, indeed, with -the stars too--for often he would lie for hours looking at them, only -Morsinia being allowed to interrupt his conference with the -bright-eyed watchers above. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[47] Still a Servian and Albanian superstition. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - -Constantine, who was now a manly fellow of nearly eighteen years, had -left the house when it grew dark. The night was thick, for heavy -clouds had spread their pall over the sky. A little space from the -house was the kennel. A deep growl greeted his approach to it. - -"Still, Balk!" muttered he, as he loosed an enormous mastiff, and led -the brute toward the side of the house on which the clijet, or -chamber, occupied by Morsinia was located. - -"Down, Balk!" he said, as again and again the huge beast rose and -placed his paws upon his master's shoulders. Balk was tied within a -clump of elder-bushes a little way from the house, and at the opening -of a foot-path ascending the mountain. The young man lay down with his -head upon the mastiff. Nearly an hour passed; the silence unbroken -except by a querulous whine of the dog as his comrade refused to -indulge his playful spirit. Suddenly Balk threw up his head and -sniffed the air nervously. Yet no sound was heard, but the soughing of -the winds through the budding trees, and the murmur of the brook. The -animal became restless and would not lie down except at the sternly -whispered command. - -Leaving him, Constantine opened the shutter of the clijet occupied by -his father and himself, and quietly entered. Though in the dark, he -strung a strong bow, balanced several arrows in his hand to determine -the best, saying to himself as he did so, "I can send these straight -in the direction of a sound, thanks to my night hunting!" A dagger was -thrust into the top of his leather hose. He wound his head in the -strooka--the cloth which answers for both cap and pillow to those who -are journeying among those mountains and liable to exposure without -bed or roof at night. - -The noise though slight awakened Milosch, who had fallen into a light -sleep. - -"Where now, my boy? No coon will come to you such a night as this." - -"Father, I did not tell you, because you laugh at my fears," said -Constantine in a low tone. "But the anxiety of Uncle Kabilovitsch and -the great captain, too, when I went to camp last week, makes me more -cautious about Morsinia. The Vili are about, as the girls said." - -"Nonsense, you child! It's a shame that a boy of your years should -believe such stuff. Besides what have the Vili to do with our -daughter?" - -"Look here, father; when I was searching for a rabbit's burrow this -afternoon I saw the footprint of one of them, and it wore a soldier's -shoe too. That is the sort of Vili I believe in." - -"Why, boy!" said Milosch, "your head is so full of soldiering that -rabbits' burrows look like soldiers' feet. Or your head is so turned -with love for our girl, that you must imitate the Latin knights, and -go watch beneath the shutter of your lady's castle. Go, along, then, -and let the night dews take the folly out of you. Foolish boy!" added -he, as he turned toward the wall. - -Constantine went back to the dog. The huge beast had thrust himself -as far as the cord would allow him in the direction away from the -house, and stood trembling with excitement as he peered into the black -shadows which lay against the mountain. Constantine could detect no -unusual sound save the creaking of the gigantic limbs of the trees as -they rubbed against each other in the rising wind, the sharpening -whistle of the breeze, and the crackle of the dead brushwood. Yet the -mastiff's excitement increased. He strained the rope with his utmost -strength, but the hand of his master upon his neck checked the whining -growl. - -A branch snapped on the hillside in the direction of the path. - -"No wind did that," muttered he. A stone rolled down the declivity. - -"No foot familiar with that path did that. You are right, Balk!" and -by main strength he pressed the mastiff's head to the ground, and, -with his arm about his neck, kept him crouching and silent. - -Stealthy steps were heard. - -"One! Two!" counted the boy. "You and I are enough for them, eh, -Balk?" - -The dog licked the face of his master in token that he understood, and -would take his man if Constantine would do equally well. - -"Three! Four! Five! A large band! Too many for us, Balk! We must rouse -the village----" - -But at the moment he would have started, his attention was arrested by -low voices almost at his side. - -"The clijet nearest. When she is taken I will sound the bugle -call--the Turkish call, so that your dash through the village will be -thought to be one of their dashes. Do as little real damage as you -can, keeping the appearance of a genuine raid; but no matter if you -have to cut the throats of a half-dozen or more; especially the -red-headed fellow you have seen in camp, and the old devil with the -paralyzed arm. I and Waldy will carry the girl, and wait for you by -the horses on the open road. Let's inspect!" - -Two dusky outlines moved toward the house. Constantine cut the rope, -and, at a push of his hand the dog crawled a few feet until he was -clear of the copse; then sprang into the air. There was a hardly -audible exclamation of surprise and terror; a low growl of satisfied -rage, as when a tiger seizes the food thrown to him in his cage. One -man is down in death grapple with his strange assailant whose teeth -are at his throat. A sharp whiz and a cry of pain tell that the arrow -of Constantine has not missed its mark. - -A second whiz, and the form topples! - -The boy stood stupefied with the reaction of the moment. But the -multiplying footfalls along the ledge aroused him. He darted into the -house, swinging the great bar that turned on a peg in the door post -across the entrance, and thus securing it behind him. To arouse the -household was the work of a moment. A word explained all. Arms were -seized, not only by the men, but also by the women: for even to this -day a marauder will meet no more skilful and brave defenders of the -villages of Albania than the wives and daughters who encourage the men -by their example as well as by their words. Their hands are trained to -use the sword, the axe, the dagger; and the cry of danger transforms -the most domestic scene into an exhibition of Amazons. - -The expected attack was delayed. Fears were excited lest the raiders -were about to set fire to the house. If such were the case, the policy -of the inmates was to sally forth and cut their way through the -assailants, at whatever cost. Some one must go out. It might be to -meet death at the door. Standing in a circle they hastily repeated the -Pater Noster, each one giving a word in turn; the one to whom the -"Amen" came accepting the appointment as directly from God. With drawn -weapons they gathered at the door, which was opened suddenly. No enemy -appearing, it was closed, leaving the new sentinel without. - -After going a few paces the guard stumbled over the dead body of the -dog, by the side of which a man was vainly struggling to rise. Drawing -his dagger he would have completed the work of the mastiff's -fangs,--when he checked the impulse by better judgment-- - -"No, it's better to have him along with us. He'll come handy before we -get through this job!" - -So, grasping the two arms of the wounded man in such a way as to -prevent his using a weapon, if strength enough should remain, he swung -the helpless hulk upon his back, as he had often carried the carcass -of a wolf down the mountain; and, giving the preconcerted signal at -the door, was instantly re-admitted. - -The wounded man wore the Turkish uniform, and was evidently the -officer in charge of the raiding party. This fact sufficiently -explained the delay in following up the attack, for doubtless his men -were still waiting for the order which he would never give. - -"We must rouse our neighbors," said the old man, who was recognized as -the commandant of the dwelling, and obeyed as such with that reverence -for seniority which is to this day a beautiful characteristic of the -Albanian people. - -Constantine held a hurried, but confidential talk with Milosch, who -proposed that Constantine and his sister should undertake the -hazardous venture of alarming the next house. All remonstrated against -Morsinia's venturing, the patriarch refusing to allow it. Milosch -persuaded him with these words, which were not overheard by the -others-- - -"She is the chief object of attack; this I have discovered. If she -remains in the house she will be captured. Her only safety is to leave -it, and disappear in the darkness. Once out there she can hide near -by, or can thread her way up among the crags, where no stranger's foot -will ever come. She knows every stone and tree in the dark as well as -a mole knows the twists and turns of his burrow." - -Morsinia caught at once the spirit of the adventure, and in her -eagerness preceded Constantine to the doorway. The thrill of fear on -her account gave way to a thrill of applause for her as she stood in -readiness. She had donned a helmet of thick half-tanned hides, and a -corsage of light iron links, looped together and tied with leathern -thongs, about her person. Her arms were left free for the use of the -bow and stock which swung from her shoulder, and the klaptigan, or -short dagger, which hung in the plaits of her kilt. - -"The Holy Virgin protect her!" was the prayer which came from all -sides as she flung her arms about the neck of Milosch, and as she -afterward bowed her head to receive the kiss of the patriarch upon her -forehead. The light in the room was extinguished that their exit might -not be noted by any without when the door should open. - -For a moment Constantine and Morsinia stood close to the door which -had closed behind them. Their keen hearing detected the fact that the -house was surrounded, though by persons stationed at a distance, -chiefly upon the higher slopes of the hills. The road to the next -house was evidently guarded. - -Constantine insisted upon Morsinia's concealing herself rather than -attempting to go with him to the neighbors; but only after -remonstrance with him did she consent to his plan. Silently crossing -the road, and without so much as breaking a stick or rustling a dead -leaf beneath her feet--a dexterity acquired in approaching the timid -game with which the mountains abounded, and which she had often -hunted--she disappeared in the dense copse. - -Constantine moved cautiously by the wayside, easily eluding the notice -of the men whose dark outlines were discerned by him as they stood on -guard at intervals along the road. He had nearly approached the -neighboring house when the still night air was rent with the shrill -note of a Turkish bugle call from the direction of the dwelling they -had left. - -"Could it be that the captured officer had recovered sufficient -reason and strength to break from his captors and give the signal?" -thought Constantine. The call sounded again--it was evidently from a -distance, beyond the village. A score or more dim forms at the sound -gathered in the road; some emerging from the bushes near, others -descending from points high up the slopes on either side--their -hurried but muffled conversation showed that they were about to make -the appointed dash upon the doomed dwelling. But a second blare of -trumpets sounded far down toward the entrance of the valley, followed -by a clanging of armor and clatter of horses' feet. Torches glared far -away. A party was evidently just winding out of the defile into the -open space where the hamlet stood. Rescuers doubtless! for the first -party of raiders scattered to right and left, and were heard climbing -again up the wooded slopes. Morsinia hastened to Constantine, and -together they hurried to meet the new comers. But they were not -rescuers. They attacked the house with shouts of "Allah! Allah!" They -fired it with their torches. Some poured along the road toward the -next house. - -They were genuine Turks. Unable to conquer Scanderbeg in battle, the -great army had spread everywhere to lay waste the country. In fertile -meadows, along every stream, wherever a castle or chalet was known to -be, raged the numberless soldiers, who, beaten in nobler fight, sought -vengeance by becoming murderers of the more helpless, and kidnappers -of women and children to fill their harems. - -With flying feet Constantine and Morsinia outstripped the riders, -alarmed the second house, and ran to the third. Behind them the -crackling flames told that it was too late to return. All who could -escape gathered at the great konak. Since a similar raid, some years -before, this building had been converted into a rude fortification. -The wall which surrounded it, as an enclosure for sheep and cattle, -had been built up high and strong enough to prevent any approach to -the main structure by an anticipated foe, except as the scalers of the -wall should be exposed to the missiles of those within. The konak -proper was pierced with loop-holes, through which a shower of arrows -could be poured by unseen archers. - -The court was already filled with the fugitives, while some had -entered the building, when it was surrounded by the Turks. Constantine -had gained from Morsinia a promise to avoid exposure; and had agreed -upon a place of meeting on the mountain, in the event of their both -surviving the conflict. But the eagerness of Constantine overcame his -discretion, and, heading a group of peasants who had not been able to -enter the konak, he mingled in a hand-to-hand fight with the -assailants. Morsinia's interest led her to closely watch the fray from -the bordering thicket, changing her position from time to time that -she might not lose sight of the well-known form of her foster-brother. -Seeing him endangered, she could not resist the vain impulse to fly to -his assistance; as if her arms could stay those of the stout troopers -who surrounded him; or as if a Turk could have respect for a woman's -presence. Scarcely had she moved from her covert when strong hands -seized her, and, by a quick movement, pinioned her arms behind her -back. - -"Ho! man, guard this girl! If my houri escapes, your head shall be -forfeit," cried her captor, an officer, to a common soldier who was -holding his horse. In a moment he was lost to sight in the struggling -throng. - -The wall was carried, and, though many a turban had rolled from the -lifeless head of its wearer, the building was finally fired--life -being promised to the women who should surrender. Some of these, who -were young, were thrust from the door by their kindred, who preferred -for them the chances of miserable existence as Turkish prey, to seeing -them perish with themselves. Most, however, fought to the last by the -side of their husbands and fathers, and were slain in the desperate -attempt to make their way from the flames which drove them out. - -Constantine, by strange strength and skill, extricated himself from -the mêlée. A sharp flesh wound cooled his blind rage; and, realizing -that another's life, as dear to him as his own, was involved in his -safety, he withdrew from the danger, and sought Morsinia. - -Not finding her during the night, he returned in the earliest dawn to -the konak. The building was in ruins; the ground strewn with dead and -wounded. With broken hearts the few who had escaped were bewailing -their loved ones killed or missing. But there was no tidings of -Morsinia. In vain the woods were searched; every old trysting place -sacred to some happy memory of the years they had spent together--the -eagle's crag, the cave in the ravine, the dense copse. But only -memories were there. Imagination supplied the rest--a horrid -imagination! The poor boy was maddened and crushed; at one moment a -fiend; at the next almost lifeless with grief. - -An examination at the lower house discovered the body of his father, -Milosch. He had been killed outside the house; for his body, though -terribly gashed, was not burned, as were those found within the walls -of the building. - -Constantine had, up to this time, regarded himself as a boy; now he -felt that he was a man, with more of life in its desirableness behind -than ahead of him: a desperate man, with but a single object to live -for, vengeance upon the Turk, and upon those who, worse than Turks, of -Albanian blood, had first attempted Morsinia's capture. - -Yet there was another thing to live for. Perhaps she might be -recaptured. Improbable, but not impossible! That, then, should be his -waking dream. Such a hope--hope against hope--was all that could make -life endurable, except it were to drain the blood of her captors. - -He was driven by the poignancy of his grief and the hot fury of his -rage, to make this double object an immediate pursuit. He felt that he -could not sleep again until he had tasted some of the vengeance for -which he thirsted. - -But how could he accomplish it? He must lay his plan, for it were -worse than useless to start single-handed without one. He must plot -his tragedy before he began to execute it. - -He sat down amid the ruins of the hamlet--amid the ruins of his -happiness and hopes--to plot. But he could devise nothing. His -attempts were like writing on the air. He sat in half stupor; his -power to think crushed by the dead weight of mingled grief and the -sense of impotency. - -But suddenly he started---- - -"Fool! fool, that I am, to waste the moments! This very night it may -be done." - -He hastily stripped the body of a dead Turkish soldier, and, rolling -the uniform into a compact bundle, plunged with it through the thicket -and up the steep mountain side. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - -The valley in which the little hamlet lay, as well as the ravine by -which it was approached, was exceedingly tortuous. The stream which -seemed to have made these in its ceaseless windings, sometimes almost -doubled upon itself, as if the spirit of the waters were the prey of -the spirit of the hills that closed in upon its path, and thus it -sought to elude its pursuer. Though it was fully twenty miles from the -demolished konak to where the narrow valley debouched into the open -plain, it was not more than a quarter of this distance in a straight -line between those points. The interjacent space was, however, -impassable to any except those familiar with its trackless rocks. From -a distance the mountain lying between seemed a sheer precipice. But -Constantine knew every crevice up which a man could climb; the -various ledges that were connected, if not by balconies broad enough -for the foot, at least by contiguous trunks of trees, balustrades of -tough mountain laurel, or ropes of wild vine. He could cross this wall -of rock in an hour or two, but the Turkish raiders would occupy the -bulk of the day in making the circuit of the road. Indeed they would -in all probability not leave the security of the great ravine, and -strike the highway, until night-fall; for the terror of Scanderbeg's -ubiquity was always before the Turks. It was this thought that had -prompted Constantine's sudden action when he started up from his -despairing reverie amid the embers of his home. - -It was still early in the afternoon when, having passed with the -celerity of a goat among the crags, he looked down from the further -side of the great barrier upon the Turkish company. He stood upon a -ledge almost above their heads; and never did an eagle's eye take in a -brood upon which he was about to swoop, more sharply than did -Constantine's observe the details of the camp below him. - -There were the horses tethered. Yonder was a group of officers playing -at dice. In a circle of guards beyond, a few women and children; and -among them--could he mistake that form? - -The soldiers were preparing their mess. Some were picking the feathers -from fowls; others building fires. Then his surmise had been correct, -that they would not leave the valley until night. - -Constantine donned the Turkish uniform he had brought with him, and -climbed down the mountain. Sentinels were posted here and there upon -bold points from which they might get a view of the great plain -beyond. Toward this they kept a constant watch, as one of them -remarked to his comrade upon a neighboring pinnacle of rock: "Lest -some of Scanderbeg's lightning might be lying about loose." Posing -like a sentinel whenever he was likely to be observed, Constantine -passed through their lines, the guards being too far apart to detect -one another's faces. Hailed by a sentinel, he gave back the playful -salute with a wave of his hand. - -Emboldened by the success of his disguise, he descended to a ledge so -near the group of officers that he could easily hear their -conversation. They did not use the pure Turkish speech, but sometimes -interspersed it with Servian, for many of the officers, as well as the -men, in the Sultan's armies were from the provinces where the Turkish -tongue was hardly known. The common soldiers in this group Constantine -observed used the Servian altogether. - -"Good!" said he to himself, "point number one in my plot." - -"The highest throw wins the choice of the captives," cried one of the -officers. "What say you, Oski?" - -"Agreed," replied the one addressed, "but she will never be your houri -in paradise, Lovitsch?" - -"Why not?" - -"Because the Koran forbids casting lots?" - -"Well," replied his comrade. "I will take my beauty now, in this -world, rather than wait for the next. So here goes!" - -"By Khalif Omar's big toe! You have won, Oski. Which will you take?" - -"The little one with the bright black eyes," replied Oski; "unless you -can prevail upon Captain Ballaban to give me his. The man who owns -that girl will never have any houris in paradise. They would all die -for jealousy." - -"Captain Ballaban is his name," murmured Constantine to himself. -"Good! Point number two in my plot." - -"I would not have her for a gift," said Lovitsch, "for she has a -strange eye--the evil eye perhaps--at least there is something in it I -cannot fathom. She looks straight through a man. I touched her under -the chin, when those gentle blue orbs burst with fire. There was as -much of a change in her as there is in one of our new-fashioned cannon -when it is touched off; quiet one moment, and sending a bullet through -you the next. She's the daughter of the devil, sure." - -"You are a bold soldier, Lovitsch, to be afraid of a girl," laughed -his comrade. "I would like the chance of owning that beauty. If I -could not manage her I could sell her. She would bring a bag of gold -at Adrianople. Captain Ballaban will probably give her as a present to -Prince Mahomet. He can afford to do so, for the prince has shown him -wonderful favors. Think of a young Janizary, who has not seen nineteen -summers, with a captain's rank, and commanding such greybeards as we!" - -"No doubt the prince favors him," replied Lovitsch, "but that will not -account for his advance in the Janizary's corps. Nothing but real grit -and genius gets ahead among those fellows. The prince can give his -jewels and gold, but he could not secure a Janizary's promotion to a -soldier any more than he could bring him to disgrace without the -consent of the Aga. No, comrade, Ballaban was born a soldier, and has -won every thread in his captain's badge by some exploit or sage -counsel. But I wish he was back with us. I like not being left in -charge of such a motley troop as this. If Scanderbeg should close up -the mouth of this ravine with a few score of his spavined cavalry, we -would be like so many eggs in a bag, to be smashed together, without -Ballaban's wit to get us out." - -"I think the captain has returned, for, if I mistake not, I saw his -red head a little while ago glowing like a sunset on the crag yonder," -replied Oski, looking up toward the spot where Constantine was -sitting. - -----"Good! said Constantine, holding his council of war with his own -thoughts. "The captain looks like me before sunset. Perhaps I can look -like him after sunset. One advantage of having a head tiled in red! -But I will not show it again. Point number three in my plot."---- - -"Quite likely the captain has returned, and is prowling about, -inspecting everything, from the horses'-tails to our very faces, that -he may read our thoughts. That is his way," said Lovitsch, glancing -around. - -"Which way did he go?" - -"You might as well ask which track the Prophet's horse took through -the air when he carried his rider on the night journey to heaven. A -messenger from the chief Aga met him just as we were finishing the -fight last night, and, with a word turning over the command to me, he -mounted his horse and was off. Perhaps he heads some other raid -to-night; or, for aught I know, may be conferring with Scanderbeg in -the disguise of a Frankish general; for that Ballaban's brain is as -prolific of schemes and tricks as this ant's nest is full of -eggs"--turning over a stone as he spoke. - -The afternoon waned, and, as the night fell, preparations were made -for the march. When it was dark a light bugle note called in the -sentinels, and the company moved forward. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - -In the gathering gloom Constantine approached the extreme edge of the -camp, where those who were to bring up the rear had just mounted. A -soldier, somewhat separated from the others, was leading several -horses; either a relay in case of accident to the others, or those -animals whose saddles had been emptied during the fight at the konak. -Constantine's appearance was evidently a surprise to the soldier, who -eyed him closely, but made no movement indicating suspicion beyond -that of a rather pleased curiosity. The man made a low salâm, bowing -his turban to the saddle bow, and addressed him-- - -"Will you not mount, Sire?" Without responding Constantine leaped into -a saddle. - -"You will pardon me, Captain," continued the soldier. "You are -welcome back, for we are in better heart when you are with us." - -"Thanks, good fellow," said Constantine, "but I have not returned -yet--at least my return must not be known to the troops until the -morning. We will take your tongue out if you tell any one I am back -without bidding." - -The man gave a quick glance as if perplexed. Constantine's hand was -upon his dagger. But the soldier's doubt was relieved as he seemed to -be confident of the familiar form of his captain; and he explained his -apparent suspicion by quickly adding-- - -"You speak the Servian excellent well, Captain." - -"One must get used to it, and every other tongue, in commanding such a -mixed crew as the Sultan gathers into his army," said Constantine. - -"You Janizaries are wonderful men," replied the soldier. "You know all -languages. There was the little Aga I once"-- - -"No matter about that now," said Constantine, interrupting him. "I -want you for a special duty. Can I trust you to do me an errand? If -you do it well you will be glad of it hereafter." - -"Ay, ay, Sire! with my life; and my lips as mute as the horse's." - -"I captured a girl last night. She knows something I would find out by -close questioning. I must have her brought to the rear." - -"Ay! the girl Koremi holds?" - -"Yes, tell Koremi to loiter a little with her until I come up. We must -not go far from this defile before I find out what she knows, if I -have to discover it with my dagger in her heart; for there are -traitors among us. Last night there were Arnaouts dressed as Moslems -in the fight." - -"That I know," said the soldier, "for I tripped over a fellow myself, -hiding in the bushes, who swore at me in as good round Arnaout tongue -as they speak in hell. I ran him through and found a Giaour corslet -under his jacket. If there are traitors among us we will broil them -over our first camp-fire, that they may scent hell before they get -there." - -"You see then why I must find out what I can at once," said the -assumed captain. "Some of our men are in league with the Arnaouts. I -can find out from that girl every one of them. Impress this upon -Koremi; and if he hesitates to let the girl drift to the rear, you can -tell him that he will be suspected of being in league with the -rascals." - -Constantine took the ropes which held the horses the man was leading; -and, bidding him to haste, but be cautious that no one but Koremi -should know the message, followed slowly behind. - -It was nearly an hour later when the form of the soldier appeared in -the road just before him. - -"Right!" said Constantine. - -"Right!" was the response, first to the assumed captain, then repeated -to some one behind him. Two other forms appeared; one of them a woman. - -Anticipating his orders, the second trooper untied a rope from about -his own waist, and handed it, together with the rein of the horse the -woman rode, to Constantine. Then, making a low obeisance, the two -troopers withdrew a little distance to the rear. - -The other end of the rope which Constantine held was about the waist -of the captive. Drawing the led horse close to his own, and dropping -his turban more over his face, Constantine closely scrutinized the -features of the woman. She was Morsinia. It was difficult for him to -repress the excitement and delay the revelation of his true person, -but the hazard of the least cry of surprise or recognition on her part -nerved him to coolness. - -"Where are you taking me? If you have the courage, kill me," said the -girl. - -Constantine replied only by whistling a snatch of an Albanian air. - -"Are you an Albanian renegade?" continued the girl. "Could you not be -content to sell yourself to fight for the Turk against other enemies, -but must be a double traitor, and kill and kidnap your own kind?" - -The whistling continued. But as the soldiers were a little removed, he -said in a low voice, disguising his natural tones: - -"I am an Albanian, and if you will not speak, but only obey, I can -save you." - -"Jesu grant you are true!" was the tremulous response. - -"This will prove it," muttered he, reaching toward her, and with his -knife cutting a broad strap which bound her limbs to the saddle. "If -tied elsewhere, here is the knife." - -The way, which had been narrowed by the projection of the mountains on -either side, now widened a little. Constantine knew the spot well. -There had once been a mill and peasant's hut there, and now quite a -plat of grass was growing from the soft soil. The eye could not -discern it, for the darkness was rayless. But Constantine remembered -the grassy stretch was just round the point of rock they were passing. -The horses were walking slowly, being allowed by their riders to pick -their way along the stony road. As they turned the rock a strong wind -rushed through the ravine, wailing a requiem over the now deserted -settlement and the dead leaves of last year, which it whirled in -eddies; and singing a lullaby through the trees to the new-born leaves -of the spring time, which were rocked on the cradling branches. This, -together with the clatter of the horses' feet before and behind them, -enabled Constantine to draw the captive's horse and his own upon the -soft turf without being heard. Halting them at a few yards' distance, -they allowed the men who had followed them to pass by, and sat in -silence until the lessening sound told them that the soldiers had made -another turn in the road. Then, wheeling the horses, Constantine gave -loose rein back over the track they had come. After a short ride he -dismounted, and closely examining the way, led the horses to one side, -up a path, and down again to a little plateau, perhaps a furlong from -the main road, where a grazing patch would keep them from being -betrayed by the neighing. He dreaded the fatigue of further journey to -his comrade; for even his own ordinarily tireless frame was beginning -to feel the drain of the terrible night and day they had passed -through. - -Constantine threw off his turban and stretched his strong arms to -lift the captive from her horse, exclaiming with delight in his own -familiar tones,-- - -"I am no Albanian, dear Morsinia, but--" - -"Constantine!" she cried. - -He laid an almost lifeless form upon the turf, for the shock of the -revelation had been too much for her jaded nerves and excited brain. -Unrolling the cloth of his turban he spread it over her person, while -his own breast was her pillow. Slowly she recovered strength and -self-command. - -In a few words the mutual stories of the hours of their separation -were told. Morsinia had been treated with exceeding kindness and -respect, as the captive of the chief officer of the expedition, who -seemed to be a person of some distinction, though she had not seen -him. Constantine insisted upon his companion's seeking sleep, but by -his inquiries, did as much as her own thoughts to keep her awake; so -that at the dawn they confessed that the eyes of neither had been -closed. The necessity of procuring food led them to start at daybreak -for the nearest settlement. They descended to the road and retraced -the course of the preceding night; for it was useless to return to the -wrecked hamlet. They had gone but a short distance when they heard the -sound of a body of cavalry directly in front of them, riding rapidly -up the valley. There was no time to avoid the approaching riders -either by flight or concealment. Constantine said hastily, - -"Remember, if they are Turks, I too am a Turk, and you are my captive. -If they are friends, all is well. Stay where you are, and I will ride -forward to meet them." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - - -The newcomers proved to be a detachment of Albanians. Constantine was -instantly captured notwithstanding his declaration that his dress was -only assumed. - -"Aha! you are a Christian now in a Turk's skin, are you? But yesterday -you were a Turk in a Christian's feathers," was the taunt with which -he was greeted by one of the foremost riders, who continued his -bantering. "Your face is honest, if your heart is not, you Moslem -devil; for your ugly features will not lie though your tongue does. I -would know that square jaw and red head equally well now, were it -under the tiara of the pope instead of under the turban; and I would -cut your throat if you carried St. Peter's key in your girdle; you -change-skinned lizard!" - -"Who is he?" cried the horsemen, gathering about. - -"Why! the very knave who escaped us about sundown yesterday, after -spying our camp; and he has the impudence to ask us to take him -prisoner that he may spy us again." - -"Let us hamstring him!" cried another, "and, unless St. Christopher -has turned Moslem in paradise and helps the rascal, he will find no -legs to run away with again." - -"Set him up for a mark when we halt," proposed a third. "A ducat to -him whose arrow can split his ear without tearing the cheek at forty -paces!" - -Constantine was helpless as they adjusted a halter about his neck, -with which to lead him at the side of a horseman, the butt of the -scurrilous wit and sharper spear-points of his half mad and half merry -captors. - -They had gone but a few paces when the colonel commanding the -detachment made his way through the troopers to the front. He was a -venerable man with long flowing white beard. His bodily strength -seemed to come solely from the vitality of nerve and the dominance of -his spirit; for he was well worn with years. - -"What is this noise about?" he asked sternly. - -Before any could reply he stared with a moment's incredulity and -wonder at Constantine, who relieved his doubts by recognizing him. - -"Colonel Kabilovitsch!" cried he, doffing his turban as if it had been -a Christian cap.[48] "Your men are playful fellows, as frolicksome as -a cat with a mole." - -"But why are you here, my boy? and why this disguise?" interrupted -Kabilovitsch. - -The explanation was given in a few words;--on the one side the story -of the slaughter at the village, and the adventures of Morsinia and -Constantine; on the other of how the news of the Turkish raid reached -the camp at Sfetigrade about noon, and the rescuing party had started -at once under Kabilovitsch's command, and ridden at breakneck speed -during the entire night in the hope of meeting the Turks before they -emerged from the narrow valley. - -Learning now that they were too late for this, Kabilovitsch halted his -command, and with Constantine sought the place where Morsinia was in -waiting. When the old man heard that the first assailants of the -hamlet had been Albanians in disguise his rage was furious; and -through his incautious words Morsinia learned more of her relation to -the voivode Amesa than her reputed father had ever told her; for the -mystery of her family had never been fully explained in her hearing. -It had heretofore been deemed best that the girl should not be made -the custodian of her own secret, lest her childish prattle might -reveal it to others. Yet she had guessed the greater part of the -problem of her identity. But Kabilovitsch was now led by the new -curiosity which his inadvertent expressions had awakened in her, as -well as by the remarkably discreet and cautious judgment she had -displayed, to tell her the entire story of her own life. This was not, -however, until orders had been passed through the troop for rest, and -the fires hastily kindled along the roadside had prepared their -refreshing breakfasts. - -Removed from the hearing of all others, Kabilovitsch rehearsed to -Morsinia and Constantine what the reader already knows of her -extraction and early residence in Albania. He advised her to extreme -caution against the slightest reference to herself as the young Mara -de Streeses, and that she should insist upon her identity as the -daughter of the Servian peasant Milosch and the sister of Constantine. - -Morsinia buried her fair face in the gray beard of the old man, as -years ago she had done when they sat upon the door-stone of their -Balkan home, and sobbed as if his words had orphaned her. In a few -moments she looked up into his fine but wrinkled face, and drawing it -down to hers, kissed him as she used to do, and said lovingly, - -"I must believe your words; but my heart holds you as my father: for -father you have been to me, and child I shall be to you so long as God -gives us to one another." - -The old man pressed her temples between his rough hands, and looked -long into her deep blue eyes, as he said slowly, - -"Ay, father and mother both was I to thee, my child, from that -terrible night, sixteen years ago. My rough arms have often cradled -thee. But now you have a nobler and stronger protector in our -country's father, the great Castriot. To him you must go; for it is no -longer safe in these lonely valleys. Under his strong arm and -all-watchful eye you will be amply protected. There are nameless -enemies of the old house of De Streeses whom we must avoid as -vigilantly as we avoid the Turks." - -It was determined that Constantine should make a detour with her, and -approach Sfetigrade from the south, giving out that they were -fugitives from the lower country, which the enemy had also been -raiding. - -The colonel stated to his under officers, in hearing of the men, that -the young Turk was really one of Castriot's scouts, and that the young -woman was an accomplice. Borrowing from one and another sufficient -Albanian costumes to substitute for Constantine's disguise, -Kabilovitsch dismissed the couple. - -There was no end to the badgering the officious soldier who had first -arrested the scout received at the hands of his comrades. They jeered -at his double mistake in taking the fellow yesterday as a Turkish spy -in Albanian uniform, because he had slipped away so shrewdly, and now -again being duped by him a real Albanian in Turkish disguise. Some -threw the halter over the fellow's neck; others made mimic preparation -for hamstringing him; while one presented him with an immense scroll -of bark purporting to be his commission as chief of the department of -secret service, finishing the mock presentation by shivering the bark -over the fellow's head. The unhappy man contented himself -philosophically:-- - -"No wonder General Castriot baffles the enemy when his own men cannot -understand him. You were all as badly twisted by that fellow's tricks -as I was. But I will never interfere with that red head again, though -he wears a turban and is cutting the throat of the general himself." - -Two days later a beautiful girl accompanied by her brother--who was as -unlike her as the thorn bush is unlike the graceful flowering clematis -that festoons its limbs, both of them in apparent destitution, -refugees from near the Greek border--entered the town of Sfetigrade. -By order of the general, to whom their piteous story was told by -Kabilovitsch--for he had chanced, so he said, to come upon them as -they were inquiring their way to the town--they were quartered with a -family whose house was not far from the citadel. For some weeks the -girl was an invalid. A raging fever had been induced by over -excitement and the subsequent fatigue of the long journey. Colonel -Kabilovitsch could not refrain from expressing his interest in the -young woman by almost daily calls at the cottage where she lay. One -day, when it was supposed by the surgeon that she might not live, the -old man was observed to stand long at the cot upon which the sick girl -was lying. A look of agony overspread his features when the surgeon, -who had been feeling her pulse, laid her almost nerveless hand beneath -the blanket. - -"Dear, good old man," said the housewife. "I warrant he has laid some -pretty one of his own in the ground. Maybe a child, or a lover, -sometime back in the years. These things do come to us over and over -again." - -The brother of the sick girl scarcely noticed the visits of Colonel -Kabilovitsch, except to respond to his questions when no one but -himself could give the exact information about the patient's -condition; for none watched with her so incessantly. - -But her marvellous natural vitality enabled the sufferer to outlive -the fever; and, as she became convalescent, the old colonel seemed to -forget her. His interest was apparently in her suffering rather than -in herself. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[48] Moslems do not remove the hat in making salutation. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - - -The battlements of Sfetigrade lay, like a ruffled collar, upon -enormous shoulders of rock rising high above the surrounding country. -Over them rose, like a massive head, the citadel with its bartizans -projecting as a crown about the brow. The rock upon which the -fortification stood was scarped toward the valley, so that it could be -climbed only with the help of ladders, even though the assailants were -unresisted by its defenders. The few spots which nature had left -unguarded were now choked with abattis, or overlooked by bastions so -skilfully constructed as to need far less courage and strength for -their defence than were possessed by the bands of Dibrian and Epirot -patriots who fought from behind them. - -The assaults which Sultan Amurath launched against the place had been -as frequent as the early summer showers, and his armies were beaten to -pieces as the rain rebounded in spray and ran in streams from the -rocks. The chagrin of the baffled Sultan reflected itself in the -discouragement of his generals and the demoralization of their men. -The presence of his majesty could not silence the mutual -recriminations, the loud and rancorous strife with which brave -officers sought to lay upon one another the responsibility for their -defeat, rather than confess that the daily disasters were due to the -superior genius commanding among their foes. Especially was the envy -of the leaders of the other corps and branches of the service excited -against the Janizaries, to whose unrivalled training and daring were -due whatever minor victories had been won, and whatever exploits -worthy of mention had been performed. - -A lofty tent, whose projecting centre-pole bore the glittering brass -crescent and star, and before the entrance to which a single -horse-tail hung from the long spear, denoted the headquarters of a -Sanjak Bey. In front of the tent walked two men in eager, and not -altogether amiable, conversation. The one was the Bey, whose huge -turban of white, inwound with green, indicated that his martial zeal -was supplemented by equal enthusiasm for his faith; and that he had -added to the fatigue of many campaigns against the infidels the toil -of a more monotonous, though more satisfactory, pilgrimage to Mecca. -His companion was an Aga of the Janizaries, second only in rank to the -chief Aga. - -The latter was speaking with a wrath which his courteous words but ill -concealed-- - -"I do not impugn your honor or the sincerity of your motives, -Caraza-Bey, in making your accusation against our Captain Ballaban; -but the well-known jealousy which is everywhere manifested against our -corps compels me to believe not a single word to the discredit of him -or any of the Yeni-Tscheri without indubitable proof. I would allow -the word of Captain Ballaban--knowing him so well as I do--to outweigh -the oaths on the Koran of a score of those who, like yourself, have -reason to be jealous of his superior courage." - -"But your upstart captain's guilt can be proved, if not to your -personal satisfaction, at least before those who will not care to ask -your assent to their judgment," replied the other, not attempting to -veil his hatred of the Aga, any more than his purpose of crushing the -one of whom they were speaking. - -"What will the lies of a whole sanjak of your hirelings avail against -the honor of a Janizary?" replied the Aga. "If two horse-tails[49] -hung from the standard yonder, I would not publicly disgrace Captain -Ballaban by so much as ordering an inquiry at your demand. The -Janizaries will take no suggestion from any but the Padishah." - -"A curse on the brag of the Janizaries! The arrogancy of the Christian -renegades needs better warrant than Ballaban can give it," sneered the -Bey. "If you like, let the matter rest as it is. The whole army -believes that one of your dervish-capped heroes--the best of the -brood, I imagine--deserted his comrades in battle, and all for the -sake of a captive girl." - -"It is a lie!" shouted the Aga, drawing his sword upon him. - -The attitude of the two officers drew a crowd, who rushed from all -sides to witness the duel. Both were masters of sword play, so that -neither obtained any sanguinary advantage before they were separated -by the arrival of the chief Aga, who forbade his subaltern to continue -the conflict. Upon hearing the occasion of the affray, the chief said: - -"The trial of Captain Ballaban shall be had, with the publication of -the fact that Caraza-Bey has assumed the position of his accuser; and, -in the event of his charge proving false, he shall atone for his -malice by submitting to any punishment the captain may indicate; and -the force of the Janizaries shall execute it, though they cut the -throats of his entire command in order to do it. We must first -vindicate the honor of the corps, and then take vengeance upon its -detractors. I demand that Caraza-Bey make good his charge to-morrow at -the sixth hour, or accept the judgment of coward and vilifier, which -our court shall then proclaim to the army." - -At the appointed time on the day following, the tent of the chief Aga -was the gathering place of the notable officers of the corps. Without, -it differed from hundreds of other tents only in its size, and in the -pennant indicating the rank of its occupant. Within, it was lined with -a canopy of finest silk and woollen tapestries, on the blue background -of which crescents and stars, cimeters and lance-heads, battle-axes, -shields, turbans and dervish caps were artistically grouped with texts -from the Koran, and skilfully wrought in braids and threads of gold. -The canvas sides of the tent were now removed, making it an open -pavilion, and inviting inspection and audience from any who desired to -approach. A divan was at one side, and made a semicircle of about half -the tent. Upon this sat the chief Aga, his cushion slightly raised -above those at his side, which were occupied by the agas of lower -rank. A group of officers filled the space beneath the tent; and -soldiers of all grades made a dense crowd for several rods beyond into -the open air. - -The chief Aga waved his hand to an attendant, and the military court -was formally opened. Several cases were disposed of before that of -Captain Ballaban was called. - -There was led in a stalwart soldier of middle age. Two witnesses -deposed that, in a recent assault upon the enemy's works at -Sfetigrade, when there was poured upon the assailants a shower of -arrows and stones from the battlements above, this man, without orders -from his officer, had cried, "Give way! Give way!" and that to this -cry and his example were due the confusion of ranks and the retreat -which followed. - -The chief Aga turned and looked silently upon the man, awaiting his -reply to the accusation. The accused was speechless. The chief then -turned to the Aga to whose division the culprit belonged, that he -might hear any plea that he should be pleased to offer for the -soldier; but the Aga's face was stolid with indifference. The chief, -without raising his head, sat in silence for a moment, as in solemn -act of weighing the case. He then muttered an invocation of Allah as -the Supreme Judge. He paused. A gleam of light circled above the man; -a hissing sound of the cimeter and a thud were heard. The culprit's -head rolled to the ground. His trunk swayed for an instant and fell. - -This scene was apparently of little interest to the spectators. A -second case only tested their patience. One was charged with having -failed to deliver an order from the colonel of his orta, or regiment, -to a captain of one of the odas, or companies. Both these officers -testified, the one to having sent the order, the other to not having -received it, and on this account to have failed to occupy a certain -position with his men in a recent engagement with the enemy. The -culprit alleged that it was impossible to deliver the order because of -the enemy's movements at the time. The Aga of the division, being -appealed to by the silent gaze of the judge, simply said: - -"The man is brave;" when, by a motion of the hand, the judge dismissed -the soldier together with the case. - -The expectation not only of common soldiers, but also of officials, -led them to crane their necks to look at the next comer. Even the -ordinarily immobile features of the chief relaxed into an expression -of anxiety as a young man walked down the aisle made by the reverent -receding of the crowd to either side. He was not graceful in form. His -body was beyond the proportion of his legs; though his arms -compensated for any lack in the length of his lower limbs. His neck -was thick, the head round, with full development of forehead, though -that portion of his face was somewhat concealed by the short, bushy -masses of red hair which protruded beneath his rimless Janizary cap. -His face was homely, but strongly marked, evincing force of character -as clearly as the convolutions of his muscles evinced animal strength -and endurance. The brightness of his eye atoned for any lack of beauty -in his features; as did his free and manly bearing make ample amends -for deficiency in grace of form. Altogether he was a man to attract -one's attention and hold it pleasantly. - -Though he bent low to the earth in his obeisance to the chief officer -of his troop, it was without the suggestion of obsequiousness, with -that dignity which betokens real reverence and crowns itself with the -honor it would give to another. - -The chief Aga announced that, although the witnesses in this case were -not of the order of the Yeni-Tscheri, and, therefore, had no claim to -the consideration of the court, yet it pleased him in this peculiar -case to waive the right to try the matter exclusively among -themselves, that the good name of the Yeni-Tscheri might suffer no -reproach. "Caraza-Bey," added the chief, "for some reason best known -to himself does not accept the privilege we have extended him, to -speak in our official presence what he has freely spoken elsewhere. We -shall, therefore, hear any witnesses he may have sent." - -One Lovitsch, belonging to the irregular auxiliary troops, testified -that Captain Ballaban had organized a raid upon an Albanian village, -and engaged himself and company for the venture; but had left them in -the heat of the fight, not rejoining them until the second day. A -common soldier deposed that the captain returned to the company early -in the second evening, and induced him, the witness, and Koremi, to -whom the captain had entrusted a beautiful captive, to bring the girl -to the rear, under plea of getting from her information regarding the -enemy; and had then mysteriously disappeared with her. Koremi -corroborated this testimony. - -Captain Ballaban gave a look of puzzled curiosity as he heard this; -but otherwise evinced not the slightest emotion. - -The crowd gazed upon the young captain with disappointment while -testimony was being given. The agas present being unable to conceal -the deep anxiety depicted upon their countenances, as they leaned -forward with impatience to hear from his lips some exonerating -statement, which, however, they feared could not be given. A few faces -wore a look of contemptuous triumph. But two persons maintained -composure. It might be expected that the chief Aga, from his -familiarity with such scenes, if not from the propriety of his being -the formal embodiment of the rigid and remorseless court of the -Janizaries, whose decrees he was to announce, would show no emotion, -however strong his sympathy with the prisoner. - -The endangered man answered his gaze with equal stolidity when the -judge turned to him for his defence; but he remained speechless. A -shudder of horror ran through the crowd. The executioner stepped -forward to the side of the apparently convicted person. A slight -ringing sound, as the long curve of the well-tempered blade grazed the -ground, sent to every heart the chilling announcement of his -readiness. The chief Aga turned to the others, but sought in vain any -palliatory suggestion or appeal for mercy, except in the mute agony of -their looks. The chief then raised his eyes as if for the invocation -of Allah's confirmation of the sentence as just. But his prayer was a -strange one:--"Oh, Allah! thou hast given a wondrous spirit to this -man; a courage worthy of the soul of Othman himself!" Then rising with -excitement he addressed the throng in rapid speech. - -"Look upon this man, my brothers of the shining face![50] - -"Did he quail at the ring of the executioner's sword? Did he even -change color when he heard the damning testimony? A true son of Kara -Khalif is he. A word from his lips would have exonerated him, yet he -would not speak it lest it should reveal the secrets of our service, -which he would keep with dead lips rather than live to tell them. But -I shall be his witness; and you, my brothers, shall be his judges. -Captain Ballaban was recalled from the raid by our brother Sinam, aga -of the division to which the captain belongs. But, alas! the sword of -Scanderbeg has loosed Sinam's soul for flight to paradise, and he -could not testify to this man's fidelity. But I know the order of -Sinam; in this very tent it was written. And though the faithful -messenger who carried it was slain in after conflict, the order was -executed by Captain Ballaban to every letter: every moment of his -absence from the raid is accounted for on my tablets"--tapping his -forehead as he spoke. - -A loud shout burst from the crowd which made the tent shake as if -filled with a rising wind. - -"Ballaban! Ballaban!" cried the multitude, lifting the brave fellow -upon their shoulders. - -"Take that for your grin when you thought he was guilty!" shouted one, -as he delivered a tremendous blow upon the face of another. - -"Death to Caraza-Bey! Down with the lying villain!" rose the cry, the -crowd beginning to move, as if animated by a common spirit, to seek -the envious commandant of the neighboring corps. But they halted at -the tent side waiting for the sign of permission from their chief, -who, by the motion of his hand forbade the assault which would have -brought on a terrific battle between the Janizaries and their rivals -throughout the army. - -"We shall deal with Caraza-Bey hereafter, if his shame does not send -him skulking from the camps," said the chief, resuming his sitting -posture, and restoring order about him. - -"Summon the witnesses again," he proceeded. - -"You Lovitsch testified truly as to Captain Ballaban's absence, and -may go. But you twin rascals who swore to his escape with the girl, -your heads shall go to Caraza-Bey, and your black souls to the seventh -hell.