The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan Part 20

Here the serdar took him up, and said, ?What have you done? What Russians are on the frontier? and when shall we get at them??

To all of which I answered, after making the usual prefatory speech, ?Yes, Agas, I have done all that was in my power to do. It was a lucky hour when we set off, for everything that you wish to know I can explain; and it is evident that the destinies of the serdar and of my master are much on the rise, since so insignificant a slave as I can be of use to them.?

?Good luck is no bad thing, that?s true,? said the serdar, ?but we trust a great deal to our swords, too,?--rolling his eyes about at the same time, and smiling in the face of the chief executioner.

?Yes, yes,? said his companion, ?swords and gunpowder, spears and pistols--those are our astrologers. It will always be a fortunate hour that will bring me within slice of an infidel?s neck. As for me, I am a _kizzel bash_ (a red head), and pretend to nothing else. A good horse, a sharp sword, a spear in my hand, and a large _maidan_ (an open s.p.a.ce) before me, with plenty of Muscovites in it: that is all I want.?

?And what do you say to good wine too?? said the serdar. ?I think that is as good a thing as any you have mentioned. We?ll have the caliph in, and make him give Hajji a cup of his best. But tell us first,?

addressing himself to me, ?what have you seen and done? where are the Russians posted? how many of them are there? have they any guns? who commands them? where are their Cossacks? have you heard anything of the Georgians? where is the Russian commander-in-chief? what are the Lesgi about? where is the renegade Ismael Khan?--Come, tell us all: and you, Mirza,? addressing himself to his scribe, ?write down all he says.?

Upon this I drew myself up, and, putting on a face of wisdom, I made the following speech:--

?By the soul of the serdar! by the salt of the chief executioner! the Muscovites are nothing. In comparison to the Persians, they are mere dogs. I, who have seen with my own eyes, can tell you, that one Persian, with a spear in his hand, would kill ten of those miserable, beardless creatures.?

?Ah, you male lion!? exclaimed my master, apparently delighted with what I said, ?I always knew that you would be something. Leave an Ispahani alone: he will always show his good sense.?

?They are but few Muscovites on the frontier. Five, six, seven, or eight hundred,--perhaps a thousand or two thousand--but certainly not more than three. They have some ten, twenty, or thirty guns; and as for the Cossacks, _putch and_, they are nothing. It is very inconvenient that they are to be found everywhere when least wanted, with those thick spears of theirs, which look more like the goad of an ox than a warlike weapon, and they kill, ?tis true; but then, they are mounted upon _yabous_ (jades), which can never come up to our horses, worth thirty, forty, fifty tomauns each, and which are out of sight before they can even get theirs into a gallop.?

?Why do you waste your breath upon the Cossacks and their horses?? said the chief executioner; ?you might as well talk of monkeys mounted upon bears. Who commands the infidels??

?They call him the _deli mayor_, or the mad major; and the reason why he is called so, is because he never will run away. Stories without number are related of him. Among others, that he has got the pocket Koran of his excellency the serdar in his possession, which he shows to every one as a great trophy.?

?Aye, that?s true,? exclaimed the serdar. ?These bankrupt dogs surprised me last year, when encamped not five parasangs hence, and I had only time to save myself, in my shirt and trousers, on the back of an unsaddled horse. Of course, they pillaged my tent, and among other things stole my Koran. But I?ll be even with them. I have shown them what I can do at Gavmishlu, and we still have much more to perform upon their fathers? graves. How many guns, did you say, they had??

?Four or five, or six,? said I.

?I wrote down twenty or thirty just now,? remarked the Mirza, who was writing at the edge of the carpet,--?which of the two is right??

?Why do you tell us lies?? exclaimed the serdar, his eyes becoming more animated as he spoke. ?If we find that any part of what you say be false, by the head of Ali! you will soon discover that our beards are not to be laughed at with impunity.?

?In truth, then,? said I, ?this intelligence is not of my own acquiring.

The greatness of the serdar?s, and my Aga?s good fortune, consists in my having fallen upon a means of getting the most perfect information through a young Armenian, who risked his life for us, upon my making him promise of recompense in the name of the serdar.?

?A recompense in my name!? exclaimed the serdar: ?who is this Armenian?--and what Armenian was ever worthy of a recompense??

Upon this I related the whole of Yusuf?s history, from the beginning to the end. In pleading his cause in this public manner, I hoped that the serdar would feel it impossible to resist the justice of the demand which I made upon him, and that my young protege would at once be released from his fears and apprehensions of the chief?s resentment, and restored to the undisputed possession of his wife.

When I had done speaking, nothing was said, but here and there _Allah!

Allah! il Allah!_ (there is but one G.o.d!) in suppressed exclamations from the lips of the Mohammedans present; whilst the serdar, having rolled his eyes about, and twitched his mouth into various odd shapes, at length mumbled out, ?the Armenian has performed wonders?; and then called aloud to his servants to bring his _kalian_ or pipe.