[51] Executioner, do your office!" - -"Hold!" cried Ballaban, as the man drew his cimeter. "Upon my return -to the company I found my fair captive gone, and under such strange -circumstances that I can see that these good fellows may be honest in -what they have stated. I bespeak thy mercy, Sire, for them." - -"Captain Ballaban's will shall be ours," replied the chief, with a -wave of his hand dismissing the assemblage. As the crowd withdrew, he -said, "My brothers, the agas, will remain, and Captain Ballaban." - -The sides of the tent were put up. The guard patrolled without at a -distance of sixty paces, that no one might overhear the conversation -in the council. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[49] Two horse-tails; the symbol of a Beyler Bey, a chief bey of -Europe or Asia. - -[50] A title of Janizaries given them by the dervish who blessed the -order at its institution in the days of Orchan. - -[51] According to the Moslems, hell is divided into seven stories or -cellars, the lowest being reserved for hypocrites. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - - -"Has Captain Ballaban any explanation of this conspiracy against him?" -asked one. - -"None!" was the laconic reply. But after a moment's pause he added: -"Perhaps there was no conspiracy, except as our jealous neighbors are -willing to take advantage of every unseemly circumstance that can be -twisted to point against any of the Yeni-Tscheri. This may explain -something. The girl that I captured at the Giaour village was no -common peasant, by the cheek of Ayesha! Her face, as lit by the -blazing konak, was of such beauty as I have never seen except in some -dreams of my childhood. Her voice and manner in commanding me to -liberate her were those of one well-born or used to authority. It was -well that I bethought me to give her into the keeping of that -dull-headed Koremi, or she might have bewitched me into obeying her -and letting her go. My belief is that the girl was rescued. It may be -that our men were heavily bribed to give her up, or that some one -personated myself and demanded her, and that the story of my return -may be thus accounted for, but I cannot see any treachery in Koremi's -manner. If she was of any special value to Scanderbeg he would find -some way of running her off, though he had to make a league with the -devil and assume my shape to do it. The Arnaouts, you know, believe -that the Vili are in collusion with Scanderbeg, and that one of them, -a he-vili, Radisha, or some such sprite, is his body servant. That -will account for it all," added he, laughing at the conceit. - -"But," said the second Aga, "Caraza-Bey's insult was none the less, if -your surmise be true. We must wash it out in the blood of a hundred or -so of his hirelings to-morrow." - -The chief shook his head. - -"But," continued the second Aga, "the jealousy of our corps must be -punished. You see how near it came to losing for us the life of one of -our bravest. Caraza-Bey must fight me to-morrow." - -"Bravo!" cried all; while one added, "And let the challenge be public, -that the entire force of the Yeni-Tscheri be on hand and all the -troops of the Beyler Bey of Anatolia, and--" lowering his voice-- "we -can manage it so that the fight become general, and teach these -reptiles of Asiatics that the Yeni-Tscheri are the right hand and the -brain of the empire." - -"Ay, _are_ the empire!" said another. "Let us have a scrimmage that -will be interesting. The war with Scanderbeg is getting monotonous. -One day he comes into our camp, like a butcher into a slaughter pen, -and the next day we are marched out to him, to be slaughtered -elsewhere. It requires one to be full of Islam, the Holy Resignation, -to stand this sort of life. Yes! let's do a little fighting in our own -way and get rid of some of this soldier spawn which the Padishah has -brought with him from across the Bosphorus!" - -"But you forget, my brothers," said Ballaban, "that this fight with -the Sanjak Bey does not belong to any one beside myself. His lie was -about me. I then am the man to take off his head; and I think I can do -it with as good grace as the executioner was nigh to taking off mine -just now." - -"No, Captain!" said the chief. "Your rank is as yet below the Bey's, -and he would make that an excuse for declining the gage. Besides," -said he, lowering his voice, "I have special service for you -elsewhere, which cannot be delayed." - -When the agas, making the low courtesy, retired, the chief walked with -Ballaban. - -"Captain, I have heard no report of the errand upon which you were -sent." - -"No, Sire, I was arrested the moment I returned to camp." - -"You succeeded, I know, from the movements of the enemy: although the -slowness of the Padishah in ordering an advance, when Scanderbeg was -diverted by your ruse, prevented our taking advantage of it." - -"Yes," said Ballaban, "I succeeded as well as any one could, not being -seconded from headquarters. But I did some service incidentally, and -picked up some helpful information. The night after leaving the hamlet -we fired, I fell in with a company of Arnaouts who were coming to the -rescue. They would have got into the narrow valley before our men got -out, had I not managed to trick them. I was in disguise and readily -passed for an Arnaout lout, giving them false information about the -direction our party had taken, and so lost them an hour or two, and -saved the throats of Lovitsch's fellows, a mere rabble, good enough -for a raid, but not to be depended upon for a square fight. But we -must have no more raids. Scanderbeg has means of communication as -quick and subtle as if the clouds were his signals and the stars were -his beacons. - -"I then came upon a Dibrian settlement, pretending to be a fugitive -from the valleys to the north; and entertained the villagers with -bug-a-boo stories about the hosts of men with turbans on their heads -and little devils on their shoulders who had destroyed all that -country, and were now pouring down toward the south. - -"By the way," continued Ballaban laughing, "there was an old fellow -there, very lame, with a patch over one eye, who could hardly stand -leaning on his staff, he was so palsied with age. But the one eye that -was open was altogether too bright for his years; and his legs didn't -shake enough for one who rattled his staff so much. So I put him down -as one of Scanderbeg's lynxes--they are everywhere. I described to him -the Moslem movements in such a way as to let a trained soldier believe -that we had entirely changed front, with the prospective raising of -the siege of Sfetigrade and alliance with the Venetians for carrying -the war farther to the north. The old codger took the bait, and asked -fifty questions in the tone of a fellow whose head had been used for a -mush-pot instead of a brain-holder; but every question was in its -meaning as keen as a dagger-thrust into the very ribs of the military -situation. Well! I helped him to all the information he wanted; when -with a twinkle in his eye, he hobbled away, as wise as an owl when a -fresh streak of day-light has struck him: and before night the whole -country to the borders of Sternogovia was alive with Scanderbeg's -scouts; and every cross-path was a rendezvous of his broken-winded -cavalry. - -"I saw one thing which gave me a hint I may use some day. At a village -the women were carrying water from a spring far down in a ravine, -though there was a fine flowing fountain quite near them. It seems -that a dog had got into the fountain about a month before, and was -drowned. These Dibrians believe that, if any one should drink the -water of such a spring before as many days have passed as the dog has -hairs on his tail, the water will make his bowels rot, and his soul go -into a dog's body when he dies. - -"The next night I spent inside the walls of Sfetigrade." - -"No!" cried the chief. "Why, man, you must fly the air with the -witches!" - -"Not at all, I have some acquaintances in that snug little place; and -when they go to bed they hang the key of the town on a moonbeam for -me. If it is not there, I have only to vault over the walls, or sail -over them on the clouds, or burrow under them with the moles, or hold -my breath until I turn into a sprite, like the wizards on the Ganges, -and lo! I am in. Well! that night I lodged with a worthy family of -Sfetigrade, pretending that I was a poor fugitive from the very town -we had raided a few nights before. And, by the hair of the beautiful -Malkhatoon![52] I saw there the very captive I had taken. She lay -asleep on a cot just within a doorway--unless I was asleep myself and -dreaming, as I half believe I was." - -"Yes, it was a dream of yours, no doubt, Captain," said the chief, -"for when a young fellow like you once gets a fair woman in his arms, -as you say you had her in yours the night of the raid, she never gets -out of the embrace of his imagination. He will see her everywhere, and -go about trying to hug her shadow. Beware illusions, Captain! They use -up a fellow's thoughts, make him too meek-eyed to see things as a -soldier should. The love passion will take the energy out of the best -of us, as quickly as the fire takes the temper out of the best -Damascene blade." - -"I thank you for your counsel, Aga," replied Ballaban, his face -coloring as deep as his hair. "But there was one thing I saw with a -waking eye." - -"And what was that?" - -"That there was but one well of water in the town of Sfetigrade; the -one in the citadel court. But another thing I didn't see, though I -searched the place for it;--and that was a dog to throw into the well; -or I would have thirsted the superstitious garrison out. They have -eaten up the last cur." - -"Then the surrender must come soon," said the Aga. - -"No," replied Ballaban, "for the voivode Moses Goleme came into the -town as I was leaving, driving a flock of sheep which he had stolen -from us; for he had cut off an entire train of provisions which had -been sent to our camp from Adrianople." - -"Then I must have you off at once on another errand, Captain. You see -yonder line of mountains off to the northwest. It may be necessary to -shift the war to that region for a while. Ivan Beg,[53] the -brother-in-law of Scanderbeg, has raised a pack of wild fiends among -those hills of his, and is driving out all our friends. Nothing can -stand against him unless it be the breasts of the Yeni-Tscheri. -Scanderbeg may compel us to raise the siege of Sfetigrade, for he -bleeds us daily like a leech. A diversion after Ivan Beg will at least -be more honorable than a return to Adrianople. Now I would know -exactly the passes and best places for fortification in Ivan's -country; and you, Captain, are the man to find them out. You should be -off at once. Take your time and spy thoroughly, making a map and -transmitting to me your notes. And while there feel the people. It is -rumored that the young voivode, Amesa, is restless under the -leadership of Scanderbeg. If a dissension could be created among these -Arnaouts, it would be well. Amesa has a large personal following in -that north country; for his castle is just on the border of it." - -"But," replied Ballaban, "I must first pluck the beard of that -cowardly Caraza-Bey!" - -"No! I forbid it. Your blood is worth more in your own veins than -anywhere else. I should not consent to your risking a drop of it in -personal combat with any one except Scanderbeg himself." - -The fight between the second Aga and Caraza-Bey did not take place. -That worthy was conveniently sent by Sultan Amurath, who had learned -of the feud, to look after certain turbulent Caramanians; and leaving -behind him a wake of curses upon all Janizaries from the chief to the -pot-scourers, he took his departure for the Asiatic provinces. - -Had he remained, the Turks would have had enough to occupy them -without this gratuitous mêlée. For during the night scouts brought -word that Scanderbeg had massed all his forces, that were not behind -the walls of Sfetigrade, at a point to the right of the Turkish lines. -Hardly had the army been faced to meet this attack, when scouts came -from the left, reporting serious depredations on that flank. Amurath, -in the uncertainty of the enemy's movement, divided his host. The -Asiatics were given the northern and the Janizaries the southern -defence; either of them outnumbering any force Scanderbeg could send -against them. But, as a tornado cuts its broad swath through a forest, -uprooting or snapping the gigantic trees, showing its direction only -by the after track of desolation, which it cuts in almost unvarying -width, while beyond its well defined lines scarcely a branch is broken -or a nest overturned among the swaying foliage--so Scanderbeg swooped -from east to west through the very centre of the Turkish encampment, -gathering up arms and provisions, and strewing his track with the -bodies of the slain. By the time that the Moslems were sufficiently -concentrated to offer effective resistance the assailants were gone. - -At the head of the victorious band Scanderbeg rode a small and -ungainly, but tough and tireless animal--like most of the Albanian -horses, which were better adapted to threading their way down the -pathless mountain sides, than to curveting in military parade--their -lack of natural ballast being made up by the enormous burdens they -were trained to carry. - -The figure and bearing of Scanderbeg, however, amply compensated the -lack of martial picturesqueness in his steed. He was in full armor, -except that his sword arm was bared. His beard of commingled yellow -and gray fell far down upon the steel plates of his corselet. A helmet -stuck far back upon his head, showed the massive brow which seemed of -ampler height, from the Albanian custom of clipping short, or shaving -the hair off from the upper forehead. - -Wheeling his horse, he engaged in conversation with a stout, but -awkward soldier. - -"You and your beast are well matched, Constantine. You both need -better training before you are fit to parade as prisoners of Amurath. -You sit your horse as a cat rides a dog, though you do hold on as well -with your heel as she with her claws. Your short legs would do better -to clamp the belly of a crocodile." - -"Yes, we are both accustomed to marching and fighting in our own way, -rather than in company," replied Constantine. "But the beast has not -failed me by a false step; not when we leaped the fallen oak and -landed in the gulch back yonder. The beast came down as safely and -softly as on the training lawn." - -"And you have done as well yourself," replied the general. "That was a -bad play though you had with the Turk as we cut our way through the -last knot of them. But for a side thrust which I had time to give at -your antagonist, while waiting for the slow motions of my own, I fear -that your animal would be lighter now by just your weight. You strike -powerfully, but you do not recover yourself skilfully. A good -swordsman would get a response into your ribs before you could deal -him a second. Here, I will show you! Now thrust! Strike! No, not so; -but hard, villainously, at me, as if I were the Turk who stole your -girl! So! Again! Again!--Now learn this movement"--pressing his own -sword steadily against his companion's, and bending him back until he -was almost off his horse. "And this," dealing so tremendous a slash -with the back of the sword that Constantine's arm was almost numbed by -the effort to resist it.--"And this!" transmitting a twisting motion -from his own to his opponent's weapon, so that for one instant they -seemed like two serpents writhing together; but at the next -Constantine's sword was twirled out his hand. - -"You will make a capital swordsman with practice, my boy. And the -girl? Keep a sharpened eye for her; and tell me if so much as a new -spider's web be woven at her door." - -A peasant woman stood by the path as they proceeded, holding out her -hand for alms, as she ran beside the general's horse. He leaned toward -her to give something; but, as his hand touched hers, she slipped a -bit of white rag into it: - -"The map of the roads, Sire, twixt this and Monastir!" - -"And your son, my good woman?" inquired the general kindly. - -"Ah! the Virgin pity me, Sire, for he died. We could not stop the -bleeding, for the lance's point had cut a vein. But I have a daughter -who can take his place. She knows the signals--for he taught them to -her--and can make the beacon as well as he; and is as nimble of foot -to climb the crag. But please, Sire, the child did not remember if the -enemy going west was to be signalled by lighting the beacon before or -after the bright star's setting." - -"Just after, good mother. If they go to the east and cross the -mountain, fire the beacon just before the star sets. And the brightest -of all stars be for your own hope and comfort!" - -"And for dear Albania's and thine own!" replied the woman, -disappearing in the crowd, as a man dashed close to Scanderbeg on a -well-jaded steed. - -"The Turkish auxiliaries will be at the entrance to the defile in -thirty hours." - -"Your estimate of their number, neighbor Stephen?" - -"From three to five thousand." - -"Not more?" - -"Not more in the first detachment. A second of equal size follows, but -a day in the rear." - -"Good! Take with you our nephew, Musache de Angeline, and five hundred -Epirots each. This will be sufficient to prevent the first detachment -getting out of the pass. I will strike the second from the rear as -soon as they enter the pass. They can not manoeuvre in that crooked -and narrow defile, and we will destroy them at our leisure. Strike -promptly. Farewell!" - -"Miserable sheep!" he muttered, "why will these Turks so tempt me to -slaughter them?" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[52] Bride of Othman. - -[53] Ivo, the Black, or Tsernoi, from whom the mountain country to the -north of Albania was called Tsernogorki, or, in its Latinized form, -Montenegro. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - - -Upon the southern slope of the Black Mountain--that is, on the rising -uplands which lead from Albania to Montenegro--lay the ancient and -princely estates of the De Streeses. A dense forest of pines spread -for miles, like a myriad gigantic pillars in some vast temple. They -seemed to support, as it were, some Titanic dome surrounded with -pinnacles and turrets, a huge cluster of jagged rocks, which was -called by those who gazed upon it from leagues away "The Eyrie." In -the midst of these great monoliths, and hardly distinguishable from -them, rose the walls of the new castle which the voivode Amesa had -built upon the ruins of that destroyed at the time of the massacre of -its former possessor. - -The horse of the voivode stood within the court, his head drooping, -and the white sweat-foam drying upon his heated flanks. His master -paced up and down the enclosure, engaged in low but excited -conversation with a soldier. - -The voivode was of princely mien; tall, but compactly built; face full -in its lower development, and somewhat sensual; eyes gray and -restless, which gave one at first a sharp, penetrating glance, and -then seemed to hide behind the half-closed lids, like some wild animal -that inspects the hunter hastily, then takes to covert. - -"You are sure, Drakul, that the party which drove you from the hamlet -were Turks, and not Arnaouts in disguise, like yourselves?" - -"I could not mistake," said Drakul, a hard-faced man, one of whose -eyebrows was arched higher than the other, and whose entire -countenance was distorted from the symmetrical balance of its two -sides, giving an expression of duplicity and cruelty. "I could not -mistake, noble Amesa, for I have too often eyed those rascals over the -point of my sword not to know a Turk in the dark. But all the fiends -combined against us that night. We left our two best men dead, and the -two we wanted, the boy and the girl, escaped us. The she-witch did not -come back to the village the next day; but the red-headed imp did, and -raved like a hyena when he found the girl missing. I watched him as he -suddenly went off, doubtless, to some spot they both knew of. The -young thief stole the clothes off a dead Turk. The next day we spied -him again; this time with that Arnaud-Kabilovitsch, Albanian-Servian, -forester-colonel, or whatever he may be, who came back when Castriot -did. The fellow escaped us a second time." - -"Track him! track him!" cried Amesa spitefully. "I will make you rich, -Drakul, the day you bring me that fox's brush of red hair from his -head." - -"I have tracked him and could take you to the very spot where he and -the girl are to-day," said the man. "Come this way, my noble -Amesa,"--leading him to the side of the court commanding a far stretch -of country to the north-west. "Now let your eye follow Skadar[54] -along the left shore: then up the great river.[55] Not two leagues -from the mountain spur that bends the stream out of your sight, at the -hamlet just off the road into your Uncle Ivan's country--" - -"The stargeshina has a red goitre like a turkey cock? I know every hut -in the hamlet," interrupted Amesa. "But why think you she is there?" - -"Why? I have seen her, and him with her. I followed the fellow day -after day. Once I saw him yonder on the spur. He clipped the bark of a -tree, and in the smoothed spot cut a line. A little beyond he did the -same thing again. He spied this way and that way with all the pains -one would take to pick a way for an army. Then he took a roll of paper -from his bosom, and marked down something for every mark he had made -upon the trees. And when he was out of sight I took the range of his -marks, and by St. Theckla! they pointed straight to a path which led -down the mountain to the ford in the great river that is opposite the -old turkey cock's konak." - -"But you may have mistaken the man," suggested Amesa. - -"Not I, Sire. I know his head as well as a bull knows a red rag; and -his duck legs, and his walk like an ambling horse." - -"It is he," submitted Amesa. "But how know you that the girl was there -in the hamlet?" - -"Did I not see her, my noble Amesa? And could I not know her from the -look of her father? If I could forget him living, I have never passed -a night without seeing his face as it was dead, when we dragged him to -the burning beams of the old house that stood on this----" - -"Silence!" cried Amesa in a sudden burst of rage. "How dare you allude -to my uncle's death without my bidding?" - -There was a pause for a few moments, during which Amesa stamped -heavily upon the stone pavement of the court as he walked, like one -endeavoring to shake off from his person some noisome thing that -troubled him. The man resumed-- - -"Besides, the children of the village said she was a stray kid there, -and not of kin to anybody. And while I was there the same stump-headed -fellow who marked the direction came to the hamlet." - -"Be ready to accompany me to-morrow, Drakul. You can say that we are -scouting." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[54] Lake Scadar or Scutari. - -[55] The Tsernoyevitcha, the great river of Montenegro which empties -into Lake Scutari. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - - -The lake of Skadar lay like an immense _lapis lazuli_ within its -setting of mountains, which, on the east, were golden with the rays of -the declining sun, and on the west, enameled in emerald with the dense -shadows their summits dropped upon them. The surface of the water was -unbroken, save here and there by black spots where a pair of loons -shrieked their marital unhappiness, or a flock of wild ducks floated, -like a miniature fleet, about the reed-fringed shores of some little -island. Had there been watchers on the fortress of Obod, which lay on -the cliff just above where the Tsernoyevitcha enters Skadar, they -would have espied a light shallop gliding along the eastern bank of -the lake. This contained the voivode Amesa and his attendant. Just at -night-fall they reached the cavern, whose hidden recesses begot a -hundred legends which the weird shadows of the cave clothed in forms -as fantastic as their own, and which still flit among the hamlets of -Montenegro. It was said that whoever should sleep within the cave -would rest his head on the bosoms of the nymphs:--only let him take -care that their love does not prevent his ever waking. Amesa and his -companion were courageous, but discretion led them to wind the strooka -about their heads, and seek without a couch of pine needles between -the enormous roots of the trees which had dropped them. - -The dawn had just silvered the east, and the coming sun transformed -the cold blue tints of Skadar into amber, when they entered the river. -The great stream wound through the broad lowlands of Tsetinie, girdled -with rocky hills. Then it dashed in impetuous floods between more -straightened banks, or lingered, as if the river spirit would bathe -himself in the deep pools that were cooled by the springs at their -bottoms. Though familiar with the phenomenon, they loitered that they -might watch the schools of fish which were so dense in places as to -impede the stroke of the oar blade, and tint the entire stream with -their dull silvery gleam.[56] Emerging from a tortuous channel, -through which the river twisted itself like a vast shining serpent, -they came to a cluster of houses that nestled in a gorge. These houses -were made of stone, and so covered with vines as to be hardly -distinguishable from the dense shrubbery that clambered over the -rocks about them. - -Amesa was warmly greeted by the stargeshina who occupied the konak, or -principal house. The older people remembered the visitor as the comely -lad who, before the return of George Castriot, was almost the only -male representative of that noble family left in the land. The voivode -was honored with every evidence that the villagers felt themselves -complimented by the visit of their guest, whatever business or caprice -might have brought him thither. - -A simple repast was provided, in which the courtesy of the service on -the part of the stargeshina more than compensated any poverty in the -display of viands;--though there were set forth meats dried in strips -in the smoke of an open fire; eggs; sweet, though black bread; and -wine pressed from various mountain berries, and allowed to ferment in -skins. As they sat beside a low table at the doorway of the konak, the -stargeshina offered a formal salâm, the zdravitsa, which was half a -toast and half a prayer, and extended his hand to Amesa in the -protestation of personal friendship. At the meal the glories of -Castriot and Ivan Beg--or Ivo, as the peasants called him--were duly -recited. - -"But why," said the old man, rising to his feet with the enthusiasm of -the sentiment--"Why should the country sing the praises of George -Castriot, who for thirty years was willing to be a Turk and fight for -an alien faith? Your shoulders, noble Amesa--Prince Amesa, my loyal -heart would call you--could as well have borne the burden of the -people's defence. Your arm could strike as good a blow as his for -Albania. Your blood is that of the Castriots, and untainted by Moslem -touch. Your estates, since you have become heir to the lands of De -Streeses, make you our richest and most influential voivode." - -These words made the eyes of Amesa flash, not with any novel pleasure, -rather with an ambition to which he was no stranger. But the flash was -smothered at once by the half-closed eyelids, and he responded-- - -"I ought not to hear such words, my good friend. My Uncle George is -the hero of the hour. The people need a hero in whom they believe; and -the very mystery of his life for the thirty years among the Turks, and -the romance of his return, make him a convenient hero." - -"But Sire, my noble--my Prince Amesa--do you not daily hear such words -as I speak? The thought is as common as the Pater Noster, and echoes -from Skadar to Ochrida. It was but a week since a young Albanian -passed through this border country, whispering everywhere that the -land was ready to cry Amesa's name rather than the reformed renegade, -George Castriot's; that Scanderbeg, the Lord Alexander, the strutting -title the Turks gave him, was an offence to the free hearts of the -people." - -"Ah! and what sort of a man for look was this Albanian?" asked Amesa -in surprise. - -"A sturdy youth of, say, twenty summers, with hair like a turban which -had been worn by a dozen slaughtered Turks, so blood red is it." - -Amesa gave a puzzled look toward Drakul, who was eating his meal at a -little distance, but whose ears seemed to prick up like those of a -horse at this description. - -"It is likely that he may be again in the village this very night. Our -neighbor next lodged him. I will ask him if he will return," said the -stargeshina, leaving the konak for a little. - -"It is he; it's that Constantine," said Drakul, coming nearer to -Amesa. "The wily young devil is ready to betray your Uncle George. -That will make the matter easier." - -"The way is clear, then," replied Amesa. "I am glad that the raid was -not successful. It might have led to further blood. With this fellow -in league with us, it is straight work and honorable." - -The stargeshina reported the man would probably be in again that very -night, and added: - -"I would you could see him; for though he is fair spoken, there is -some mystery in his going day after day among these mountains, like a -hound who is looking for a lost scent." - -"Perhaps he is attracted here by some of the fair maidens of the -hamlets," suggested Amesa, looking at Drakul, who was tearing a bit of -jerked meat in his teeth, apparently intent only upon that selfish -occupation. - -"It may well be, for our neighbor here has harbored a bit of stray -womanhood which might tempt a monk to lodge there rather than in his -cell," said the old man. - -A shout from above them attracted their attention to a merry company -which was coming down the mountain. It was the procession of the -Dodola. Drought threatened to destroy the scanty grain growing in the -narrow valleys, and the vines on the terraces cut out of the steep -hills. According to an ancient custom, a young maiden had been taken -by her companions into the woods, stripped of her usual garments, and -reclothed in the leaves and flowers of the endangered vegetation. Long -grasses and stalks of grain were matted in many folds about her -person, and served as a base for artistic decoration with every -variety of floral beauty. Her feet were buskined in clover blossoms. A -kilt of broad-leaved ferns hung from her waist, which was belted with -a broad zone of wild roses. White and pink laurel blossoms made her -bodice. An ivy wreath upon her brows was starred with white daisies, -and plumed with the stems and hanging bells of the columbine. - -The Dodola thus appeared as the impersonation of floral nature athirst -for the vivifying rains. Her attendants, who led her in a leash of -roses, chanted a hymn, the refrain of which was a prayer to Elijah, -who, since he brought the rain at Carmel, is supposed by the peasants -of Albania to be that saint to whom Providence has committed the -shepherding of the clouds. As the procession wound down the terraced -paths between the houses, the Dodola was welcomed by the matrons of -the hamlet, who stood each in her own doorway, with hair gathered -beneath a cap of coins, teeth enameled in black, fingers tipped -brownish-red with henna. The maidens sung a verse of their hymn at -each cottage; and, at the refrain, the housewife poured upon the head -of the leaf-clad Dodola a cup of water; repeating the last line of -the chorus, "Good Saint Elias, so send the rain!" - -As the Dodola paused before the konak, Amesa said, quite -enthusiastically, and designing to be overheard by the fair girl who -took the part of thirsting nature, "If Elias can refuse the prayer of -so much womanly beauty, I swear, by Jezebel, that I shall hereafter -believe, with the Turks, that the austere old prophet has become -bewitched with the houris in paradise, and so does not care to look -into the faces of earthly damsels." - -"You may still keep your Christian faith, for the Dodola has won the -favor of the Thunderer,"[57] replied the stargeshina. "Listen to his -love-making in response to the witchery of that wild dove! Do you hear -it?" - -The distant murmur of a coming shower confirmed the credulity of the -peasants. - -"Yes, soon the Holy Virgin will turn her bright glances upon us,"[58] -said he looking at the sky. - -"Who is that wild dove who acts the Dodola?" inquired Amesa. - -"The one I told you of, who has come into our neighbor's cot," replied -the old man. "But only the sharp eyes of the crows saw where she came -from. Did she not speak our tongue and know our ways as well as any of -us, I should say she was one of the Tsigani who were driven out of the -morning land by Timour.[59] Yet it may be that her own story is true. -She says she had two lovers in her village; and these two were -brothers in God, who had taken the vow before heaven and St. John to -help and never to hinder each other in whatever adventure of love or -brigandage, at cost of limb or life. But as the hot blood of neither -of these lovers could endure to see this nymph in the arms of the -other, it was determined that she should be slain by the hand of both, -rather than that the sacred brotherhood should be broken. By her own -father's hearth the two daggers were struck together at her heart. But -the strong arms of the slayers collided, and both blows glanced. She -escaped and fled, and came hither." - -"And you believe this story?" asked Amesa, with a look of incredulity -mingled with triumph, as of one who knew more than the narrator. - -"I believe her story, noble Amesa, because--because no one has told me -any other. But--" He shook his head. - -"Does not the young stranger you spoke of know something of her, that -he prowls about this neighborhood?" asked the guest. - -"It may be. I had not thought it, but it may well be! Hist--!" - -The Dodola passed by, returning to her own cottage. As she did so her -bright black eyes glanced coquettishly at the stranger from beneath -her disarranged chaplet of flowers and dishevelled hair. She soon -returned, having assumed her garments as a peasant maid, but with -evident effort to make this simple attire set off the great natural -beauty of face and form, of which she was fully conscious. Her -forehead was too low; but Pygmalion could not have chiselled a brow -and temples upon which glossy black ringlets clustered more -bewitchingly. Her eyes flashed too cold a fire light to give one the -impression of great amiability in their possessor; but the long lashes -which drooped before them, partially veiled their stare so as to give -the illusion of coyness, if not of maidenly modesty. Her mouth was -perhaps sensuously curved; but was one of those marvellously plastic -ones which can tell by the slightest arching or compressing of the -lips as much of purpose or feeling as most people can tell in -words:--dangerous lips to the possessor, if she be guileless and -unsuspicious, for they reveal too much of her soul to others who have -no right to know its secrets; dangerous lips to others if she would -deceive, for they can lie, consummately, wickedly, without uttering a -word. Her complexion was scarcely brunette; rather that indescribable -fairness in which the whiteness of alabaster is tinged with the blood -of perfect health, slightly bronzed by constant exposure to the -sunshine and air--a complexion seldom seen except in Syria, the Greek -Islands, or Wales. Her form was faultless,--just at that stage of -development when the grace and litheness of childhood are beginning to -be lost in the statelier mysteries of womanly beauty; that transition -state between two ideals of loveliness, which, from the days of -Phidias, has lured, but always eluded, the artist's skill to -reproduce. - -The girl's face flushed with the consciousness of being gazed at -approvingly by the courtly stranger. But the pretty toss of her head -showed that the blush was due as much to the conceit of her beauty as -to bashfulness. As she talked with the other maidens, she glanced -furtively toward the door of the konak, where Amesa sat. The young -voivode foresaw that it would not be difficult to entice the girl -herself to be the chief agent in any plan he might have for her -abduction. - -He needed, however, to make more certain of her identity with the -object of his search. He could discern no trace of Mara De Streeses in -her face; much less in her manner. Since Drakul had suggested it, he -imagined a resemblance to De Streeses himself, whose bearing was -haughty and his temperament fiery. - -The evening brought the young man of whom the stargeshina had spoken. -His resemblance to the description given him of Constantine left no -doubt in Amesa's mind of his being the mysterious custodian of the -heiress to his estates. The young Servian he supposed would at once -recognize him as Amesa; for, as a prominent officer in the army, his -face would be well known to all who had been in Castriot's camps, even -if the gossip of the villagers did not at once inform him of his -presence. It were best then, thought Amesa, to boldly confront him; -win him, if possible, to his service; if not, destroy him. - -The young stranger was at once on frolicksome terms with the village -girls and lads; and Amesa thought he observed that through it all the -fellow kept a sharp, if not a suspicious, eye upon him. Lest he should -escape, the voivode invited him to walk beyond the houses of the -village. When out of sight and hearing he suddenly turned upon the -young man, and, laying a hand upon his shoulder, exclaimed, - -"You are known, man!" - -Upon the instant the stranger was transformed from the sauntering -peasant into a gladiator, with feet firmly planted, the left hand -raised as a shield, and the right grasping a yataghan which had been -concealed upon his person. Amesa, though the aggressor, was thrown -upon the defensive, and was compelled to retreat in order to gain time -for the grip of his weapon. - -The two men stood glaring into each other's eyes as there each to read -his antagonist's movement before his hand began to execute it. - -"I did not know that a Servian peasant was so trained," said Amesa, -still retreating before the advance of his opponent, who gave him no -opportunity to assume the offensive. - -"For whom do you take me that you dare to lay a rough hand on me?" -said the man, half in menace, and yet apparently willing to discover -if his assailant were right in his surmise. - -"Arnaud's man and I need not be enemies," said Amesa, seeing no chance -of relieving himself from the advantage the other had gained in the -sword play. "I can reward you better than he or Castriot." - -A smile passed over the man's face, which Amesa might have detected -the meaning of had his mind been less occupied with thoughts about his -personal safety from the yataghan, whose point was seeking his throat -according to the most approved rules of single combat. - -"And what if I am Arnaud's man?" - -As he said this the yataghan made a thorough reconnoissance of all the -vulnerable parts of Amesa's body from the fifth rib upwards, followed -by Amesa's dagger in ward. - -"You do not deny it?" said the Albanian between breaths. - -"I deny nothing. Nor need I confess anything, since you say I am -known." - -"Shall we be friends?" asked Amesa, cautiously lowering his arm. - -"You made war, and can withdraw its declaration, or take the -consequences," was the reply. - -The two men put up their weapons. - -"So good a soldier as you are should not be here guarding a girl," -said Amesa. - -"Guarding a girl?" said the man in amazement, but, recollecting -himself, added, "And why not guard a girl?" - -"Come," replied Amesa, "you and I can serve each other. You can do -that for me which no other man can; and I can give to you more gold -than any other Albanian can." - -"And when you are king of Albania, Prince Amesa, you can reward me -with high appointment," said the stranger with a slight sneer, which, -however, Amesa did not notice, at the moment thinking of what the -stargeshina had said of the man's interest in the movement against his -uncle's leadership. - -"You have but to ask your reward when that event comes," he replied. - -"I will swear to serve Amesa against Scanderbeg to the death," said -the man offering his hand. - -"You know the girl's true story?" asked Amesa. - -"Of course," was the cautious reply. "But of that I may not speak a -word. I can leave his service whose man you say I am, but I cannot -betray anything he may have told me. As you know the girl's story it -is needless to tempt me to divulge it," added he, with shrewd -non-committal of himself to any information that the other might -recognize as erroneous. - -"You speak nobly for a Servian," said the voivode. - -"How do you know I am a Servian?" asked the stranger. - -"Partly from your accent. You have not got our pure Albanian tongue, -though it is now six years you have been talking it. And then -Arnaud--Colonel Kabilovitsch--came back as a Servian. Is it not so?" -asked Amesa, noticing the surprised look which the mention of -Kabilovitsch's name brought to the man's face. - -For a while the stranger was lost in thought; but with an effort -throwing off a sort of reverie, he said: - -"Pardon my silence. I have been thinking of your proposal. May I -follow you to the village after a little? I would think over how best -I can meet your proposition, my Prince Amesa." - -"I will await you at the konak. But first let us swear friendship!" -said the voivode. - -"Heartily!" was the response. "With Amesa as against Scanderbeg." - -"You will induce the girl to go with me to my castle. She will fare -better there than here, playing Dodola to these ignorant peasants." - -"It is agreed." - -As Amesa disappeared, the man sat down upon a huge root of a tree, -which for lack of earth had twined itself over the rock. He buried -his face in his hands-- - -"Strange! strange! is all this. Kabilovitsch? the girl? Not my little -playmate on the Balkans--sweet faced Morsinia. The Dodola here is not -she. If Uncle Kabilovitsch is Colonel Kabilovitsch, or this Arnaud he -speaks of, then this treacherous Amesa is on the wrong track. Can it -be that Constantine--dear little Constantine--is in Albania, and that -I am mistaken for him? No, this is impossible. But still I must be -wary, and not do that which would harm a golden hair of Morsinia's -head, if she be living, or Constantine's, or Uncle Kabilovitsch's. -There's some mystery here. Only one thing is certain--Amesa mistakes -this pretty impudent Dodola girl for somebody else. To get her off -with him may serve that somebody else: for the voivode is a villain: -that much is sure. The cursed Giaour serpent! I will help him to get -this saucy belle of the hamlet, and so save somebody else, whoever she -may be who is the game for which he lays his snares." - -An hour later the Dodola, whose name was Elissa, passed Amesa and -blushed deeply. - -The family at whose house the girl was living made no objection to -Amesa's request that she should be transferred to the protection of -the voivode. The elders of the village acquiesced; for, said one, - -"We do not know who she is, and may get into difficulty through -harboring her." - -Another averred his belief that she was possessed of the evil eye; for -he had observed her staring at the olive tree the day before it was -struck by lightning; and he declared that half the young men of the -hamlet were bewitched with her. - -A sharp-tongued dame remarked that some of the older men would rather -listen to the merry tattle of the sprite than to the most serious and -wholesome counsel of their own wives. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[56] Still noted by travellers on this river. - -[57] An Albanian title of Elijah. - -[58] The Albanians regard Mary as the sender of lightning. - -[59] Tsigani; a word by which Slavic people designate the gypsies, who -are supposed by them to have come from India in the time of Tamerlane. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - - -"Do you know the mind of Gauton who commands at the citadel in -Sfetigrade?" asked Amesa of his new confederate, as they parted. - -"I have talked with him," replied the man. "He is very cautious." - -"Discover his opinion on the matter of my advancement," said Amesa. - -"Send him some gift," suggested the man, "I will take it to him. He is -very fond of dogs, and I learn that he has just lost a valuable -mastiff. Could you replace it from your kennels at the castle?" - -"No, but I have a greyhound, of straight breed since his ancestors -came out of the ark. His jaws are as slender as a heron's beak: chest -deep as a lion's: belly thin as a weasel's: a double span of my arms -from tip to tail. To-morrow night meet me at the castle. Should I not -have arrived, this will give you admission," presenting him with a -small knife, on the bone handle of which was a rude carving of the -crest of Amesa. "Give it to the warden. He will recognize it." - -Long before the arrival of Amesa and Drakul at the castle in company -with Elissa, the stranger, whom the reader will recognize as Captain -Ballaban dressed as an Albanian peasant, had been admitted. He had -wandered about the court, mounted the parapet, inspected the -draw-bridge and portcullis, clambered down and up again the almost -precipitous scarp of the rock, and asked a hundred questions of the -servants regarding the paths by which the castle was approached. The -old warden entertained him with stories of Amesa's early life, his -acquisition of the estate, and his prowess in battle; in all of which, -while the warden intended only the praise of his master, he discovered -to the attentive listener all the weaknesses of the voivode's -character. - -Upon Amesa's arrival late in the day, Ballaban avoided much -intercourse with him, except in relation to the selection of the dog. -To Elissa he gave a few words of advice, to the effect that she was -now the object of the young lord's adoration; and that, in order to -secure her advantage, she should make as much as possible a mystery of -her previous life. With this council--which was as much as he dared to -venture upon in his own ignorance of the exact part he was -playing--Ballaban departed, leading a magnificent hound in leash. A -little way from the castle he sat down, and drawing from his breast a -roll of paper, added certain lines and comments, as he muttered to -himself,-- - -"I have made neater drawings than this for old Bestorf in the school -of the Yeni-Tscheri, but none that will please the Aga more. There is -not a goat path on the borders that I have not got. A sudden movement -of our armies, occupying ground here and here and here, where I have -blazed the trees, would hold this country against Ivan Beg and -Scanderbeg. And with this black-hearted traitor, Amesa, in my -fingers!--Well! Let's see! I will force him into open rebellion -against Scanderbeg, unless he is deeper witted than he seems. But -which plan would be best in the long run?--to stir up a feud between -him and Scanderbeg, and let them cut each other's throats? Or, -inveigle him to open alliance with our side, under promise of being -made king of Albania? That last would settle all the Moslem trouble -with these Giaours. And it could be done. The Padishah offered -Scanderbeg the country on condition of paying a nominal tribute, and -would offer the same to Amesa. And Amesa would take it, though he had -to become Moslem. I will leave these propositions with the Aga," said -he, folding up the papers, and putting them back into his bosom. "In -either case I shall keep my vow with Amesa to help him against -Scanderbeg. But the devil help them both!" - -Whistling a snatch of a rude tune, part of which belonged to an -Albanian religious hymn he had heard in his rambles, and part to a -Turkish love song--swinging his long arms, and striding as far at each -step as his short legs would allow him, he went down the mountain. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - - -"Who comes here?" cried the sentinel at the bottom of the steep road -which led up to the gate at the rear of the town of Sfetigrade. - -The man thus challenged made no reply except to speak sharply to a -large hound he was leading, and which was struggling to break away -from him. In his engrossment with the brute he did not seem to have -heard the challenge. As he came nearer the sentinel eyed him with a -puzzled, but half-comical look, as he soliloquized,-- - -"Ah, by the devil in the serpent's skin, I know him this time. He is -the Albanian Turk we were nigh to hamstringing. If I mistake that red -head again it will be when my own head has less brain in it than will -balance it on a pike-staff, where Colonel Kabilovitsch would put it if -I molested this fellow again. I'll give him the pass word, instead of -taking it from him; that will make up for past mistakes." - -The sentinel saluted the new comer with a most profound courtesy, and, -shouldering his spear, marched hastily past him, ogling him with a -sidelong knowing look. - -"Tako mi Marie!"[60] - -"Tako mi Marie!" responded the man, adding to himself, "but this is -fortunate; the fellow must be crazy. I thought I should have had to -brain him at least." - -As he passed by, the sentinel stood still, watching him, and muttered, - -"How should I know but Castriot himself is in that dog's hide." - -The dog turned and, attracted by the soldier's attitude, uttered a low -growl. - -"Tako mi Marie! and all the other saints in heaven too, but I believe -it is the general in disguise," said the sentinel. - -"Tako mi Marie!" said the stranger saluting the various guards, whom -he passed without further challenge, through the town gates and up to -the main street. - -The great well, from which the beleaguered inhabitants of Sfetigrade -drew the only water now accessible, since the Turks had so closely -invested the town, was not far from the citadel. It was very deep, -having been cut through the great layers of rock upon which the upper -town stood. Above it was a great wheel, over the outer edge of which -ran an endless band of leather; the lower end dipping into the water -that gleamed faintly far below. Leathern sockets attached to this belt -answered for buckets, which, as the wheel was turned, lifted the water -to the top, whence it ran into a great stone trough. The well was -guarded by a curb of stones which had originally been laid compactly -together; but many of them had been removed, and used to hurl down -from the walls of the citadel upon the heads of the Turks when they -tried to scale them. - -The dog, panting with the heat, mounted one of the remaining stones, -and stretched his long neck far down to sniff the cool water which -glistened a hundred feet below him. The man shouted angrily to the -beast, and so clumsily attempted to drag him away that both dog and -stone were precipitated together into the well. - -"A grapple! a rope!" shouted the man to a crowd who had seen the -accident from a distance. "Will no one bring one?" he cried with -apparent anger at their slow movements--"Then I must get one myself." - -The crowd rushed toward the well. The man disappeared in the opposite -direction. - -It was several hours before the dead dog was taken from the polluted -water. The Dibrian soldiers refused to drink from it. The superstition -communicated itself like an epidemic, to the other inhabitants. For a -day or two bands sallied from Sfetigrade, and brought water from the -plain: but it was paid for in blood, for the Turkish armies, aware of -the incident almost as soon as it occurred, drew closer their lines, -and stationed heavy detachments of Janizaries at the springs and -streams for miles around. The horrors of a water-famine were upon the -garrison. In vain did the officers rebuke the insane delusion. The -common soldiers, not only would not touch the water, but regarded the -accident as a direct admonition from heaven that the town must be -surrendered. Appeals to heroism, patriotism, honor, were less potent -than a silly notion which had grown about the minds of an otherwise -noble people--as certain tropical vines grow so tough and in such -gradually lessening spirals about a stalwart tree that they choke the -ascending sap and kill it. They who would have drunk were prevented -by the others who covered the well with heavy pieces of timber, and -stood guard about it. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[60] Help me, Mary! - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - - -In vain did Castriot assault the Turks who were intrenched about the -wells and springs in the neighborhood. Now and then a victory over -them would be followed by a long procession from the town, rolling -casks, carrying buckets, pitchers, leather bottles and dug-out -troughs. The amount of water thus procured but scarcely sufficed to -keep life in the veins of the defenders: it did not suffice to nourish -heart and courage. It was foreseen that Sfetigrade must fall. - -Constantine was in the madness of despair about Morsinia. Her fate in -the event of capture was simply horrible to contemplate. Yet she could -hardly hope to make her way through the Turkish lines. Constantine was -at the camp with Castriot when it was announced that the enemy had at -length got possession of every approach to the town, so that there was -no communication between the Albanians within and those without, -except by signaling over the heads of the Turks. Castriot determined -upon a final attack, during which, if he should succeed in uncovering -any of the gates of the town, the people might find egress. - -Constantine begged to be allowed the hazardous duty of entering, by -passing in disguise through the Turkish army, and giving the -endangered people the exact information of Castriot's purpose. Taking -advantage of his former experience, he donned the uniform of a -Janizary, easily learned the enemy's password, and at the moment -designated to the besieged by Castriot's signal--just as the lower -star of the Great Dipper disappeared behind the cliff--he emerged from -the dense shadows of an angle of the wall. He was scarcely opposite -the gate when the drawbridge lowered and rose quickly. The portcullis -was raised and dropped an instant later, and he was within the town. - -Throwing off his disguise, he went at once toward the commandant's -quarters to deliver despatches from Castriot. But a shout preceded -him-- - -"The destroyer! The destroyer! Death to the destroyer!" - -Multitudes, awakened by the shouting, came from the houses and -soldiers' quarters. Constantine was seized by the crowd, who yelled: - -"To the well with him! Let the dog's soul come into him!" - -He was borne along as helplessly as a leaf in the foaming cataract. - -"To the well! To the well with the poisoner!" - -The cry grew louder and shriller; the multitude maddening under the -intense fury of their mutual rage, as each coal is hotter when many -glow with it in the fire. Women mingled with soldiers, shrieking their -insane vengeance, until the crowd surged with the victim around the -well. The planks were torn off by strong hands. The horror of the deed -they were about to commit made them pause. Each waited for his -neighbor to assume the desperate office of actually perpetrating what -was in all their hearts to do. - -At length three of the more resolute stepped forward as executioners -of the popular will. The struggling form of Constantine was held erect -that all might see him. Torches waved above his head. One stood upon -the well curb, and, dropping a torch into the dark abyss, cried with a -loud voice-- - -"So let his life be put out who destroys us all!" - -"So let it be!" moaned the crowd; the wildness of their wrath somewhat -subdued by the impressiveness of the tragedy they were enacting. - -The well hissed back its curse as the burning brand sunk into the -water. - -But a new apparition burst upon the scene. Suddenly, as if it had -risen from the well, a form draped in white stood upon the curb. Her -long golden hair floated in the strong wind. Her face, from sickness -white as her robe, had an unearthly pallor from the excitement, and -seemed to be lit with the white heat of her soul. Her sunken eyes gave -back the flare of the torches, as if they gleamed with celestial -reprobation. - -"The Holy Virgin!" cried some. - -"One of the Vili!" cried others. - -The crowd surged back in ghostly fear. - -"Neither saint nor sprite am I," cried Morsinia. "Your own wicked -hearts make you fear me. It is your consciences that make you imagine -a simple girl to be a vengeful spirit, and shrink from this horrid -murder, to the very brink of which your ignorance and wretched -superstition have led you. Blessed Mary need not come from Heaven to -tell you that a man--a man for whom her Son Jesu died--should not be -made to die for the sake of a dead dog. I, a child, can tell you -that." - -"But the well is accursed and the people die," said a monk, throwing -back his cowl, and reaching out his hand to seize her. - -"And such words from you, a priest of Jesu!" answered the woman, -warding him off by the scathing scorn of her tones. "Did not Jesu say, -'Come unto Me and drink, drink out of My veins as ye do in Holy -Sacrament?' Will He curse and kill, then, for drinking the water which -you need, because a dog has fallen into it?" - -These words, following the awe awakened by her unexpected appearance, -stayed the rage of the crowd for a moment. But soon the murmur rose -again-- - -"To the well!" - -"He is a murderer!" - -"It is just to take vengeance on a murderer!" - -The woman raised her hand as if invoking the witness of Heaven to her -cause, and exclaimed-- - -"But _I_ am not a murderer. A curse on him who slays the innocent. I -will be the sacrifice. I fear not to drink of this well with my dying -gasp. Unhand the man, or, as sure as Heaven sees me, I shall die for -him!" - -A shudder of horror ran through the crowd as the light form of the -young woman raised itself to the very brink of the well. It seemed as -if a movement, or a cry, would precipitate her into the black abyss. -The crowd was paralyzed. The silence of the dead fell upon them, as -she leaned forward for the awful plunge. - -Those holding Constantine let go their grip. - -At this moment the commandant appeared. He had, indeed, been a silent -witness of the scene, and was not unwilling that the superstition of -the soldiers should thus have a vent, thinking that with the sacrifice -of the supposed offender they might be satisfied, and led to believe -that the spirit of the well was appeased. He hoped that thus they -might be induced to drink the water. But he recoiled from permitting -the sacrifice of this innocent person, lest it should blacken the -curse already impending. - -"I will judge this case," he cried. "Man, who are you?" - -"I bear you orders from General Castriot," replied Constantine, -handing him a document. - -By the light of a torch the officer read, - - "In the event of being unable to hold out, signal and make a - sally according to directions to be given verbally by the - bearer. - - CASTRIOT." - -Turning to the crowd, the commandant addressed them. - -"Brave men! Epirots and Dibrians! We are being led into some mistake. -My message makes it evident that on this man's life depends the life -of every one of us----" - -His voice was drowned by wild cries that came from a distant part of -the town. The cries were familiar enough to all their ears; but they -had heretofore heard them only from beneath the walls without. They -were the Turkish cries of assault. "Allah! Allah! Allah! Allah!" -rolled like a hurricane along the streets of Sfetigrade. The gates had -been thrown open by some Dibrian, whom superstition and a -thirst-fevered brain had transformed into a traitor. - -"Quick!" cried Constantine. "Fire three powder flashes from the -bastion, and follow me." - -"Brave girl!" said he to Morsinia, grasping her hand and drawing her -toward the citadel. - -"It is too late!" replied the commandant. "All the ports are occupied -by the enemy. We can but die in the streets." - -"To the north gate, then! Burst it open, and cut your way to the east. -Castriot will meet you there. I will to the bastion." - -"We must go with them," said Morsinia. "Better die in the streets than -be taken here." - -"No, you shall not die, my good angel. I have prepared for this. -First, I will fire the signal." In a few seconds three flashes -illumined the old battlements. - -Returning to Morsinia, he said quietly, "I have prepared for this," -and unwound from about his body a strong cord, looped at intervals so -that it could be used for a ladder. Fastening this securely, he -dropped the end over the wall. Descending part way himself, he opened -the loops one by one for the feet of his companion; and thus they -reached a narrow ledge some twenty feet below the parapet. From this -to the next projection broad enough to stand upon, the rock was steep -but slanting; so that, while one could not rest upon it, it would -largely overcome the momentum of the descent. Fastening a cord -securely beneath the arms of Morsinia, he let her down the slope to -the lower ledge. Then, tying the rope to that above, he descended -himself to her side. From this point the path was not dangerous to one -possessed of perfect presence of mind, and accustomed to balance the -body on one foot at a time. Thanks to her mountain life, and the -strong stimulus to brain and nerve acquired by her familiarity with -danger, Morsinia was undizzied by the elevation. Thus they wound their -way toward the east side of the wall; and, as they neared the base of -the cliff, sat down to reconnoitre. - -Above them frowned the walls of the citadel. Just beneath them were -many forms, moving like spectres in the darkness which was fast -dissolving into the gray morning twilight. The voices which came up to -their ears proved that they were Turks. For Morsinia to pass through -them without detection would be impossible. To remain long where they -were would be equally fatal. - -But their anxiety was relieved by a well known bugle-call. At first it -sounded far away to the north. - -"Iscanderbeg! Iscanderbeg!" cried the Turks, as they were deployed to -face the threatening assault. But scarcely had they formed in their -new lines when the sound, as of a storm bursting through a forest, -indicated that the attack was from the south. - -Taking the Turks who were still outside the walls at a disadvantage, -Castriot's force made terrible havoc among them, sweeping them back -pell-mell past the eastern front and around the northern, so as to -leave the north gate clear for the escape of any who might emerge -from it. - -But, alas, for the valor of the commandant and the noble men who -followed him! few succeeded in cutting their way through the swarm of -enemies that had already occupied the streets of Sfetigrade. - -This movement, however, enabled Constantine and Morsinia to descend -from their dangerous eyrie. The apparition of their approach from that -direction was a surprise to the general. - -"Why, man, do you ride upon bats and night-hawks, that you have flown -from yonder crag? I shall henceforth believe in Radisha and his -beautiful demon. And may I pray thy care for myself in battle, my fair -lady?" - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - - -The fall of Sfetigrade, while a material loss to the Albanian cause, -served rather to exalt than to diminish the prestige of their great -general. The fame of Scanderbeg brightened as the gloomy tidings of -the fate of the stronghold spread; for that event, due to a -circumstance which no human being could control, gave his enemies -their first success, after nearly seven years of incessant effort, -with measureless armaments, innumerable soldiery and exhaustless -treasure. - -The adversity also developed in Scanderbeg new qualities of greatness, -both military and moral. As the effort to drain a natural spring only -evokes its fuller and freer flow, so disappointment augmented his -courage, impoverishment in resources enlarged the scheme of his -projects, and the defeat of one plan by circumstances suggested other -plans more novel and shrewd. The sight of the Turkish ensign floating -from the citadel of Sfetigrade disheartened the patriots. The tramp of -fresh legions from almost all parts of the Moslem world was not so -ominous of further disaster as were the whispers of discontent from -more than one who, like Amesa, had ambitions of their own, or, like -brave Moses Goleme, were discouraged regarding ultimate success. But -the great heart of Castriot sustained the courage of his people, and -his genius devised plans for the defence of his land which, for -sixteen years yet, were to baffle the skill and weary the energies of -the foe. - -The chief gave orders that Morsinia, having eluded capture, should -occupy for the day his own tent; for the Albanian soldiers, as a rule, -were destitute of the luxury of a canvas covering. Returning toward -the middle of the morning, and having need to enter, he bade -Constantine call her. No response being given, Castriot raised the -curtain of the tent. Upon a rude matting, which was raised by rough -boards a few inches from the earth, her limbs covered with an -exquisitely embroidered Turkish saddle cloth, Morsinia lay asleep. Her -neck and shoulders were veiled with her hair, which, rich and -abundant, fell in cascades of golden beauty upon the ground. - -The great man stood for a moment gazing upon the sleeping girl. His -ordinarily immobile features relaxed. His face, generally -passionless, unreadable as that of the sphinx, and impressive only for -the mystery of the thoughts it concealed, now became suffused with -kindly interest. His smile, as if he had been surprised by the -fairness of the vision, was followed by a look of fatherly tenderness. -The tears shot into his eyes; but with a deep breath he dropped the -curtain, and turned away. Of what was he thinking? Of little Mara -Cernoviche, his playmate far back in the years? or of himself during -those years? Strange that career among the Turks! and equally strange -all the years since he had looked upon the little child asleep by the -camp fire at the foot of the Balkans! One who gazed into his face at -that moment would have discovered that the rough warrior spirit was an -outer environment about a gentle and loving nature. - -He was interrupted by officers crowding about him, bringing -intelligence of the enemy, or asking questions relative to the -immediate movements of their own commands. These were answered in -laconic sentences, each one a flash of strategic wisdom. - -In the first leisure he put his hand fondly upon Constantine's head, -and said quietly as he seated himself upon a rock near the tent door-- - -"Tell me of last night." - -As Constantine narrated what the reader is already familiar with, -dwelling especially upon Morsinia's part in the scene at the well, and -her courage in the descent from the wall, Scanderbeg exclaimed -eagerly-- - -"A true daughter of Musache De Streeses and Mara Cernoviche! The very -impersonation of our Albania! Her spirit is that of our heroic people, -fair as our lakes and as noble as our mountains! But these scenes are -too rough for her. Her soul is strong enough to endure; but so is the -diamond strong enough to keep its shape and lustre amid the stones -which the freshet washes together. But it is not well that it should -be left to do so. Besides, the diamond's strength and inviolable -purity will not prevent a robber from stealing it. There are envious -eyes upon our treasure. We had better have our diamond cut and set and -put away in a casket for a while. We will send her to Constantinople. -There she will have opportunity to gain in knowledge of the world, and -in the courtly graces which fit her princely nature." - -"Would not Italy be better?" suggested Constantine. - -"No," said Scanderbeg. "The Italians are uncertain allies. I know not -whom to trust across the Adriatic. But Phranza, the chamberlain at -Constantinople, is a noble man. I knew him years ago when I was -stationed across the Bosphorus, and had committed to me nearly all the -Ottoman affairs, so far as they affected the Greek capital. He is one -of the few Greeks we may implicitly trust. And, moreover, he agrees -with me in seeking a closer alliance between our two peoples. If the -Christian power at Constantinople could be roused against the Turk on -the east, while we are striking him on the west, we could make the -Moslem wish he were well out of Europe. But Italy will do nothing." - -"The Holy Father can help, can he not?" asked Constantine. - -"The Holy Father does not to-day own himself. He is the mere -foot-ball of the secular powers, who kick him against one another in -their strife. No, our hope is in putting some life into the old Greek -empire at Constantinople. The dolt of an emperor, John, is dead, -thanks to Azrael[61]! In Constantine, who has come to the throne, -Christendom has hope of something better than to see the heir of the -empire of the Cæsars dancing attendance upon Italian dukes; seeking -agreement with the Pope upon words of a creed which no one can -understand; and demoralizing, with his uncurtained harem, the very -Turk. If the new emperor has the sense of a flea he will see that the -Moslem power will have Constantinople within a decade, unless the -nations can be united in its defence. I would send letters to Phranza, -and you must be my envoy. With Morsinia there, we shall be free from -anxiety regarding her; for no danger threatens her except here in her -own land--to our shame I say it. A Venetian galley touches weekly at -Durazzo, and sails through the Corinthian gulf. You will embark upon -that to-morrow night." - -"But Colonel Kabilovitsch?" inquired Constantine. - -"He has already started for Durazzo, and will make all arrangements. -Nothing is needed here but a comely garment for Morsinia, who left -Sfetigrade with a briefer toilet than most handsome women are willing -to make. Colonel Kabilovitsch will see that you are provided with -money and detailed instructions for the journey." - -A soldier appeared with a bundle. "A rough lady's maid!" said the -general, "but a useful one I will warrant." - -Unrolling the bundle, it proved to be a rich, but plain, dress, -donated from a neighboring castle. - -An hour later Scanderbeg held Morsinia by both hands, looking down -into her eyes. It was a picture which should have become historic. The -giant form of the grim old warrior contrasted fully with that of the -maiden, as some gnarled oak with the flower that grows at its base. - -"Keep good heart, my daughter," said the general, imprinting a kiss -upon her fair brow. - -She replied with loving reverence in her tone and look, "I thank you, -Sire, for that title; for the father of his country has the keeping of -the hearts of all the daughters of Albania." - -It were difficult to say whether the sweet loveliness in the lines of -her face, or the majesty of character and superb heroism that shone -through them, gave her the greater fascination as she added, - -"If Jesu wills that among strangers I can best serve my country, there -shall be my home." - -"But you will not long be among strangers. Your goodness will make -them all friends. Beside, God will keep such as you, for he loves the -pure and beautiful." - -Morsinia blushed as she answered, - -"And does God not love the true and the noble? So he will keep thee -and Albania. Does not the sun send down her[62] beams as straight over -Constantinople as over Croia? and does she not draw the mists by as -short a cord of her twisted rays from the Marmora as from the -Adriatic? Then God can be as near us there as here; and our prayers -for thee and our land will go as speedily to the Great Heart over all. -The Blessed Mary keep you, Sire!" - -"Ay, the Blessed Mary spake the blessing through your lips, my child," -responded Scanderbeg as he lifted her to her horse. - -Constantine released himself from the general's hearty embrace, and -sprang into the saddle at her side. Preceded and followed by a score -of troopers they disappeared in the deep shadows of a mountain path. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[61] The death angel. - -[62] In Albanian speech the sun is feminine. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - - -Durazzo lies upon a promontory stretching out into the Adriatic. The -walls which surrounded it at the time of our story, told, by the -weather-wear of their stones, the different ages during which they had -guarded the little bay that lies at the promontory's base. A young -monk,[63] Barletius, to whom Colonel Kabilovitsch introduced the -voyagers, as a travelling companion for a part of their journey, -pointed out the great and rudely squared boulders in the lower course -of masonry, as the work of the ancient Corcyreans, centuries before -the coming of Christ. The upper courses, he said, were stained with -the blood of the Greek soldiers of Alexius, when the Norman Robert -Guiscard assaulted the place, hundreds and hundreds of years ago. - -Indeed, to the monk's historic imagination, the world seemed still -wrapped in the mists of the older ages; and, just as the low lying -haze, with its mirage effect, contorted the rocks along the shore into -domes and pinnacles, so did his fancy invest every object with the -greatness of the history with which the old manuscripts had made him -familiar. - -While Morsinia listened with a strange entertainment to his rhapsodic -narrations, Constantine was busy studying the graceful lines of the -Venetian half-galley that lay at the base of the cliff, and upon which -they were to embark; her low deck, cut down in the centre nearly to -the water's edge; her sharp, swan-necked prow raised high in air, and -balanced by the broad elevation at the stern; the lateen sail that, -furled on its boom, hung diagonally against the slender mast; the rows -of holes at the side, through which in calm weather the oars were -worked; the gay pennant from the mast-head, and the broad banner at -the stern, which spread to the light breeze the Lion of St. Mark. - -They were soon gliding out of the harbor of Durazzo, at first under -the regularly timed stroke of a score of oarsmen. Rounding the -promontory, the west wind filled the sail; and, careening to the -leeward, the galley danced toward the south through the light spray of -the billows which sung beneath the prow like the strings of a zither. - -Perhaps it was this music of the waves--or it may have been that the -wind was blowing straight across from Italy; or, possibly, it was the -beauty of the maiden reclining upon the cushioned dais of the stern -deck--that led the weather-beaten sailing master to take the zither, -and sing one after another of Petrarch's love songs to Laura. Though -his voice was as hoarse as the wind that crooned through the cordage, -and his language scarcely intelligible, the flow of the melody told -the sentiment. Constantine's eyes sought the face of his companion, as -if for the first time he had detected that she was beautiful. And -perhaps for the first time in her life Morsinia felt conscious that -Constantine was looking at her;--for she generally withstood his gaze -with as little thought of it as she did that of the sky, or of -Kabilovitsch. Even the monk turned his eyes from the magnificent -shores of Albania, with their beetling headlands and receding bays, to -cast furtive glances upon the maiden. - -The monk's face was a striking one. He was pale, if not from holy -vigil, from pouring over musty secular tomes. He had caught the spirit -of the revival of learning which, notwithstanding all the superstition -of ecclesiastics, was first felt in the cloisters of the church. His -forehead was high, but narrow; his eyes mild, yet lustrous; his lower -features almost feminine. One familiar with men would have said, "Here -is a man of patient enthusiasm for things intellectual, a devotee to -the ideal. He may be a philosopher, a poet, an artist; but he could -never make a soldier, a diplomat, or even a lover, except of the most -Platonic sort. Just the man for a monk. If all monks were like him, -the church would be enriched indeed; but, if all like him were monks, -the world would be the poorer." - -Among other passengers was a Greek monk, Gennadius. This man's full -beard and long curly forelocks hanging in front of his ears, were in -odd contrast with the smooth face and shaven head of the Latin monk. -Though strangers, they courteously saluted each other. However sharp -might be the differences in their religious notions, they soon felt -the fraternity such as cultured minds and great souls realize in the -presence of the sublimities of nature. They studied each other's faces -with agreeable surprise as the glories about them drew from their lips -vivid outbursts of descriptive eloquence, in which, speaking the Latin -or Greek with almost equal facility, they quoted from the classic -poets with which they were equally familiar. - -As the galley turned eastward into the Corinthian gulf there burst -upon them a panorama of natural splendor combined with classic -enchantment, such as no other spot on the earth presents. The -mountainous shores lay about the long and narrow sea, like sleeping -giants guarding the outflow of some sacred fountain. Back of the -northern coast rose, like waking sentinels, the Helicon and Parnassus, -towering thousands of feet into the air; their tops helmeted in ice -and plumed with fleecy clouds. The western sun poured upon the track -of the voyagers floods of golden lustre which lingered on the still -waters, flashed in rainbows from the splashing oars, gilded with glory -the hither slope of every projection on either shore, and filled the -great gorges beyond with dark purple shadows. - -As Morsinia reclined with her head resting on Constantine's shoulder, -and drank in the gorgeous, yet quieting, scene, the two monks stood -with uncovered heads and, half embracing, chanted together in Greek -one of the oldest known evening hymns of the Christian church. In free -translation, it ran thus:-- - - "O Jesu, the Christ! glad light of the holy! - The brightness of God, the Father in heaven! - At setting of sun, with hearts that are lowly, - We praise Thee for life this day Thou hast given." - -"I love that hymn," said Gennadius, "because it was written long -before the schism which rent the Holy Church into Latin and Greek." - -"We will rejoice, then, that by the inspiration of the Holy Father, -Eugenius, and the assent of your patriarch, the wound in the body of -Christ has, after six centuries, at last been healed," replied -Barletius. - -"I fear that the healing is but seeming," said the Greek. "I was a -member of the council of Florence, and know the motives of the men who -composed it, and the exact meaning of the agreement--which means -nothing. Your Pope cares not a scrap of tinsel from his back for the -true Christian dogma; and while his ambition led him to desire to -become the uniter of Christendom, his own bishops, who know him well, -were gathered in synod at Basil, and pronounced him heretic, perjurer -and debauchee." - -"But you Greeks were doubtless more honest," said Barletius, with a -tone and look of sarcasm. - -"Humph!" grunted Gennadius, walking away; but turning about quickly he -added, - -"How could we be honest when, for the sake of the union, we assented -to a denial of our most sacred dogmas by allowing the _Filioque_?[64] -It is not in the power of men living to change the truth as expressed -through all past ages in the creed of the true church. Our emperor -yielded the points to the Latins; but holy Mark of Ephesus and Prince -Demetrius, our emperor's brother, did not. They retired in disgust -from Italy. Why, the very dog of the emperor, that lay on his -foot-cloth, scented the heresy to which his master was about to -subscribe, and protested against the sacrilege by baying throughout -the reading of the act of union. And I learn that the clergy and -populace at Byzantium are foaming with rage at this impiety of our -Latinizing emperor. I am hasting thither that I may utter my voice, -too, in my cell in prayer, and from the pulpit of St. Sophia, against -the unholy alliance." - -"Yet," said Barletius, with scorn, "your emperor and church -authorities subscribed. What sort of a divine spirit do you Greeks -possess, that prompts you to confess what you do not believe?" - -"I feel your taunt," replied Gennadius. "It is both just and unjust. -Have not some of your own prelates lately taught that the end -justifies the means? The union, though wrong in itself, was -justified--according to Latin ethics--by the result to be secured, the -safety of both Greek and Latin churches from being conquered by the -Turks. Our Eastern empire, the glory of the later Cæsars, has already -become reduced to the suburbs of Byzantium. The empire of Justinian -and Theodosius has not to-day ten thousand soldiers to withstand the -myriads of the Sultan. There must be union. We must have soldiers, -even if we buy them with the price of an article of the creed--nay the -loan of the article--for the union will not stand when danger has -passed. Conscience alone is one thing: conscience under necessity--I -speak the ethics of you Latins--is another thing. But I abhor the -deceit. Your bishop, whom you call Pope, has no reverence from our -hearts, though we were to kiss his toe. You are idolaters with your -images of Mary and the saints. _Filioque_ is a lie!" cried the Greek, -giving vent to his prejudice and spite. - -Barletius in the meantime had felt other emotions than the holiest -being kindled within him by these hot words of his companion; and when -the Greek had flashed his unseemly denunciation at _Filioque_, the -Latin's soul burst in responsive rage. But he was not accustomed to -harsh debate. Words were consumed upon his hot lips, or choked in his -fury-dried throat. His frame trembled with the pent wrath. His hands -clenched until the nails cut into the flesh. But alas for the best -saintship, if temptation comes before canonization! The thin hand was -raised, and it fell upon the holy brother's face. The blow was -returned. But neither of them had been trained to carnal strife, nor -had they the skill and strength to do justice to their noble rage. -Constantine, who leaped forward to act as peace-maker, stopped to -laugh at the strange pose of the antagonists; for the Greek had -valiantly seized the cowl of the Latin, and drawn it down over his -face; while Barletius' thin fingers were wriggling through Gennadius' -beard, and both were prancing as awkwardly as one-day-old calves about -the narrow deck, with the imminent prospect of cooling their spirits -by immersion in the water. - -The presence of this danger led Constantine to separate the scufflers; -although his laughter at the contestants had made his limbs almost as -limp as theirs. The ecclesiastical champions stood glaring their -celestial resentment, the one white, the other red, like two statues -of burlesque gladiators carved respectively in marble and porphyry. - -The conflict might have been renewed had not Morsinia risen from her -cushion, and approached them. But no sooner did Gennadius realize the -danger of having so much as his gown touched by a woman, than he -bolted to the other end of the galley, and sat down, with fright and -shame, upon a coil of ropes. The Greek had been trained at the -monastery on Mount Athos. From that masculine paradise the fair -daughters of Eve were as carefully excluded as if they were still the -agents of Satan, and sent by the devil to work the ruin of those who, -by lofty meditation and unnatural asceticism, would return to the -pre-marital Adamic state of innocence. During the long twilight, and -when the night left only the outlines of the mountains sharply defined -high up against the star-lit sky, Gennadius still sat motionless; his -legs crossed beneath him; his head dropped upon his bosom. He gave no -response to the salutation of the attendant who brought him the -evening meal: nor would he touch it. When the sailors sung the songs -whose melody floated over the sea, keeping time to the cadences of the -light waves which bent but did not break the surface, the monk put his -fingers into his ears. He tried to drive out worldly thoughts by -recalling those precepts of an ancient saint which, for four hundred -years, had been prescribed at Mount Athos for those who would quiet -their perturbed souls and rise into the upper light of God. They were -such as these. "Seat thyself in a corner; raise thy mind above all -things vain and transitory; recline thy beard and chin upon thy -breast; turn thy eyes and thoughts toward the middle of thy belly, the -region of the navel; and search the place of the heart, the seat of -the soul, which when discovered will be involved in a mystic and -ethereal light." - -Barletius, equally chagrined by his display of temper before the -laity, sought relief by inflicting upon himself a task of Pater -Nosters, which he tallied off on his beads, made of olive-wood and -sent him by a learned monk at Bethlehem. - -When his punishment seemed accomplished, Morsinia asked him, - -"Good father, why did you quarrel with the stranger?" - -Barletius entered into a long explanation of the faith of the Roman -Church at the point challenged by the Greek. - -"I understand your words," said Morsinia, "but I do not understand -their meaning." - -"It is not necessary that you should, my child. If Holy Church -understands, it is enough. A child may not understand all that the -mother knows; yet believes the mother's word. So should you believe -what Mother Church says." - -"I would believe every word that Mother Church speaks, even though I -do not understand why she speaks it," said Morsinia reverently. "But -how can one believe another's words when one does not know what they -mean; when they give no thought? Now what you say about the -'procession of the spirit,' and the 'begetting of the Son,' I do not -get any clear thought about; and how then can I believe it in my -heart." - -The monk cast a troubled look upon the fair inquirer, and replied-- - -"Then you must simply believe in Holy Church which believes the -truth." - -"And say I believe the creed, when I only believe that the Church -believes the creed?" queried the girl. - -"It is enough. Happy are you if you seek to know no more. Beware of an -inquisitive mind. It leads one astray from truth, as a wayward -disposition soon departs from virtue. Credo! Credo! Credo! Help thou -mine unbelief! should be your prayer. Restrain your thoughts as the -helmsman yonder keeps our prow on the narrow way we are going. How -soon you would perish if you should attempt to find your way alone out -there on the deep! Woe to those who, like these wretched Greeks, -depart from truth, and teach men so. Anathema, Maranatha!" - -"But, tell me, good father, can that be necessary to be believed, -about which whole nations, like the Greeks, differ from other nations, -like the Latins? I have seen Greeks at their worship, and bowed with -them, and felt that God was near and blessing us all. And I have heard -them say, when they were dying, that they saw heaven open; and they -reached out their arms to be taken by the angels. Does not Jesu save -them, though they may err about that which we trust to be the truth?" - -"My child, you must not think of these things," said Barletius kindly. -"It is better that you sleep now. The air is growing chill. Wrap your -cloak closely even beneath the deck." - -He walked away, repeating a line from Virgil as he scanned the -star-gemmed heavens. - -"Suadentque cadentia sidera somnos." - -Wrapping his hood close over his face, he lay down upon the deck. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[63] Marinus Barletius, a Latin monk of the time, has given us in his -chronicles, the most extended account of Scanderbeg. - -[64] Filioque; "and the Son." The Latin Church holds that the Holy -Spirit proceeds from the Father _and the Son_. The Greeks deny the -latter part of the proposition. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - - -Two new comers joined the party at Corinth, where, crossing the -isthmus on horses, they re-embarked. One was Giustiniani, a Genoese, -of commanding form and noble features, the very type of chivalric -gentility, bronzed by journeyings under various skies, and scarred -with the memorials of heroic soldiership on many fields. The other was -a Dacian, short of stature, with broad and square forehead, and a -crooked neck which added to the sinister effect of his squinting eyes. - -"Well, Urban," said the Genoese, "you still have confidence in your -new ordnance, and think that saltpetre and charcoal are to take the -place of the sword, and that every lout who can strike a fire will -soon be a match for a band of archers:--Eh!" - -"Yes, Sire, and if the emperor would only allow me a few hundred -ducats, I would cast him a gun which, from yonder knoll, would heave a -stone of five talents'[65] weight, and crash through any galley ever -floated from the docks of Genoa or Venice. Four such guns on either -side would protect this isthmus from a fleet. But, I tell you, noble -Giustiniani, that without taking advantage of our new science, the -emperor cannot hold out long against the Turk. The Turk is using -gunpowder. He is willing to learn, and has already learned, what the -emperor will find out to his cost, that the walls of Constantinople -itself cannot long endure the battering of heavy cannon." - -"You are right, Urban," replied the Genoese. "The Turk is also ahead -of us in the art of approaching citadels. I have no doubt that his -zigzag trenches[66] give the assailant almost equality with the -besieged in point of safety. I will gladly use my influence at the -court of Byzantium in behalf of your scheme for founding large cannon, -Urban; if, perchance, the defence of the empire may receive a tithe of -the treasure now squandered in princely parades and useless -embassages." - -The galley glided smoothly through the little gulf of Ægina, with its -historic bays of Eleusis and Salamis. Giustiniani and Urban discussed -the disposition of the Greek and Persian fleets during the ancient -fight at Salamis, as they moved under the steep rocky hill on which -Xerxes sat to witness the battle. They soon rounded the headland, -opposite the tomb of Themistocles, and anchored in the harbor of the -Piræus. - -This port of Athens was crowded with shipping. There were Spanish -galleasses like floating castles, with huge turrets at stem and stern, -rowed by hundreds of galley slaves. Other vessels of smaller size -floated the standard of France. Those of the maritime cities of Italy -vied with one another in the exquisite carving of their prows and the -gaiety of their banners. - -The chief attention was centred upon a splendid galley of Byzantium, -whose deck was covered with silken awnings, beneath which a band of -music floated sweet strains over the waters. This was the vessel of -the imperial chamberlain, Phranza, who, having been entertained in -Athens with honors befitting his dignity, was now about to return to -Constantinople. - -Giustiniani ordered his galley alongside of that of the chamberlain, -by whom he was received with distinguishing favors. Constantine took -this opportunity to deliver, through the Genoese, Scanderbeg's letters -to Phranza. They were read with evident gratification by the -chamberlain. With a hearty welcome, not devoid of some curiosity on -his part, as he scrutinized the appearance of the strangers, he -invited Constantine and his companion to complete their journey in his -galley. - -Morsinia was at first as much dazed by the splendor, as she was -mortified by her ignorance of the formalities, with which she was -received. But the natural dignity of her bearing stood her in good -stead of more courtly graces: for these modern Greeks emulated those -of ancient times in the reverence they paid to womanly beauty. The -chamberlain was somewhat past middle life. He was a man whose studious -habits, as the great historian of his times, did not dull his -brilliancy as the master of etiquette. Nor had his astuteness as a -statesman been acquired by any sacrifice of his taste for social -intrigues. The diversions from the cares of state, which other great -men have found at the gaming-table or in their cups, Phranza sought in -studying the mysteries of female character; admiring its virtues, and -yet not averse to finding entertainment in its foibles. A true Greek, -he believed that physical beauty was the index of the rarer qualities -of mind and heart. He would have been a consenting judge at the trial -of that beautiful woman in the classic story, the perfection of whose -unrobed form disproved the charge of her crime. He was such an ardent -advocate of the absolute authority of the emperor that, though of -decided aristocratic tendencies, he held that no marriage alliance, -however high the rank of the bride, could add to the dignity of the -throne: indeed, that beauty alone could grace the couch of a king; -that the first of men should wed the fairest of women, and thus -combine the aristocracy of rank with the aristocracy of nature. He had -frequent opportunities to express his peculiar views on this subject; -for, among the problems which then perplexed his statecraft, was that -of the marriage of the emperor--that the succession might not be left -to the hazard of strife among the families of the blood of the -Palæologi. Had the choice of the royal spouse been left entirely in -his hands, he would have made the selection on no other principle than -that adopted by the purveyor of plumage for the court, who seeks the -rarest colors without regard to the nesting-place of the bird. - -The genuine politeness of the courtier, together with Morsinia's -womanly tact in adapting herself to her new environment, soon relieved -her from the feeling of restraint, and the hours of the voyage passed -pleasantly. Her conversation, which was free from the conventionalities -of the day, was, for this very reason, as refreshing to Phranza as the -simple forms of nature--the mountain stream, the tangles of vines and -wild flowers--are to the habitués of cities. There was a native poetry -in her diction, an artlessness in her questions, and a transparent -honesty in her responses. Indeed, her very manner unveiled the -features of so exalted and healthy a mind, of a disposition so frank -and ingenuous, of a character so delicately pure and exquisitely -beautiful, that they compensated many fold any lack of artificial -culture. The great critic of woman forgot to study her face: he only -gazed upon it. He ceased to analyze her character: he simply felt her -worth. - -But no fairness of a maiden, be she Albanian or Greek, can long -monopolize the attention of an elderly man whose swift vessel bears -him through the clustering glories of the Ægean. Nor could any awe for -his rank, or interest in his learned conversation, absorb Morsinia -from these splendors which glowed around her. They gazed in silence -upon the smooth and scarcely bending sea, which, like a celestial -mirror, reflected all the hues of the sky--steely blue dissolving into -softest purple; white mists transfused by sunset's glow into billows -of fire; monolithic islands flashing with the colors of mighty agates -in the prismatic air; clouds white as snow and clear cut as diamonds, -lifting themselves from the horizon like the "great white throne" that -St. John saw from the cliffs of Patmos yonder. - -Crossing the Ægean, the voyagers hugged the old Trojan coast until off -the straits of the Hellespont. They lay during a day under the lee of -Yeni Sheyr shoals, and at night ran the gauntlet of the new Turkish -forts, Khanak-Kalesi and Khalid-Bahar, at the entrance to the Sea of -Marmora. Two days later there broke upon the view that most queenly of -cities, Byzantium, reclining upon the tufted couch of her seven hills, -by the most lovely of seas, like a nymph beside her favorite fountain. -The galley glided swiftly by the "Seven Towers," which guard on -Marmora the southern end of the enormous triple wall. The bastions and -towers of this famous line of defenses cut their bold profile against -the sky for a distance of five or six miles in a straight line, until -the wall met the extremity of the Golden Horn on the north; thus -making the city in shape like a triangle--the base of gigantic -masonry; the sides of protecting seas. - -Gay barges and kaiks shot out from the shore to form a welcoming -pageant to the returning chamberlain. With easy oars they drifted -almost in the shadows of the cypress trees which lined the bank and -hid the residences of wealthy Greek merchants and the pavilions of -princes. The lofty dome of St. Sophia flashed its benediction upon the -travelers, and its challenge of a better faith far across the -Bosphorus to the Asiatic Moslem, whose minarets gleamed like -spear-heads from beside their mosques. From the point where the Golden -Horn meets the strait of the Bosphorus and the sea of Marmora, rose -the palace of the emperor, embowered in trees, and surrounded with -gardens which loaded the air with the perfume of rarest flowers and -the song of birds. Rounding the point into the Golden Horn, the grim -old Genoese tower of Galata, on the opposite bank, saluted them with -its drooping banner. They dropped anchor in the lovely harbor. Strong -arms with a few strokes sent the tipsy kaiks from the galley through -the rippling water to the landing. An elegant palanquin brought the -wife of Phranza to meet her lord. Another, which was designed for the -chamberlain, he courteously assigned to Morsinia; while Constantine -and the gentlemen of the suite mounted the gaily caparisoned horses -that were in readiness. The chamberlain insisted upon Morsinia and -Constantine becoming his guests, at least until their familiarity with -the city should make it convenient for them to reside elsewhere. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[65] A modern Greek talent weighs 125 English pounds. - -[66] The present art of "slow approach" was an invention of the Turks. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - - -The house of Phranza was rather a series of houses built about a -square court, in which were parterres of rarest plants, divided from -each other by walks of variegated marble, and moistened by the spray -of fountains. - -Morsinia's palanquin was let down just within the gateway. A young -woman assisted her to alight, and conducted her to apartments -elegantly furnished with all that could please a woman's eye, though -she were the reigning beauty of a court, instead of one brought up as -a peasant in a distant province, and largely ignorant of the arts of -the toilet. She was bewildered with the strangeness of her -surroundings, and sat down speechless upon the cushion to gaze about -her. Was she herself? It required the remembrance that Constantine was -somewhere near her to enable her to realize her own identity, and that -she had not been changed by some fairy's wand into a real princess. - -"Will my lady rest?" said the attendant, in softest Greek. - -Morsinia was familiar with this language, which was used more or less -everywhere in Servia and Albania; but she had never heard it spoken -with such sweetness. The words would have been restful to hear, though -she had not understood their meaning. Without hesitation she resigned -herself to the hands of the servant, who relieved her of her outer -apparel. Another maiden brought a tray of delicate wafers of wheat, -and flasks of light wine, with figs and dates. A curtain in the wall, -being drawn, exposed the bath; a great basin of mottled marble, and a -little fountain scattering a spray scented with roses. - -Morsinia began to fear that she had been mistaken for some great lady, -whose wardrobe was expected to be brought in massive chests, and whose -personal ornaments would rival the toilet treasures of the Queen of -Sheba. There entered opportunely several tire-women, laden with silks -and linens, laces and shawls, every portion of female attire, in every -variety of color and shape--from the strong buskin to the gauze veil -so light that it will hide from the eye less than it reveals to the -imagination. - -The guest was about to question her attendants, when one gave her a -note, hastily written by Constantine, and simply saying-- - -"Be surprised at nothing." Phranza had expressed to Constantine the -deep interest of the emperor in the career of Scanderbeg, and his -plans for Morsinia. - -"Scanderbeg," said he, "is the one hero of our degenerate age; the -only arm not beaten nerveless by the blows of the Turk. I have asked -nothing concerning yourself, my young man; nor need I know more than -that such a chieftain is interested in you and your charge. Your great -captain informs me (reading from a letter), that any service we may -render you here will be counted as service to Albania; and that any -favor we may bestow upon the lady will be as if shown to his own -child. Is she of any kin to him?" - -"I may not speak of that," replied the youth, "except to tell that her -blood is noble, and that General Castriot has made her safety his -care. An Albanian needs but to know that this is the will of our -loving and wise chieftain, to defend Morsinia with his life." - -"You speak her name with familiarity," said Phranza. - -"It is the custom of our people," replied Constantine, coloring. "The -trials of our country have thrown nobles and peasants into more -intimate relations than would perhaps be allowed in a settled -condition. This, too, may have influenced General Castriot in sending -her here, where her life may be more suitable to her gentle blood." - -"It is enough!" exclaimed Phranza. "If our distance from Albania, and -our own pressing difficulties and dangers do not allow us to send aid -to your hero, we can show him our respect and gratitude by treating -her, whom he would have as his child, as if she were our own. And now -for yourself--well! you shall have what, if I mistake you not, your -discreet mind and lusty muscles most crave--an opportunity 'to win -your spurs,' as the western knights would say. Events are thickening -into a crash, the out-come of which no one can foresee, except that -the Moslem or the Christian shall hold all from the Euxine to the -Adriatic. This double empire cannot long exist. Scanderbeg's arms -alone are keeping the Sultan from trying again the strength of our -walls. A disaster there; an assault here! You serve the one cause -whether here or there." - -"I give my fealty to the emperor as I would to my general," replied -the young man warmly. - -Constantine found himself arrayed before night in the costume of a -subaltern officer of the imperial guard, and assigned to quarters at -the barracks in the section of the city near to the house of the -chamberlain. His brief training under the eye of Castriot, and his -hazardous service, had developed his great natural talent for -soldiership into marvellous acquirements for one of his years. With -the foils, in the saddle, in mastery of tactics, in engineering -ability displayed at the walls--which were being constantly -strengthened--he soon took rank with the most promising. By courtesy -of the chamberlain he was allowed the freest communication with -Morsinia, and was often the guest of her host; especially upon -excursions of pleasure up the Golden Horn to the "Sweet Waters," along -the western shore of the Bosphorus, to the Princess Island, and such -other spots on the sea of Marmora as were uninfested by piratical -Turks. - -Morsinia became the favorite not only of the wife of Phranza, but of -the ladies of the court, and the object of especial devotion on the -part of the nobles and officers of the emperor's suite. - -But it would have required more saintliness of female disposition than -was ever found in the court of a Byzantine emperor, to have smothered -the fires of jealousy, when, at a banquet given at the palace, -Morsinia was placed at the emperor's right hand. It might not be just -to Phranza to say that to his suggestion was due the praise of -Morsinia's beauty and queenly bearing, which the emperor overheard -from many of the courtiers' lips. Perhaps the charms of her person -forced this spontaneous commendation from them: as it was asserted by -some of the more elderly of the ladies--whom long study had made -proficient in the art of reading kings' hearts from their faces, that -the monarch found an Esther in the Albanian. - -The reigning beauty at the court of Constantine Palælogus at this time -was the daughter of a Genoese admiral. Though not reputed for -amiability, she won the friendship of Morsinia by many delicate -attentions. Gifts of articles of dress, ornaments and such souvenirs -as only one woman can select for another, seemed to mark her -increasing attachment. A box of ebony, richly inlaid with mother of -pearl, and filled with delicious confections, was one day the offering -upon the shrine of her sisterly regard. The wife of Phranza, in whose -presence the box was opened, on learning the name of the donor, -besought Morsinia not to taste the contents; and giving a candied fig -to a pet ape, the brute sickened and died before the night. - -An event contributed to the rumors which associated the name of the -fair Albanian with the special favors of the emperor. An embassage -from the Doge of Venice had brightened the harbor with their galleys. -A gondola sheathed in silver, floated upon the waters of the Golden -Horn, like a white swan, and was moored at the foot of the palace -garden--the gift of the Doge. Another, its counterpart, was in the -harbor of Venice--the possession of the daughter of the Doge; but -waiting to join its companion, if the imperial heart could be -persuaded to accept with it the person of its princely owner. Better -than the ideal marriage of Venice with the sea--the ceremony of which -was annually observed--would be the marriage of the two seas, the -Adriatic and the Ægean; and the reunion of their families of confluent -waters under the double banner of St. Mark and Byzantium. But the -Grand Duke Lucas Notaris, who was also grand admiral of the empire, -declared openly that he would sooner hold alliance with the Turk than -with a power representing that schismatic Latin Church. The hereditary -nobles protested against such a menace to social order as, in their -estimate, a recognition of a republic like Venice would be. But it was -believed that more potent in its influence over the emperor than these -outcries, was the whisper of Phranza that the silver gondola of Venice -was fairer than its possessor; and that queenly beauty awaited -elsewhere the imperial embrace. - -No habitué of the court knew less of this gossip than Morsinia -herself; nor did she suspect any unusual attention paid her by the -emperor to be other than an expression of regard for Castriot, whose -ward she was known to be. Or if, when they were alone, his manner -betrayed a fondness, she attributed it to his natural kindliness of -disposition, or to that desire for recreation which persons in middle -life, burdened with cares, find in the society of the young and -beautiful; for no purpose of modesty could hide from Morsinia the -knowledge which her mirror revealed. She had, too, the highest respect -for the piety of the emperor; the deepest sympathy with him in his -distress for the evils which were swarming about his realm; and a true -admiration for the courage of heart with which he bore up against -them. It was therefore with a commingling of religious, patriotic, -and personal interest that she gave herself up to his entertainment -whenever he sought her society. That she might understand him the -better, and be able to converse with him, she learned from Phranza -much of the history of recent movements, both without and within the -empire. So expert had she become in these matters that the chamberlain -playfully called her his prime minister. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - - -One evening the lower Bosphorus and the Golden Horn were alive with -barges and skiffs, which cut the glowing water with their spray-plumed -prows and flashing blades. Thus the tired day toilers were accustomed -to seek rest, and the idlers of fashion endeavored to quicken their -blood in the cool wind which, from the heights of the Phrygian -Olympus, poured across the sea of Marmora. The Emperor, attended by -one of his favorite pages, appeared upon the rocky slope which is now -known as Seraglio Point. A number of boats, containing the ladies and -gentlemen of the court, drew near to the shore. It was the custom of -his majesty to accept the brief hospitality of one and another of -these parties, and for the others to keep company with him; so that -the evening sail was not unlike a saloon reception upon the water. The -dais of Phranza's boat was, on the evening to which we refer, -occupied by Morsinia alone; and, as the rowers raised the oars in -salute of his majesty, he waved his hand playfully to the others, -saying: - -"The chamberlain is so occupied to-day that he has no time to attend -to his own household. I will take his place, with the permission of -the dove of Albania." - -"Your Majesty needs rest," said Morsinia, making place for him at her -side on the dais, which filled the stern of the barge, and over which -hung a silken awning. "Your face, Sire, betokens too much thought -to-day." - -Throwing himself down, he replied lazily: "I would that our boat were -seized by some sea sprite, and borne swift as the lightnings to where -the sun yonder is making his rest, beyond the Hellespont, beyond the -pillars of Hercules, beyond the world! But you shall be my sprite for -the hour. Your conversation, so different to that of the court, your -charming Arnaout accent, and thoughts as natural as your mountain -flowers, always lead me away from myself." - -"I thank heaven, Sire, if Jesu gives to me that holy ministry," -replied she blushing deeply and diverting the conversation. "But why -are you so sad when everything is so beautiful about us? Is it right -to carry always the burden of empire upon your heart?" - -"Alas!" replied he, "I must carry the burden while I can, for the time -may not be far distant when I shall have no empire to burden me. -Events are untoward. While Sultan Amurath lives our treaty will -prevent any attack upon the city. But if another should direct the -Moslem affairs, our walls yonder would soon shake with the assault of -the enemy of Christendom. Nothing but the union of the Christian -powers can save us." - -"And you have the union with Rome?" suggested Morsinia. - -"A union of shadows to withstand an avalanche," replied the Emperor. -"The Pope is impotent. He can only promise a score of galleys and his -good offices with the powers. At the same time our monks have almost -raised an insurrection against the throne for listening to the -proposition of alliance to which my lamented brother subscribed during -the last days of his reign." - -"But God," replied Morsinia, "is wiser than we, and will not allow the -throne of the righteous to be shaken. I have looked to-day at the -marvellous dome of St. Sophia. As I gazed into its mighty vault, and -thought of the great weight of the stones which made it, I looked -about to see upon what it rested. The light columns and walls, far -spread, seemed all insufficient to support it. As I stood looking, I -was at first so filled with fear that I dared not linger. But then I -remembered that a great architect had made it; and that so it had -stood for many centuries, and had trembled with songs of praise from -millions upon millions of worshippers who in all these generations -have gathered under it. Then I stood as quietly beneath it as I am now -under the great vault of the sky. And surely, Sire, this Christian -empire was founded in deeper wisdom than that of the architect. Are -not the pillars of God's promises its sure support? Have not holy men -said that so long as the face of Jesu[67] looks down from above the -great altar, the sceptre shall not depart from him who worships before -it?" - -"But," said Palælogus, "God rejects His people for their sins. The -empire's misfortunes have not been greater than its crimes. As the -rising mists return in rain, so the sins of Constantinople, rising for -centuries, will return with storms of righteous retribution. And I -fear it will be in our day; for the clouds hang low, and mutter -ominously, and there is no bright spot within the horizon." - -"Say not so, my Emperor!" cried Morsinia earnestly. "A breath of wind -is now scattering yonder cloud over Olympus; and the lightest moving -of God's will can do more. Do you not remember the words of a holy -father, which I have often heard one of our Latin priests repeat to -those fearful because of their past lives;--'Beware lest thou carry -compunctions for the past after thou hast repented and prayed. That is -to doubt God's grace.' But I am a child, Sire, and should not speak -thus to the Emperor." - -"A child?" said his majesty, gazing upon her superb form and strong -womanly features. "Well! a child can see as far into the sky as the -most learned and venerable; and your faith, my child, rests me more -than all the earth-drawn assurances of my counsellors. Where have you -learned so to trust? I would willingly spend my days in the convent of -Athos or Monastir to learn it! But I fear me the holy monks have it -not of so strong and serene a sort as yours." - -"I have learned it, Sire, as my heart has read it from my own life. My -years are scarcely more numerous than my rescues have been, when to -human sight there was no escape from death, or what I dreaded worse -than death. I have learned to hold a hand that I see not; and it has -never failed. Nor will it fail the anointed of the Lord; for such thou -art. But see! yonder comes my brother Constantine. I know him from his -rowing. They who learn the oars on mountain lakes never get the stroke -they have who learn it at the sea." - -The Emperor turning in the direction indicated, frowned, and said -angrily, - -"Your brother has forgotten the regulations, and is in danger of -discipline for rowing within the lines allowed only to the court." - -The boat came nearer; not steadily, but turning to right and left, -stopping and starting as if directed by something at a distance which -the rower was watching. - -The Emperor's attention was turned almost at the same instant to a -light boat shooting toward them from an opposite direction. The -occupant of this was a monk. His black locks, mingled with his black -beard, gave a wildness to his appearance, which was increased by the -excited and rapid manner of his propelling the craft. - -"Something unusual has occurred, or they would wait the finding of -another messenger than he," said the Emperor. - -The monk's boat glided swiftly. When within a few yards of the barge -in which the Emperor was the man stood up, his eyes flashing, and his -whole attitude that of some vengeful fiend. "Hold!" shouted the rowers -of the royal barge, endeavoring to turn the craft so as to avoid a -collision. - -"The man is crazed!" said Morsinia. - -But at the instant when the two boats would have come together, -another, that of Constantine, shot between them and received the blow. -Its thin sides were broken by the shock. - -The monk who had come to the very prow, and drawn a knife from his -bosom, cried out, "To the devil with the Prince of the Azymites."[68] - -He leaped upon Constantine's boat in order to reach that containing -the Emperor: but was caught in the strong arms of Constantine who fell -with him into the water. The monk gripped with his antagonist so that -they sank together. In a few seconds, however, Constantine emerged. A -thin streamer of blood floated from him. He was drawn upon the barge. -Morsinia's hand tore off the loose gold-laced jacket, and found the -wound to be a deep, but not dangerous flesh cut across the shoulder. -It was several moments before the monk appeared. He gasped and sank -again forever. - -Constantine stated that the day before, while aiding in the erection -of a platform for some small culverin that Urban had cast, the latter -spoke to him of the marvellous mosaic ornamentation in the vestibule -of the little church just beyond the walls, and took him thither. The -monk was there, and passed in and out, evidently demented, and -muttering to himself curses upon the Latinizers. Constantine thought -little of this at the time; for a mad monk was not an uncommon sight -in the city. But observing the same man at the quay hiring a boat, he -determined to watch him. Hence the sequel. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[67] A face of Christ was wrought in mosaic in the wall above the -chancel of St. Sophia. The Turks still have a traditional saying that -the Christian shall not again possess Constantinople until the face of -Jesus appears visibly in St. Sophia. At the time of its capture by the -Moslems this picture of Christ was painted over. It is now again dimly -discerned through the fading and scaling paint. - -[68] The "Azymites" were those who used unleavened bread in the -sacrament, and at the time of which we are writing the word was used -among the Greeks as a term of reproach to the Latinizers, that is, -those who favored union with the Latin Church. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - - -The members of Phranza's family were dining, as was their custom on -pleasant days, under the great fig tree in the garden; a favorite spot -with the chamberlain when allowed that privacy of life and domestic -retirement which were seldom enjoyed by one whose duty it was to show -the courtesies of the empire to ambassadors and distinguished visitors -from the ends of the earth. - -"I would willingly exchange conditions with old Guerko, the gate -keeper, to-day," said Phranza, pushing from him the untasted viands. -"The gate-keeper of an empire has less liberty and rest." - -"What new burden has the council put upon you, my lord?" said his -wife. - -"Remember that your little prime minister will help you," interposed -Morsinia playfully. - -Phranza glanced with a kindly but troubled look at her---- - -"The wheels of the public good grind up the hearts of individuals -remorselessly," continued the good man. "Here am I with a spouse as -fair as Juno; yet I must leave her for months, and maybe years, that I -may seek a spouse for the Emperor. I am to make a tour of all -Christian courts; sampling delicate bits of female loveliness, and -weighing paternal purses. But sacred policy takes the place of holy -matrimony among the great. An emperor and empress are not to be man -and wife, but only the welding points of two kingdoms, though their -hearts are burned and crushed in the nuptials. I had hoped that his -majesty would assert his sovereignty sufficiently to declare that, in -this matter, he would exercise the liberty which the commonest boor -possesses, and choose who should share his couch, and be the mother of -his children. But the very day after his escape from the mad monk, he -put the keeping of his royal heart into the hands of his ministers. -The shock of the attempt upon his life, or something else (glancing at -Morsinia), seems to have turned his head with fear for the succession. -So, to-morrow I sail to the Euxine to inspect the Circassian beauties, -who are said to bloom along its eastern shore. But my dear wife will -be consoled for my absence by the return of our nephew Alexis, who, I -learn from my letters, is already at Athens, having wearied of his -sojourn among the Italians, and will be with you before many days. -Heaven grant that he has not become tainted with the vices of the -Italians, which are even worse than those of the Byzantines. I trust -he will find his aunt's care, and the sisterly offices of our Albanian -daughter, more potently helpful than my counsel would have been." - -The magnificent retinue, the splendid galleys, the untold treasures -scraped from the bottom of the imperial coffers, with which, on the -following day, the chamberlain sailed away through the Bosphorus to -the Euxine, were but poor compensation to his loving household for his -prolonged absence. Nor was his place adequately filled by Alexis with -his fine form and western elegance of manners. In one respect -Phranza's wish was met; for if the care of his aunt was not -appreciated by the young man, the sisterly offices of the fair -Albanian were. - -Morsinia's respect for the absent Phranza led her to allow more -attention from Alexis than her heart, or even her judgment, would have -suggested. The young nobleman soon entangled himself in the web of her -unconscious fascination. It was not until with passionate ardor he -told his love, that Morsinia realized her fatal power over him. But -with a true woman's frankness and firmness, she endeavored to dispel -the illusion his ardent fancy had created. - -"If I have not yet won you," cried the impetuous youth, "do not tell -me that my suit is hopeless. It was folly in me to dream that you -would see in me anything worthy of your love, so soon as your -transcendent beauty of face and soul made me feel that you were all -worthy of mine. Let me prove myself by months or years of devotion, -if you will. If I do not now merit your esteem, surely the charm of -daily looking upon you will make me better; the sweetness of your -spirit will change mine; then as you see in me some impression of your -own goodness, you will not scorn and repel me. I beg that you will -make of me what you will, and love me as you can. I am not harder than -the marble of which Pygmalion made the statue he loved. Mould me, -Morsinia!" - -"It is not that you are not worthy of me, Alexis. The nephew of -Phranza need not humiliate himself at the feet of any king's daughter. -But--but--it may not be! It cannot be!" and, gently releasing the hand -she had allowed him to seize, she withdrew to her own chamber. - -Alexis stood for a moment as if stupefied with his disappointment. -This feeling was followed by a chagrin, which showed itself in the -deep color mounting his haughty face. Then rage ensued, and he stamped -upon the ground as if crushing some helpless thing beneath his feet, -and muttered to himself: - -"If not I, no man shall have her and live. Can it be that Albanian -Constantine? Who is that vagrant? that menial? that hell-headed -hireling who follows her? Angels and toads do not brood together; and -he is of no kin to her." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - - -Through a narrow street, lighted by the lanterns which hung before the -doors of the few wine shops that were still open--for the hour was -late--a man, wrapped in a hooded cloak, went stumbling over the dogs -that were asleep in the middle of the way, and not unfrequently over -the watchmen lying upon the mats before the closed entrances to the -bazaars they were guarding. He entered one wine shop after another, -muttering an oath of disappointment as he withdrew from each. At -length he turned into an alley, which seemed like a mere crevice in -the compact mass of houses, and threaded his way between windowless -and doorless walls, until the passage widened into a small and filthy -court. At the extreme rear of this a lamp was just flickering with its -exhausted oil, and only sufficed to show him a doorway. Rapping gently -he called in Italian: - -"Pedro! Giovan!" - -The door was opened by a short, stout man with bullet head, who spread -himself across the entrance and peered into the face of the late -comer. Two villainous looking men stared through the lurid glare of a -rush light on a low table, at which, squatted on the ground, they were -playing dice. A purse or pouch of gold thread, decorated with some -device wrought with pearls and various precious stones, lay beside -them. - -"Ah, the gentleman from Genoa!" exclaimed one. "You are quite welcome -to our castle. Ricardo, where is the stool? Well! if you can't find -it, lie down, and let the gentleman sit on your head." - -"You appear to be in luck, Pedro, if I am to judge from the purse -yonder," said the visitor. "Your lady has taken you back to her -affection, and given you this as a love token, I suppose." - -"I'll tell you the secrets of my lady's chamber, Signior, when you -tell me those of yours," replied Pedro. - -"Perhaps," interposed Giovan, "the gentleman would have us help him in -to the secrets of his lady's chamber. How now, Signior Alexis, have -you trapped a new beauty so soon in Byzantium?" - -"Let's throw for this before we talk," interposed Ricardo, holding the -purse in one hand and a dice cup in the other. "One business at a -time." - -The three men threw. The stake fell to Ricardo, who thrust the rich -prize into his dirty pocket, where a third of the contents of the -purse had previously been deposited. - -"May I see the little bag?" asked Alexis. - -"No!" was the surly response. - -"You see, Signior," interposed Giovan, in an attempt to mitigate the -rudeness of his comrade, "You see it was a trust from--from a dead -man, who was afraid to take it with him to purgatory, lest the fire -might tarnish it. So we keep it for him until he comes back. And we -are still in the trust business, Signior! Our credit is without a -stain. You know it was just a suspicion of our integrity--we would not -have our honor even suspected by the police--that led us to leave -Genoa. Will you trust us with any little business?" - -"Do you know the Albanian officer in the emperor's guards?" asked -Alexis. - -"No, and want to know nothing about officers of any sort," growled -Giovan. - -"Ay!" interposed Ricardo, "the red-topped fellow, with a body like -Giovan's, and the neck the right height to come under my sword arm?" -making the gesture of cutting off one's head with a sabre. "Does he -disturb you?" - -"Yes!" - -"It will be worth a hundred ducats," said Giovan. - -"A hundred and fifty," said Ricardo; and, lowering his voice to the -others, added, "I need fifty, and I would take only my even share." - -"You shall have it," said Alexis, counting out the gold. "If you -deceive me, you know that one word from me here in Byzantium will cost -you your heads. Good night!" - -When he had gone, Giovan said in low voice: - -"I say, Pedro, we will divide a thousand ducats out of this." - -"How?" exclaimed the two. - -"The young officer is brother to the lady at the grand chamberlain's. -She will pay heavy ransom if we deliver him instead of--" drawing his -finger across his throat. "Of course we should have to leave -Byzantium. But Ricardo and I have concluded that it were best to be -gone anyhow; for the people here are so poor that our business does -not thrive. This purse once held ducats, but when we took it, it had -only silver bits. We pocket-bankers need better constituency." - -"Yes, we had better get out of this," said Pedro. "General Giustiniani -has come to live in Galata.[69] He got his weasel-eyes on me yesterday -as I was doing a little business by the old wharf. That man knows too -much, he does. But he'll never get me on the galley benches again. I'd -crawl like a mud turtle on the bottom of Marmora before I'd go under -the hatches a second time. I like freedom and fresh air, I do--" -blowing out of his face the thick smoke emitted by the wick floating -on the surface of a saucer of oil. - -"Right!" said Giovan. "Let's get out of this if we can do so with -enough gold to pay our royal travelling expenses. But if we spare the -neck of that fellow who is in Signior Alexis' way, where will we keep -him that Alexis will not know it?" - -"Our mansion here is hardly commodious enough for so distinguished and -lively a guest as the young officer will be likely to be," said -Ricardo, scraping the spiders' webs from the low ceiling of the room -with his cap. - -"Try the old water vault," suggested Pedro. - -"Good!" said Ricardo, "when the Albanian goes to the walls, as he does -every day, he will pass near to the opening." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[69] A suburb of Constantinople, occupied by the Genoese. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - - -The day following the three ruffians lingered about the site of the -old Hippodrome--through the open space of which the citizens passed in -going from one part of the city to another. Toward evening a stone was -thrown against the bronze-sheathed column, or walled pyramid, which -still held some of the great plates that in the palmy days of -Byzantium made it one of the wonders of the city. It was the signal -for alertness. A short-bodied, long-armed, red-haired man, dressed in -the white kilt and gold-embroidered jacket of a citizen, sauntered -leisurely through the Hippodrome. He measured with his eye the space -which once blazed with the splendor of fashion, when, beneath the -imperial eye of a Justinian or Theodosius, the horses of Araby and -Thracia ran, and the factions of "the Blues" and "the Greens" shouted, -and the whirling wheels of the golden chariots sprinkled the dust upon -the multitudes. - -The man paused to gaze at the bronze column of three intertwined -serpents, with silver-crested heads, which was believed to have been -brought from the temple at Delphi to his new city by the great -Constantine. He stood reverently before the tall Egyptian obelisk of -rose-granite, whose light red glowed with deeper hue in the eastern -flush of the twilight sky; puzzled over its vertical lines of -hieroglyphs which thirty centuries had not obliterated, and studied -the figures on its marble base, representing the machines used by the -engineers of Theodosius in hoisting the great monolith to its place, -a thousand years ago. Broken statues--the spoil of conquered cities in -generations of Greek prowess which shamed the supineness of the -present, stood or lay about the grand pillar of porphyry, which was -once surmounted by the statue of Apollo wrought by Phidias. - -"Shame for such neglect!" muttered the man. "A people that cannot keep -its art from cracking to pieces with age, cannot long keep the old -empire of the Cæsars." - -The narrow street to the north of the Hippodrome square shut out the -remnant of daylight as the man turned into it. His attention was drawn -by the groaning of some poor outcast crouching in the dark shadow of -an angle in the wall. As he stooped to inspect this object a stunning -blow fell upon his head. Two stalwart men instantly pinioned his arms. -They rolled his helpless body a few yards, and carried or slid it down -a flight of steps into a dark cavern, whose sides echoed their -footfalls and whispers, as if it were the place of the last Judgment -where the secrets of life are all to be proclaimed. Reaching the -bottom, one of the men produced a light. The glare seemed to excavate -a hollow sphere out of the thick darkness, but revealed nothing, -except the spectral flash of the bats flitting around the heads of the -intruders, and the damp earthen floor upon which the men had thrown -their victim. At length great forms rose through the gloom, like the -trunks of a forest. The water of a subterranean lake gleamed from near -their feet, but its smooth black sheen was soon lost in the darkness. -A small boat, or raft, was near, into which the man was lifted; one -of the ruffians sitting on his feet, the other by his head, while the -third propelled the craft by pushing against great granite pillars -between which they passed. After going some distance the boat ground -its bottom against a mass of fallen masonry and dirt, which made a -sort of island, perhaps twenty feet across. Here they landed, and -dragged their victim. - -"What would you have with me?" said the prostrate man. - -"It is enough that we have you," said Pedro, in broken Greek. "We want -nothing more; not even to keep your miserable carcass, since we have -already got our pay for burying it. I'll be your father-confessor and -shrive you. If you like the Latin--Absolvo te! and away go your sins -as easily as I can strip this gold-laced jacket off your back. Or if -you prefer the Greek--By the horns of Nebuchadnezzar, I've forgotten -the priestly words! But I'll shrive you all the same without the holy -mumble. And if you want to pray a bit yourself, why fold your feet in -front of your nose and kneel on your back." - -"Why do you kill me?" said the man. "I am nothing to you." - -"Nothing to us, but something to him who has hired us. As honest men -we must do what we were paid to do." - -"Unless I can pay you more," said the man, instantly taking a hopeful -hint. - -"Do you wear the belt of Phranza, that you think you can pay so much?" -replied one of the ruffians, feeling about the person of the helpless -man. - -"What I have I give--a hundred ducats." - -"A hundred! Are you love-crossed that you value life so little? You'll -skin well, my gentle lambkin; and as you are half tanned already, we -will sell your hide to the buskin maker for almost that sum; and your -fat (feeling his ribs) will grease a hundred galley masts. A thousand -ducats is your value, you Albanian imp!" - -"I do not possess so much," said the victim. - -"But your sister does," said the ruffian; and not noting the surprised -look of the man, continued: "We have arranged for that. Your life is -worth to us just one thousand ducats of gold. Sign this!" producing a -bit of paper on which was something written. - -"I cannot read it in this light. You read it. I may trust such honest -fellows as you are." - -The man read--"To my sister, the Albanian, at the house of Phranza. I -am in danger from which I can escape only if you will give the bearer -one thousand ducats. Speak not to any one of it, or my life is -forfeit. That you may know this is genuine the bearer will show you my -ring and a clip of my hair." - -"Give me your ring; and, comrade, warm the wax to seal the letter," -said Giovan. - -"But I am not the man you seek," said the victim. - -"And who in the devil's name are you then?" - -"A mere stranger." - -"Prove it!" - -"Take the ring, and the lady will not recognize it." - -"We shall see," said the ruffian, "but we will take the hundred -ducats now to pay for any trouble you have put us to." - -His belt was stripped off, and its golden contents ripped out. The -victim was untied, first having been completely disarmed. The three -men entering the boat, pushed off in the direction from which they had -entered. - -The island prisoner watched the receding light as it flashed its long -rays on the water, illumined the arches of the roof, and lit the -crouching figures in the boat. The multiplying pillars became like a -solid wall as the light receded, until at length the darkness was -complete. The sound of the boat as it scratched against the stone at -the landing, gave place to the most oppressive silence. - -To attempt escape in the direction of the entrance would be folly. If -he could find his way his captors would doubtless be on guard and -easily overpower him, as he would have to wade or swim. But to remain -where he was would be as hazardous, for the wretches would not risk -exposure for the sake of the hundred ducats they had secured; but -would probably return and put him out of the way of witnessing against -them. - -As he meditated, a low rumble like distant thunder, ran along the -arches. "Some passing vehicle in the city above," he concluded. - -A light drip, as of a bat's wing touching the water! Another! and -another! "Strange that they should be so regular!" thought the man. -"There must be some inlet: I will explore." - -He walked cautiously into the water in the direction of the sound. -Soon he was beyond his depth; but, being an expert swimmer, kept on; -his outstretched arms answering as antennæ of some huge water-spider, -and guarding him from collision with the pillars. - -The dripping sound became louder. Now it was just above his head. He -felt his way with his hands until it became evident that he was at the -end or side of the subterranean lake. But the shore was steep; indeed, -a wall. Fixing his fingers into the crevices between the stones, he -was able to raise himself half out of the water. Reaching up with one -hand he felt the curved edge of a viaduct, by which the dark lake was -evidently fed, or had been in earlier days. But, bah! The water now -trickling through it was foul. The spring had been stopped, and the -viaduct become a sewer; fed doubtless through its rents with the -soakage of the city. - -But might there not be an opening into the upper air? If not, a great -human mole--especially if, to blind scratching power, he adds the -skill of one trained in the art of engineering--can possibly make an -opening. - -The prisoner climbed into the viaduct. It was large enough to allow -him to crawl a short distance. A faint glimmer of light proved the -correctness of his surmise that it was connected with the surface. But -fallen stones blocked his way. As he lay planning with fingers and -brain for his further progress, voices sounded from the reservoir. -They were those of two of the cut-throats returning. He pushed himself -back to the opening. His captors had missed him at the island. If -they knew of this sluice, or chanced to come upon it in their search, -he was lost in his present position; for a pair of bare heels was the -only weapon he could show against their sharp daggers. He let himself -down into the water, and swam silently away. The light, however, from -his captors' lamp came nearer. - -"Hist!" said one. "He is yonder; perhaps by the devil's window." - -The boat pushed directly toward the viaduct he had left. - -While they explored the opening, which might well be called the window -into the blackness of darkness of the nether world, their victim swam -rapidly, keeping always in the shadow of the great pillars. But the -boat was upon his track again. - -The fugitive now made a fortunate discovery. Several feet below the -surface of the water the base of each pillar projected far enough for -standing room. This base had probably marked the height to which the -water was originally allowed to rise. By standing upon one of these -projections, he was able to move round the pillar, so as to keep its -huge block between himself and his pursuers. Thus they passed him. By -the light in the boat he could discern the ground or shore near which -was the entrance. - -Returning to coast the other side of the cavern, they had passed close -by him, when, his foot slipping, he was projected into the water. The -wretches hailed with grim joy the splash, and turned the boat in the -direction of the noise. But, dropping beneath the surface, the man -swam to a pillar near by, from which he watched their baffled circuit -of his former retreat. - -This chase could not be kept up endlessly. Plunging again under the -water, he swam directly to the boat. Rising suddenly, he grasped its -side with main weight and overturned it. The cries of the men and the -splashing of the boat echoed a hundred times among the arches; while -the hissing oil of the open lamp, which, poured on the surface of the -water, blazed for a moment, made as near a representation of -pandemonium as this world ever affords, except in the brain of the -demented. - -Though the captive had endeavored to keep his bearings, and had not -lost for an instant his presence of mind, the swirling of the boat had -destroyed all impression of the direction he should take. He -remembered that on one of the pillars the projecting base was broken. -It was that on which he had stood when he caught a glimpse of the -ground near the entrance. If he could find that pillar again he could -take his bearings as readily as if a star guided him. Several pillars -were tried before the talismanic one was discovered. Feeling the -broken place, and recalling the way in which he stood upon the narrow -ledge when he saw the entrance, he took his course accordingly, and -swam on. - -One of his pursuers had evidently found a lodgment somewhere, and was -calling lustily to his comrade for help. But there came back no answer -to his call. - -On went the swimmer until the light of the outer world gleamed through -the crevice of the door, twenty or thirty feet above him, and he -crawled upon the ground. - -Squeezing the water from his garments, he climbed the stairway, and, -opening the heavy and worm-eaten doors, peered out. The street was -crowded with passers; for another day had come since his entrance to -the old reservoir. In his half naked and bedrabbled condition he -hesitated to make his exit, and returned to the bottom of the stairs. -A hand on the door above made him leap to one side. - -Giovan entered. Peering intensely into the shadows, he descended the -steps. Pausing a moment he whistled through his teeth. There was no -response. He whistled louder on his fingers. A shout came back. - -"Help! Giovan--help!" - -Giovan's dagger protruded from his belt. Another's hand suddenly drew -it, and, before he had recovered from his surprise, it entered his -neck to the haft. The Italian's short breeches, velveteen jacket and -skull cap were made to take the place of the remnant of the prisoner's -once most reputable wardrobe, and he sallied forth. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - - -Later in the day the gate keeper at Phranza's mansion put into -Morsinia's hand a letter left with him by an Italian laboring man. It -was addressed--"To the Albanian lady," and read thus: - -"Your brother's life is threatened by some secret enemy. Let him -exercise an Albanian's caution! This is the advice of a stranger." - -A little before this, as the "poor Italian" was moving away from the -gate of Phranza, a gorgeous palanquin, with silken canopy and sides -latticed with silver rods, was borne in by four stout and well-formed -men, with bare legs and arms, purple short trousers, embroidered -jackets, and jaunty red caps, whose long tassels hung far down their -backs. - -The "Italian" stepped into an angle that the palanquin might pass; and -stood gazing a long time after it had disappeared. At length, turning -away, he said to himself: - -"Strange! It must be that my imagination has been disturbed by the -scenes of last night. But the lady in yonder palanquin is my dream -made real. The pretty face of the child with whom I once played on the -mountains must have cut its outlines somewhere on my brain, for I seem -to see it everywhere. My captive in the mountains of Albania had the -same features--though I saw them only under the flash of a torch. -Imagination that, surely! The girl at Sfetigrade was similar. And now -this one! The aga's advice to beware female illusions was good. But -she may be the Albanian lady after all. Impossible! Stupidity! Perhaps -my chosen houri in paradise is only flashing her beauty upon my soul -from these fair earthly faces, and so training me first to love her as -an ideal, that the joy of the realization may be perfect. But, tut! -tut! silly boy that I am!" - -Whistling monotonously he turned down a street. - -A short, crooked-necked officer passed along. His face at the moment -was the picture of dissatisfaction. The "Italian" stopped him, and, -with a courtesy which belied his common apparel, addressed him:-- - -"Captain Urban of the engineers, is it not?" - -"And who are you?" was the surly, yet half respectful, reply, as the -one addressed glanced into the other's face. - -"One who knows that the cannon you are casting are not heavy enough to -lodge a ball against the old tower of Galata yonder across the Golden -Horn, much less breach a fortification; and further, that all you can -cast at this rate from now until the Turks take Byzantium would not -enable you to throw ten shot an hour." - -"By the brass toe of St. Peter! man, I was just saying the same thing -to myself," replied Urban. - -"And the Emperor's treasury, when he has bought himself a wife, will -not have enough left to buy saltpetre with which to fire the guns, if -he should allow you brass enough for the casting," added the stranger. - -"True again, my man; and the Emperor's service in the meantime does -not yield stipend enough for an officer to live upon decently. If you -were better dressed, my prince of lazaroni, I couldn't afford to ask -you to drink with me; but this cheap shop will shame neither your -looks nor my purse. Come in." - -"Who are you, my good fellow?" asked Urban, as he drained a cup of -mastic-flavored wine. "Were not your voice different, and your -pronunciation of Greek rather provincial, with a slight Servian -brogue, I would take you for one of our young engineers. You are not -an Italian, spite of your garb." - -"No," was the reply, "I was once in the employ of the Despot of -Servia, engineer and artillery-man; but I think of entering the -service of the Sultan. He pays finely, and gives one who loves the -science of war a chance to use his genius." - -"For such a chance and good pay I would serve the devil," said Urban. -"The Greek emperor here is no saint, and yet I have served him for a -crust. I am not bound to him by any tie. If you find good quarters -with the Turks, give me a hint, and I will join you." - -The stranger eyed him closely as he said this, and replied in low -tones--"Captain Urban, I am a Moslem; Captain Ballaban of the Janizary -corps. And I bear you a commission from the Padishah. To seek you is a -part of my business in Constantinople. I do not ask you to take my -word for this, but if you will accompany me, I will give you proof of -my authority. A thousand ducats I will put into your hand within an -hour, with which you may taste the Padishah's liberality and imagine -what it shall be when you accompany me to Adrianople." - -The two men left the wine shop together and entered a bazaar. The -stranger whispered to the merchant who was nearly buried amid huge -piles of goods of every antique description; strange patterned -tapestries, rugs of all hues and sizes, ebony boxes inlaid with silver -and ivory, shields bossed and graven, spear-heads, cimeters and -daggers. The salesman made as low a salâm as his crowding wares would -permit, and, opening a way through the heaps of merchandise, conducted -the visitors into an inner room. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - - -To better understand the events just recited, we must trace some -scenes which had been enacted elsewhere. - -During the sojourn of Constantine and Morsinia in Constantinople, the -Turks had made no progress toward the conquest of Albania. The walls -of Croia, upon which they turned their thousands of men, and -exhaustless resources of siege apparatus, served only to display the -valor and skill of the assailants, the superior genius of Castriot, -and the endurance of his bands of patriots. - -The haughty Sultan Amurath, broken in health, more by the chagrin of -his ill success than by exposures or casual disease, retired to -Adrianople, in company with his son, Prince Mahomet, who was satisfied -with a few lessons in the science of military manoeuvering as taught -by the dripping sword of Castriot; and preferred to practice his -acquirements upon other and less dangerous antagonists. Prince Mahomet -had scarcely withdrawn to Magnesia in Asia Minor, and celebrated his -nuptials with the daughter of the Turkoman Emir, when news was brought -of the death of his father. - -The prince was hardly twenty-one years of age; but his first act was -ominous of the promptitude, self-assertion and diligence of the whole -subsequent career of this man, whose success on the field and in the -divan made him the foremost monarch of his age. - -On hearing the news he turned to Captain Ballaban, for whom the young -Padishah entertained the fondest affection, and who had accompanied -him to Magnesia in the capacity of kavass.-- - -"I shall leave to you, Captain, the duty of representing me at the -burial of my royal father at Brusa, after which meet me at -Adrianople." - -Leaping into the saddle, he cried to the company about him, "Let those -who love me, follow me!" and spurred his Arab steed to the Hellespont. - -The magnificent cortege of the dead Sultan moved rapidly from the -European capital of the Turks to their ancient one in Asia Minor. The -thoughts of the attendants were more toward the new hand which would -distribute the favors or terrors of empire, than toward the hand which -was now cold. - -Captain Ballaban was in time to join the reverent circle which -committed the royal body to its ancestral resting place. They buried -it with simple sepulchral rites, in the open field, unshadowed by -minaret or costly mosque or memorial column; that, as the dying -Padishah had said, "the mercy and blessing of God might come unto him -by the shining of the sun and moon, and the falling of the rain and -dew of heaven upon his grave." - -Sultan Mahomet II. was scarcely within the seraglio at Adrianople when -Captain Ballaban reported for duty. Passing through the outer or -common court, he entered by the second gate into the square surrounded -by the barracks of the Janizaries, who, as the body guard of the -monarch, occupied quarters abutting on those of the Sultan. - -Near the third gate was gathered a crowd of Janizaries, in angry -debate; for as soon as they realized that the firm and experienced -hand of Amurath was no longer on the helm, the pride and audacity of -this corps inaugurated rebellion. - -"The Janizaries have saved the empire, let them enjoy it," cried one. - -"Our swords extended the Moslem power, so will we have extension of -privilege," cried another. - -"Why should Kalil Pasha be Grand Vizier instead of our chief Aga? -Kalil is one of the Giaour Ortachi.[70] - -"Down with the Vizier!" rang among the barracks. - -"A mere child is Padishah! one of no judgment the Hunkiar!" - -"My brothers," said Captain Ballaban. "You know not the new Padishah. -Well might Amurath have said to him what Othman said to Orchan: 'My -son, I am dying: and I die without regret, because I leave such a -successor as thou art.' Believe me, my brothers, if Mahomet is young, -he is strong. If he is inexperienced in the methods of government, it -is because heaven wills that he shall invent better ones." - -"Your head is turned by the Padishah's favors," muttered an old -guardsman. - -"But am I not a Janizary?" cried the captain, "and it is as a Janizary -that the Padishah loves me, as he loves us all. I once heard him say -that the white wool on a Janizary's cap was more honorable than the -horse tail on the tent spear of another. Old Selim here can tell you -that, as a child, Mahomet was fonder of the Janizary's mess than of -the feast in the harem." - -"Yes," said old Selim, with voice trembling through age, but loud with -the enthusiasm excited by the captain's appeal. "My hands taught -Mahomet his first parries and thrusts; and he would sit by our fire to -listen to the stories of the valor of our corps, and clap his hands, -and cry 'good Selim, I would rather be a Janizary than be a prince.'" -The old man's eyes filled with tears as he added, "And all the four -thousand prophets bless the Padishah!" - -While this scene was being enacted without, the young Sultan was -reclining, with the full sense of his new dignity, upon the sofa which -had never been pressed except by the person of royalty. It was covered -with a cloth of gold and crimson velvet, relieved by fringes of -pearls. Before it was spread a carpet of silk, an inch thick, whose -softness, both of texture and tints, made a luxuriant contrast with -its border, which was crocheted with cords of silver and gold. The -walls of his chamber were enriched with tiles of alabaster, agate, and -turquoise. The ceiling was plated with beaten silver, hatched at -intervals with mouldings of gold; near to which were windows of -stained glass made of hundreds of pieces closely joined to form -transparent mosaic pictures, through which the variegated light -flooded the apartment. - -Mahomet was himself in striking contrast with his surroundings. He was -dressed in négligé, with loose gown, large slippers, and white skull -cap. - -Before the Sultan stood the Grand Vizier, Kalil, bedizened in the -costume of his office:--an enormous turban in whose twisted folds was -a band of gold; a bournous of brocade, enlivened by flowers wrought -upon it in green and red; and a cashmere sash gleaming with the -jewelled handle of his yataghan. - -"They are even now in revolt, your Majesty," said the Vizier. "Your -safety will be best served by severe measures. They say the iron has -not grown into your nerves yet." - -The Sultan colored. After a moment's pause he replied. "When Captain -Ballaban comes we will think of that matter." - -"The captain had just arrived as I entered, Sire." - -"Then announce to the Janizaries that the seven thousand falconers and -game keepers which my father allowed to eat up our revenue, as the -bugs infest the trees, are abolished; and their income appropriated to -the better equipment of the Janizaries." - -"But, Sire, would you sharpen the fangs of----" - -"Silence! I have said it," said Mahomet, striking his hand on his -knee. "But what is this demand from Constantinople?" - -"That the pay for the detention of your Cousin Orkran at -Constantinople shall be doubled, or the Greeks will let him loose to -contest the throne with your Majesty." - -"Assent to the demand," said the Sultan. "The time will the sooner -come to avenge the insult, if we seem not to see it." - -The Vizier continued looking at his tablets. "Maria Sultana[71] asks, -through the Kislar Aga, that she may be allowed, since the death of -her lord, to return to her kindred." - -"Let her go! She is a Giaour whose cursed blood was not bettered by -six and twenty years' habitation with my father. She is fair enough in -her wrinkles for some Christian prince, and George Brankovitch needs -to make new alliances." - -"Hunyades"--said the Vizier. - -"Ay, make peace with him, and with Scanderbeg, too, if that wild beast -can be tamed, which I much doubt." - -The Sultan rose from his cushion, his form animated with strong -excitement, and, putting his hand upon the shoulders of the -Vizier--who drew back at the strange familiarity--and looking him -fixedly in the face, he whispered: "Everything must wait,"--and the -words hissed in the hot eagerness with which he said them--"until--I -have Constantinople." - -Turning upon his heel, he withdrew toward his private chamber. - -The Sultan threw himself upon his bed. The Capee Aga, or chief of the -white eunuchs, whose duty it was to act as valet-de-chambre, as well -as to stand at the right hand of the Sultan on state occasions, began -to draw the curtains around the silver posts upon which the bed -rested. - -"You may leave me," said his majesty. "Nay, hold! Send Captain -Ballaban of the Janizaries." - -As the young officer entered, the face of the Sultan relaxed. - -"You make me a man again, comrade," said he, grasping his hand. "These -few days playing Sultan make me feel as old as the empire. I hate -this parade of boring viziers and mincing eunuchs; and to be shut up -here with these palace proprieties is as irksome to me as Timour's -iron cage was to my grandfather Bajazet. I think I shall put my harem -on horse-back, and take to the fields. Scudding out of Albania with -Scanderbeg at one's heels were preferable to this busy idleness. You -have had a rapid ride to get from Brusa so soon, and look winded. Roll -yourself on that wolf's skin. I killed that fellow in Caramania. By -the turban of Abraham! your red head looks well against the black -hide. But why don't you laugh? Have they made a Padishah of you, too, -that you must mask your face with care?" - -"I have a care, Sire," said the soldier. - -"Tell me it," said the Sultan, "and I'll make it fly away as fast as -the Prophet's horse took him to the seventh heaven." - -"The Janizaries are restless, Sire." - -"Does not the donative I have announced pacify them?" - -"I have not heard of it," said the officer. - -"Listen! Is not that their shout?" Shout after shout rent the air from -the court without. - -The Janizary turned pale; but in a moment said, "Your donative has -been announced. They are cheering your Majesty." - -"Long live the Padishah!" "Long life to Mahomet!" rang again and -again. - -"I thank you, Sire," eagerly cried the young man, kissing the hand of -the Sultan. - -"What else would they have?" asked he. - -"Nothing but chance to show their gratitude by valiant service," was -the reply. - -"This they shall have, with you to lead them," putting his hand on the -young officer's shoulder. - -"Nay, Sire, I may not supplant those who are my superiors by virtue of -service already rendered." - -"But I command it. The corps shall to-morrow be put under your orders -as their chief Aga." - -"I beg your Majesty to desist from this purpose," said Ballaban. "The -spirit of the corps, its efficiency, depends upon the strictest -observance of the ancient rules of Orchan and Aladdin. By them we have -been made what we are." - -"But," cried Mahomet angrily, "there shall be no other will than mine -throughout the army." - -"I would have no other will than thine, Sire," was the response; "but -it were well if your will should be to leave the Janizaries' rule -untouched." - -"You young rebel!" cried Mahomet, half vexed yet half pleased as, -bursting into a laugh, he dashed over the face of his friend a jar of -iced sherbet which was upon a lacquered stand at his side. - -"You may thank the devil that it wasn't the arrow I once shot you -with," said the playful tyrant, as Ballaban jumped to his feet. - -"If you were not the Sultan now, I would pull you from the bed, as I -pulled you from your horse that day," replied the good-natured -favorite, making a motion as if to execute the threat. - -"You are right," said Mahomet rising. "I am Sultan! Sultan? pshaw! Yet -Sultan, surely." He paced the floor in deep agitation, and at length -said, "I have a duty to perform, than which I would rather cut off my -arms." - -"Let me do the deed, though it takes my arm and my life," said -Ballaban eagerly. - -"You know not what it is, my old comrade." - -"But I pledge before I know," was the response which came from -stiffened lips and bowed head, as the captain made his obeisance. - -The Sultan looked him in the face long and earnestly, and then, -turning away, said: - -"No! no! there are hands less noble than yours." - -"But try me, Sire." - -"You know the custom of our ancestors, approved by the wisdom of -divans, as an expedient essential to the peace and safety of the -empire, that--But I can not speak it: nor will I ask it of you. Leave -me, Captain. Come to-morrow at this hour. I shall need the relief of -your company then, even more than to-day." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[70] Brothers of the infidels. - -[71] One of the sultanas of Amurath II. and daughter of George -Brankovitch, Despot of Servia. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - - -An hour later the Kislar Aga, chief of the black eunuchs in charge of -the royal harem, was announced. - -"Well, Sinam, have any of your herd of gazelles escaped?" asked the -Sultan. - -"None. But Mira Sultana would pay her homage at your Majesty's feet." - -"Mira, the Greek?" said Mahomet, the deep color rising to his temples. - -Lowering his tone to a whisper, he conversed for a few moments with -the eunuch, who prostrated himself upon the ground, and with harsh, -yet thin voice, said: - -"Your Majesty is wise, very wise. Your will is that of Allah, the -Great Hunkiar. It shall be done." - -Mira was a beautiful woman. The light texture of her robe revealed a -perfect form; and the thin veil lent a charm to her face, such as -shadows send across the landscape. - -Mahomet shuddered, as the kneeling woman embraced his feet. The words -of her congratulation to the young monarch, her protestation of -devotion to him as to his father, though uttered with the sweetest -voice he had ever heard, and with evident honesty, sent a visible -tremor through the frame of her listener. And when she added, "My -child, Ahmed, the image of his noble father and thine, will serve thee -with his life, and"-- - -"It is well! It is well," interrupted the Sultan. "Be gone now!" - -The morning following was one in which the hearts of the citizens of -Adrianople stood almost throbless with horror. Mothers clasped their -babes with a shudder to their breasts; and fathers stroked the fair -hair of their boys, and thanked Allah that no tide of royal blood ran -in their veins. A story afterward floated over the lands of Moslem and -Christian, as terrible as a cloud of blood, dropping its shadow into -palace and cottage, and dyeing that page of history on which Mahomet's -name is written with a damning blot. - -While Mira Sultana was bowing at the feet of the new monarch, -congratulating him upon his accession to the throne, her infant son, -Ahmed, half brother to Mahomet, was being strangled in the bath by his -orders. Another son of Amurath, Calapin, had, through his mother's -timely suspicion, escaped to the land of the Christians. - -It was late in the day when Captain Ballaban appeared for audience -with the Sultan. His Majesty was apparently in the gayest of moods. - -"Come, toss me the dice! We have not played since I laid aside my -manhood and put on the Padishah's cloak. Come! What? Have you no stake -to put up? Then I will stake for both. A Turkoman, the father of my -own bride, has sent me a bevy of women, Georgians, with faces as fair -as the shell of an ostrich's egg,[72] and voices as sweet as of the -birds which sang to the harp of David.[73] The choice to him who wins! -What! does not that tempt the cloud to drift off your face? Then have -your choice without the toss. What! still brooding?" added he, growing -angry. "By the holy house at Mecca! I'll make you laugh if I tickle -your ribs with my dagger's point." - -"You made me promise that I would be true to you, my Padishah, and if -I should laugh to-day I would not be true," replied Ballaban quietly. -"My face wears the shadows which the people have thrown into it." - -"The people?" said Mahomet growing pale. - -"Ay, the people have heard the wailing of the Sultana." - -"For what? Tell me for what?" asked the Sultan with feigned surprise. - -Ballaban narrated the story which was on every one's lips. - -"It is treason against me," cried the monarch. Summoning the Capee Aga -he bade him call the divan. - -The great personages of the empire were speedily gathered in the -audience room. At the right of the Sultan stood the Grand Vizier and -three subordinate viziers. On his left was the Kadiasker, the chief of -the judges, with other members of the ulema or guild of lawyers, -constituting the high court. The Reis-Effendi, or clerk, stood with -his tablets before the seat of the Sultan. The rear of the room was -filled with various princes and high officials. - -Turning to the Kadiasker, the Sultan asked: - -"What is the denomination of the crime, and the penalty of him who, -unbidden by the Padishah, shall put to death a child of royal blood?" - -The Kadiasker, after a moment's evident surprise at the question, -pronounced slowly the following decision: - -"It were a double crime, Sire, being both murder and treason. And if -perchance the child were fatherless, let a triple curse come upon the -slayer. For what saith the Book of the Prophet?[74] 'They who devour -the possessions of orphans unjustly, shall swallow down nothing but -fire into their bellies, and shall broil in raging flames.' If such -be the curse of Allah upon him who shall despoil the child of his -rightful goods, much more does Allah bid us visit with vengeance one -who despoils the child of that chiefest possession--his life. Such is -the law, O Zil Ullah."[75] - -Turning to the Kislar Aga, Mahomet commanded him to give testimony. - -The Nubian trembled as he looked into the blanched face of the Sultan; -but soon recovered his self possession sufficiently to read his -master's thoughts, and said, - -"The child of Mira Sultana was found dead at the bath while in the -hands of Sayid." - -"Was Sayid the child's appointed attendant?" asked the Kadiasker. - -"He was not," was the response. - -"Let him die!" said the judge slowly. - -"Let him die!" repeated the Grand Vizier. - -The Sultan bowed in assent and withdrew. - -The swift vengeance of the Padishah was hailed with applause by the -officials, as if it had erased the blood guilt from the robe of royal -honor; but the people shook their heads, and kept shadows on their -faces for many days. - -"I tire of this life in the barracks," said Captain Ballaban to the -Sultan, shortly after this event. - -"Speak honestly, man," was the reply. "You tire of me; my heart is not -large enough to entertain one of such ambition." - -"Nay, Sire, but I would get nearer to the innermost core of your -heart, into that which is your deepest desire." - -"And where, think you, is that spot?" said the Sultan smiling. - -"Constantinople," was the laconic response. - -"Ah! true lover of mine art thou, if you would be there. Until I put -the Mihrab[76] in the walls of St. Sophia, I shall not sleep without -the dream that I have done it. Know you not the dream of Othman? how -the leaves of the tree which sprang from his bosom when the fair -Malkhatoon, the mother of all the Padishahs, sank upon it, were shaped -like cimeters, and every wind turned their points toward -Constantinople? My waking and sleeping thoughts are the leaves. The -spirit of Othman breathes through my soul and turns them thither. Go! -and prepare my coming. The walls withstood my father Amurath. Discover -why? I hear that Urban, the cannon founder, is in the pay of the -Greeks. He who discovered a way to turn the Dibrians against -Sfetigrade can find a way to turn a foreigner's eyes from the battered -crown of the Cæsars to something brighter--Go, and Allah give you -wisdom!" - -The reader is acquainted with the immediate sequel of Captain -Ballaban's departure, his adventure with the Italian desperadoes at -the old reservoir, and his success with Urban. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[72] The type of a beautiful complexion according to the Koran, Chap. -XXXVII. - -[73] Koran, Chap. XXXIV. - -[74] Koran, Chap. IV. - -[75] Shadow of God, one of the titles of the Sultan. - -[76] The niche in mosques, on the side toward Mecca, in the direction -of which the Moslems turn their faces to pray. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - -The siege and capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, was, -with the exception of the discovery of America, the most significant -event of the fifteenth century. The Eastern Roman Empire then -perished, after eleven centuries of glory and shame; of heroic -conquests, and pusillanimous compromises with other powers for the -privilege of existence; exhibiting on its throne the virtues and -wisdom of Theodosius and Justinian, and the vices and follies of -emperors and empresses whose names it were well that the world should -forget. - -But the historic importance of the siege was matched by the thrilling -interest which attaches to its scenes. - -The last of the Constantines, from whose hands the queenly city was -wrested, was worthy the name borne by its great founder, not, perhaps, -for his display of genius in government and command, but for the pious -devotion and sacrificial courage with which he defended his trust. A -band of less than ten thousand Christians, mostly Greeks, and a few -Latins whose love for the essential truth of their religion was -stronger than their bigotry for sect, withstood for many weeks the -horrors which were poured upon them by a quarter of a million Moslems. -These foes were made presumptuous by nearly a century of unchecked -conquest; their hot blood boiled with fury and daring excited by the -promises of their religion, which opened paradise to those that -perished with the sword; and they were led by the first flashings of -the startling genius and audacity of Mahomet II. - -The Bosphorus was blockaded six miles above the city by the new -fortress, Rumili-Hissar, the Castle of Europe; answering across the -narrow strait to Anadolu-Hissari--the Castles of Asia. - -A fleet of three hundred Moslem vessels crowded the entrance to the -Bosphorus, to resist any Western ally of the Christians that might -have run the gauntlet of forts which guarded the lower entrance to -Marmora. At the same time this naval force threatened the long water -front of the city with overwhelming assault. The wall which lay -between the sea of Marmora and the Golden Horn, and made the city a -triangle, looked down upon armies gathered from the many lands between -the Euphrates and Danube;--the feudal chivalry from their ziamets -under magnificently accoutred beys; the terrible Akindji, the mounted -scourge of the borders of Christendom; the motley hordes of Azabs, -light irregular foot-soldiers,--these filling the plains for miles -away:--while about the tents of the Sultan were the Royal Horse -Guards, the Spahis, Salihdars, Ouloufedji and Ghoureba, rivals for the -applause of the nations, as the most daring of riders and most skilful -of swordsmen: and the Janizaries, who boasted that their tread was as -resistless as the waves of an earthquake. - -Miners from Servia were ready to burrow beneath the walls. A great -cannon cast by Urban, the Dacian, who had deserted from the Christian -to the Moslem camp, gaped ready to hurl its stone balls of six hundred -pounds weight. It was flanked by two almost equally enormous -fire-vomiting dragons, as the new artillery was called: while fourteen -other batteries of lesser ordnance were waiting to pour their still -novel destruction upon the works. Ancient art blended with modern -science in the attack; for battering rams supplemented cannon, and -trenches breast-deep completed the lines of shields. Moving forts of -wood antagonized, across the deep moat, the old stone towers, which -during the centuries had hurled back their assailants in more than -twenty sieges. The various hosts of besiegers in their daily movements -were like the folds of an enormous serpent, writhing in ever -contracting circles about the body of some helpless prey. From dawn to -dark the walls crumbled beneath the pounding of the artillery; but -from dark to dawn they rose again under the toil of the sleepless -defenders. - -Thousands, impelled by the commands of the Sultan, and more, perhaps, -by the prospect of reward in this world, and in another, out of which -bright-eyed houris were watching their prospective lords, mounted the -scaling ladders only to fill with their bodies the moat beneath. At -the point of greatest danger the besieged were inspired with the -courage of their Emperor, and by the aid of the bands of Italians whom -the purse and the appeals of John Giustiniani had brought as the last -offering of the common faith of Christendom upon the great altar -already dripping with a nation's blood. - -Sometimes when the Christians, whose fewness compared with the -assailants compelled them to serve both day and night, were -discouraged by incessant danger and fatigue, a light form in helmet -and breastplate moved among them, regardless of arrows and bullets of -lead: now stooping to staunch the wounds of the fallen; now mounting -the parapet, where scores of stout soldiers shielded her with their -bodies, and hailed her presence with the shout of "The Albanian! The -Albanian!" The reverence which the soldiers gave to the devoted nuns, -who were incessant in their ministry of mercy, was surpassed by that -with which they regarded Morsinia. She had become in their eyes the -impersonation of the cause for which they were struggling. - -The interruption by the war of the negotiations with the Emir of -Trebizond, whose daughter had been selected as the imperial spouse, -revived the rumors which had once associated the fair Albanian's name -with that of his Majesty; and gave rise to a nick-name, "the Little -Empress," which, among the soldiers, came to be spoken with almost as -much loyalty of personal devotion, as if it had received the imperial -sanction. - -Constantine's solicitude led him to remonstrate with Morsinia for the -exposure of her person to the dangers of the wall: but she replied-- - -"Have you not said, my dear brother, that the defence is hopeless? -that the city must fall? What fate then awaits me? The Turks have -service for men whom they capture, which, though hard, is not damning -to body and soul. What if they send you to the mines, to the galleys? -What if they slay you? You can endure that. Yet I know that you -yourself would perish in the fight before you would submit to even -such a fate. But what is the destiny of a woman who shall fall into -their hands? It is better to die than to be taken captive. And is not -yonder breach where the men of the true God are giving their lives for -their faith, as sacred as was ever an altar on earth? Is not the crown -of martyrdom better than a living death in the harem of the infidel? -The arrow that finds me there on the wall shall be to me as an angel -from heaven; and a death-wound received there will be as painless to -my soul as the kiss of God." - -"But this must not be!" cried Constantine. "Our valor, if it does not -save the city, may lead to surrender upon terms which shall save all -the lives of the people." - -"It is impossible," replied she. "His Majesty informed me yesterday -that Mahomet had pledged to his soldiers the spoil of the city, with -unlimited license to pillage." - -Constantine was silent, but at length added. "If worst comes, it will -then be time enough to expose your life." - -"But the end is near, dear Constantine. The city is badly provisioned. -The poor are already starving. The garrison is on allowance which can -sustain it but a few days. Besides, as you have told me, the Italians -are at feud with the Greeks, and ready to open the gates if famine -presses upon them." - -"Yes, curses on the head of that monk Gennadius, who sends insult to -our allies every day from his cell!" muttered Constantine. "But I -cannot see you in danger, Morsinia. Promise me--for your life is -dearer to me than my own--that you will not go upon the walls. I need -not the solemn oath to our brave Castriot, and that to our father -Kabilovitsch, that I will guard you. But, if not for my sake, then for -their sake, take my counsel. I know that you are under the special -care of the Blessed Jesu. Has He not shielded us both--me for your -sake--many times before?" - -"Your words are wise, my brother. You need not urge the will of -Castriot and father Kabilovitsch, for your own wish is to me as sacred -as that of any one on earth," said she, looking him in the eyes with -the reverence of affection, and yielding to his embrace as he kissed -her forehead. - -"But," added she, "I must exact of you one promise." - -"Any thing, my darling, that is consistent with your safety," was the -quick reply. - -"It is this. Promise me, by the Virgin Mother of God, that you will -not allow me to become a living captive to the Turk." - -"Not if my life can shield you. This you know!" - -"Yes, I would not ask that, but something harder than that you should -die for me." - -A pallor spread over the face of Constantine, for he suspected her -meaning, yet asked, "And what--what may that be?" - -"Take my life with your own hand, rather than that a Turk should touch -me," said Morsinia, without the slightest tremor in her voice. - -Constantine stood aghast. Morsinia continued, taking his strong right -hand in hers, and raising it to her lips-- - -"That were joy, indeed, if the hand of him who loves me, the hand -which has saved me from danger so often--could redeem me from this -which I fear more than a thousand deaths! Promise me for love's sake!" - -"I may not promise such a thing," said the young lover, with a voice -which showed that her request had cut him to the heart. - -"Then you love me not," said the girl, turning away. - -But the look upon Constantine's face showed the terrible tragedy which -was in his soul, and that such an accusation brought it too near its -culmination. Instantly she threw herself into his arms. - -"Forgive me! forgive me!" cried she. "I will not impugn that love -which has proved itself too often. But let us speak calmly of it. Why -should you shrink from this?" she asked, leading him to a seat beside -her. - -"Because I love you. My hand would become paralyzed sooner than touch -rudely a hair of your head." - -"Nay, in that you do not know yourself," said Morsinia. "Would you not -pluck a mole from my face if I was marred by it in your eyes!" - -"But that would be to perfect, not to harm you," said Constantine. - -"And did you not hold the hand of the poor soldier to-day, while the -leech was cutting him, lest the gangrene should infect his whole body -with poison? And would you not have done so had he been your long lost -brother, Michael, whom you loved? And would you not have done it more -willingly because you loved him?" - -"Yes," said Constantine, "but that would be to save life, not to -destroy it." - -"But what, my brother dear, is the fairness of a face compared with -the fairness of honor? What the breath of the body, when both the body -and the soul in it are threatened with contamination of such an -existence as every woman receives from the Turk?" - -"I cannot argue with you, Morsinia. My nature rebels against the deed -you propose." - -"But," replied she, "is not love nobler, and should it not be -stronger, than nature? If nature should rebel against love, let love -crush the rebellion, and show its sovereignty. If my hand should -tremble to do aught that your true service required, I would accuse my -hand of lack of devotion. But I think that men do not know the fulness -of love as women do." - -"Let me ask the question of you, Morsinia," replied the young lover -after a pause. "Could you take my life as I lie here? Will your hand -mix the poison to put to my lips in the event of the Turk entering the -city? My life will be worse than death in its bitterness if you are -lost to me." - -Morsinia pondered the question, growing pale with the fearfulness of -the thought. For a while she was speechless. The imagination started -by Constantine's question seemed to stun her. She stared at the vague -distance. At length she burst into tears, and laying her head upon her -companion's shoulder, said: - -"I love you too dearly, Constantine, to ask that of you which you -shrink from doing. There is another who can render me the service." - -"Who would dare?" said Constantine, rising and gazing wildly at her. -"Who would dare to touch you, even at your own bidding?" - -"I would," said Morsinia quietly. "And this I shall save for the -moment when I need the last friend on earth," she added, drawing from -her dress the bright blade of an Italian stiletto. "Perhaps, my heart -would tremble, and my flesh shrink from the sharp point, though I love -not myself as I love you." - -"Let us talk no more of this," said Constantine, "but leave it for the -hour of necessity, which happily I think will not soon come. I must -tell you now for what I sought you. I have been ordered this very -night to aid in a venture which, heaven grant! shall re-provision the -city. Several large galleys, laden with corn and oil, are now coming -up the sea from Genoa. If they see the cordon of the enemy's ships -drawn across the harbor, not knowing the extremity to which the city -is reduced, they may return without venturing an encounter. I am to -reach them, and, if possible, induce them to cut their way through. -The great chain at the entrance to the Golden Horn will be lowered at -the opportune moment, and all the shipping in the harbor will make an -attack upon the enemy's fleet. Of this our allies must be informed. As -soon as it is dark I shall drift in a swift little skiff between these -Turkish boats; and before the dawn I shall be far down on Marmora. -To-morrow night, if your prayers are offered, Jesu will grant us -success." - -With a kiss he released himself from her embrace and was gone. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - - -Constantine eluded the heavy boats of the Turks, which were anchored -to prevent their drifting away upon the swift current with which the -Black Sea discharges itself through the Bosphorus into Marmora. Upon -meeting the befriending galleys, it was with little difficulty that he -persuaded the Genoese captains to risk the encounter with the Turkish -fleet. As Constantine pointed out to the Italian captains, the -enormous navy of the blockaders, formed in the shape of a crescent, -and stretched from the wall of the city across to the Asiatic shore, -presented a more formidable obstacle to the eye than to the swift and -skilfully manned Genoese galleys. The Turkish boats were generally but -small craft, and laden down to the water's edge with men. The Genoese -had four galleys, together with one which belonged to Byzantium. - -These were vessels of the largest size, constructed by men who had -learned to assert their prowess as lords of the sea. They were armed -with cannon adapted to sweep the deck of an adversary at short -range:--a weapon which the Turks had not yet floated, though they were -in advance of the Christians in using such artillery on land. The high -sides of the Christian galleys, moreover, prevented their being -boarded except with dangerous climbing, while the defenders stood -ready to pour the famous liquid called "Greek fire" upon the heads of -those who should attempt it. Besides, heaven favored the Christians; -for a strong gale was blowing, which, while it tossed the boats of -their adversaries beyond their easy control, filled the sails of the -Genoese, and sent them bounding over the waves: the oarsmen sitting -ready to catch deftly into the bending billows with their blades. Each -of the five vessels chose for a target a large one of the Turks, and -clove it with its iron prow: while the cannon swept the Turkish -soldiers by hundreds from other boats near to them. Passing through -the thin crescent, the Christian galleys skilfully tacked, and, -careening upon their sides, again assailed the Turks before they could -evade their swift and resistless momentum. Again and again the galleys -passed, like shuttles on a loom, through the line of the enemy, -sinking the unwieldy hulks and drowning the crowded crews. - -From the walls and house tops of the city went up huzzas for the -victors and praises to heaven. From the shores of Asia, and from below -the city wall, thousands of Moslems groaned their imprecations. The -Sultan raged upon the beach, as he saw one after another of his -pennants sink beneath the waves. Dashing far into the sea upon his -horse, he vented his impotent fury in beating the water with his mace, -shrieking maledictions into the laughing winds, and invoking upon the -Christians curses from all the Pagan gods and Moslem saints. - -At one moment the Byzantine galley was nearly overcome, having been -caught in a group of Turkish boats, whose occupants climbed her sides, -and did murderous work among the crew. Though ultimately rescued by -the Genoese, it was only after severe loss. - -But above all other casualties the Christians mourned the fate of -young Constantine. With almost superhuman strength he had cut down -several assailants; but was finally set upon by such odds that he was -pressed over the low bulwarks, and fell into the sea. The galley with -its consorts made way to the chain at the entrance to the Golden Horn, -where the rich stores, a thousand times richer now in the necessity -which they relieved, were received amid the acclamations of the -grateful Greeks. - -But woe,--Oh, so heavy! crushed one solitary heart. Her eyes stared -wildly at the messenger who brought the fatal tidings; and stared, -hour by hour, in their stony grief, upon the wall of her apartment. -Kind attendants spoke to her, but she heard them not. Her soul seemed -to have gone seeking in other worlds the soul of her lover. The -servants, awed by the majesty of her sorrow, sat down in the court -without, and waited: but she called them not. Daylight faded into -darkness. The lamp which was brought she waved with her hand to have -taken away. The maidens who came to disrobe her for the night found -her bowed with her face upon the couch; and, receiving no response to -their proffered offices, retired again to wait. - -The morning came; and the cheer of the sunlight which, quickening the -outer world, poured through the windows high in the walls of her -apartment, seemed to awaken her from her trance. But how changed in -appearance! The ruddy hue of health, and the bronzing of daily -exposure to the open air, seemed alike to have been blanched by that -which had taken hope from her soul. Her eyes were sunken, and the -lustre in them, though not lessened, now seemed to come from an -infinite depth--from some distant, inner world which had lost all -relation to this, as a passing star. Morsinia rose, weak at first; but -her limbs grew strong with the imparted strength of her will. She ate; -and speaking aloud--but more in addressing herself than her -attendants--said: "I will away to the walls!" - -Through the masses of debris, and among the groups of men who were -resting and waiting to take the places of their wearied comrades on -the ramparts, she went straight to the gate of St. Romanus, where the -assaults were most incessant. The cry of "The Little Empress!" gave -way to that of "The Panurgia! The Panurgia!"[77] as some, though -familiar with her form, were startled by the almost unearthly change -of her countenance. She returned no salutation as was usual with her, -but, as if impelled by some superhuman purpose, her beauty lit as with -a halo by the majesty of a celestial passion, she climbed the steps -into the tottering tower above the gate. A strong, but gentle hand was -put upon her arm. It was that of the Emperor. - -"My daughter, you must not be here. Come away!" - -She looked at him for an instant in hesitation; and then, bowing her -head, responded in scarcely audible voice: - -"I will obey you, Sire," and added, speaking to herself-- - -"It is _his_ will too." - -"I know your grief," said his majesty kindly, "and now, as your -Emperor, I must protect you against yourself." - -"I want no protection," cried the broken-hearted girl. "Oh, let me -die! For what should I live?" - -"My dear child," said the Emperor with trembling voice, while the -tears filled his eyes. "In other days your holy faith taught me how to -be strong. Now, in your necessity, let me repeat to you the lesson. -For what shall _you_ live? For what should _I_ live? I am Emperor, but -my empire is doomed. I live no longer for earthly hope, but solely to -do duty; nothing but duty, stern duty, painful every instant, crushing -always, but a burden heaven imposed on a breaking heart. That heaven -appoints it--that, and that alone--makes me willing to live and do it. -When the time comes I shall seek death where the slain lie the -thickest. But not to-day; for to-day I can serve. Live for duty! Live -for God! The days may not be many before we shall clasp hands with -those who, now invisible, are looking upon us. Let us go and cheer the -living before we seek the companionship of the dead." - -As the Emperor spoke, his face glowed with a majesty of soul which -made the symbol of earthly majesty that adorned his brow seem poor -indeed. - -Gazing a moment with reverent amazement at the man who had already -received the divine anointing for the sacrifice of martyrdom he was so -soon to offer, Morsinia responded: - -"Your words, Sire, come to me as from the lips of God. I will go and -pray, and then--then I shall live for duty." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[77] The Panurgia, a name given to the Holy Virgin, who at a former -siege of Constantinople, in 1422, was imagined to have appeared upon -the wall for its defense. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - - -Mahomet had not expended all his petulant rage upon feelingless waves -and distant Christians. He summoned to his presence the Admiral of his -defeated fleet, Baltaoghli, and ordered that he should be impaled. - -The Admiral had shown as much naval skill as could, perhaps, have been -exhibited with the unwieldy boats at his command; and, moreover, had -brought from the fight an eyeless socket to attest his bravery and -devotion. The penalty, therefore, which Mahomet attached to his -misfortune, brought cries of entreaty in his behalf from other brave -officers, especially from the leading Janizaries. This opposition at -first confirmed the determination of the irate despot. But soon the -petition of the honored corps swelled into a murmur, which the more -experienced of his advisers persuaded Mahomet to heed. - -The Sultan had schooled himself to obey the precept which Yusef, the -eunuch, who instructed his childhood, had imparted, viz, "Make passion -bend to policy." He therefore apparently yielded, so far at least as -to compromise with those whom he feared to offend, and commuted the -Admiral's sentence to a flogging. - -The brave man was stretched upon the ground by four slaves. Turning to -Captain Ballaban, the Sultan bade him lay on the lash. Ballaban -hesitated. Drawing near to Mahomet, he said respectfully, but firmly, - -"The Janizaries are soldiers, not executioners, Sire." - -Mahomet's rage burst as suddenly as powder under the spark. - -"Away with the rebel!" cried he. "We will find the executioner for -him, too, who dares to disobey our orders." - -Seizing his golden mace, the Sultan himself beat the prostrate form of -the Admiral until it was senseless. - -Wearying of his bloody work, Mahomet glared like a half satiated beast -upon those about him. - -"Where is the damned rebel who dares dispute my will? Did no one -arrest him?" - -"The order was not so understood," said an Aga who was near. - -"You understand it now," growled the infuriated, yet half-ashamed, -monarch. "Arrest him!--But no! Let these slaves go search for the -runaway. It shall be their office to deal with one who dares to break -with my will." - -The Janizaries returned to their places near the walls. - -Mahomet was ill at ease when his better judgment displaced his unwise -passion. His love for Ballaban, the manliness of the captain's reply -to the unreasonable order, and the danger of injuring one who stood so -high in the estimate of the entire Janizary corps, were not outweighed -even by the sense of the indignity which the act of disobedience had -put upon the royal authority. - -The slaves, not daring to venture among the Janizaries in their search -for Captain Ballaban, easily persuaded themselves that he must have -fled; and that, perhaps, he might be lurking somewhere on the shore, -as this was the only way of escape. Their search was rewarded. Though -in the disguise of scant garments, utterly exhausted so that he could -make no resistance, their victim was readily recognized by his form -and features, which were too peculiar to be mistaken. The captain had -apparently attempted to escape by water; perhaps, had ventured upon -some chance kaik or raft, and been wrecked in the caldron which the -strong south wind made with the current pouring from the north. - -His wet garments, such as he had not stripped off, and his exhausted -look confirmed their theory. - -One of their number brought the report to the Grand Vizier, Kalil, who -repeated it to the Sultan. - -"I will deal with him in person. Let no one know of the capture until -I have seen him," said Mahomet, seeking an opportunity to revoke the -threat against his friend, which he had uttered in insane rage; and, -at the same time, to cover his imperial dignity by the semblance of a -trial. - -The culprit was brought in the early evening to the Sultan's tent. A -large lantern of various colored crystals hung from the ridge-pole, -and threw its beautiful, but partly obscured, light over the arraigned -man. - -His captors had clothed him in the uniform of the Janizaries. - -"His face has a strange look, as if another's soul had taken lodging -behind the familiar lineaments," the Sultan remarked to Kalil as he -scanned the culprit closely. - -"Do you know, knave, in whose presence you are?" said Mahomet, -sternly. - -"I know not, Sire, except that the excellent adornment of your person -and pavilion suggest that I am in the presence of his majesty the--" - -"Silence, villain! do you mock me?" cried the Padishah, in surprise at -the man's assumed ignorance. - -"I mock thee not, Sire," said the victim, bowing with courtly -reverence, and speaking in a sort of patois of Greek and Turkish. "But -I was about to say that I know thee not, except that from the -excellence of thy person and estate thou art none less"---- - -"Silence, you dog! This is no time for your familiar jesting, -Ballaban. Speak pure tongue, or I'll cut thine from thy head!" -interrupted the Padishah. - -"I speak as best I can," replied the man, "for I was not brought up to -the Turkish tongue. I presume that I address the king of the Turks." - -"Miserable wretch!" hissed his majesty, drawing his jewelled sword. -"Dare you call me king of the _Turks_? TURKS! thou circumcised -Christian dog! thou pup of Nazarene parentage! thou damned infidel, -beplastered with Moslem favors!"[78] - -"It would seem that I needed Moslem favors, which in my destitute -condition and imminent danger, I most humbly crave," replied the -object of this contumely. - -"Are you mad?" shrieked the Sultan, rising and glaring into the -other's face. "You _are_ mad, man. Poor soul! Ay! Ay! I see it now. -Some demon has possessed you. Some witch has blown on the knots -against you."[79] - -"I am not mad, Sire," said the culprit, "but a poor castaway on your -coast." - -"Hear him, poor fellow! so mad that he knows not himself. Well! well! -I must forgive you then for not knowing me," said Mahomet, with -genuine pity. "Did you love me so, old comrade, that my harsh words -knocked over your reason? or did your reason, toppling over, lead you -to challenge me as you did? We must cure this malady, though it takes -the treasure of the empire to do it." Lowering his voice he addressed -the Vizier: - -"I could not believe that my faithful comrade would have rebelled. It -was not he, but the demon who has possessed him. Think you not so, -good Kalil?" - -The Vizier bowed in assent to the Sultan's theory, and whispered, "It -provides a wise escape from antagonizing the Janizaries. But you -should summon a physician." - -Clapping his hands, an attendant appeared, who was dispatched for the -court physician; a man of fame in his profession, whose duty it was to -be always within call of the Sultan. - -The physician entering, examined the culprit, looking into his eyes, -balancing his head between his hands to determine if there were any -sudden disturbance of the proportionate avoirdupois; noting if his -tongue lay in the middle of his mouth, and feeling his pulse. At -length he said in low voice to the Sultan and Vizier: - -"There is, Sire, no outward evidences of lacking wit. I would have him -speak." - -"He is the Janizary, Captain Ballaban," whispered the Vizier. "You -will observe that the wit is clean gone from him. Tell us your story, -Ballaban, or whoever you are." - -"I beg the favor of your excellency, your lordship, Sire; for, since -you deny that you are the king of the Turks, I know not what title to -give to your authority. I am your prisoner. I fought on the Byzantine -galley as Jesu gave me strength, but was unfortunate enough to fall -overboard, and fortunate enough to avoid capture by the Turkish boats, -as I dived beneath them, or rested myself below their sterns until I -reached the shore. But as heaven willed it, I landed below the walls -of the city. I was altogether weaponless, having shuffled off my -armor that I might swim--and altogether blown by my effort--or, by -the bones of Abraham! I had never been captured by the cowardly slaves -you sent. I ask only the treatment of an honorable enemy." - -"By the beard of the Prophet!" exclaimed Mahomet, "if he were a -Christian I would give him liberty for the valor of his speech. Some -of the spirit of our gallant Ballaban is still left in him. The -witches could not take the great heart out of him, though they stole -away his wits. What say you, Sage Murta?" The physician replied, -knitting his brows and stroking his chin-- - -"The Padishah is wise. The man is mad. But since his heart is not -touched by the demon, but only his memory erased and his imagination -distorted, my science tells me there is hope of his cure." - -"What medicament have you for a diseased mind?" asked the Sultan. - -With reverent pomposity, but in low voice not overheard by the -patient, the physician uttered the prescription: - -"First, we have the religious cure--if so be that the man is under the -charm of the evil spirits--Find thee a cord with eleven knots tied on -it:--for such was the number on the cord with which the daughters of -Lobeid, the Jew, bewitched the Prophet. As thou untiest the knots -repeat the last two chapters of the Koran, which the Angel Gabriel -revealed as the talisman, saying-- - -"'I fly for refuge unto the Lord of the daybreak, that he may deliver -me from the mischief of the night, when it cometh on; and from the -mischief of women, blowing on the knots; and from the mischief of the -envious; and from the mischief of the whisperer, the devil, who slyly -withdraweth, who whispereth evil suggestions into the breasts of men: -and from genii and men.' - -"If this should fail--as I have known it to fail in the case of those -who were not born in the sacred family of Islâm--we should try the -virtues of the heritage bowl, which is much esteemed among the -Giaours. I have possessed myself of one, once the property of an -ancient family. It is made of silver, and engraved with forty-one -padlocks. A decoction mixed in this bowl, and poured on the head of -the patient any time within seven weeks after the day on which they -celebrate the imagined rising of Jesu, son of Mary, from the dead, -will often break the most malignant spell. The Christian Paska[80] is -just past; so that it will be opportune." - -"But should this likewise fail?" asked Mahomet, impatient with the -sage's prolixity. - -"Ah! we shall then have to try our strictly human remedies. This -ailment is called by the Latin disciples of Galen, _dementia_, which -signifieth that the man's mind, his natural thoughts, have gone away -from him. We must recall them. For this we must have some strong -appeal to that which was his hottest passion or interest before his -mind flew away from him. Do you know the absorbing humor of this man? -Was he a lover? If so, we must find the fair one who has robbed him of -his better part, and, restoring her to him, we shall restore him to -himself." - -"Nay," said Mahomet. "Captain Ballaban was never enamored of woman. -The maid who lured the Prophet from the charms of Ayesha and -Hafsa,[81] would not have turned Ballaban's head. I once offered him -the choice of a bevy of Georgians; but he would not even look at them. -He is a soldier; from tassel to shoe-thong a soldier." - -"Ah! then we have the remedy at hand," said Murta, rolling his eyes as -if reading the prescription in the air. "Give him command; military -excitement; honors of the field. When the cimeters gleam then will -reason flash again. And my science is at fault if the simple summons -to some high duty work not a counter charm to break the spell that is -on him, though it were woven by the mystic dance of all the genii and -devils." - -"We will try this last remedy first," said Mahomet. "Dismiss him. Let -him go as he will, without hindrance or seeming to follow, until my -orders be brought him by his Aga. In the meantime search the shore for -the knotted cord the witches may have blown upon. And, good Murta, -send for the silver bowl; for my brain is that hot that I fear me the -Giaour ghosts we have sent gibbering to hell during the last few days -have left the spell of their evil eyes upon me too." - -The following day was not far advanced when Captain Ballaban was -summoned to the Sultan's tent, the rumor of his restoration to royal -favor having been made to precede the summons. In fact, after the -affair of the preceding afternoon, Ballaban had not gone to the sea -shore, but retired to his own quarters, where he loyally awaited -either his death summons, or an invitation for some wild frolic with -the Padishah; he knew not which, so thought about neither; but busied -himself over a plan for a new gun-carriage he was going to submit to -Urban. - -With assumed stolidity he entered the royal tent. As he rose from his -obeisance upon the earth, his majesty embraced him with boyish -delight. - -"Your old self again: I see your soul in your face. I'd give half the -horse-tails in the empire rather than lose that shock of hair from my -sight, or the glowing brain that is under it from my councils, my -red-headed angel!" - -"There is no need to lose it, except by cutting it off at my -shoulders," said Ballaban, falling in with the humor of the Sultan, -yet watchful not to be taken unawares, if, in its fitfulness, that -humor should turn. - -"I have a grand service for you, if you have skill and courage enough -to execute it," said Mahomet, watching the effect on his friend. - -The captain's eyes flashed with the prospect, as he said: - -"I wait your plan, Sire; only let it be bold." - -"I have no plan, you must make one. I would see if your brain is as -square as the pot you keep it in," said the Sultan, tapping him on the -head with a jewelled whip staff, and adding, - -"It is evident, Captain, that we must get possession of the Golden -Horn; for so long as the enemy hold that for their harbor, we cannot -prevent their reprovisioning the city as they did yesterday; and a few -more such auxiliaries as they brought, indeed, another such leader as -the Genoese Giustiniani, would compel us to raise the siege. How can -we take the harbor? Our boats can never raise the chain at the mouth." - -"That has been my problem since the siege began," said Ballaban. "I -remember while in Albania, as I lodged one night in a village, I met -with some Italian officers, who had come to offer their swords to -Castriot. They told how they moved their fleet overland, several miles -on a roadway of timbers.[82] We can use that device. The thing is not -impracticable; for there is a depression to the north of Galata, -through which from the Bosphorus to the inland extremity of the Golden -Horn is but five or six miles. Our vessels are not large; could be -transported with the multitudes of our troops, and on the still water -of the harbor would soon, by superior numbers, capture those of the -Christians." - -"A good conception!" said Mahomet, "and if my reading has not been at -fault, the Roman Augustus did something similar.[83] It shall be done. -Let it not be said that the Ottoman was surpassed in daring or -difficulty of enterprise by Pagan or Christian. You shall perform it, -Ballaban. The woods above Galata will serve for planking, and the -engineers can be spared from before the walls until it is -accomplished." - -A few days later a large fleet of the Moslems was conveyed overland, -by means of a roadway of greased timbers. To the amazement of the -Christians their adversary's navy no longer lay idly upon the -Bosphorus, but was transformed into a line of floating batteries -within the harbor of the Golden Horn, and from their rear soon -destroyed the fleet of the defenders. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[78] The Ottomans regard the appellation of "King of the TURKS" as an -insult, since the Turks are comparatively few of the many subjects of -the Sultan in Europe. Some of the most distinguished servants of the -empire are of Christian parentage, and either have been conquered or -have voluntarily submitted to the domination of the Moslem. - -[79] The Moslem superstition led them to believe that witches, by -tying knots in a cord and blowing on them, brought evil to the person -they had in mind. - -[80] Easter. - -[81] The Coptic Mary with whom the Prophet was said to have been -enamored. - -[82] In 1437 the Venetians carried many large ships across the country -from the river Adige to the lake of Garda. - -[83] At Actium. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - - -The city was now completely invested. Menaced from all sides, the -defenders were not sufficient in numbers to guard the many approaches. -Yet the daily fighting was desperate, for the Moslems were inspired by -the certainty of success, while the Christians were nerved with the -energy of despair. To end the siege Mahomet designated a time for a -combined assault from sea and land. - -As the fatal day dawned, numberless hordes moved towards the walls. -The great ditches were soon filled with the dead bodies of thousands -of the least serviceable soldiers, who had been driven from behind by -the lances of the trained bands, that they might thus worry the -patience and exhaust the resources of the brave defenders, without -taxing the best of the Moslem troops. The carcasses of the slain made -a highway for the living, over which they poured against the gate of -St. Romanus. The four grim towers toppled beneath the pounding of -great stone balls hurled from the cannon of Urban. The defenders were -driven off the adjacent walls by the storms of bullets and arrows that -swept them. At the critical moment the Janizaries, unwearied as yet by -watching or fighting, twelve thousand strong, as compact a mass -beneath the eye of the Sultan as the weapon he held in his hand, moved -to where the breach was widest. - -"The spoil to all! A province to him who first enters!" cried the -Sultan, waving his iron battle mace. Hassan, the giant, first mounted -the rampart, and fell pierced with arrows and crushed with stones. But -through the gap his dying valor had made in the ranks of the foe first -rushed the company of Ballaban. - -In vain did the people crowd beneath the dome of St. Sophia, grasping -with hopeless hope an ancient prophecy that at the extreme moment an -angel would descend to rescue the city. Alas! only the angel of death -came that day; and to none brought he more welcome news than to the -Emperor,--"Thy prayer is answered; for thou hast fallen where the dead -lie thickest!" Near the gateway of St. Romanus, where he had met the -first of the invaders, under the piles of the dead, gashed by sabre -strokes and crushed beneath the feet of the victors, lay the body of -Constantine Palæologus, the noblest of the Cæsars of the Eastern -Empire! - -The Turks placed his ghastly head between the feet of the bronze -horse, a part of the equestrian statue of Justinian, where it was -reverently saluted even by the Moslems, who paused in the rage of the -sack to think upon the virtue and courage of the unfortunate monarch. - -Captain Ballaban had pressed rapidly through the city to the doors of -St. Sophia. The oaken gates flew back under the axes of the Moslems. -Monks and matrons, children and nuns, lords and beggars were crowded -together, not knowing whether the grand dome would melt away and a -legion of angels descend for their relief, or the vast enclosure would -become a pen of indiscriminate slaughter. The motley and helpless -misery excited the pity of the captors. Ballaban's voice rang through -the arches, proclaiming safely to those who should submit. That he -might the better command the scene, he made his way to the chancel in -front of the grand altar. It was filled with the nuns, repeating their -prayers. Among them was the fair Albanian. Her face was but partly -toward him, yet he could never mistake that queenly head. She was -addressing the Sisters. Holding aloft the bright shaft of a stiletto, -she cried,-- - -"Let us give ourselves to heaven, but never to the harem!" - -Ballaban paused an instant. But that instant seemed to him many -minutes. As, under the lightning's flash, the whole moving panorama of -the wide landscape seems to stand still, and paints vividly its -prominent objects, however scattered, upon the startled eye of the -beholders; so his mind marvellously quickened by the excitement, took -in at once the long track of his own life. He saw a little child's -hand wreathing him with flowers plucked beside a cottage on the -Balkans; a lovely captive whose face was lit by the blazing home in a -hamlet of Albania; a form of one at Sfetigrade lying still and faint -with sickness, but radiant as with the beginning of transfiguration -for the spirit life; and the queenly being who was borne in the -palanquin through the gate of Phranza. But how changed! How much more -glorious now! Earthly beauty had become haloed with the heavenly. He -never had conceived of such majesty, such glory of personality, such -splendor of character, as were revealed by her attitude, her eye, her -voice, her purpose. - -"But now," thought he, "the descending blade will change this utmost -sublimity of being into a little heap of gory dust!" - -All this flashed through his mind. In another instant his strong hand -had caught the arm of the voluntary sacrifice. The stiletto, falling, -caught in the folds of her garments, and then rang upon the marble -floor of the chancel. Morsinia uttered a shriek and fell, apparently -as lifeless as if the blade had entered her heart. - -The Janizary stood astounded. A tide of feeling strange to him poured -through his soul. For the first time in his life he felt a horror of -war. Not thousands writhing on the battle field could blanch his cheek -with pity for their pangs: but that one voice rang through and through -him, and rent his heart with sympathetic agony. Her cry had become a -cry of his own soul too. - -For the first time he realized the dignity of woman's character. This -woman was not even wounded. She had fallen beneath the stroke of a -thought, a sentiment, a woman's notion of her honor! The women he had -known had no such fatal scruples. Other captive beauties soon became -accustomed to their new surroundings. Many even offered to buy with -their charms an exchange of poverty for the luxuries of the harem of -Pashas and wealthy Moslems. Was this a solitary woman's tragedy of -virtue? Or was it some peculiar teaching of the Christian's faith that -inspired her to such heroism? However it came, the man knew that with -her it was a mighty reality; this instinct of virtue; this sanctity of -person. - -And this woman was his dream made real! A celestial ideal which he had -touched! - -The man's brain reeled with the shock of these tenderer and deeper -feelings, coming after the wildness of the battle rage. He grasped the -altar for support. The blood seemed to have ceased to bound in his -veins, the temples to be pulseless; a band to have been drawn tightly -about his brain so as to paralyze its action. He felt himself falling. -A deathly sickness spread through his frame. He was sure he had -fainted. He thought he must have been unconscious for a while. Yet -when he opened his eyes, the soldier near him was in the same attitude -of dragging a nun by her wrists as when he last saw him. Time had -stood still with his pulses. He shuddered at the cruelty on every -side, as the shrieks from the high galleries were answered by those in -distant alcoves and from the deep crypt. He watched the groups of old -men and children, monks and senators, nuns and courtesans, tied -together and dragged away, some for slaughter, some for princely -ransom, some for shame. - -The building was well emptied when the Sultan entered. - -He at once advanced to the altar and proclaimed: - -"God is God; there is but one God, and Mahomet is the apostle of God!" - -"But whom have we here, Captain Ballaban?" - -"Your Majesty, I am guarding a beautiful captive whom I would not have -fall into the hands of the common soldiers; I take it, of high -estate," replied the Janizary, knowing that such an introduction to -the royal attention alone could save her from the fate which awaited -the unhappy maidens, most of whom were liable to be sold to brutal -masters and transported to distant provinces. - -The Sultan gazed upon the partly conscious woman, and commanded,---- - -"Let her be veiled! Seek out a goodly house. Find the Eunuch Tamlich." -Ballaban shuddered at this command, and was about to reply, when his -judgment suggested that he was impotent to dispute the royal will -except by endangering the life or the welfare of his captive. - -The safest place for her was, after all, with the maidens who were -known to be the choice of the Sultan, and thus beyond insult by any -except the imperial debauchee. - -Mahomet II. gave orders for the immediate transformation of the -Christian temple of St. Sophia into a Mosque. In a few hours -desolation reigned in those "Courts of the Lord's House," which, when -first completed, ages ago, drew from the imperial founder, the remark: -"Oh, Solomon! I have surpassed thee!" and which, though the poverty of -later monarchs had allowed it to become sadly impaired, was yet -regarded by the Greek Christians as worthy of being the vestibule of -heaven. - -The command of the Sultan: "Take away every trace of the idolatry of -the infidel!" was obeyed in demolishing the rarest gems of Christian -art to which attached the least symbolism of the now abolished -worship. The arms were chiseled off the marble crosses which stood out -in relief from the side walls, and from the bases of the gigantic -pillars. The rare mosaics which lined the church as if it were a vast -casket--the fitting gift of the princes of the earth to the King of -Kings--were plastered or painted over. The altar, that marvellous -combination of gold and silver and bronze, conglomerate with a -thousand precious stones, was torn away, that the red slab of the -Mihrab might point the prayers of the new devotees toward Mecca. The -furniture, from that upon the grand altar to the banners and mementoes -of a thousand years, the donations of Greek emperors and sovereigns of -other lands, was broken or torn into pieces. There remained only the -grand proportions of the building--its chief glory--enriched by -polished surfaces of marble and porphyry slabs; the superb pillars -brought by the reverent cupidity of earlier ages from the ruined -temple of Diana at Ephesus, the temple of the Sun at Palmyra, the -temple on the Acro-Corinthus, and the mythologic urn from Pergamus, -which latter, having been used as a baptismal font by the followers of -Jesus, was now devoted to the ablutions of the Moslems. - -From St. Sophia the Sultan passed to the palace of the Greek Cæsars. - -"Truly! truly!" said he "The spider's web is the royal curtain; the -owl sounds the watch cry on the towers of Afrasiab," quoting from the -Persian poet Firdusi, as he gazed about the deserted halls. He issued -his mandate which should summon architects and decorators, not only -from his dominions, but from Christian nations, to adorn the splendid -headland with the palatial motley of walls and kiosks which were to -constitute his new seraglio. - -The considerateness of Ballaban led him to select the house of Phranza -as the place to which Morsinia was taken. The noble site and -substantial structure of the mansion of the late chamberlain commended -it to the Sultan for the temporary haremlik; and the familiar rooms -alleviated, like the faces of mute friends, the wildness of the grief -of their only familiar captive. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - - -Constantine, after his escape from the Sultan's tent, where he had -been taken for the demented Ballaban, was unable to enter -Constantinople before it fell. His heart was torn with agonizing -solicitude for the fate of Morsinia. He knew too well the -determination of the dauntless girl in the event of her falling into -the hands of the Turks. Filling his dreams at night, and rising before -him as a terrible apparition by day, was that loved form, a suicide -empurpled with its own gore. Yet love and duty led him to seek her, or -at least to seek the certainty of her fate. He therefore disguised -himself as a Moslem and mingled with the throng of soldiers and -adventurers who entered the city under its new possessors. He wandered -for hours about the familiar streets, that, perchance, he might come -upon some memorial of her. The secrets of the royal harem he could not -explore, even if suspicion led his thought thither. The proximity of -the residence of Phranza was guarded by the immediate servants of the -Sultan, so that he was deprived of even the fond misery of visiting -the scenes so associated with his former joy. - -In passing through one of the narrowest and foulest streets--the only -ones that had been left undisturbed by the Vandalism of the -conquerors--he came upon an old woman, hideous in face and decrepit, -whom he remembered as a beggar at the gate of Phranza. From her he -learned many stories of the last hours of the siege. - -According to her story she had gone among the first to St. Sophia. -When the Moslems entered they tied her by a silken girdle to the -person of the Grand Chamberlain, and, amid the jeers of the soldiers, -marched them together to the Hippodrome. She remembered the Sultan as -he rode on his horse,--how he struck with his battle hammer one of the -silver heads of the bronze serpents, and cried: "So I smite the heads -of the kingdoms!" Just as he did so he turned, and saw her in her rags -tied to the courtly-robed lord, and in an angry voice commanded that -the princely man be loosed from contact with the filthy hag. Phranza -was taken away: but nobody cared to take her away. She was trampled by -the crowd, but lived. And nobody thought of turning her out of her -hovel home. She was as safe as is a rat when the robbers have killed -the nobler inmates of a house. - -The woman said that she had heard that the daughter of Phranza was -sent away somewhere to an island home. But the Albanian -Princess,--Yes, she knew her well; for no hand used to drop so -bountifully the alms she asked, or said so kindly "Jesu pity you, my -good woman!" as did that beautiful lady. The beggar declared that she -stood near her by the altar in St. Sophia. "She looked so saintly -there! There was a real aureole about her head as she prayed, so she -was a saint indeed. Then she raised her dagger!" But the wretched -watcher could watch no longer, though she heard her cry, so wild that -she would never cease to hear it. - -The beggar ceased her story; all her words had cut through her -listener's heart as if they had been daggers. - -"It is well!" he said, "I will go to Albania. Among those who loved -her I will worship her memory; and, under Castriot, I will seek my -revenge." - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - - -Morsinia's fears, and her horror at the anticipated life in the harem, -were not confirmed by its actual scenes. Except for the constant -surveillance of the Nubian eunuchs and female attendants, there was no -restriction upon her liberty. She passed through the familiar -corridors, and rested upon the divan in what had been her own chamber -in better days. Other female captives became her companions; but among -them were none of those belonging to Constantinople. Suburban -villages were represented; but most of the odalisks[84] were -Circassian beauties, whose conduct did not indicate that they felt any -shame in their condition. They indulged in jealous rivalry, estimating -their own worth by the sums which the agents of the Sultan had paid -their parents for their possession; or bantering one another as to who -of their number would first meet the fancy of their royal master. -There were several Greeks, who, with more modesty of speech, spared -none of the arts of the toilet to prepare themselves to better their -condition in the only way that was now open to them. A Coptic girl had -been sent by Eenal, the Borghite Khalif of Egypt, as a present to the -Sultan. Her form was slight, and without the fullness of development -which other races associate with female beauty, but of wonderful grace -of pose and motion; her face was broad; eyes wide and expressionless; -mouth straight. Yet her features had that symmetry and balance which -gave to them a strange fascination. The Turcoman Emir who had already -given his daughter to Mahomet--the nuptials with whom he was -celebrating when called to the throne--exercised still further his -fatherly office in presenting to his son-in-law as fine a pair of -black eyes as ever flashed their cruel commands to an amative heart. -To study this physiognomical museum afforded Morsinia an entertaining -relief from the otherwise constant torture of her thoughts. - -To her further diversion one was introduced into the harem who spoke -her own Albanian tongue. This new comer was of undoubted beauty, so -far as that quality could be the product of merely physical elements. -It was of the kind that might bind a god on earth, but could never -help a soul to heaven. Her lower face, with full red lips arching the -pearliest teeth, and complexion ruddy with the glow of health, shading -into the snowy bosom, might perhaps serve to make a Venus; but her -upper features, the low forehead and dilated nostrils, could never -have been made to bespeak the thoughtful Minerva in this retreat of -those, who, to the Moslem imagination, are the types of heavenly -perfection. Her eyes were bright, but only with surface lustre. Her -nature evidently contained no depths which could hold either noble -resentment or self sacrificing love; either grand earthly passion or -heavenly faith. - -This woman's vanity did not long keep back the story of her life. She -told of her conquest of the village swains who fought for the -possession of her charms; of the devotion of an Albanian prince who -took her dowerless in preference to the ladies of great family and -fortune, and would have bestowed upon her the heirship to his estates: -of how she was stolen away from the great castle by a company of -Turkish officers, who afterward fought among themselves for the -privilege of presenting her to the Validé Sultana;[85] for it was -about the time of the Ramedan feast when the Sultan's mother made an -annual gift to her son of the most beautiful woman she could secure. -The vain captive declared that the jealousy of the odalisks at -Adrianople had led the Kislar Aga to send her here to Constantinople. - -"And who was the Albanian nobleman whose bride you had become?" asked -Morsinia. - -"Oh, one who is to be king of Albania one day, the Voivode Amesa." - -"Ah!" said Morsinia, "this is news from my country. When was it -determined that Amesa should be king?" - -"Oh! every one speaks of it at the castle as if it were well -understood. And when he becomes king then he will claim me again from -Mahomet, though he must ransom me with half his kingdom. Yes, I am to -be a queen; and indeed I may be one already, for perhaps Lord Amesa is -now on the throne. And that is the reason I wear the cord of gold in -my hair; for one day my royal lover will put the crown here." - -The bedizened beauty rose and paced to and fro through the great -salôn. The pride which gave the majestic toss to her head, however it -would have marred that ethereal form which the inner eye of the -moralist or the Christian always sees, and which is called character, -only gave an additional charm to her;--as the delicate yet stately -comb of the peacock adds to the fascination of that bird. Her carriage -combined the gracefulness of perfect anatomy and health with the -dignity which conceit, thoroughly diffused in muscle and nerve, lent -to all her movements. With that step upon it no carpet beneath a -throne would have been dishonored. Her dress was in exquisite keeping -with her person. The close fitting zone or girdle about her waist left -the bust uncontorted; a model which needed no device to supplement -the perfection of nature. A robe of purple velvet trailed luxuriantly -behind; but in front was looped so as to display the loose trousers of -white silk which were gathered below the knee and fell in full ruffles -about the unstockinged ankles, but not so low as to conceal the rings -of silver which clasped them, and the slippers of yellow satin, ending -in long and curved points, which protruded from beneath. - -As the other women gazed at this self-assumed queen of the harem the -green fire of jealousy flashed alike from black eyes and blue. The -straight thin noses of the Greeks for the moment forgot their classic -models, and dilated as if in rivalry of that flattened feature of the -Egyptian; while the straight mouth of the daughter of the Nile writhed -in indescribable curves, indicative of commingled wrath, hatred, pique -and scorn. - -This parade would have produced in Morsinia the feeling of contempt, -were it not for that sisterly interest which was awakened by the fact -that she was her own country-woman. Morsinia's face, usually calm in -its great dignity and reserve, now flushed with the struggle between -indignation and pity for the girl. - -At this moment the purple hangings which separated the salôn from the -open court were held aside by the silver staff of the eunuch in -charge; and the young Padishah stood as a spectator of the scene. - -"Ah! Tamlich," cried he, addressing the black eunuch, "you were right -in saying that the great haremlik at Adrianople, with its thousand -goddesses, could not rival this temporary one for the fairness of the -birds you have caged in it." - -The women made the temineh--a salutation with the right hand just -sweeping the floor, and then pressed consecutively to the heart, the -lips and the forehead; a movement denoting reverence, and, at the same -time, giving field for the display of the utmost grace of motion. - -The Padishah passed among these his slaves with the license which -betokened his absolute ownership; stroking their hair and toying with -their persons according to his amiable or insolent caprice. Morsinia, -however, was spared this familiarity. The Sultan himself colored -slightly as he addressed her a few words in Greek, of which language, -in common with several others, he knew enough to act as his own -interpreter. His questions were respectful, all limited to her comfort -in her new home. With Elissa, the queenly Albanian, he was at once on -terms of intimacy. Her manner betokened that she gave to him only too -willingly whatever he might be disposed to take. - -As the Sultan withdrew, the eunuch Tamlich remarked to him: - -"My surmise of your Excellency's judgment was verified. Said I not -that the two Arnaouts were the fairest? And did I not behold your -Majesty gaze longest upon them?" - -"I commend your taste, Tamlich," replied Mahomet. "But those two are -as unlike as a ruby and a pearl." - -"But as fair as either, are they not? The chief hamamjina[86] declares -that the blue-eyed one has the most perfect form she ever saw; and -that it is a form which will improve with years. Morsinia Hanoum[87] -will be more fit for Paradise, while Elissa Hanoum may lose the grace -of the maiden as a matron. But the cherry is ripe for the plucking -now." - -"I like the ruby better than the pearl," said the Sultan. "I cannot -quite fathom the deep eye of the latter. She thinks too much. I would -not have women think. They are to make us stop thinking. The problems -of state are sufficiently perplexing: I want no human problem in my -arms." - -"But one who thinks may have some skill in affording amusement. Have I -not heard thee say, Sire, 'Blessed is the one who can invent a new -recreation?' That requires thinking." - -"Right, Tamlich! can she sing?" - -"Ay! your Majesty, to the Greek cythera; and such songs that, though -they know not a word of them--for the songs are in her own Arnaout -tongue--the odalisks all fall to weeping." - -"I like not such singing," said Mahomet. "To make people think with -her thoughtful eyes is bad enough in a woman. To make them weep with -her voice is wicked, is Christian. I will give her away to some one -who wants a wife that thinks. There is Hamed Bey, one of the -muderris[88] who is to be put at the head of my new chain of -Ulemas.[89] He will want a wife who thinks; and his eyes are that -blind with dry study that it will do him good to weep. But who is the -woman? I think I saw her face in St. Sophia the day of our entry." - -"She belonged to the house-hold of Phranza, the Chamberlain, who -possessed this very house," replied the eunuch. "And I think, from its -goodly size and decoration, he must have used the treasury of the -empire freely." - -"To Phranza! Why, I have a daughter of his in the nursery at -Adrianople. His wife I have given to the Master of the Horse.[90] His -son I have this day sent to hell for his insolence. But she is an -Arnaout; therefore not of kin to Phranza. Search out her story, -Tamlich! For a member of the family of Phranza, and not of his blood, -may be of some political consequence. I will keep her. But get her -story, Tamlich, get her story!" - -"I have it already, Sire," replied the eunuch. - -"Ah!" - -"She is a ward of Scanderbeg, the Arnaout traitor, sent to -Constantinople to escape the danger of capture by thine all-conquering -arms. But the bird fled from the fowler into the snare." - -"Perhaps a child of Scanderbeg! Eh, Tamlich? One at least whose life -is of great value to him, and was to the Greek empire. I will inform -Scanderbeg that she is in my possession. By the dread of what may -happen to her I shall the easier force that ravening brute to make -terms; for I am tired of battering my sword against his rocks, trying -to prick his skin. Keep her close, Tamlich, keep her close!" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[84] Odalisk; the title of a childless inmate of the harem. - -[85] Mother of the Sultan. - -[86] Hamamjina; bath attendant. - -[87] Hanoum; a title given to matrons. - -[88] Muderris; professors in the high schools. - -[89] Chain of Ulemas; a renowned system of colleges. - -[90] Gibbon; Chapter LXVIII. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - - -Late in the day the Sultan retired to a neighboring mansion, once -possessed by the Greek Grand Duke, Lucas Notaras, and there sought -relaxation from the incessant cares of the empire. The day had been -wearisome. Architects had submitted plans for the detailed -ornamentation of the new seraglio which was rising on the Byzantine -Point. One of the plans led to dispute between the Padishah and the -chief Mufti, the expounder of the Moslem law. It was occasioned thus. -The porphyry column[91] which stood hard by the palace of the Greek -emperors, had once served to hold aloft the bronze statue of Apollo, a -precious relic of ancient Greek mythology. This was afterward -reverenced by the people as the figure of the Emperor Constantine the -Great, or worshipped by them as that of Christ. An architect proposed -that the time-glorious shaft should now be surmounted by the colossal -statue of Mahomet II. The Mufti declared the project to be impious, as -tempting to idolatry, against which the Koran was so clear and -denunciatory, and also the Sounna or traditional sayings of the -Prophet. The Sultan's pride rebelled against this assumption of an -authority above his own. But the Sultan's superstitious regard for the -faith among the people, which led him to wash his hands and face -openly whenever he spoke with the architect, who was a Christian -engaged at great cost from Italy, also led him to fear to break with -the prescriptions and customs of his religion in this matter. He -contented himself with an oath that he had sooner lost the honor of a -campaign than the privilege of seeing himself represented as the -conqueror of both Constantine and Christ. Generals, too, had been in -council with him that day regarding the conduct of intrigues for the -possession of the Peloponnesus, and about the wars in Servia, Boznia -and Trebizond. Ill tidings had come from Albania, where Scanderbeg was -consuming the Turkish armies, as a great spider entraps in his webs -and at his leisure devours a swarm of hornets, which, could they have -free access to him, would instantly sting him to death. The messenger -who brought this news was rewarded by having hurled at his head an -immense vase of malachite, in the exertion of lifting which the -imperial wrath was sufficiently eased to allow of his turning to other -business. A plan for the reception of the inmates of the grand harem -at Adrianople, when they should be transported to the spacious -buildings being constructed for them in the seraglio, was also a -pleasing diversion, and led the Sultan to make the brief visit to the -fair ones at the house of Phranza, which has been described. But the -nettled spirit of the Padishah was far from subdued. He had during the -day given an order, the sequel to which we must relate, and which, -while it disturbed his conscience and flooded him at moments with the -sense of self-contempt, also inflamed his natural passion for cruelty. -He determined to drown the noble, and to satiate the the vicious, -craving by an hour or two of unrestrained debauch. - -In the court of the house of the Grand Duke Notaras was spread the -royal banquet. Rarest viands were flanked by flagons of costliest -wines. Upon the momentary surprise of the steward when he received the -order to provide the wines, the monarch cried in a contemptuous tone: - -"Ah! I know your thoughts. It is not according to the Koran that wine -should be drunk. But by the staff of Moses,[92] which they found in -the palace of the Cæsars yonder, I swear that Mahomet the Emperor -shall not yield to Mahomet the Prophet in everything. The Prophet made -laws to suit his own taste, so will I[93]. He can have Mecca and -Medina and Jerusalem; but I shall reign without him in my own palace -in Stamboul, which I have captured with my own hand. Bring the wine, -or I'll spill your black blood as a beverage to those in hell! It will -be sweet enough for your kin who are black with roasting. I will have -wine to-day! Cool it in all the snows from Mount Olympus yonder; for -my blood is as hot as if I were shod with fire; and my skull boils -like a pot."[94] - -About the table were divans cushioned with down and covered with -yellow silk. The Padishah took his seat upon the highest cushion. By -his side stood the chief of the black eunuchs, splendidly[95] attired -in the waistcoat of flower embroidered brocade, tunic of scarlet, -flowing trousers, red turban, and half boots of bronzed leather. He -held a wand of silver covered with elegant tracery and topped in -filagree. As he waved this symbol of his office, there came from the -various doors opening into the court groups of the harem women. They -were draped in gauze, in the folds of which sparkled diamonds and -glowed the hues of precious stones selected by the taste of the chief -eunuch to set off the complexion and hair of their various wearers, -and at the same time to facilitate their grouping into sets of -dancers. The court was made radiant with these beautiful forms, which -moved in circles or in spirals about the fountains and under the -orange trees, whose white blossoms and golden fruit in simultaneous -fulness completed the picture for the eye, while their fragrance -loaded the air with its delicate delight. - -The Kislar Aga had arranged a scene which especially pleased the -monarch, whose head was already swimming with the combined effect of -the mazy dance and the fumes of the wine. An attendant led into the -court, held partly by a strong leash and partly by the voice of his -trainer, a magnificent leopard. With utmost grace the beast leaped -over the ribboned wand, falling so softly to the ground that, though -of enormous weight, he would not seemingly have broken a twig had it -lain beneath his feet. In imitation of this, a eunuch led into the -court by a leash of roses a Circassian dancer, the gift of a -Caramanian prince. Her form was as free from the hindrances of dress -as that of her spotted competitor; except that a bright gem burned -upon her forehead, in the node which gathered a part of her hair; -while the abundance of her tresses was either held out on her snowy -arms, or fell about her as a veil almost to her feet. With a hundred -variations the girl repeated the motions of the leopard, leaping the -wands with equal grace as she came to them in the measures of the -dance. - -The great brute had laid his head in the lap of his trainer, and was -watching his beautiful rival with apparent enjoyment; only now and -then uttering a low growl as if in jealousy, when the Bravo! of the -Sultan rewarded some especially fascinating movement. The girl came to -the side of the magnificent monster and dropped her long hair over his -head. The brute closed his eyes as if soothed by the wooing of the -maiden. Cautiously, but encouraged by the low voice of the trainer, -she placed her head upon the mottled and living pillow. A great paw -was thrown about her shoulder. - -The Sultan was in ecstasy of applause, and shouted: - -"A collar of gold for each of them!" - -The girl attempted to rise, but her splendid lover seemed to have -become really enamored of the beautiful form he held. Her slightest -motion was answered by a growl; while the swaying of his tail -indicated that, as among human kind, so with the brutes, the softest -sentiments were to be guarded by those of a severer nature; that -baffled love must meet the avenging of cruel wrath. Like the affection -of some men, that of the leopard was limited to its own gratification, -and utterly regardless of the comfort of its object; for the fondness -of the brute was not such as to prevent his long nails protruding -through their velvet covering, and entering the bare flesh of the -girl. She quivered with pain, yet, at the quick warning of the -trainer, she made no outcry. The man drew from his pocket a small bit -of raw flesh, and diverted the eyes of the brute from the blood -streaming at each claw-puncture on the neck and bosom of his victim. -The leopard savagely snapped at the morsel, and, at the same instant -struck it with his paw, and leaped to seize it as it was hurled many -feet away. The girl as quickly darted to a safe distance. Attendants -instantly appeared and surrounded the beast with their spear points. -He crouched at the feet of the trainer, and whined in fear until he -was led out. - -The girls then encircled the seat of the Sultan, and vied with one -another in the simulated attempt to throw over him a spell. Nor was -the attempt merely simulated, as each one displayed the utmost art of -beauty and manner to win from the half-drunken tyrant some token of -his favor. - -When Elissa came near the Sultan, he bade her play with him as the -Circassian did with the leopard. He held her and exclaimed to the -others: - -"Beware your leopard when he growls! but where is the other Arnaout? I -will have the pearl with the ruby of the harem! where is she, I say? -Did I not order you to bring all the odalisks to my feast?" - -"From your Majesty's orders but lately, Sire, I supposed--" began the -eunuch. - -"Supposed? You are to obey, not to suppose," cried the demented man, -slashing at him with the cimeter that lay at his feet. - -"But she is not robed for the feast." - -"Bring her as she is, and robe her here. You said that she was fairer -than this one. If she is not fairer than this one, the leopard's claws -will grip her, and the beast shall have your black body for his next -supper. Bring her!" - -The eunuch soon returned with Morsinia. She wore a sombre feridjé, or -cloak completely enveloping the person. This she had on at the moment -she was summoned, and the eunuch obeyed literally the mandate of the -monarch to bring her as she was. - -As she stood before the Sultan she appeared, in contrast with her half -naked and bejeweled sisters, like a prophetess; some female Elijah -before Ahab surrounded by his household of Jezebels. Throwing back the -yashmak, or long veil--the one Moslem costume she had very willingly -assumed after her captivity--she gazed upon the tyrant with a look of -amazed inquiry of his meaning in summoning her to such a place. The -sovereignty of her soul asserted and expressed itself in her noble -brow, her clear and steady eye, her dauntless bearing. - -"Sire, I have obeyed," said she, making the obeisance which in form -was obsequious, but which she executed with such dignity that even the -dull wit of the reveller felt that she had not really humbled herself -before him by so much as the shadow of a thought. - -"Disrobe her!" cried the monarch. - -The woman stepped back, as if to avoid the contact of her person with -the black eunuch; but as suddenly threw off the feridjé herself. If -she had seemed a gloomy prophetess before, her appearance now would -have suggested to an ancient Greek the apparition of Pudicitia, the -goddess of modesty. Her gown of rich pearl-tinted cloth covered her -shoulders; and, though opened upon the bosom, it was to show only the -thick folds of white lace which embraced the throat in a ruffle, and -was clasped with a single gem--a cameo presented to her by the Greek -Emperor. - -The bearing of the woman gave a temporary check to the abominable rage -of the royal wretch, and recalled him to his better judgment. For it -was a peculiarity of Mahomet that no passion or debauch could -completely divert him from carrying out any plan he had devised -pertaining to his imperial ambition. As certain musicians perform -without the sacrifice of a note the most difficult pieces, when too -drunk to hold a goblet steadily to their lips, and as certain noted -generals have staggered through the battle without the slightest -strategic mistake, so Mahomet never lost sight of a political or -military purpose he had formed. While sleeping and waking, in the -wildest revelry and in the privacy of his unspeakable sensuality, that -project blazed before him like a strong fire-light through the haze. - -"Take her away! Take her away!" said he to the eunuch, recollecting -his purpose of using her in his negotiations with Scanderbeg; and -covering his retreat from his original command by the remark, "She is -the woman who thinks, I want none such to put her head against my -heart. She might discover my thoughts; and by the secrets of Allah! -if a hair of my beard knew one of my thoughts I would pluck it out and -burn it."[96] - -As Morsinia withdrew, a eunuch approached and whispered to the Sultan. - -"Ah! it is good! good!" cried the Monarch. "My Lord, the Grand Duke -Notaras, will revisit his mansion. For him we have provided a feast -such as his master Palæologus never gave him. Ah! my lovely Arnaout -shall sit at my right hand--for the queen of beauty has precedence -to-day," said he, addressing Elissa. "And the Egyptian shall make me -merry with the music of her voice, which I doubt not is sweeter than -the strains of her native Memnon. And, Tamlich, you shall do me the -honor of representing the king of Nubia, and lie there opposite." - -The eunuch stood bewildered; for never before had a Moslem proposed to -introduce into his harem the person of any man, as now the Duke of -Notaras was to look upon the beauties who should be reserved solely -for the feasting of the Padishah's eyes. - -Mahomet, knowing his thoughts, bade him obey, and cried, - -"Let the fair houris veil their faces with their blushes. Bring in -Notaras!" - -Three blacks entered, each bearing a great salver, on which was a -covered dish of gold. - -"To Tamlich I demit the honors of the board," said he, waving the -foremost waiter toward the eunuch, whose face almost blanched at the -strange turn affairs were taking, or perhaps with the suspicion that -to-morrow his head would fall from his shoulders as the penalty of -having witnessed the Padishah disgrace himself. - -The attendants placed the dishes before the eunuch and the two favored -beauties. The covers removed revealed the ghastly sight of three human -heads, their unclosed eyes staring upward from their distorted faces -and gory locks. The eunuch leaped from the divan. The women fell back -shrieking and fainting. They were the heads of the Grand Duke Notaras -and his two children. - -Well did the Sultan need the strong diversion of the drunken revelry -to drown the thoughts of what he knew to be transpiring at the hour. -In spite of his royal word to the distinguished captive who had made -his submission absolute, except to the extent of seeing his children -dishonored to the vilest purposes, Mahomet had ordered that Notaras -should be beheaded at the Hippodrome, having been first compelled to -witness the decapitation of his family. - -Even Mahomet was sobered by the horrid ghoulism he had devised, and -dismissed the terror-stricken revelers with a volley of curses. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[91] Porphyry column; now the famous Burnt Column. - -[92] Staff of Moses; one of the relics held sacred by the Greeks at -the time. - -[93] Gibbon's statement of Mahomet II's. opinion. - -[94] Punishment of those in hell, according to Koran. - -[95] See effigy in the museum of the Elbicei-Atika at Constantinople. - -[96] A similar remark was made afterward by Mahomet II. to a chief -officer who asked him his plans for a certain campaign. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - - -The courage of Morsinia when she appeared before Mahomet had been -stimulated by an event which occurred a little before her summons. - -She was sitting by the latticed window in the house of Phranza. It -overlooked the wall surrounding the garden, which on that side was a -narrow enclosure. This had been her favorite resort in brighter days. -From it she could see what passed in the broad highway beyond, while -the close latticed woodwork prevented her being seen by those without. -While musing there she was strangely attracted by an officer who -frequently passed. His shape and stature reminded her strongly of -Constantine. As he turned his face toward the mansion the features -seemed identical with those of her foster brother. Recovering from the -stroke of surprise this apparition gave her, Morsinia rubbed her eyes -to make sure she was not dreaming, and looked again. He was in -conversation with another. It could not be Constantine, for, aside -from the general belief in Constantine's death before the termination -of the siege, this person was saluted with great reverence by the -soldiers who passed by, and approached with familiarity by other -officers of rank. - -The sight brought into vivid conviction what had long been her day -dream, namely, that Michael, her childhood playmate, might be living, -and if so, would probably be among the Turkish soldiers; for his -goodly physique and talent, displayed as a lad, would certainly have -been cultivated by his captors. She now felt certain of her theory. So -strong was the impression, and so active and exciting her thoughts as -she endeavored to devise a way by which the discovery might be -utilized to the advantage of both, that even the loathsome splendor of -the Sultan's garden party, had not impressed her as it otherwise would -have done. - -For several days after she was almost oblivious to the monotony of the -harem life; so busy was she with her new problem. She determined that, -at any cost, she would bring herself into communication with the -officer, and, if her theory should be confirmed, declare herself, and -boldly propose that he should rescue her. For she could not conceive -that, however much he had become accustomed to Turkish life, he had -lost all yearning for his liberty and all impression of his Christian -faith. - -But how could she convey any intelligence to him? Except through the -eunuchs, the inmates of the harem had little communication with the -outer world. The customs of life there were as inflexible as the -walls. - -To her natural ingenuity, now so quickened by necessity and hope, -there at length appeared an end thread of the tangle. The women of the -harem relieved the tedium of their existence by making various -articles, the construction of which might not mar the delicacy of -their fingers; such as needlework upon their own clothing, coverings -for cushions, curtains, tapestried hangings, spreads for couches, -cases in which the Koran could be kept so that even when being read -it need not be touched by the fingers, bags of scented powders, and -the like. Many of these articles were disposed of at the bazaars of -the city, and the proceeds spent by the odalisks at their own caprice; -generally for confections and gew-gaws. At the time there was quite a -demand for articles made in the harem. Many thousands of Moslems had -been imported from Asia Minor to take the place of the rapidly -disappearing Greek population. Large stores of articles were sent from -the great harem at Adrianople, and sold for fabulous prices in the -bazaars of Stamboul, as the new capital was called by the Turks. The -agents for the sale of these things were generally the female -attendants at the harem, who had free association with the bazaar -keepers. Sometimes these women sold directly to the individual -purchasers without going to the trade places. An officer or young -citizen was often inveigled into buying, and paying exorbitant prices -too, on hearing that some odalisk had set longing eyes upon him, and -wrought the purse or belt, the dagger-sheath or embroidered jacket, as -a special evidence of her favor. Many were the stories which the -gallants of the city and garrison were accustomed to tell, as they -displayed their purchases, about nocturnal adventures, in which they -were guided only by a pair of bright eyes, and of favors received from -beauties whose names, of course, prudence forbade them to mention. All -the traditions of lovers, romances of moon-shadowed grottoes, and all -the stories of castles with the thread at the window, that have been -told from the beginning of the world, had their counterpart in those -the swains of Stamboul told about the Sultan's earthly paradise at -Adrianople, or those which, in their amatory bantering, they had made -to cluster about the villa of the late Phranza at the new capital. - -An old woman, who, formerly a servant in the harem, had been given by -the Validé Sultana, the mother of Amurath, to a subaltern officer as -wife, but had long been a widow, was permitted freely to enter the -haremlik, and engaged as a convenient broker between those within and -those without. One day Morsinia, in giving her some of her handiwork -for sale, held up an elegant case of silk containing several little -crystals, or phials, of atar of roses. - -"Kala-Hanoum, do you know the young Captain Ballaban?" - -"Ay, the Knight of the Golden Horn?" asked the woman. - -"And why do they call him that?" - -"Because," she replied, "his head glows like one, I suppose." - -"Yes, he is the man--Well! find him--Tell him any story you please -about my beauty." - -"I need not invent one; I must only tell the truth to bewitch him," -replied the old dame, with real fondness and admiration. "But that -will be difficult. I can invent a lie better than describe the truth, -unless you help me." - -"Well," said Morsinia, "tell him as much truth about my appearance as -you can, and invent the rest. Tell him--let me see--that my eyes are -as bright as the stars that shine above the Balkans." - -"Do they shine there more brilliantly than here where they make their -toilet in the Bosphorus?" asked the woman. - -"Oh! yes," said Morsinia, "for the air is clearest there of any place -on the earth. Tell him, too, that my teeth are as white as the snows -that lie in the pass of Slatiza." - -"Where is that?" queried the messenger. - -"Oh! it is a grotto I have heard of, that lies very high up toward the -sky, where the snows are unsoiled by passing through the clouds, -which, you know, always tints them. And then tell him that altogether -I am as queenly as--as--well! as the wonderful Elizabeth Morsiney, the -bride of the Christian king Sigismund." - -"Elizabeth Morsiney? yes, I will remember that name, if some day you -will tell me her story." - -"That I will," said Morsinia. "And tell the young officer that the -odalisk who made this lovely case has dreamed of him ever since she -was a child." - -"He cannot resist that," said the woman. - -"But you must sell it to no one else. And see this elegant sash of -cashmere! I will give it to you to sell on your own account, Hanoum, -if you bring me some sure evidence that he has bought the case of -perfume. And be sure to tell him that just when the sun is setting he -must go somewhere alone, and look at the sun through each of the -little phials, and he may see the face of her who sent them; for you -know that a true lover can always see the one who sends a phial of -atar of roses in the sun glints from its sides. And when you bring me -evidence that he has bought it, then, good Kala, you shall have the -sash of cashmere." The old woman's cupidity hastened her feet upon -her errand. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - - -"Peace be with thee!" said the old woman, dropping a low courtesy to -the officer, as he walked near the new buildings of the seraglio. - -"Peace be unto _thee_, and the mercy of God and His blessing,[97] good -woman!" replied the soldier; but waving his hand, added kindly, "I -have no need of your harem trumpery." - -"But see this!" said she, showing the elegant case of perfumery. "This -holds the essence of the flowers of paradise." - -"Go along, old mother! I would have no taste for it if it contained -the sweat of the houris."[98] - -"But this case was made especially for you, Captain Ballaban." - -"Or for any other man whose purse will buy it," replied he, moving -away. - -The woman followed closely, chattering into his deaf ears. - -"But, could you see her that made it, you would not decline to buy, -though you gave for it half the gold you found in the coffers of the -rich Greeks the day your valor won the city, brave Captain; and the -cost of it is but a lira;[99] and the maiden is dying of love for -you." - -"Then why does she not give it to me as a present? Love asks no -price," said he, just turning his head. - -"That she would, but for fear of offending your honor by slighting -your purse," said the quick-witted woman. - -"Well said, mother! I warrant that the Beyler Bey, or the noble -Kaikji,[100] who made love to you never got you for nothing." - -"Indeed, no! He paid the Validé Sultana ten provinces, and a brass -buckle besides, to prevent her giving me to Timour; who took it so -hard that he would have broken his heart, but that the grief went the -wrong way and cracked his legs, and so they call him Timour-lenk. That -was the reason he made war on the Ottomans. It was all out of jealousy -for me," said she, making a low and mock courtesy. "But if you could -see the beautiful odalisk who made this! Her form is as stately as the -dome of St. Sophia." - -"She's too big and squatty, if she's like that," laughed the officer. - -"Her face glows in complexion like the mother of pearl," went on the -enthusiastic saleswoman. - -"Too hard of cheek!" sneered the other. "Even yours, Hanoum, is not so -hard as mother of pearl." - -"A neck like alabaster----" - -"Cold! too cold! I would as soon think of making love to a -gravestone," was the officer's comment. - -"And such melting lips----" - -"Yes, with blisters! I tell you, old Hanoum, I'm woman proof. Go -away!" - -"And her eyes shine through her long lashes like the stars through the -fir trees on the Balkans." - -"Tut! Woman, you never saw the stars shine on the Balkans. They do -shine there, though, like the very eyes of Allah. A woman with such -eyes would frighten the Padishah himself." - -Kala Hanoum took courage at this first evidence of interest on the -part of the officer, and plied her advantage. - -"And her teeth are as white as the snows in the grotto of Slatiza--" - -"The grotto of Slatiza? You mean some bear's cave. But the snows are -white there, whiter and purer than anywhere else on earth, except as I -once saw them, so red with blood, there in the Pass of Slatiza. But -how know you of Slatiza, my good woman?" - -"And altogether she is as fair as the bride of Sigismund of Hungary," -said Kala, without regarding his question. - -"And who was she, Hanoum?" asked the man, with curiosity fully -aroused. - -"Why, Elizabeth Morsiney, of course." - -The officer turned fully toward the woman, and scanned closely her -features as if to discover something familiar. Was there not some hint -to be picked from these words? - -"Hanoum, who told you to say that?" - -The woman in turn studied his face before she replied. She would -learn whether the allusions had excited a pleasant interest, or roused -antagonism in him. It required but a moment for her to discover that -Morsinia had given her some clue that the man would willingly follow, -so she boldly replied: - -"The odalisk herself has talked to me of these things." - -"The odalisk! What is she like?" said he eagerly. "Describe her to -me." - -"Why, I have been describing her for this half-hour; but you would not -listen. So I will go off and do my next errand." - -The woman turned away, but, as she intended it should be, the officer -was now in the attitude of the beggar. - -"Hold, Hanoum, I will buy your perfume--But tell me what she is like -in plain words. Is she of light hair?" - -"Ay, as if she washed it in the sunshine and dried it in the -moonlight, and as glossy as the beams of both." - -"Think you she belonged to Stamboul before the siege?" - -"Ay, and to the great Scanderbeg before that." - -The officer was bewildered and stood thinking, until Kala interrupted -him. - -"But you said you would buy it, Captain." - -"Did I? Well, take your lira." - -As the woman took the piece of money she added: "And don't forget that -the odalisk said she had dreamed of you since she was a child, and -that at sunset if you looked through the phials you would see her -face." - -"Nonsense, woman!" - -"But try it, Sire, and maybe the noble Captain would send something to -the beautiful odalisk?" - -"Yes, when I see her in the phial I will send her myself as her -slave." - -The man thrust the silken case into the deep pocket of his flowing -vest and went away. - -Then began a struggle in Captain Ballaban. Since the capture of the -fair girl by the altar of St. Sophia, he had been unable to efface the -remembrance of her. She stood before him in his dreams: sometimes just -falling beneath the dagger; sometimes in the splendor which he -imagined to surround her in the harem; often in mute appeal to him to -save her from the nameless horrors which her cry indicated that she -dreaded. When waking, his mind was often distracted by thoughts of -her. The presence of the Sultan lost its charm, for he had come to -look upon him as her owner, and to feel himself in some way despoiled. -He was losing his ambition for distant service, and found himself -often loitering in the vicinity of the Phranza palace. - -This feeling which, perhaps, is experienced by most men, at least once -in life, as the spell of a fair face is thrown over them, was -associated with a deeper and more serious one in Captain Ballaban. - -From the day of her capture until now he had felt almost confident of -her identity with his little playmate in the mountain home. She thus -linked together his earliest and later life; and, as he thought of -her, he thought of the contrast in himself then and now. The things -he used to muse about when a child, his feelings then, his purposes, -his religious faith, all came back to him, and with a strange strength -and fascination. He began to realize that, though he was an enthusiast -for both the Moslem belief and the service of the Ottoman, yet he had -become such, not in his own free choice, but by the overpowering will -of others. At heart he rebelled, while he could not say that he had -come to disbelieve a word of the Koran, and was not willing to harbor -a purpose against the sovereignty of the Padishah. Still he was -compelled to confess to himself that, if the fair woman were indeed -his old play-mate, and there was open a way by which he could release -her from her captivity, he would risk so much of disloyalty to the -Sultan as the attempt should require. Indeed, he argued to himself -that, except in the mere form of it, it would not be disloyalty; for -what did Mahomet care for one woman more or less in his harem? And was -this woman not, after all, more his property than she was that of the -Padishah? He had captured her; perhaps twice; and had saved her life -in St. Sophia, for only his hand caught her dagger. She was his! - -Then he became fond of indulging a day dream. The Sultan sometimes -gave the odalisks to his favorite pashas and servants. What if this -one should be given to him? - -He had gone so far as once to say in response to the Sultan, who -twitted him for being in love, that he imagined such to be the case, -and only needed the choice of His Majesty to locate the passion. But -he did not dare to be more specific, lest he might run across some -caprice of the Sultan; for he felt sure that so beautiful an odalisk -as his captive would not long be without the royal attention. - -Old Kala Hanoum's information regarding the fair odalisk allayed the -turmoil in Ballaban's breast, in that it gave certainty to his former -suspicions. For her words about the stars above the Balkans, the snows -of Slatiza, and Elizabeth Morsiney, were not accidental. He had no -doubt that the Albanian odalisk was the little lady to whom he once -made love in the bowers of blackberry bushes, and vowed to defend like -a true knight, waving his wooden sword over the head of the goat he -rode as a steed. In the midst of such thoughts and emotions, Captain -Ballaban awoke to full self-consciousness, and said to himself---- - -"I am in love! But I am a fool! For a man with ambition must never be -in love, except with himself. Besides, this woman I love is perhaps -half in my imagination; for I never yet caught a full view of her -face. As for her being my little Morsinia--Illusion! No! this is no -illusion! But what if she be the same! Captain Ballaban, are you going -to be a soldier, or a lover? Take your choice; for you can't be both, -at least not an Ottoman soldier and a lover of a Christian girl." - -Rubbing his hand through his red hair, as if to pull out these -fantasies, he strode down to the water's edge, and, tossing a Kaikji a -few piasters, was in a moment darting like an arrow across the -harbor;--a customary way the captain had of getting rid of any -vexation. The cool evening breeze wooed the over-thoughtfulness from -his brain, or he spurted it out through his muscles into the oar -blades, which dropped it into the water of oblivion. - -He was scarcely aware that he was becoming more tranquil, when a quick -cry of a boat keeper showed that he had almost run down the old tower -of white marble which rises from a rocky islet, just away from the -mainland on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus. - -"Kiss-Koulessi, the Maiden's Tower, this," he muttered. "Well, I have -fled from the fortress of one maiden to run against that of another. -Fate is against me. Perhaps I had better submit. Why not? Wasn't -Charis a valiant general of the old Greeks, who sent him here, once on -a time, to help the Byzantines? Well! He had a wife, the fair -Boiidion, the 'heifer-eyed maiden.' And here she lies beneath this -tower. The world would have forgotten General Charis, but for his wife -Damalis, whom they have remembered these two thousand years. A wife -_may_ be the making of a man's fame. If the Sultan would give me my -pick of the odalisks I think I would venture." - -These thoughts were not interrupted, only supplemented, by the sun's -rays, now nearly horizontal, as striking the water far up the harbor -of Stamboul, they poured over it and made it seem indeed a Golden -Horn, the open end of which extended into the Bosphorus. The ruddy -glow tipped the dome of St. Sophia as with fire; transformed the gray -walls of the Genoese tower at Galata into a huge porphyry column, -sparkling with a million crystals; and made the white marble of the -Maiden's Tower blush like the neck of a living maiden, when kissed -for the first time by the hot lips of her lover. - -So the Captain thought: and was reminded to inspect the silken -treasure he had purchased. He would look through the phials, as--who -knows--he might see the face of her who sent them. If looking at the -red orb of the sun, just for an instant, made his eyes see a hundred -sombre suns dancing along the sky, it would not be strange if his long -meditation upon a certain radiant maiden should enable him to see her, -at least in one shadowy reproduction of his inner vision. - -He drew the silken case from his pocket. It was wrought with real -skill, and worth the lira, even if it had contained nothing, and meant -nothing. The little phials were held up one by one, and divided the -sun's beams into prismatic hues as they passed through the twisted -glass. In each was a drop or two of sweet essence, like an imprisoned -soul, waiting to be released, that it might fly far and wide and -distill its perfume as a secret blessing. - -"But this one is imperfect," muttered the Captain, as he held up a -phial that was nearly opaque. It was larger than the others, and -contained a tightly wrapped piece of paper. "The clue!" said he, and, -after a moment's hesitation, broke the phial. Unwinding the paper, he -read: - -"You are Michael, son of Milosch. I am Morsinia, child of -Kabilovitsch. For the love of Jesu! save me from this hell. We can -communicate by this means." - -It was a long row that Captain Ballaban took that night upon the -Bosphorus. Yet he went not far, but back and forth around the new -seraglio point, scarcely out of sight of the clear-cut outline of the -Phranza Palace, as it stood out against the sky above the ordinary -dwellings of the city. The dawn began to peer over the hills back of -Chalcedon, and to send its scouts of ruddy light down the side of Mt. -Olympus, when he landed. But the length of the night to him could not -be measured by hours. He had lived over again ten years. He had gone -through a battle which tired his soul as it had never been tired under -the flashing of steel and the roar of culverin. Only once before, -when, as a mere child he was conquered by the terrors of the -Janizaries' discipline, had he suffered so intensely. Yet the battle -was an undecided one. He staggered up the hill from the landing to the -barracks with the cry of conflict ringing through his soul. "What -shall I do?" On the one side were the habit of loyalty, his oath of -devotion to the Padishah, all his earthly ambition which blazed with -splendors just before him--for he was the favorite of both the Sultan -and the soldiers--and all that the education of his riper years had -led him to hope for in another world. On the other side were this new -passion of love which he could no longer laugh down, and the appeal of -a helpless fellow creature for rescue from what he knew was injustice, -cruelty and degradation;--the first personal appeal a human being had -ever made to him, and he the only human being to whom she could -appeal. To heed this cry of Morsinia he knew would be treason to his -outward and sworn loyalty. To refuse to heed it he felt would be -treason to his manhood. What could he do? Neither force was -preponderating. - -The battle wavered. - -What did he do? What most people do in such circumstances--he -temporized: said, "I will do nothing to-day." Like a genuine Turk he -grunted to himself, "Bacaloum!" "We shall see!" - -But though he arranged and ordered an armistice between his contending -thoughts, there was no real cessation of hostilities. Arguments -battered against arguments. Feelings of the gentler sort mined -incessantly beneath those which he would have called the braver and -more manly. And the latter counter-mined: loyalty against love: -ambition against pity. - -But all the time the gentler ones were gaining strength. On their side -was the advantage of a definite picture--a lovely face; of an -immediate and tangible project--the rescue of an individual. The -danger of the enterprise weighed nothing with him, or, at least, it -was counter-balanced by the inspiriting anticipation of an adventure, -an exploit:--the very hazard rather fascinating than repelling. Yet he -had not decided. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[97] Koran, Chapter IV. "When you are saluted with a salutation, -salute the person with a better salutation, or at least return the -same." - -[98] According to the Koran the houris perspire musk. - -[99] About an English pound sterling. - -[100] Kaikji; a common boatman. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - - -Captain Ballaban was summoned by the Sultan. - -"Well, comrade," said Mahomet, familiarly throwing his arm about his -friend, much to the disgust of the Capee Aga, the master of -ceremonies, through whom alone it was the custom of the Sultans to be -approached. - -"Well! comrade, I gave a necklace worth a thousand liras to a girl who -pleased me in the harem." - -"Happy girl, to have pleased your Majesty. That was better than the -necklace," replied Ballaban. - -"Think you so? Let me look you through and through. Think you there is -nothing better in this world than to please the Padishah? Ah! it is -worth a kingdom to hear that from a man like you, Ballaban. Women say -it; but they can do nothing for me. They dissipate my thoughts with -their pleasuring me. They make me weak. I have a mind to abolish the -whole harem. But to have a man, a strong man, a man with a head to -plot for empire and to marshal armies, a man with an arm like thine to -make love to me! Ah, that is glorious, comrade. But let me make no -mistake about it. You love me? Do you really think no gold, no honors, -could give you so much pleasure as pleasing me? Swear it! and by the -throne of Allah! I will swear that you shall share my empire. But to -business!" dropping his voice, and in the instant becoming apparently -forgetful of his enthusiasm for his friend. - -"We make a campaign against Belgrade. I must go in person. Yet -Scanderbeg holds out in Albania. It is useless meeting him in his -stronghold. You cannot fight a lion by crawling into his den. He must -be trapped. Work out a plan." - -"I have one which may be fruitful," instantly replied Captain -Ballaban. - -"Ah! so quick?" - -"No, of long hatching, Sire. I made it in my first campaign in Albania -with your royal father. The young Voivode Amesa is nephew to -Scanderbeg. He is restless under the authority of the great general: -has committed some crime which, if known, would bring him to ruin: is -popular with the people of the north." - -"Capital!" said Mahomet eagerly. "I see it all. Work it out! Work it -out! He may have anything, if only Scanderbeg can be put out of the -way, and the country be under our suzerainty. Work it out! And the -suzerain revenues shall all be yours; for by the bones of Othman! -there is not a province too great for you if only you can settle -affairs among the Arnaouts. - -"And now a gift! I will send you the very queen of the harem." - -"My thanks, Padishah, but I----" began Ballaban, when he was cut short -by the Sultan. - -"Not a word! not a word! I know you decline to practice the softer -virtues, and prefer to live like a Greek monk. But you must take her. -If you like her not, drown her. But you shall like her. By the dimple -in the chin of Ayesha! she is the most perfect woman in the empire." - -"But," interposed Ballaban, "I am a Janizary, and it is not permitted -a Janizary to marry." - -"A fig for what is permitted! When the Padishah gives, he grants -permission to enjoy his gifts. Besides, you need not marry. You can -own her; sell her if you don't like her. But you must take her." - -"Of what nation is she? Perhaps I could not understand her tongue," -objected Ballaban. - -"So much the better," said Mahomet. "Women are not made to talk. But -this woman is an Arnaout, from Scanderbeg's country." - -Captain Ballaban could scarcely believe his ears. - -This then is Morsinia! To have her, to save her without breach of -loyalty! This was too much. With strangely fluttering heart he -acquiesced, and his thanks were drawn from the bottom of his soul. - -The next day he sought Kala Hanoum, and sent by her to Morsinia a gem -enclosed in a pretty casket, with which was a note, reading,-- - -"It shall be so. Patience for a few days, and our hearts shall be made -glad." - -How strangely Fate had planned for him! It must have been Fate; for -only powers supernal could have made the gift of the Padishah so -fitting to his heart. No chance this! His secret passion, unbreathed -to any ear on earth, had been a prayer heard in heaven! - -Ballaban was now an undoubting Moslem that he found Kismet on the side -of his inclinations. He belonged to Islâm, the Holy Resignation; -resigned to the will of Providence, since Providence seemed just now -to have resigned itself to his will. He was surprised at the ecstatic -character his piety was taking on. He could have become a dervish: -indeed his head was already whirling with the intoxication of his -prospects. - -Captain Ballaban, like a good Moslem, went to the Mosque. He made his -prayer toward the Mihrab; but his eyes and thoughts wandered to the -spot at the side of it, where he had saved the life of Morsinia; and -he thanked Allah with full soul that he had been allowed to save her -for himself. - -The Padishah, the following day, bade Ballaban repair to a house in -the city, and be in readiness to receive the gift of heaven and of his -own imperial grace. On reaching the place an elderly woman--the -Koulavous, an inevitable attendant upon marriages--conducted him -through the selamlik and mabeyn to the haremlik of the house. The -bride or slave, as he pleased to take her, rose from the divan to meet -him. Though her thick veil completely enveloped her person, it could -not conceal her superb form and marvellous grace. His hand trembled -with the agitation of his delight as he exercised the authority of a -husband or master, and reverently raised the veil. - -He stood as one paralyzed in amazement. She was not Morsinia. She was -Elissa! - -He dropped the veil. - -Strange spirits seemed to breathe themselves in succession through his -frame. - -First came the demon of disappointment, checking his blood, stifling -him. Not that any other mortal knew of his shattered hopes; but it was -enough that he knew them. And with the consciousness of defeat, a -horrible chagrin bit and tore his heart, as if it had been some dragon -with teeth and claws. - -Then came the demon of rage; wild rage; wanting to howl out its fury. -He might have smitten the veiled form, had not the latter, overcome by -her bewilderment and the scorn of him she supposed to have been a -lover, already fallen fainting at his feet. - -Then rose in Ballaban's breast the demon of vengeance against the -Sultan. Had Mahomet been present he surely had felt the steel of the -outraged man. Only the habit of self-control and quiet review of his -own passions prevented his seeking the Padishah, and taking instant -vengeance in his blood. - -Then there came into him a great demon of impiety, and breathed a -curse against Allah himself through his lips. - -But finally a new spirit hissed into his ears. It was Nemesis. He felt -that this was the moment when a just retribution had returned upon -himself. For he well knew the face that lay weeping beneath the heap -of bejewelled lace and silk. It was that of the Dodola, whom he had -flung into the arms of the Albanian Voivode Amesa when he was awaiting -the embrace of some more princely maiden. And now the sarcasm of fate -had thrown her into his arms. - -"Allah! Thou wast even with me this time," he confessed back of his -clenched teeth. - -"But doubtless," he thought, "it was through the information I gave to -the Aga that this girl has been stolen away from Amesa." - -"Would that heaven rid me of her so easily!" he muttered. "Yet that is -easy; thanks to our Moslem law, which says, 'Thou mayest either retain -thy wife with humanity or dismiss her with kindness.'[101] Yet I -cannot dismiss her with kindness. She can not go back to the royal -harem. If I dismiss her I harm her, and Allah's curse will be fatal -if I wrong this creature again--to say nothing of the Padishah's if I -throw away his gift. I must keep her. Well! Bacaloum! Bacaloum! It is -not so bad a thing after all to have a woman like that for one's -slave; for a wife without one's heart is but a slave. Well!" He raised -the veil again from the now sitting woman. - -The mutually stupid gaze carried them both through several years which -had passed since they had parted at Amesa's castle. - -Elissa was easily induced to tell her story. Assuming that it might be -already known to her new lord, she gave it correctly; and therefore it -differed substantially from that she had told to Morsinia. She had -been but a few days in Amesa's home when he discovered that she was -not the person he had presumed her to be. In an outburst of rage he -would have taken her life, but was led by an old priest to adopt a -more merciful method of ridding himself of her. To have returned her -to the village above the Skadar would have filled the country with the -scandal, and made Amesa the laughing stock of all. She was therefore -sent within the Turkish lines, with the certainty of finding her way -to some far-distant country. Her beauty saved her from a common fate, -and she was sent as a gift to the young Padishah by an old general, -into whose hands she had fallen. - -Ballaban assured the woman of his protection, and also that the time -would come when he would compensate her for any grief she had endured -through his fault. In the meantime she was retained in the luxurious -comfort of her new abode. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[101] Koran, Chap. II. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - - -Captain Ballaban was almost constantly engaged at the new seraglio. It -was being constructed not only with an eye to its imposing appearance -from without and its beauty within, such as befitted both its splendid -site between the waters and the splendor of the monarch whose palace -it was to be; but also with a view to its easy defence in case of -assault. Upon the young officer devolved the duty of scrutinizing -every line and layer that went into the various structures. - -He was especially interested in the side entrances, and communications -between the various departments of the seraglio. He gave orders for a -change to be made in the line of a partition and corridor, and also -for a slight variation in the position of a gateway in the walls -dividing the mabeyn[102] court from that of the haremlik. Just why -these changes were made, perhaps the architects themselves could not -have told; nor were they interested to enquire, supposing that they -were made at the royal will. Ballaban was disposed to indulge a little -his own fancy. If there was to be a broad entrance for public display, -and then a narrow passage for the Sultan only, why not have a way -through which he could imagine a fair odalisk fleeing from insult and -torture into the arms of--himself? But Ballaban's face grew pale as he -watched the completion of a sluice way leading from a little chamber, -down through the sea wall, to meet the rapid current of the Bosphorus. -He remembered the declaration of the Padishah, that, if ever an -odalisk were unfaithful to him, she should be sewn into a bag, -together with a cat and a snake, and drowned in Marmora.[103] - -In the meantime old Kala Hanoum was amazed at the number of articles -of Morsinia's handiwork she was able to induce the young captain to -purchase. Indeed, he never refused. And quite frequently she was the -bearer of gifts, generally confections, sometimes little rolls of silk -suitable for embroidery with colored threads or beads, accompanied by -the name of some fellow officer of the Janizaries from whom apparently -an order for work was given; the Captain acting as an agent in a sort -of co-partnership with Kala. Of course this was only secret mail -service between Ballaban and the odalisk. If Kala suspected it, her -commissions were so largely remunerative that she silenced the thought -of any thing but legitimate business. - -Ballaban devised plans for her escape which Morsinia found it -impracticable to execute from her side of the harem wall; and her -shrewdest suggestions were pronounced equally unsafe by the strategist -without. Ballaban had caught glimpses of Morsinia while loitering -among the trees at the upper end of the Golden Horn, by the Sweet -Waters, where the ladies of the harem were taken by the eunuchs on -almost weekly excursions. He had proposed to have in readiness two -horses, that, if she should break from the attendants, they might flee -together. But before this could be accomplished, the excursions were -discontinued, as the attention of all was turned to a new pleasure. - -The grand haremlik was at length completed. Perhaps no place on earth -was so suggestive of indolent and sensual pleasure as this. There were -luxurious divans, multiplying mirrors, baths of tempered water, -fountains in which perfumes could be scattered with the spray, broad -spaces for the dance, half hidden alcoves for the indulgence in that -which shamed the more public eye, and gardens in which Araby competed -with Africa in the display of exotic fruits and flowers. - -A day was set for the reception of the grand harem from -Adrianople--which contained nearly a thousand of the most beautiful -women in the world--into this new paradise. The Kislar Aga had -arranged a pageant of especial magnificence, which could be witnessed -by the people at a distance. Two score barges, elegantly decorated, -rowed by eunuchs, their decks covered with divans, were to receive the -odalisks from Adrianople at the extreme inner point of the seraglio -water front on the Golden Horn. The Validé Sultana's barge was to lead -the procession, which should float to the cadences of music far out -into the harbor. At the same time, the Sultan in his kaik, and the -women of the temporary haremlik, each propelling a light skiff -decorated with flags and streamers, were to move from the extreme -outer point of the seraglio grounds, until the two fleets should -meet, when, amid salvos of artillery from the shores, the odalisks -with the Sultan were to turn about and lead their sisters to the water -gate of the haremlik. Orders were given forbidding the people to -appear upon the water, or upon the shores within distance to see -distinctly the faces of the ladies of the harem. - -Every evening at sundown a patrol of eunuchs made a cordon of boats a -few hundred yards from the shore, within which, screened by distance -from the eyes of common men, the odalisks went into training for the -great regatta. The Padishah, sitting in his barge, encouraged their -rivalry by gifts for dexterity in managing the little boats, for -picturesqueness of dress and for grace of movement, as with bared arms -and streaming tresses, they propelled the kaiks. - -Morsinia found herself one of the most dexterous in handling the oars. -The free life of her childhood on the Balkans and among the peasants -of upper Albania, had developed muscle which this new exercise soon -brought into unusual efficiency. She observed that the attendant -eunuchs were deficient in this kind of strength, and had no doubt -that, with her own light weight, she could drive the almost -imponderable kaik swifter than any of them. - -The young Egyptian woman was her only competitor for the honor of -leading the fleet on the day of the regatta. To add to the interest of -the training, Mahomet ordered that the two should race for the honor -of being High Admiral of the harem fleet; and one evening announced -that the competitive trial should take place the next afternoon. The -course was fixed for a half mile, just inside of Seraglio Point, -where the waters of the harbor are still, unvexed by the rapid current -which pours along the channel of the Bosphorus. The flag-boat was to -be anchored almost at the meeting of the inner and outer waters. - -That night Morsinia wrote a note containing these words-- - - "About dusk just below the Seven Towers watch for kaik. - - MORSINIA." - -Kala Hanoum was commissioned early the following morning to deliver a -pretty little sash, wrought with stars and crescents, to Captain -Ballaban. Morsinia was careful to show Kala the scarf, and dilate upon -the peculiar beauty of the work until the woman's curiosity should be -fully satisfied; thus making sure that she would not be tempted to -inspect it for herself. She then wrapped the note carefully within the -scarf, and tied it strongly with a silken cord. - -Old Kala had a busy day before her, with a dozen other commissions to -discharge. But fortune favored her in the early discovery of the well -known shape of the Captain in ordinary citizen's dress, as he was -engaged in eager conversation with the Greek monk, Gennadius, whom the -Sultan had allowed to superintend the worship of the Christians still -resident in the city. Indeed Mahomet was wise enough to even pension -some of the Greek clergy to keep up the establishment of their faith; -for he feared to antagonize the millions in the provinces of Greece -who could not be persuaded to embrace Islam; and was content to exact -from them only the recognition of his secular supremacy. Kala Hanoum -had too much reverence in her nature to interrupt a couple of such -worthies; so she followed a little way behind them. They came to the -gate-way--a mere hole in the wall--which led to what was known as the -Hermit's Cell, the abode of Gennadius during the siege. The spiritual -pride of the monk had prevented his exchanging this for a more -commodious residence into which the Sultan would have put him. He said -he only wanted a place large enough to weep in, now that the people of -the Lord were in captivity. - -The monk had entered the little gateway, and his companion was -following, when Kala's instinct for business got the better of her -reverence; and, darting forward, she thrust the little roll into his -hand just as he was stooping to enter the gate, not even glancing at -his face. She said in low voice, not caring to be overheard by the -monk: - -"A part of your purchase yesterday, Sire, which you have forgotten." - -She waited for no reply, but trotted off, muttering to herself: - -"That's done, now for old Ibrahim the Jew." - -The contrast between Morsinia and the Egyptian as they presented -themselves for the contest, afforded a capital study in racial -physique. The latter was rather under size, with scarcely more of -womanly development than a boy. Her face was almost copper colored; -her hair jet and short. The former was tall, with femininity stamped -upon the contour of bust and limb; her face pale, even beneath the -mass of her light locks. - -The kaiks were of thinnest wood that could be held together by the -web-like cross bracing, and seemed scarcely to break the surface of -the water when the odalisks stepped into them. Morsinia had brought a -feridjé of common sort; saying to the eunuch, whose attention it -attracted, that yesterday she was quite chilled after rowing, and to -day had taken this with her by way of precaution. She might have found -something more beautiful had she thought in time; but it would be dark -when they returned. Besides, it would be a capital brace for her feet; -the crossbar arranged for that purpose being rather too far away from -the seat. So saying she tossed it into the bottom of the kaik before -the officious eunuch could provide a better substitute. - -The Padishah's bugle sounded the call. It rang over the waters, -evoking echoes from the triple shore of Stamboul, Galata and Skutari, -which died away in the distant billows of Marmora. As it was to be the -last evening before the pageant of the grand reception, the time was -occupied in making final arrangements for the order in which the boats -should move; so that it was growing dark when the Padishah reminded -the chief marshal that they must have the race for the Admiral's -badge. Katub, a fat and indolent eunuch, was ordered to moor his kaik, -for the stake boat, as far out toward the swift current as safety -would permit. - -The two competitors darted to the side of Mahomet's barge. From a long -staff, just high enough above the water to be reached by the hand, -hung a tiny streamer of silk, the broad field of which was dotted with -pearls. This was to be the possession of the fair rower who, rounding -the stake boat first, could return and seize it. - -The Sultan threw a kiss to the fair nymphs as a signal for the start. -Myriads of liquid pearls, surpassing in beauty those upon the -streamer, dropped from the oar blades, and strewed the smooth surface; -or were transformed into diamonds as they sunk swirling into the -broken water. The spray rose from the sharp prows in sheafs, golden as -those of grain, in the ruddy reflection of the western sky. Each -graceful kaik, and the more graceful form that moved it, almost -created the illusion of a single creature; some happy denizen of -another world disporting itself for the luring of mortals in this. - -The boats kept close company. The Egyptian was expending her full -strength, but her companion, with longer and fewer strokes, was -apparently reserving hers. They neared the stake. The Egyptian, having -the inside, began to round it; but the Albanian kept on, now with -rapid and strong strokes. The spectators were amazed at her tactics. - -"She is making too wide a sweep," said the Sultan. - -"She does not seem inclined to turn at all," observed the Kislar Aga. - -"She will strike the current if she turn not soon," rejoined Mahomet -excitedly. - -The prow of her kaik turned off westward. - -"She is in the stream!" cried several. "She will be overturned!" But -on sped the kaik, heading full down the current, which, catching it -like some friendly sprite from beneath, bore it quickly out of sight -around the Seraglio Point; and on--on into a thick mist which was -rolling up, as if sent of heaven to meet it, from the broad expanse of -the sea. - -"An escape!" cried the Sultan. "After her every one of you black -devils!" - -The eunuchs wasted several precious moments in getting the command -through their heads, and, even when they started, it was evident that -their muscles were too flaccid, their spines too limp, and their wind -not full enough to overhaul the flying skiff of the Albanian. - -"To shore! To horse!" cried the raging monarch. - -A quarter of an hour later, horsemen were clattering down the stony -street along the water front of Marmora, pausing now and then to stare -out into the sea mist, dashing on, stopping and staring, and on again. -The foremost to reach the Castle of the Seven Towers left orders to -scour the shore, and to set patrol to prevent any one landing. Some -were ordered to dart across to the islands. Within an hour from the -escape every inch of shore, and the great water course opposite the -city, were under complete surveillance. - -Just before this was accomplished a man arrived at the water's edge, -close to the south side of the great wall of which the Castle of Seven -Towers was the northern flank. He held two horses, saddled and bagged, -as if for a distant journey. A second man appeared a moment later, who -came up from a clump of bushes a little way below. - -"In good time, Marcus!" said the new comer, who stooped close to the -water and listened, putting his hand to his ear so as to exclude all -sounds except such as should come from the sea above. - -"Listen! an oar stroke! Yes! Keep everything tight, Marcus." - -Darting into the copse, in a moment more the man was gliding in a -kaik, with a noiseless stroke, out in the direction of the oar splash -of the approaching boat. Nearer and nearer it came. The night and the -mist prevented its being seen. The man moved close to its line. It was -a light kaik, he knew from the almost noiseless ripple of the water as -the sharp prow cut it. The man gave a slight whistle, when the stroke -of the invisible boat ceased, and the ripple at its prow died away. - -"Morsinia!" - -"Ay, thank heaven!" came the response. - -"Speak not now, but follow!" and he led the way cautiously toward the -little beach where the horses were heard stamping. They were several -rods off, piloting themselves by the sound. - -"Hark!" said the man, stopping the boats. Hoofs were heard -approaching, and voices-- - -"She might have put across to the Princess Island," said one. - -"Nonsense!" was the reply. "She would only imprison herself by -that--more likely she has gone clean across to Chalcedon. But I hold -that she has played fox, and turned on her trail. Ten liras to one -that she is by this time in Galata with some of the Genoese Giaours. -If so, she will try to escape in a galley; but that can be prevented: -for the Padishah will overhaul every craft that sails out until he -finds her. But hoot, man! what have we here? Two horses! A woman's -baggage! She has an accomplice! An elopement! The horses are tied. -The runaway couple haven't arrived yet. Dismount, men! we will lie in -wait along the shore here. Yes, let their two horses stand there to -draw them to the spot by their stamping. Send ours out of hearing. Now -every man to his place! Silence!" - -"Back! Back! We are pursued on land," said the man in the boat to -Morsinia, and both boats pushed noiselessly out again from the shore. - -"I had prepared for this, Morsinia. You must come into my boat; we -will row below for a mile, where we can arrange it at the shore." - -Quietly they shot down in the lessening current, until they turned -into a little cove made by a projecting rock. As lightly as a fawn the -girl leaped to the beach. Her companion was by her side in an instant. -She drew back, and gave no return to his warm embrace, but said -heartily: - -"Thank Heaven, and you, Michael!" - -"Michael?" exclaimed the man. "Indeed I do not wonder that you think -me a spirit, and call me by the name of my dead brother. But this -shall assure you that I am Constantine, and in the flesh," cried he, -as he pressed a kiss upon her lips. - -Morsinia was dazed. She tried to scan his face. She fell as one -lifeless into his arms. - -He seated himself on the rock and held her to his heart. For a while -neither could speak. - -"Is it real?" said she at length, raising her head and feeling his -face with her hand. "But how"---- - -Voices were heard shouting over the water. - -"We must be gone," said Constantine. - -The excitement of her discovery that her lover was still living, and -her bewilderment at his appearance instead of Michael, were too much -for Morsinia. Constantine carried the exhausted girl into his boat, -which was larger than hers. Towing her little kaik out some distance -he tipped it bottom upwards, and let it drift away. - -"That will stop the hounds," muttered he. "They will think you have -been overturned." - -With tremendous, but scarcely audible, strokes he ploughed away -westward. It was not until far from all noise of the pursuers that he -paused. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[102] The mabeyn lies between the selamlik (general reception room for -men) and the haremlik; and is the living apartment for men. - -[103] The sluice which was supposed to have been used for this purpose -is still seen at Old Seraglio Point. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX. - - -Imminent as was the danger still, the curiosity of both at the -strangeness of the Providence which had brought them back to each -other, as from the dead, was such that they must talk; and the -freshness of the newly-kindled love stole many a moment for endearing -embrace. Indeed an hour passed, and the night might have flown while -they loitered, were it not that the rising wind brought a distant -sound which awakened them to the remembrance that they were still -fugitives. - -Constantine at length insisted that his companion should lie upon the -bottom of the boat, and take needed rest. - -"If I had now my feridjé!" said she. - -"I have provided for that," replied Constantine. "Yours would be -recognized. I have one belonging to the common women, which will be -better." In addition to the feridjé, the foresight of Constantine had -laid in warm wraps and a store of provisions. These were packed in -bundles that they might be carried conveniently on horses, in the -hand, or in the boat, as necessity should compel. - -"I cannot rest," said Morsinia, "when there is so much to say and -hear." - -"But you must lie down. I will tell you my story; then you can tell me -yours." - -"But can we not stop?" - -"No. It will not be safe to do so yet." - -"I have learned to trust your guidance as well as your love," said -she, and reclined in the stern of the boat. - -The moon rose near to midnight. The fog illumined by it made them -clearly visible to each other, while it shut out the possibility of -their being seen by any from a distance. - -"It is the blessing of Jesu upon us," said Morsinia. "The same as when -He stood upon the little lake in Galilee, like a form of light, and -said, 'Be not afraid.'" - -Constantine gave his story in hasty sentences and detached portions, -breaking it by pauses in which he listened for pursuers, or gave his -whole strength to the oars, or, more frequently, did nothing but gaze -at his companion: more than once reaching out his hand to touch her, -and see if she were not an apparition. - -He told of his escape from the Turks, his arrest as a lunatic and the -scene before the Sultan, his return to Constantinople after its -capture, and the apparent evidence he there had from the old beggar, -of Morsinia's death: with all of which the reader is familiar. He also -related how he had gone to Albania. The report of Morsinia's death had -caused the greatest grief to Kabilovitsch, and thrown General Castriot -into such a rage that he found easement for it in a special raid upon -the Turkish camp; which raid was remembered, and was still spoken of -by the soldiers, as the "Call of the Maiden." For as Castriot returned -from fearful slaughter, in which he had completely riddled the enemy's -quarters, captured their commander and compelled them to break up the -campaign, the general was overheard to say, "The maiden's spirit -called us and we have answered." Without knowing the meaning of these -words the soldiers probably assumed that they were a reference to the -Holy Virgin Mary, whose blessing Castriot had invoked upon the -enterprise. After that Sultan Mahomet sent a special embassage and -proposal of peace to Albania. In the royal letter he stated, - -"She whom the Emperor of the Greeks was unable to keep for Scanderbeg -is now in the custody of the royal harem, safe and inviolate; to be -delivered into Scanderbeg's hand as a pledge of a treaty by which -Scanderbeg shall agree to cease from further depredations and invasion -of Macedonia, and to submit to hold his kingdom in fief to the Ottoman -throne." - -The letter ended with a boastful reference to the Sultan's conquest of -Constantinople, Caramania and other countries, and the threat of -invading Albania with a host so great as to cover all its territory -with the shadow of the camps. - -Castriot's reply, when known, filled the Dibrians and Epirots with -greatest enthusiasm. It closed with the words,-- - -"What if you have subjugated Greece, and put into servitude them of -Asia! These are no examples for the free hearts of Albania!"[104] - -The news contained in Mahomet's missive led Castriot to allow -Constantine to go to Constantinople, that he might discover, if -possible, whether Morsinia was really living, and was the person -referred to by the Sultan. On reaching the city, Constantine had -sought out the monk Gennadius, with whom he had been often thrown -before and during the siege. From him he learned nothing of Morsinia -except the old story of her self-sacrifice by the side of the -altar;--which story had become so adorned with many additions in -passing from mouth to mouth, that the "Fair Saint of Albania" was -likely to be enrolled upon the calendar of the holy martyrs. -Constantine was returning with the monk from the church of Baloukli, -where they had gone to see the perpetuated miracle of the fishes which -leaped from the pan on hearing of the capture of the city, and which -are still, with one side black with the frying, swimming in the tank -of holy water. He had just reached the little gate of the monk's -lodging when Morsinia's message was put into his hand by a little old -woman. - -"But how did you know of my arrival in Constantinople?" Constantine -asked, as he concluded his account. - -The question led to Morsinia's story, and the revelation that his -brother Michael was still living, an officer of the Sultan, as like to -Constantine as one eye to the other; their mistaken identity by Kala -Hanoum having led to the present happy denouement. The mutual -narratives of the past grew into plans for the future, the chief part -of which related to the restoration of Michael from the service of the -Moslem. - -While they talked, the day broke over the Asiatic coast. The faint -glow of light rapidly changed into bars of gold, which were -transformed into those of silver, and melted again into a broad sheen -of orange and purple tints. But for the shadowed slopes of the eastern -shore that lay between the water and the sky, this would have made -Marmora like an infinite sea of glory. - -But there was a fairer sight before the eyes of Constantine; one more -suggestive of the heavenly. It was the face of his beloved, now first -clearly seen. It seemed to him that she could not have been more -enchanting if he had discovered her by the "River of the Water of -Life" in the Golden City, where only he had hoped ever again to gaze -upon her. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[104] According to Knowles, this was a part of Scanderbeg's reply to -Amurath II. - - - - -CHAPTER L. - - -The fugitives landed a good score of miles from Stamboul, on the -northern shore of Marmora, and struck the highway which runs westward, -following the coast line to Salonika, where it divides, bending south -into Greece, and branching north through Macedonia. The fugitives -followed the latter highway. The country through which they passed was -at the time conquered by the Moslem, but was dotted over with the -settlements of the adherents to the old faith, who kept the watchfires -of hope still burning in their hearts, though they were extinguished -on the mountains. It was by this route that Constantine had gone to -Stamboul. He was therefore familiar, not only with the way, but with -the people; and easily secured from them concealment when necessary, -and help along the journey. His belt had been well filled with gold by -Castriot, so that two fleet horses and all provisions were readily -supplied. - -Their journey was saddened by their solicitude for the fate of -Albania. Before Constantine had left that country, Moses Goleme, -wearied with the incessant sacrifices he was compelled to make, and -discouraged by what he deemed the impossibility of longer holding out -against the Turks, had quarreled with Castriot, and thrown off his -allegiance. He had even been induced by Mahomet's pledge of liberty to -Albania--if only Castriot were overthrown--to enter the service of the -enemy. The wily Sultan had placed him in command of an invading army, -with which, however, he had returned to his country only to meet an -overwhelming defeat at the hands of the great captain, and to flee in -disgrace to Constantinople. - -This swift vengeance administered by the patriots did not entirely -crush the dissatisfaction among the people. Their fields were wasted -by the long war; for half a generation had passed since it began. Only -the personal magnetism of their chief held the factions to their -doubtful loyalty. - -After several weeks' journeying, our fugitives reached the camp of -Castriot. It little resembled the gorgeous canvas cities of the Turks -they had passed. The overspreading trees were, in many instances, the -only shelter of voivodes and princely leaders, the story of whose -exploits floated as an enchantment to the lovers of the heroic in all -lands. - -But the simple welcome they received from the true hearts of their -countrymen was more to Morsinia and Constantine than any stately -reception could have been. Kabilovitsch's joy was boundless. The -venerable man had greatly failed, worn by outward toil, and more by -his inward grief. Castriot had grown prematurely old. His hair was -whitened; his eyes more deeply sunken beneath the massive brows; his -shoulders a little bowed. Yet there was no sign of decrepitude in face -or limb. His aspect was sterner, and even stronger, as if knit with -the iron threads of desperation. - -As Kabilovitsch, whom the wanderers had first sought upon their -arrival, led them to Castriot, the general gazed upon them silently -for a little. Years, with their strange memories, seemed to flit, one -after another, across his scarred face. Taking Morsinia's hands in -his, he stood looking down into her blue eyes, just as he had done -when years ago, he bade her farewell. Then he kissed her forehead as -he said: - -"Thank heaven! there is not yet a wrinkle on that fair brow. But I -wronged you, my child, in sending you among strangers. Can you forgive -the blunder of my judgment? It was my heart that led me wrong." - -"I have nothing to forgive thee," replied Morsinia. "Though I have -suffered, to gaze again into thy face, Sire, takes away even the -memory of it all. I shall be fully blessed if now I can remove some of -those care marks from thy brow." - -"Your return takes away from me twice as many years as those you have -been absent, and I shall be young again now--as young almost as -Kabilovitsch," added he, with a kindly glance at the old veteran, -whose battered dignity had given place to an almost childish delight. - -The scene within the tent was interrupted by a noise without. A crowd -of soldiers had gathered, and were gazing from a respectful distance -at a strange-looking man: "A man of heaviness and eaten up with -cares." He was clad in the coarsest garments; his beard untrimmed; -hatless; a rope about his neck. As Scanderbeg came out of the tent, -the man threw himself at his feet, and cried, as he bowed his head -upon the ground: - -"Strike, Sire! I have sold my country. I have returned to die under -the sword of my true chief, rather than live with the blessing of his -enemies. The curse on my soul is greater than I could bear, with all -the splendid rewards of my treason. Take out the curse with my blood! -Strike, Sire! Strike!" - -He was Moses Goleme. Castriot stood with folded arms and looked upon -the prostrate man. His lips trembled, and then were swollen, as was -noted of them when his soul was fired with the battle rage. Then every -muscle of his face quivered as if touched by some sharp pain. Then -came a look of sorrow and pity. His broad bosom heaved with the -deep-drawn breath as he spoke. - -"Moses Goleme, rise! Your place is at no man's feet. For twenty years -you watched by Albania, while I forgot my fatherland. Your name has -been the rallying cry of the patriot; your words the wisdom of our -council; your arm my strength. Brave man! take Castriot's sword, and -wear it again until your own heart tells you that your honor has been -redeemed. Rise!" - -Untying the rope from the miserable man's neck, he flung it far off, -and cried,-- - -"So, away with whatever disgraces the noble Goleme! My curse on him -who taunts thee for the past! Let that be as a hideous dream to be -forgotten. For well I know, brave comrade, that thy heart slept when -thou wast away. But it wakes again. Thou art thy true self once more!" - -The broken-hearted man replied, scarcely raising his eyes as he spoke: - -"My hands are not worthy to touch the sword of Castriot. Let me -cleanse them with patriot service. Tell me, Sire, some desperate -adventure, where, since thou wilt not slay me, I may give my wretched -life for my country." - -"No, Moses, you shall keep your life for Albania. I know well the -strength of your temptation. My service is too much for any man. Were -it not that I am sustained by some strange invisible spirit, I too -would have yielded long ago. But enough! The old command awaits thee, -Moses." - -The man looked upon Castriot with grateful amazement. But he could not -speak, and turned away. - -At first he was received sullenly by the soldiers; but when the story -of Castriot's magnanimity was repeated, the camps rang with the cry, -"Welcome, Goleme!" That his restoration might be honored, a grand raid -through the Turkish lines was arranged for the next night. The watch -cry was, "By the beard of Moses!" and many a veteran then wielded his -sword with a courage and strength he had not felt for years. Even old -Kabilovitsch, whose failing vigor had long excused him from such -expeditions, insisted upon joining in this. Constantine then rewhetted -his steel for valiant deeds to come. And, as the day after the fight -dawned, Moses Goleme led back the band of victors, laden with spoil. -As he appeared, to make his report to the chief, his face was flushed -with the old look; and, grasping the hand of Castriot, he raised it to -his lips and simply said: - -"I thank thee, Sire!" and retired. - - - - -CHAPTER LI. - - -Captain Ballaban was among the first to learn of the personality of -the odalisk who had escaped at the time of the race. His first thought -was to aid her in eluding pursuit, presuming that she had gone alone -and without accomplice. But when the horses were discovered at the -Seven Towers, he gave way to a fit of jealousy. In his mind he accused -Morsinia of having made him her dupe; for, notwithstanding his -assurances of aid, she had evidently made a confidant of another. His -better disposition, however, soon led him to believe that she had been -spirited away through some plan devised in the brain of Scanderbeg. -While he rejoiced for her, he was disconsolate for himself; and -determined that, upon his return to the war in Albania, to which field -he knew it was the purpose of the Padishah to transfer him, he would -discover the truth regarding her. He had learned from her secret -missives, which Kala Hanoum had brought him before the flight, of the -death of his father Milosch and his mother Helena, and the supposed -death of his brother Constantine. There were, then, no ties of -kinship, and but this one tie of affection to Morsinia, to divide his -allegiance to the Padishah. And Morsinia had faded again from reality, -if not into his mere dream, at least into the vaguest hope. His ardent -soul found relief only by plunging into the excitement of the military -service. - -Mahomet had not exhausted his favors to Ballaban by the gift of the -Albanian Venus, Elissa. Summoning him one day he repeated his purpose -of designating him as the chief Aga of the Janizaries, the old chief -having been slain in a recent engagement. Ballaban remonstrated, as -once before, against this interference with the order of the corps, in -which the choice of chief Aga was left to the vote of the soldiers -themselves. - -Mahomet replied angrily--"I tell you, Ballaban, my will shall now be -supreme over every branch of my service. My fathers felt the -independence of the Janizaries to be a menace to their thrones. Their -power shall be curbed to my hand, or the whole order shall be -abolished." - -"Beware!" replied Ballaban. "You know not the alertness of the lion -whose lair you would invade. I will serve my Padishah with my life in -all other ways, but my vows forbid my treachery to my corps. Strike -off my head, if you will, but I cannot be Aga, except by the sovereign -consent of my brothers." - -"I shall not take off your head, comrade," replied Mahomet. "I need -what is in it too much, though it belongs to a young rebel. But -begone! I shall work my plans without asking your advice in the -matter." - -A firman was issued by which the Padishah claimed the supreme power of -appointing to command in all grades of the military service. Within an -hour after its proclamation, the Janizaries were in open defiance of -the sovereign. Before their movements could be anticipated, the great -court in front of the selamlik in the seraglio was filled with the -enraged soldiery. That sign of terror which had blanched the faces of -former Padishahs--the inverted soup-kettle--was planted before the -very doors of the palace, and the Sultan was a prisoner within. - -"Recall the firman! Long live the Yeni-Tscheri!" rang among the -seraglio walls, and was echoed over the city. - -The Sultan not appearing, there rose another cry, at first only a -murmur, but at length pouring from thousands of hoarse throats,-- - -"Down with Mahomet! Live the Yeni-Tscheri!" - -Still the Sultan made no response. There was a hurried consultation -among the leaders of the insurgents. Then a rapid movement throughout -the crowd. For a moment it seemed as if they had turned every man -against his fellow. But Mahomet's experienced eye, as he watched from -the latticed window, saw that the swarm of men was only taking shape. -The mob was transformed into companies. Between the ranks passed men, -as if they rose out of the ground; some dragging cannon; some bearing -scaling ladders. - -Mahomet appeared upon the platform, dressed in full armor. He raised -his sword, when silence fell upon the multitude. - -"I am your Padishah." - -"Long live Mahomet!" was the cry. - -"Do I not command every faithful Ottoman? Who will follow where -Mahomet leads?" - -"All! all!" rang the response. - -"Then reverse the kettle!" commanded he, his face lit with the -assumption of victory. - -"Reverse the firman!" was the answer. - -"Never!" cried the monarch, infuriated with this unexpected challenge -of his authority. - -The Janizaries retreated a few steps from the platform. The Padishah -assumed that they were awed by his determination, and smiled in his -triumph. But his face was as quickly shaded with astonishment; for the -movement of the insurgents was only to allow the cannon to be -advanced. - -The sagacity of the monarch never forsook him. Not even the wildness -of passion could long lead him beyond the suggestion of policy. -Raising his hand for silence, he again spoke. - -"We are misunderstanding each other, my brave Yeni-Tscheri. If you -have grievance let your Agas present it, for the Padishah shall be the -father of his people, and the Yeni-Tscheri are the eldest born of his -children." - -The Sultan withdrew. Eight Agas held a hurried consultation, and -presented themselves to the sovereign to offer him absolute and -unquestioning obedience upon the condition of their retaining as -absolute and unquestioned self-government within the corps. - -While they were in consultation, Captain Ballaban appeared among the -troops. He waved his hand to address them. - -"He is bought by the Padishah. We must not hear him," cried one and -another. - -"My brothers!" said the Captain, having after a few moments gained -their attention. "I love the Padishah. But I adore that royal hand -chiefly because, beyond that of any of the heirs of Othman, it has -already bestowed favor upon our corps. But our order is sacred. He may -command to the field, and in the field, but it must be from without. -We must choose our own Aga as of old." - -"Long live Ballaban!" rose from every side. - -The speaker broke into a rhapsodic narration of the glories of the -corps, interwoven with the recital of the exploits of the Padishah, -during which he was interrupted by cheer after cheer, mingled with the -cry of "Ballaban! Ballaban forever!" - -The Sultan, hearing the shout, shrewdly seized upon the opportunity it -suggested, and leaving the Agas, rushed to the platform. He shouted-- - -"Allah be praised! Allah has given one mind to the Padishah and to his -faithful Yeni-Tscheri. Ballaban forever! Yes, take him! Take him for -your Aga! The will of the corps and the will of the sovereign are one, -for it is the will of Allah that sways us all!" - -The soldiers, caught by the enthusiasm of the instant, repeated the -shout, drowning the voices of the few who were clear-headed enough to -remember that the firman had not been withdrawn. - -"Ballaban! Long live Ballaban Aga! Long live Mahomet Padishah!" - -The Agas appeared, but were impotent to assert their dissent. As well -might they have attempted to howl down a hurricane as to make -themselves heard in the confusion. Indeed, their presence upon the -platform was regarded by the corps as their endorsement of the -Padishah's desire, and served to stimulate the enthusiasm that broke -out in redoubled applause. - -Mahomet followed up his advantage, and formally confirmed the apparent -election by announcing-- - -"A donative! A double pay to every one of the Yeni-Tscheri! and the -Padishah's fifth of the spoil shall be divided to the host!" - -The multitude were wild with delight. The inverted soup-kettle was -turned over, and swung by its handle from the top of the staff; -following which, the crowd poured out from the court.