Having smoked two or three long whiffs, he said, ?Where is this Armenian? Order the caliph also to come before us.?

Upon which Yusuf was ushered in, with the shoves and thrusts by which a poor man of his nation is generally introduced before a Persian grandee; and he stood in face of the a.s.sembly as fine a specimen of manly beauty as was ever seen, evidently creating much sensation upon all present by the intrepidity of his appearance. The serdar, in particular, fixed his eyes upon him with looks of approbation; and turning round to the executioner in chief, made signs, well known among Persians, of his great admiration.

The caliph, a heavy, coa.r.s.e man, of a rosy and jovial appearance, dressed in the black hood peculiar to the Armenian clergy, appeared soon after, followed by two or three of his priests. Having stood for a short time before the serdar and his companion, he was invited to sit, which he did, going through all the ceremonial of complimentary phrases, and covering the feet and hands in a manner usual on such occasions.

The serdar then, addressing himself to the caliph, said, ?It is plain that we Mussulmans are become less than dogs in the land of Iran. The Armenians now break into our harems, steal our wives and slaves from before our faces, and invite men to defile our fathers? graves. What news is this, O caliph? Is this Allah?s work or yours??

The caliph, attacked in this unexpected manner, looked very much alarmed, and the dew broke out upon his ample and porous forehead.

Experience had taught him that these sorts of attacks were generally the forerunners of some heavy fine, and he already put himself in a posture of defence to resist it.

?What language is this?? said he in answer. ?We, whose dogs are we, who should dare even to think upon the evil of which your highness speaks?

We are the Shah?s subjects:--You are our protector, and the Armenians sit in peace under your shade. What manner of man is this who has brought these ashes upon our heads??

?That is he,? answered the serdar, pointing to Yusuf. ?Say, fellow, have you stolen my slave or not??

?If I am guilty,? said the youth, ?of having taken aught from any man, save my own, here am I, ready to answer for myself with my life. She who threw herself out of your windows into my arms was my wife before she was your slave. We are both the Shah?s rayats, and it is best known to yourself if you can enslave them or no. We are Armenians, ?tis true, but we have the feelings of men. It is well known to all Persia, that our ill.u.s.trious Shah has never forced the harem of even the meanest of his subjects; and, secure in that feeling, how could I ever suppose, most n.o.ble serdar, that we should not receive the same protection under your government? You were certainly deceived when told that she was a Georgian prisoner; and had you known that she was the wife of your peasantry, you never would have made her your property.?

The caliph, frightened at the language of the youth, stopped him, by loud and angry exclamations; but the serdar, apparently struck by language so unusual to his ears, instead of appearing angry, on the contrary, looked delighted (if the looks of such a countenance could ever express delight); and, staring with astonished eyes upon the youth, seemed to forget even the reason of his having been brought before him.

Of a sudden, as if dispelling his former indignation, he stopped all further discussion by saying to him, ?Enough, enough; go, take your wife, and say no more; and, since you have rendered us a service at Hamamlu, you shall remain my servant, and wait upon my person. Go, my head valet will instruct you in your duties; and when attired in clothes suited to your situation, you will return again to our presence. Go, and recollect that my condescension towards you depends upon your future conduct.? Upon this Yusuf, in the fullness of his heart, ran up to him with great apparent grat.i.tude, fell upon his knees, and kissed the hem of his garment, not knowing what to say, or what countenance to keep upon such unlooked-for good fortune.

Every one present seemed astonished: the chief executioner gave a shrug, and indulged in a deep yawn; the caliph, as if he had been disenc.u.mbered of a heavy weight, stretched his limbs, and the huge drops that were before glittering on his brow now disappeared, and his face again expanded into good humour. All congratulated the serdar upon his humanity and benevolence, and compared him to the celebrated Noushirwan.

_Barikallah_ and _Mashallah_ was repeated and echoed from mouth to mouth, and the story of his magnanimity was spread abroad, and formed the talk of the whole camp. I will not pretend to explain what were the serdar?s real sentiments; but those who well knew the man were agreed that he could be actuated by no generous motive.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The two Russians drive back the Persians. 20.jpg]

CHAPTER XLI

He describes an expedition against the Russians, and does ample justice to the cowardice of his chief.

My chief and the serdar having acquired all the information which Yusuf and I could give them upon the force and position of the Muscovites, it was determined that an attack should immediately be made, and the army was ordered to march upon Hamamlu.

Everything was soon in motion; the artillery began its tedious and difficult march through the mountains; the infantry made their way in the best manner they could, and the cavalry were seen in unconnected groups all over the plain. I must not omit to say, that before the march began I received a visit from the Armenian. He was no longer, in appearance, the rude mountaineer with his rough sheepskin cap, his short Georgian tunic, his sandalled feet, his long knife hung over his knee, and his gun slung obliquely across his body; but he was now attired in a long vest of crimson velvet, trimmed with gold lace and gold b.u.t.tons; a beautiful Cashmerian shawl was tied gracefully round his waist; his small cap, of Bokhara lamb-skin, was duly indented at the top, and the two long curls behind his ears were combed out with all proper care. He had now more the appearance of a woman than a man, so much were his fine limbs hid by his robes; and as he approached me, he could not help blushing and looking awkward at the metamorphosis. He thanked me with expressions that indicated much grat.i.tude, and a.s.sured me, that so far from having expected this result to his interview with the serdar, he had, in fact, made up his mind to the loss of both his wife and life, and therefore had spoken with the boldness of one determined to die.