[105] - -Within a few days Ballaban, as chief Aga, led his corps toward -Albania. - - - - -CHAPTER LII. - - -After the defeat of Moses as a Turkish leader, and his return to his -patriotic allegiance, there was a lull in active hostilities between -the two powers. Amesa, like other of the prominent voivodes in -Scanderbeg's army, took the occasion offered to look after his own -estates. He had added somewhat to his local importance by marrying the -daughter of a neighboring land-owner. But neither conjugal delights, -nor the additional acres his marriage brought him, covered his -ambition. His envy of Castriot had deepened into inveterate hatred. - -The Voivode sat alone in the great dining hall of his castle. It was -late in the night. As the blazing logs at one end of the room cast -alternately their glare and shadows around, the rude furniture seemed -to be thrown into a witching dance. Helmets and corselets gleamed -bravely from their pegs, suggesting that they were animated by heroic -souls. The great bear-skin, with its enormous head, lying at the -Voivode's feet, crouched in readiness to receive the lunge of the -boar's tusks which threatened it from the corner. Pikes, spears, bows -and broad-mouthed arquebuses were ranged about, as if to defend their -owner, should any demon inspire these lifeless forms for sudden -assault upon him. - -Amesa had been sitting upon a low seat between the fire and a -half-drained tankard of home-brewed liquor, his brows knit with the -concentration of his thoughts. - -A slight sound without arrested his attention. - -"Drakul is late, but is coming at last. If only he has brought me the -red forelock of that fellow who used to be always crossing my track, -and has now come back to Albania!" he said, in a tone of musing, but -intended to be heard by the delinquent as the great oaken door creaked -behind him. Raising his eyes, but not turning his head to look, Amesa -changed his soliloquy into a volley of oaths at the comer. - -"I thought your name-sake, Drakul, had run off with you, you lazy -imp.[106] What kept you?" - -"A long journey," was the reply. - -Amesa started to his feet, for the voice was not that of Drakul. He -faced one whose appearance was not the less startling because it was -familiar. - -"I have brought the red forelock myself," said the visitor. - -Amesa stared stupidly an instant, then reached toward his weapon lying -upon the table near. - -"Stop!" said the man, laying the flat side of his sword across the -Voivode's arm before he could grasp his yataghan. - -"How dare you intrude yourself unbidden here!" cried the enraged -Amesa. - -"It required no daring," was the cool reply, "for I am the stronger." - -"Help! Help!" shouted the voivode, as he realized that he would not be -permitted to reach his weapon. - -The door swung, and a band of strange men stood in the opening. - -"I feared, noble Amesa," said the intruder, "that I should not be a -welcome guest, and so brought with me a party of friends to help me to -good cheer while under your roof. You need not disturb your servants -to help you, for, if they should hear, they could not obey, as they -are all safely guarded in their quarters. If they should come out they -might be harmed. Let them rest. Retire, men! You recognize me, Lord -Amesa?" - -"Ay. You are Arnaud's whelp," sneered the entrapped man. - -"More gentle words would befit the courtesy of my host," was the quiet -reply. "But you are as much mistaken as when you took the simple -witted Elissa on my commendation. Do not respond, Sire! In your heat -you might say that which pride would prevent your recalling. I am a -Moslem soldier, and you are my prisoner; as secure as if you were in -Constantinople." The visitor threw off the Albanian cape, and -revealed the elegantly wrought jacket of the Janizary Aga. - -"And what would you have of me? Is there nothing that can satisfy you -less than my life?" asked Amesa. - -"My noble Amesa," said Ballaban Aga, taking a seat and motioning the -Voivode to another. "Years ago I gave you my word in honor that I -would serve you against Scanderbeg. I have come to redeem that pledge, -and you must help me." - -"How can that be, if you are an officer of the Moslems?" asked Amesa, -taking the seat, and adopting the low tone of the other; for these -words had excited in him all his cupidity, and stirred his natural -secretiveness and habit of sinister dealing. His eyes ceased to glare -like a tiger's when at bay; they shone now like a snake's. - -"Amesa must enter the service of the Padishah." - -"Impossible!" cried he; but in a tone that indicated, not indignant -rejection of the proposition; rather doubt of its practicability. - -"But first you must raise here in Albania the standard of revolt -against Scanderbeg, claiming the title of king of Epirus and the -Dibrias for yourself. Scanderbeg's sword will, of course, compel the -next step--your safety in the Turkish camp. The Padishah will then -become your patron, offering to withdraw his armies and restore the -ancient liberties of the country, with the solitary limitation that -you shall acknowledge the suzerainty of the Sultan. The revenues you -may collect shall remain in your possession for the strengthening of -your local power. The defection of Moses Goleme well nigh destroyed -the leadership of Scanderbeg--yours will complete the work. Yet it -will not be defection; rather, as Moses Goleme regarded it, the truest -service of your country, because the only service that is -practicable." - -"But I cannot thus break with the patriot leaders," said Amesa, -apparently having felt a real touch of honor. - -"It must be," replied the Aga. "You cannot longer remain as you are, -even if you would. You, Sire, have been guilty of some great crime. -Nay, do not deny it! Nor need you take time to give expression to any -wrath you may feel on being plainly accused of it," continued -Ballaban, silencing Amesa more effectively by the straight look into -his eyes than by his words. "My moments here are too few to talk about -the matter, and you should have exhausted any feeling you may have had -in private penitence heretofore, rather than reserve it until another -person lays it to your charge. But the point is this:--Scanderbeg is -aware of your crime, and awaits only the opportune moment to punish -you as it deserves." - -"How do you know that?" said Amesa, the bright gleam of his eye -changing to a stony stare, as the color failed from his face, and he -leaned back in ghastly consternation. - -"It is enough that I know it. The Janizaries have not roamed these -Albanian hills for twelve years without finding out the secrets of the -country. The holes in the ground are our ears, and the very owls spy -for us through the dark. But enough of words. Sign this, and set to it -your seal!" - -Ballaban presented a parchment, offering formally, in the name of the -Sultan, the government of Albania to Amesa, on the condition set forth -above. - -"I would consider the"--began Amesa; but he was cut short by -Ballaban-- - -"No! sign instantly! I have done for you all the considering that is -necessary, and must be gone." - -"But," began Amesa again, "so important a matter--" - -"Sign instantly!" repeated Ballaban; and, pointing to the door where -the soldiers stood waiting their orders--"or neither Amesa nor his -castle will exist until the day breaks." - -The baffled man took from a niche in the wall a horn of thickened ink, -and, with the wooden pen, made his signature, and pressed the ancient -seal of the De Streeses against the ball of softened wax attached to -it. - -"This will serve to keep you true: for if by the next fulness of the -moon Amesa's standard be not raised against Scanderbeg's, this, as -evidence of your treason, shall be read in all your Albanian camps," -said Ballaban, placing the document in his bosom. "And should you need -to confer with your new friends, your faithful Drakul may inquire at -our lines for Ballaban Badera, Aga of the Janizaries." - -With a low salâm he withdrew. A few muffled orders, a shuffling of -feet, and the castle was as quiet as the stars that looked down upon -it. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[105] The firman of Sultan Mahomet was never revoked, and from his -time until the extinction of the order of Janizaries by Sultan -Mahmoud, in 1834, the Padishah always appointed the Chief Aga. - -[106] The word Drakul signifies in Servian "the Devil." - - - - -CHAPTER LIII. - - -The martial pride of the Ottoman never made a more imposing -demonstration than when his armies deployed upon the plain of -Pharsalia[107] in Thessaly, and threatened the southern frontier of -Albania. Nor had Jove, who, according to the mythologic conception, -held his court upon the summit of the not distant Olympus--looked down -upon such a display of earthly power since, fifteen centuries before, -the armies of Pompey and Cæsar there contended for the domination of -the Roman world. For Mahomet II. had sworn his mightiest oath, that, -by one blow, he would now sweep all the Arnaout rebels into the sea; -and that the waves of the Adriatic over against Italy, and those of -the Mediterranean which washed the Greek peninsula, and the Euxine -that stayed the steps of the Muscovite, should sing with their -confluent waves the glories of the European Empire of the Ottoman -which lay between them. - -The menace to Scanderbeg's domain was not chiefly in the numbers of -men whom the redoubtable Isaac Pasha now commanded in the name of the -Sultan; but in the fact that the mighty host was accompanied by Amesa, -the new "King of Albania." - -The defection of the Voivode had sent consternation through the hearts -of the patriots. Their leaders looked with suspicion into one -another's faces as they gathered in council; for no one knew but that -his comrade was in secret league with the enemy. Wearied with trials, -the soldiers whispered in the camps that Amesa was a Castriot as well -as Scanderbeg. Italians of rank, who had loaned their swords to the -great chieftain, were returning to their homes, saying that it was not -worth while to risk their lives and fortunes in defending a people who -were no longer agreed in defending themselves. Scanderbeg, apparently -unwilling or unable to cope with this double danger,--the power of the -Ottoman without, and a civil war within his land--retired to -Lyssa,[108] far away to the north. - -The Turks determined to inaugurate their final conquest, by the formal -coronation of their ally, so that, heralded by King Amesa's -proclamations, they might advance more readily to the occupation of -the land. The day was set for the ceremony of the royal investiture. -As their scouts, ranging far and wide, reported no enemy to be near, -the attention of the army was given to preparation for the splendid -pageants, the very story of which should awe the simple peasant -population into submission, or seduce their hearts with the hope of -having so magnificent a patron. - -The day before that appointed for this glorious dawn of the new -royalty, was one of intense heat, in the middle of July. The snows had -melted even from the summit of the Thessalian Olympus, though its bare -pinnacle yonder pierced the sky nearly ten thousand feet above the -sea. Armor was heaped in the tents. Horses unsaddled were gathered in -stockades, or tethered far out on the glassy plain. Soldiers -stretched themselves under the shadow of the trees, or wandered in -groups through the deserted gardens and orchards of the neighboring -country, feasting upon the early ripened fruits. Only the eagles that -circled the air high above the vast encampment, or perched upon the -crags of distant hills, seemed to have any alarm; for now and then -they darted off with a shrill cry. - -But an eye, like that of a mysterious retributive Providence, was -peering through the thicket that crested a high hill. Scanderbeg, -presumed to be far away, had studied the plain long and intently; -when, turning to Constantine, who was at his side, he said: - -"Now plan me a raid through that flock of silly sheep. Where would you -strike, my boy?" - -Constantine replied, "There is but one point at which we could enter -the plain,--through yonder depression. The hills on either side would -conceal the advance until well upon them. Besides, the narrowness of -the valley, and the growth of trees would prevent their meeting us -with more than man for man." - -Scanderbeg shook his head. - -"The Turks know that place invites attack as well as we do, and have -ranged so as to prevent surprise there. But yonder line of trees and -copse leads almost to the centre of their camp." - -"But it is exposed to view on either side," replied Constantine. - -"So much the better," said Castriot, "and therefore it is not guarded -even in Isaac Pasha's thought. It would take longer after the alarm to -range against us there than in the ravine. Their cavalry is all on -this side the trees. They could not cut through the bushes before we -were by the horse-tails yonder, there by the Pasha's tent." - -"But is it not too open?" said Constantine, almost incredulous. - -"Yes, at any other time than this, when the Turks are not dreaming of -our being within a dozen leagues of them. The very boldness of such an -attack as this at high noon-tide will be better for us than any -scheming. And, if I mistake not, and our beasts are not too jaded by -the long march, we shall have the souls out of a thousand or so of the -Turks before they can get their bodies into armor. And I give to you, -my boy, the care of our nephew, Amesa. Be diverted by no side play, -but cut your way straight to him. If possible, spare his life, but he -must never get a crown upon his head." - -As silently as the summer's fleecy clouds gather into the storm, the -band of patriots, summoned from their various quarters, gathered -behind the spur of the hill. The Turks were startled as with a sudden -rising tempest. Beys and Pashas and Agas had scarcely emerged from -their tents, when five thousand Albanian cavalrymen were already -turning the line of the woods. On they came with the celerity of a -flock of birds just skimming the ground. The sentry flew as the leaves -before the wind. The very multitude of the Turks, driven toward the -centre, but fed the dripping swords of the assailants. Among the tents -wound the compact array of Albanian riders, like a huge serpent. On -and on it rolled, scarcely pausing to repel attack. Dividing, one -part crushed the headquarters of Isaac, while the other wrapped in its -crunching folds the splendid camp of Amesa. - -Bravely did this young Absalom defend his unfledged royalty. -Surrounded by a group of Albanian renegades like himself, he fought -desperately, well knowing the dire vengeance which should follow his -capture. But one by one they fell. Amesa remained almost alone, as yet -unharmed. The captain of the Albanian troops commanded a halt, and, -dismounting, he demanded Amesa's surrender. - -"To none but a Castriot will a Castriot surrender!" cried the -infuriate man, making a lunge at the challenger. The thrust was -avoided. - -"You shall surrender to another," cried the Albanian officer. "Stand -back, men, he shall yield to me alone." - -"Who are you?" growled the challenged man. - -"One who has the right to avenge the wrong done to Mara de Streeses," -was the reply. - -Quick as a panther Amesa leaped upon him. But the tremendous blow he -aimed, might as well have been delivered against a rock, as against -the sword of Constantine. The effort threw him off his balance; and -before he could recover himself, the tremendous slash of his opponent, -though warded, brought him to the ground. In an instant Constantine's -knee was upon his breast, and his sword at his throat. - -"Do you surrender?" - -"Yes!" groaned the helpless man. - -He was instantly disarmed, and bound by the girth to a horse. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[107] Vide Knowles, History of the Turks, and Albanian Chronicles. - -[108] Modern Alessio. - - - - -CHAPTER LIV. - - -The corps of Janizaries had been quartered at some distance from the -main body of the Turks. Their new Aga comprehended at once the -significance of the turmoil in the camp, and hastened to the defence. -Though he moved rapidly, and with a well conceived plan of confronting -the enemy, yet, most of his troops being foot-soldiers, he was unable -to confront the swift-riding squadrons of Scanderbeg. These assailants -withdrew from the field, but only to return again and again upon the -panic stricken Turks, whose fears had magnified the numbers of their -foes into scores of thousands. So rapidly did assault follow assault, -and from such diverse quarters, that the Moslem fright imagined one -attack was headed by the terrible Ivan Beg with his savage -Montenegrins, and another by Hunyades, a report of whose alliance with -Scanderbeg had reached the camps before the battle. Indeed the rumble -of a coming thunder storm was interpreted into the clamor and tread of -unknown myriads ready to burst through the mountains. Never did a more -insane panic steal away the courage of soldiers and the judgment of -generals. Late in the day the plain of Pharsalia was the scene of one -vast wreck. Overturned tents displayed immense stores of burnished -arms and vestments, provisions of need and luxury, standards for the -field and banners for the pageant; and everywhere strewn amid this -debris of pomp and pride the half-armored bodies of the slaughtered -Turks. In narrow mountain valleys the freshet following the sudden -tempest, never changed the bloom of the summer gardens more -completely, than this panic, following Scanderbeg's raid, changed the -splendid camp of the morning into the desolation upon which the -setting sun cast, as a fitting omen, its red rays. Indeed, we can -conceive no similitude by which to express the contrast better than -that of Amesa himself, in the morning adorned in the splendor of his -royal expectation, and at night lying bound with ropes at the feet of -Scanderbeg. - -The grand old chieftain looked at the renegade for a moment with pity -and scorn; then turned away, saying,-- - -"Let him lie there until Captain Constantine, to whom he belongs, -shall come." - -But Constantine came not. Though the main body of the Turks had taken -to precipitate flight, the Janizaries had managed, by their unbroken -and orderly retreat, to cover the rear, and prevent pursuit by -Scanderbeg. Ballaban had reached the group engaged in the capture of -Amesa, and almost rescued him. This would have been accomplished had -not Constantine and a handful of his company made a living wall -between the Janizaries and those who were leading away the miserable -man. Ballaban, feeling the responsibility of saving him whom he had -led into this shameful misfortune, pressed to the very front. - -"By the sword of the Prophet! the fellow fights bravely," he -exclaimed, as he watched Constantine, baffling a half dozen -Janizaries who were pressing upon him. - -"Back, men! I would measure my arm against his," he cried, as he laid -his sword against that of his unknown antagonist. - -Both were in complete armor, their faces concealed by the closed -helmets. The soldiers stood as eager spectators of the masterly sword -play. The two men seemed evenly matched,--the same in stature and -build. There was, too, a surprising similarity in movement--the very -tactics of the Janizary in thrust and parry being repeated by the -Albanian; their swords now flashing like interlacing flames; the sharp -ring as the Albanian smote upon the polished metal of his antagonist's -armor, answered by the duller thud as the Janizary's blow fell upon -the thick leather which encased the panoply of his opponent. Then both -stood as if posing for the sculptor; their sword points crossing; -their eyes glaring beneath the visors; the slightest movement of a -muscle anticipated by either--then again the crash. - -But Constantine was exhausted by his previous engagement with Amesa. -In an unlucky moment the sword turned in his hand. The steadiness of -the grip was lost. He managed to ward the blow which the Aga -delivered; but, foreseeing that he could not recover his grasp soon -enough to return it, and that his opponent was thrown slightly off his -perfect poise by his exertion, he dropped his sword, and closed with -him. They fell to the ground; but the Aga, more alert at the instant, -was uppermost, and his dagger first in position for the fatal cut. - -"I can not slay so valiant a man as you," said Ballaban. "You -surrender?" - -"I must," was the response. As they rose, Ballaban looked a moment -upon the vanquished, and said, - -"I would know the name of my worthy antagonist, for worthier I never -found. Scanderbeg himself could not have done better. But I had the -advantage of being in better wind at the start, or, Allah knows, I had -fared hard." - -"It is enough that I am your prisoner," said Constantine, "and that I -have detained my conqueror long enough to prevent the recapture of -that Albanian traitor, Amesa. You can have me willingly, now that you -cannot have him." - -The Albanian threw up his visor. Ballaban stared at the face. It was -as familiar as his own which he saw daily in the polished brass -mirror. The Janizaries stared with almost equal amazement. - -"No wonder he fought so well, Aga!" said one, "for he is thy other -self." - -"Let him be brought to our headquarters when we halt," said Ballaban, -remounting his horse, and dashing away to another part of the field. - - - - -CHAPTER LV. - - -Night brought little sleep to the Turkish host. Though danger was -past, a sense of humiliation and chagrin was shared by officers and -men, as they realized that their defeat was due to their own folly -more than to the strength of their foe. In every tentless group the -men disturbed the quiet of the night with their ceaseless quarrels. -Members of the different commands, hopelessly confused in the general -flight, rivalled one another in the rancor and contempt of their -mutual recriminations as much as they ever emulated one another in the -courage and prowess of a well fought field. Among those of highest -rank bitter and insulting words were followed by blows, as if the -general disgrace could be washed out by a gratuitous spilling of their -own blood. - -But a different interest kept Ballaban waking. Beneath the great tree, -which had been designated as the headquarters of the Janizaries, and -from a limb of which was suspended the symbolic kettle, his prisoner -had been awaiting the Chief Aga. The glimpse of his face at the time -of the capture had awakened in the Janizary more than a suspicion of -the personality of the captive; while the name of Ballaban, which he -had heard from the soldiers, revealed to the Albanian that of his -captor. With impatience the Aga conversed with the various commanders -who thronged him, and as soon as possible dismissed them. When they -were alone Constantine rose, and, without completing his salâm, -exclaimed, - -"You play more roughly, Michael, than when last we wrestled together -among the rocks of Slatiza." - -"Ah, my brother Constantine, I thought of you when you gripped me in -the fight to-day; for it was the same old hug with which we rolled -together long ago. I would have known you, had you only given me time -to think, without your raising the visor." - -The brothers stood for a moment in half embrace, scanning each other's -face and form. An onlooker would have noted that their mutual -resemblance was not in the details of their features, so much as in -certain marked peculiarities; such as the red and bristling hair, -square face, prominent nose and chin. Constantine's forehead was -higher than Michael's, which had more breadth and massiveness across -the brows. In speaking, Constantine's eye kindled, and his plastic -lips gave expression to every play of sentiment: while Michael's face -was as inflexible as a mask; the deep light of his glance as -thoroughly under control of his will as if it were the flash of a dark -lantern; his appearance revealing not the shadow of a thought, not the -flicker of an emotion, beyond that he chose to put into words. This -physiognomical difference was doubtless largely due to the training of -years. The Janizary's habit of caution and secretiveness evolved, as -it were, this invisible, but impenetrable, visor. The custom of -unquestioning obedience to another, and that of the remorseless -prosecution of whatever he regarded as politic for the service, gave -rigidity to the facial muscles; set them with the prevalent purpose; -stereotyped in them the expression of determination. A short beard -added to the immobile cast of his countenance. Thus, though when -separated the two men might readily be taken the one for the other, -when together their resemblance served to suggest as wide contrasts. - -The entire night was spent by the brothers in mutual narrations of -their eventful lives. Though their careers had been so distinct, in -different lands, under rival civilizations, in the service of -contending nations, and inflamed by the incentives of antagonistic -religions, yet their roads had crossed at the most important points in -each. They learned to their astonishment that the most significant -events, those awakening the deepest experience in the one life, had -been due to the presence of the other. As Michael told of his raid -upon the Albanian village, Constantine supplied the key to the mystery -of the escape of his fair captive, and the arrest of Michael for -having at that time deserted his command. Then Michael in turn -supplied the key to Constantine's arrest by Colonel Kabilovitsch's men -as a Turkish spy. Constantine solved the enigma of Amesa's overtures -to Michael in reference to the Dodola Elissa; and Michael solved that -of Constantine's rough handling by the garrison of Sfetigrade for -having dropped the dog into the well. Constantine unravelled the -diabolical plot which had nearly been tragic for Michael in the old -reservoir at Constantinople; and Michael as readily unravelled that of -the serio-comic drama in the tent of Mahomet, when Constantine's life -was saved through the assumption that he was his lunatic brother. -Constantine supplied to Michael the missing link in the story of -Morsinia's escape from Constantinople; and Michael supplied that -which was wanting of Constantine's knowledge of the story of her -escape from death in the horrors of the scene in St. Sophia after the -capture of the city. They had, under the strange leadings of what both -their Christian and Moslem faith recognized as a Divine Providence, -been more to each other than they could have been had their lives -drifted in the same channel during all these years. In the old boyhood -confidence, which their strange meeting had revived, Michael did not -withhold the confession of Morsinia's influence upon him, though she -had been to him more of an ideal than a real person, a beautiful -development to his imagination out of his childhood memory of his -little playmate in the Balkans. Nor did Constantine hesitate to -declare the love and betrothal by which he held the charming reality -as his own. He told, too, of her real personality as the ward of -Scanderbeg, and the true heir of the splendid estates until recently -held by Amesa. - -The dawn brought duties to the Aga which precluded further conference -with Constantine. - -"We must part, my dear brother," said Michael. "Our armies will -probably return through Macedonia, and abandon the campaign: for such -is the unwise determination of our commander Isaac. You must escape -into your own lines. That can be easily arranged. We may not meet -again soon; but I swear to you, by the memory of our childhood, that -your personal interest shall be mine. Aside from the necessities of -the military service, we can be brothers still. And Morsinia, that -angel of our better natures; you must let me share with you, if not -her affection, surely her confidence. I could not woo her from you if -I would; but assure her that, though wearing the uniform of an enemy, -I shall be as true in my thoughts of her as when we played by the old -cot on the mountains; and as when I pledged my life to serve her while -she was in the harem at Stamboul." - -"But why must this war against Castriot continue? I would that our -compact were that of the armies to which we belong," said Constantine. - -"It is impossible for a Janizary to sheath the sword while Scanderbeg -lives," replied the Aga. "Our oath forbids it. He once was held by the -vow of the Prophet's service, and deserted it. I know his temptation -was strong. In my heart I might find charity for him." The speaker -hesitated as if haunted by some troublesome memory, then -continued--"But a Janizary may show no charity to a renegade. Besides, -he is the curse of Albania. But for his ambition, these twelve years -of blood would have been those of peace and happiness through all -these valleys, under the sway of our munificent and wise Padishah." - -"Your own best thoughts, Michael, should correct you. What are peace -and its happy indolence compared with the cause of a holy faith?" - -"You speak sublimely, my brother," replied Michael, "but your faith -gains nothing by this war. Under our Padishah's beneficence the -Giaours are protected. The Greeks hold sufficient churches, even in -Stamboul, for the worship of all who remain in that faith. Indeed, I -have heard Gennadius the monk of whom you were speaking awhile -ago--say that he would trust his flock to the keeping of the Moslem -stranger sooner than to the Pope of Rome. I have known our Padishah -defend the Greek Giaours from the tyranny of their own bishops. He -asks only the loyalty of his people to his throne, and awaits the will -of Allah to turn them to his faith; for the Book of the Prophet says -truly, Allah will lead into error whom he pleaseth and whom he -pleaseth he will put in the right way.[109] Believe me, my brother, -Albania's safety is only in submission. The Fate that directs all -affairs has indubitably decreed that all this vast peninsula between -Adria and Ægea shall lie beneath the shadow of the Padishah's sceptre; -for he is Zil-Ullah, the shadow of God. Who can resist the conqueror -of the capital of your Eastern Christian Empire; the conqueror of -Athens, and of the islands of the sea?" - -"Let us then speak no more of this," said Constantine. "Our training -has been so different, that we can not hope to agree. But we can be -one in the kindliness of our thoughts, as we are of one blood. Jesu -bless you, my brother!" - -"Allah bless you, Constantine!" was the hearty response, as the two -grasped hands. Eyes which would not have shown bodily pain by so much -as the tremor of their lids, were moist with the outflow of those -springs in our nature that are deeper than courage--springs of -brotherly affection, fed by hallowed memories of the long ago. - -Two Janizaries accompanied Constantine beyond the Turkish lines. - -"What new scheme has the Aga hatched in his brain now?" said one of -them, as they returned. - -"He has twisted that fellow's brain so that he will never serve -Scanderbeg truly again," was the knowing reply. "The Aga is the very -devil to throw a spell over a man. They say that when he captured the -fellow yesterday, he had only to squint into his face a moment, when, -as quick as a turn of a foil, the man changed his looks, and was as -much like the Aga as two thumbs." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[109] Koran, Chapter VI. - - - - -CHAPTER LVI. - - -The splendor of the victory, and the inestimable spoil which fell into -the hands of the Albanians, elated the patriot braves; and the good -news flew as if the eagles that watched the battles from afar were its -couriers. Castriot, however, seemed to be oblivious to the general -rejoicing. The wrath he had displayed during the time of Amesa's -menace from the ranks of the enemy, was displaced by pity as he looked -upon the contemptible and impotent man. He touched him with his foot, -and said, in half soliloquy-- - -"And in this body is some of the blood of the Castriots! Humph!" - -Turning away he paced the tent-- - -"And why not Castriot's blood in Amesa! It is not too immaculate to -flow in his veins, since it has filled my own. I was a Turk, too, -once. But----" looking at the wrinkles upon his hand--"growing old in -a better service may atone somewhat for the shame of earlier days. And -these hands never murdered a peaceful neighbor and his innocent wife, -and robbed a child of her inheritance--though they did murder that -poor Reis-Effendi. But God knows it could not be helped. But what is -one man that he shall condemn another!" An officer approached for -orders. - -"What, Sire, shall be done with the prisoner?" - -"Let him lie until Constantine comes!" was the response. - -Late in the night the general sat gazing upon the miserable heap of -humanity that crouched by the tent side. Amesa raised himself as far -as his bonds would permit, and began to speak. - -"Silence!" demanded Castriot, but without taking his eyes from the -prisoner. - -A subaltern, anxious to induce the general to take needed rest, again -suggested some disposition of the prisoner for the night. - -"Let him lie until Constantine comes!" - -"Captain Constantine has been captured, Sire," replied the officer; -"men who were with him have returned, and so report." - -"By whom captured?" asked the general in alarm. - -"By Janizaries." - -Castriot smiled, and asked, "It is certain he was not slain?" - -"Certain, Sire, for Ino saw him being taken away." - -"Let the prisoner lie there until Captain Constantine returns." - -The morning found Amesa still bound. No one had been allowed to speak -to him, nor he to utter a word. - -During Castriot's absence from the tent not one approached it; only -the guard patrolled at the distance of a couple of rods. - -"The torture of such a villain's thoughts will be more cruel than our -taunts or swords. Let him lie there, and tear himself with his own -devil claws!" had been Castriot's order. - -Toward noon the camp rang with cheers. Scouts reported that -Constantine had escaped, and was returning. Castriot alone seemed -unsurprised, though gratified with the news. He went to the edge of -the camp to meet him. - -"Well, my boy, your brother was not so well pleased with your looks, -and let you go sooner than I thought he would. I expected you not -until to-night." - -"My brother? How knew you, Sire, that I had seen him? for I have told -it to none." - -"Then tell it to none. To warn you of that I came to meet you, lest -your tongue might be unwise. Did you not tell me yourself that -Ballaban was the Moslem name of your brother?" - -"But how knew you that he was in this service?" asked Constantine. - -"As I know every officer in the enemy's service in Albania above an -ojak's command. And the Aga of the Janizaries is to my mind as the -commander of the expedition. And I will tell you more, my boy;--unless -the Padishah has gone daft with his chagrin over this defeat, Ballaban -Aga will command the next campaign against us: for none save he kept -his wits in the fight yesterday. His plan was masterful, and saved the -whole Moslem army. He held his Janizaries so well in hand, and so well -placed, that I could not follow up our advantage, nor even strike to -rescue you. Ballaban evidently has been much in the Albanian wars, and -has learned my methods better than any of our own officers. Should he -succeed to the horse-tails, the war hereafter will not be so one-sided -as it has been. Mark that, my dear fellow. But we must look to our -royal prisoner, after I have heard your story." - -Late in the day Castriot summoned Moses Goleme, Kabilovitsch, and -Constantine. Amesa was unbound, and was bidden to speak what he could -in extenuation of his treason. The Voivode protested his innocence of -any designs against the liberties of his country; and declared that he -had despaired of obtaining her independence under Castriot's -leadership. Better was it to take the virtual freedom of Albania under -the Sultan's nominal suzerainty, than to longer wage a hopeless war. -In this he was seconded, he said, by the noblest generals and -patriots. He was about to mention them; but was forbidden to utter so -much as a suspicion against any one. - -"I would not know them," said the magnanimous chief. "I will not have -a shadow of distrust in my mind toward any who have not drawn sword -against us. Let them keep their thoughts in their own breasts. Noble -Moses, your lips shall pronounce the sentence due Amesa's treason." - -The Dibrian general was silent. - -"Then, if Moses speaks no condemnation, no other lips shall," said -Castriot. - -Amesa threw himself at the feet of the chief, and began to pour forth -his gratitude. - -"The life thou hast spared, Sire, shall ever be thine. My sword shall -be given to thee as sovereign of my heart, as well as of my country." - -"Hold!" said Castriot. "What says Arnaud, the forester?" - -Amesa raised his face, blanched as suddenly with horror as it had been -flushed with elation. The venerable Kabilovitsch sat in silence for a -time, lost in the vividness of his recollections. At length, with slow -speech and tremulous voice, he portrayed the scenes of that terrible -night when the castle of the gallant De Streeses was destroyed, its -owner slain, the fair Mara driven back into the flames from which she -would have fled. - -"It is a lie," shouted Amesa. "The deed was wrought by Turks!"---- - -"Thy words condemn thee!" said Castriot. "The crime was not laid to -thy charge, Amesa. But now it shall be. Let Drakul be brought." - -Soldiers led in the man. The villain, whose hand had stayed at no deed -of daring or cruelty, was now seized with such cowardly fright that he -could scarce keep his legs. He was dragged before the extemporized -court. In answer to questions, he admitted his part, not only in the -original murders, but also in the raid upon the hamlet where Amesa had -suspected the heiress of De Streeses to be concealed. - -Amesa's rage at this betrayal burst forth in savage oaths, mingled -with such contradictory denials of his story as clearly confirmed its -truth. - -"For his treason against my authority, I refuse to take vengeance," -said Castriot. "But Albania, appealing for God's aid in establishing -its liberties, must, in God's name, do justice. What says Colonel -Kabilovitsch?" - -The old man spoke as if the solemnity of the Last Judgment had fallen -upon him,-- - -"As soon I must go before Him whose mercy I shall so sadly need for -the sins of my own life, I forgive Amesa the cruelty with which he has -followed me. God is my witness, that my personal grievance colors not -a thought of my heart. But, as I shall soon stand before the Judge, -together with the noble De Streeses, who was robbed of life in its -meridian, and that bright spirit whose cry for Amesa's mercy I heard -from out the flames, I say, Let justice be done! and let the soul of -the murderer be sent to confront his victims there before their God!" - -"Amen!" said Constantine. Moses Goleme was silent. - -Amesa had lost all his bravado. He trembled as would the meanest of -men who should bow his neck to the sword. He confessed his crime, and -piteously begged for his life; or, at least, that time should be given -him to make preparation for what he dreaded worse than death. A spirit -already damned seemed to have taken possession of his quivering frame. - -"Your life, Amesa," said the chief, "is forfeit for your crimes. On -the citadel walls of Croia, when we shall have returned there, as the -sun sets, so shall your life! Jesu grant that, through your -repentance and the prayers of Mother Church, your soul may rise again -in a better world!" - -"Amen!" responded all. - -The army returned from the Thessalian border through the country -northward, everywhere received with ovations by the people. The fate -of Amesa, though commiserated, was as generally commended. No one, -however attached by association to the once popular Voivode, raised a -voice in dissent from the sentence, or in pity for the culprit. - - - - -CHAPTER LVII. - - -The news reached Morsinia at Croia long before the return of the army. -She took little joy in the hearty and generous acclaim that welcomed -her to her inheritance. She had no vanity to be stimulated by the -popular stories which associated her beauty with her wealth. Her -thoughts seemed to be palled with heaviness, rather than canopied by -the bright prospects which fortune had spread for her. - -When Castriot officially announced to her the restoration of the -DeStreeses' property, she refused to enter upon her estates, which -were to come to her through the ceremony of blood in the execution of -her enemy. - -"No! Let them be confiscate to the State. I cheerfully surrender their -revenues for Albania. I ask nothing more than to be the instrument of -so aiding our noble cause and its noble leader," said she. - -"Albania will insist that you shall obtain your right. From voivode to -lowest peasant, the people will be content only as the daughter of -DeStreeses graces his ancient castle." - -"But," responded she, "I shall never enter its doors over the body of -my enemy. May not some other fate be his?" - -"Law should be sacred," said Castriot. - -"But is it not a law of Albania that even a murderer need not be -executed if all the family of his victim unite in his behalf, and he -pay the Krwnina?[110] Am I not all the family of DeStreeses? Let then -the estates be the Krwnina." - -"That cannot be," replied Castriot. "The law requires the price of -blood to be paid by the murderer, and the estates belong not to Amesa. -Besides, Albania will be better served by your occupation of the -castle, reviving its ancient prestige, and proclaiming thus that the -reign of justice has been restored in our land." - -"But let justice be mingled with mercy," said Morsinia. - -"Nay, the mercy would dilute the quality of the justice." - -"Can there be no mitigation of our cousin Amesa's fate, which shall -not prejudice the right?" asked the fair intercessor. "If Jesu prayed -to his Father that His murderers might be forgiven, may not I plead -that my father, the father of his country, shall be gracious to him -who has wronged me?" - -Castriot was absorbed in deep thought. At length he replied: - -"Ah, how little we men, schooled to revenge and bloodshed, know what -justice is, and what mercy is, as these sentiments move in the heart -of the Eternal! Your pure soul, my child, has closer kinship with -heaven than ours. I fear to deny your request, lest I should offend -that mysterious Spirit which has seemed to counsel me since, in the -land of the Moslems, I swore to return to my Christian faith; and -which, in my prayers and dreams, has been strangely associated with -you. In all that is right and good your conscience shall still inspire -mine: for you are my good angel. Amesa's life shall be spared. But no -breath of his must so much as taint the air of Albania. I am summoned -by my old ally, Ferdinand of Naples, to assist in driving the French -from his domains. Amesa shall go with me, and be kept in custody among -strangers. But it must be proclaimed from the citadel of Croia that -his life is restored him by the daughter of Musache de Streeses. - -"And yet, my dear child," continued he, "in these rude times you -cannot dwell alone in the castle. You need a protector who is not only -wise and brave, and loyal to Albania, but loyal to you. My duties -elsewhere will prevent my rendering that service. Colonel -Kabilovitsch's age is stealing the alertness from his energies. Our -Constantine--Ah! Does the blush tell that I am right?" He took her -hand, as he asked: "May I exercise the father's privilege, according -to our Albanian custom, and put this hand into Constantine's, to keep -and to defend?" - -Morsinia replied frankly. "Since, Sire, I may not give my estates to -my country, bestow them upon whom you will; and my hand must go to -him, who, since we were children, has held my heart." - -The following day, as the sun gilded the walls of Croia with his -setting rays, an immense concourse of soldiers and peasants gathered -within the citadel court. The executioner led the traitor, followed by -a priest, out upon the bastion. A trumpet sounded, and the silence -which followed its dying note was broken by the voice of the crier, -who announced that, in the name of God and the sovereign people, and -by the ordaining of George, Duke of Albania, the decree of justice -should be executed upon the Voivode Amesa. Then followed the record of -his crimes, together with the declaration that his appearance in arms -among the enemy, having been, according to his declaration, not -treason against his country, but rebellion against the military -chieftaincy of Duke George, was by the grace of that high official -forgiven; and further that the sentence of death for his foul murder -of Musache De Streeses and his wife Mara Cernoviche, was, through the -intercession of Mara, sole survivor of that ancient house, and by the -authority of Duke George, commuted to perpetual banishment from the -realm, in such place and condition as seemed best to the Duke for the -security of the land. - -The people stood in amazement as they listened. The relief from the -horror of the anticipated spectacle, when the head of the former -favorite should be held up by the executioner, led them to accept -complacently this turn in affairs, even though their judgment did not -commend it. In a few moments the cry rose, "Live Duke George! A -Castriot forever!" Soon it changed to wilder enthusiasm, "Long live -Mara De Streeses!" This storm of applause could not be stilled until -Morsinia permitted herself to be led by Castriot to the edge of the -battlement. - -As the sun was setting, the huge mass of the citadel rose like a -mighty altar from the bosom of the gloom which had already settled -about its base. Slowly the shadow had climbed its side, crowding the -last bright ray until it vanished from the top of the parapet. It was -at this instant that Morsinia appeared. The citadel beneath her was -sombre as the coming night which enwrapped it, but her form was -radiant in the lingering splendor of the departing day. As she raised -her hand in response to the grateful clamor of the people, she seemed -the impersonation of a heavenly benediction. The multitude gazed in -reverent silence for a moment. Then, as the sun dropped behind the -western hill, veiling the glory of this apparition, they made the very -sky resound with their shouts; and in the quick gathering darkness -went their ways. - -A few weeks later, the castle of De Streeses was decked with banners, -whose bright colors rivalled the late autumnal hues of the forest from -the midst of which it rose. Multitudes of people all day long thronged -the paths leading up to it from the valleys around. Gorgeously arrayed -voivodes, accompanied by their suites, made the ravines resound with -their rattling armor; and bands of peasants, in cheap but gaudy -finery, threaded through the by paths. Those who possessed tents -brought them. Others, upon their arrival in the proximity of the -castle, erected booths and festooned them with vines, which the -advancing season had painted fiery red or burst into gray feathery -plumes. From cleared places near the castle walls rose huge spirals of -smoke, as oxen and sheep, quartered or entire, were being roasted, to -feed the multitude of guests; while great casks of foaming beer and -ruddy sparkling wine excited and slaked their thirst. The recent -defeat of the Turks had led to the withdrawal of their armies, at -least until winter should have passed; and the people of the northern -country gave themselves up to the double celebration of the well-won -peace and the nuptials of Mara De Streeses. - -Within the castle the great and the dignified of the land abandoned -themselves to equal freedom with the peasants, in the enjoyment of -games, and the observance of simple and fantastic national customs. -Morsinia and Constantine kissed again through the ivy wreath, as in -the days of childhood. The new matron's distaff touched the oaken -walls of the great dining hall; and her hand spread the table with -bread and wine and water, in formal assumption of her office as -housewife. When she undressed and dressed again the babe, borrowed -from a neighboring cottage, she received sundry scoldings and many -saws of nursery advice from a group of peasant mothers. The happy -couple were almost buried beneath the buckets of grain, which some of -the guests poured over them, as they wished them all the blessings of -the soil. When they approached the fire place they were showered with -sparks, as some one struck the huge glowing log and invoked for them -the possession of herds and flocks and friends as many as the -fireflecks that flew. - -Gifts were offered: those of the poor and rich being received with -equal grace;--a rare breed of domestic fowls following a case of -cutlery from Toledo in Spain; and a necklace of pearls preceding a -hound trained by some skillful hunter. On opening the casket which -Castriot presented, as he kissed the golden cluster upon the forehead -of the bride, there was found within a cap of sparkling gems, such as -is worn by oriental brides, a parchment commissioning Constantine as a -voivode in the Albanian service, with governor's command of the Skadar -country. - -The blessing of the priest was supplemented by those of the old men, -which were put in form of prophecies. Kabilovitsch inclosed the happy -couple in outstretched arms, and gazing long into their faces, said: - -"As on that night at the foot of the Balkans I wrapped you, my -children, in my blanket, and, in my absence, another greater than we -knew, our generous Castriot, took my place to watch over you; so now, -as soon I must leave you forever, One greater than man knows, even our -Covenant God, shall be your guardian!" - -A man, apparently decrepit with the weight of years, assumed the -privilege of a venerable stranger upon such occasions, and came to -utter his prophecy. His head was covered with a close fitting fur -cap, which concealed his brow to the eyes. Straggling gray locks hung -partly over his face and down his neck. As he spoke, Constantine -started with evident amazement, which was, however, instantly checked. -The bride seemed strangely fascinated. Kabilovitsch, who had been too -much absorbed with his own thoughts to notice the stranger's approach, -lifted his head quickly, and put his hand to his ear, as if catching -some faint and distant sound. This was the old prophet's blessing-- - -"Allah ordains that these walls, consecrated to Justice, and inhabited -by Love, shall from this day be guarded by Peace. Even the Moslem's -sword shall be stayed from hence!" - -He bowed to the floor, touching with his lips the spot where Morsinia -had stood. Before the guests could fully comprehend this scene, he was -gone. But lying on the floor where he had bowed was a silken case, -elegantly wrought. Morsinia uttered a subdued, yet startled, cry as -she seized it. The gift seemed to have thrown a spell about her; for, -with paled cheeks, she asked that she might retire to rest awhile in -her chamber. - -"A wjeshtize!" cried several, looking out from the door through which -the man had passed. - -"Heaven grant he has left no curse!" exclaimed others. - -The silken case contained several crystals of atar of roses. In one of -these, which was larger than the others, gleamed, instead of the -perfumed drop, a splendid diamond. Upon a piece of parchment, as fine -as the silk of which the case was made, Morsinia read-- - - "My pledge to give my life for thine shall be kept when need - requires--Meanwhile know that the Padishah, the rightful - Lord of Albania, has bestowed this castle upon Ballaban - Badera, Aga of the Janizaries, who in turn bestows it upon - Mara De Streeses-- - - "Signed, - "MICHAEL." - - * * * * * - -Our story has covered a period of thirteen years. For eleven years -more the genius of Scanderbeg, which his perhaps too partial -countrymen used to compare to that of Alexander and Pyrrhus, withstood -the whole power of the Ottoman Empire, directed against him by the -most skilful generals of the age. Sinam and Assem, Jusem and Caraza, -Seremet and the puissant Sultan Mahomet himself successively appeared -in the field; but retreated, leaving their thousands of slain to -attest the invincibility of the Albanian chief. Only one Ottoman -commander ventured to return for a second campaign. The old Latin -chronicles of the monk Marinus Barletius--who records the deeds of -Castriot in thirteen volumes--assign this honorable distinction to the -Janizary, Ballaban Badera. In six campaigns this redoubtable warrior -desolated Albania. From Thessaly, northward over the land, poured the -Moslem tide, but it stayed itself at the waters of Skadar; and, as if -fate had approved the prophecy of the aged stranger at the nuptials of -Constantine and Morsinia, the castle of De Streeses during all these -terrible years, looked down upon bloodless fields. Though his lands -were ravaged, the courage of Castriot was not wearied, nor was his -genius baffled, until, in the year 1467, there came upon him a -mightier than Ballaban, a mightier than Mahomet. In the presence of -the last enemy he commended his country to the valor of his voivodes, -his family to the protection of friends,[111] and his soul to the -grace of Jesu, his Saviour. They buried him in the old church at -Lyssa. Years after, no Scanderbeg succeeding Scanderbeg, the Turks -possessed the land. They dug up his bones, and, inclosing their -fragments in silver and gold, wore them as amulets. Pashas and Viziers -esteemed themselves happy, even in subsequent centuries, if they might -so much as touch a bone of Scanderbeg; "For perchance," they said, -"there may thus be imparted to us some of that valor and skill which -in him were invincible by the might of men." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[110] The price of blood, generally 1000 piastres among the poorer -classes, which was paid by the culprit to the village where the crime -was committed, and by it paid to the general government. - -[111] Castriot married late in life. - - -THE END. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Captain of the Janizaries, by James M. 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