?But,? said he, ?notwithstanding this great change in my fortunes, this new existence of mine will never do. I cannot endure the degradation of being a mere idle appendage to the state of the serdar; and be not angry if, ere long, I decline the honour of his service. I will submit to everything as long as my wife is not in a place of safety; but when once I have secured that, then adieu. Better live a swineherd in the Georgian mountains, naked and houseless, than in all these silks and velvets, a despised hanger on, be it even in the most luxurious court of Persia.?

I could not help applauding such sentiments, although I should have been happy had he made any one else his confidant, conscious that if he did run away I should in some measure be made answerable for him.

In the meanwhile the army proceeded on its march. As we pa.s.sed Ashtarek, Yusuf got permission to take possession of Mariam, who, now transformed into the wife of one who had the reputation of being in the good graces of the serdar, travelled with great respectability and consideration on horseback, and formed one among the numerous camp-followers that are always attached to a Persian army. The camp was pitched between Gavmishlu and Aberan, where all that was not necessary for the expedition was ordered to remain until its return. It was settled that the serdar and the chief executioner, each accompanied by their own men, with two pieces of artillery, should form the expedition, and towards the close of the evening it set off.

As we approached the scene of action, the serdar became impatient of delay, and, like every Persian who despises the utility of infantry, expressed his wish to push on with the cavalry. I will not say as much for the impatience of my chief. He continued his boastings to the last, ?tis true, and endeavoured to make every one believe that he had only to appear, and the enemy would instantly be seized with a panic; but at length he ceded to the serdar?s wishes of bringing on the rear-guard, whilst the latter pushed on to Hamamlu with the main body of the cavalry. I, of course, remained behind, to act under the orders of my chief. The serdar intended to reach Hamamlu before break of day in order to surprise the gates, and deviated from the road to ford the Pembaki river. We continued our march straight for that place, and were to appear as the day dawned, to give a retreat to the serdar, in case he should be beaten back.

The morning had just broke when we reached the banks of the river.

The chief executioner was surrounded by a body of about five hundred cavalry, and the infantry was coming up as well as it could. We were about fording the river, when of a sudden we were accosted by a voice on the other side, which shouting out two or three strange words in a language unknown to us, explained their meaning by a musket shot. This stopped our career, and called the attention of our chief, who came up, looking paler than death.

?What?s the news?? exclaimed he, in a voice far below its usual pitch:--?what are we doing?--where are we going?--Hajji Baba,? accosting me, ?was it you that fired??

?No,? said I, catching rather more of his apprehension than was convenient; ?no, I did not fire. Perhaps there are ghols here among the Muscovites, as well as at Ashtarek among the Armenians.?

In another minute more barbarous cries were heard, and another shot was fired, and by this time day had sufficiently advanced to show two men, on the other bank, whom we discovered to be Russian soldiers. As soon as our chief saw the extent of the danger, and the foe opposed to us, his countenance cleared up, and he instantly put on the face of the greatest resolution and vigour. ?Go, seize, strike, kill!? he exclaimed, almost in one breath, to those around him:--?Go, bring me the heads of yonder two fellows.?

Immediately several men dashed into the river, with drawn swords, whilst the two soldiers withdrew to a small rising ground, and, placing themselves in a convenient position, began a regular, though alternate, discharge of their muskets upon their a.s.sailants, with a steadiness that surprised us. They killed two men, which caused the remainder to retreat back to our commander, and no one else seemed at all anxious to follow their example. In vain he swore, entreated, pushed, and offered money for their heads: not one of his men would advance. At length, he said, with a most magnanimous shout, ?I myself will go; here, make way! will no body follow me?? Then, stopping, and addressing himself to me, he said, ?Hajji! my soul, my friend, won?t you go and cut those men?s heads off? I?ll give you everything you can ask.? Then, putting his hand round my neck, he said, ?Go, go; I am sure you can cut their heads off.?

We were parleying in this manner, when a shot from one of the Russians. .h.i.t the chief executioner?s stirrup, which awoke his fears to such a degree, that he immediately fell to uttering the most violent oaths.

Calling away his troops, and retreating himself at a quick pace, he exclaimed, ?Curses be on their beards! Curse their fathers, mothers, their ancestry, and posterity! Whoever fought after this fashion?

Killing, killing, as if we were so many hogs. See, see, what animals they are! They will not run away, do all you can to them. They are worse than brutes:--brutes have feeling,--they have none. O Allah, Allah, if there was no dying in the case, how the Persians would fight!?