The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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entered. Hewas a tall, hard-featured youth, of herculean frame, clothed from headto foot in chain armour, over which he wore a dark cloak of thick cloth;his head was guarded by a helmet, or rather cap, of iron, trimmed roundthe edge with a thick fur border, giving to his face rather a ferociousappearance, which his overhanging and scowling brow did not belie. Byhis side hung a ponderous two-edged sword, the handle richly embossedwith gold and ornamented with jewels, as was the poniard at his belt.His other weapons, as well as those of his squire, hung against the wallover his head.
His squire was without armour of any sort; but his cap was of the samecoloured fur as his master's; and his dress of dark cloth fitted closelyto his figure. This man was of shorter stature than the Khan, and thickset, with the same disagreeable, forbidding cast of features. The Khanseemed eager for the chieftain's reply, though he tried to conceal hisanxiety; but before either of them spoke, his host, motioning him toresume his seat, took a place on a cushion opposite to him, waiting forhis guest to commence the conversation.
"Noble Uzden, what answer does the bright dawn of day send to my gallantbrother? Will she be the queen of his anderoon, and the future motherof our noble race? When will she be prepared to meet my brother on herroad to his home, and when shall I again come with a large company ofour retainers, such as befits her rank and beauty, decked in bridalarray to bear her away to the longing arms of her spouse?"
"It cannot be," answered the chieftain, gravely, "I speak not withdisdain of the noble Khan, your brother, but my daughter is to me as myson; and not even to him, for all the riches of Stamboul, will I partwith her against her wish. Ina is still young, and loves me as a sonwould. Tell your noble brother that she will yet remain with herfather; that she is the only bright jewel I cherish; that I value hermore than the richest armour, or steeds of the purest race. There areother maidens of the Atteghei, gladly willing to cheer your brother'shome--willing to be the mother of his sons, brave and warlike as theirfather; may Allah send joy to his house! but my daughter cannot be hisbride. It is enough, Khan, I have given my answer."
The brow of the young Besin Khan grew darker at these words. "Must Ithen go back to my brother with such an answer as this? Must I go tellthe leader of a thousand brave warriors that a weak girl will not bow tohis will? Why thus, oh Uzden! do you throw dirt in my face? Must Ispeak such words as these in my brother's ear? Think you that he willlisten to me? He will say that I am laughing at his beard. He willtell me to return and bring back his bride; you know not my brother, ifyou suppose that he will hear with calmness such words as these. Hewill not rest. He will send me back with another message, and will notreceive me till I return with his bride. Say then, oh chieftain! thatthe sweet bird shall quit her bower, that she will come and sing in mybrother's anderoon. She will soon be happy there, though at first shemay mourn for her father's home; and she will become my brother's pride,his brightest jewel, his sweetest flower. He will send you, Uzden, acoat of armour through which no sword can cleave; four noble steeds ofthe purest race, fleet as the wind, a fine herd of fat cattle, andflocks of sheep. Do not despise these things."
"Have I not said, Khan, that my daughter is to me more than armour orsteeds?" replied Arslan Gherrei; "why then, talk we like children? Myword is spoken--my daughter cannot be the bride of the Khan. Be notfoolish, but take my message to your brother; and now Khan, speak nomore on the subject. Refreshments are preparing for you ere you return,if you must needs use so much haste; but rather spend this night at myhouse, and by to-morrow's dawn you shall depart, for I lead forth my fewremaining followers against the foe, and must take my daughter to placeher in safety with the family of our kinsman Aitek Tcherei. Stay then,till to-morrow, when you shall go in peace; and perchance the next timewe meet, it will be on the battle-field against the Urus; for I haveoften been witness of your bravery, and many of your foes have I seenbite the dust."
"I cannot stay; I must away with haste; I want not food, if such is theonly answer, oh chief! that you can send my brother," exclaimed theyoung noble with vehemence. "He will not brook such words as these.His soul will not tamely submit to this refusal. It is folly to thinkit. His offer was not made to be refused."
"You speak words of folly, Khan; your brother is no child, that heshould be angered at a thing like this," replied the chief, gravely."Your feelings carry away your judgment; wait, and you will think betteron the subject to-morrow."
"You little know my brother. He is now waiting, eager for the answer Imust take, and I will not tarry to hear more of such words," exclaimedthe young Khan, still more angry than before. "My horse, Kiru!" turningto his squire. "Reach me my arms. Bring forth my horse. Order myfollowers to mount, and away."
His squire, as desired, presented him with his gun and pistols, andhastened from the room to obey his orders, while the young Khan strodeangrily and haughtily to the door, where he stood, foaming with rage,till his horse was brought forth. He then mounted, without offering thecustomary salute at parting to his noble host, who amazed, and vexed, athis want of knightly courtesy, and at his hot, irascible temper,re-entered his house.
Followed by his squire, and the retainers of his family, the enragedyoung noble galloped furiously along the flat terrace, till he reachedthe steep path on the mountain's side, down which he continued his way,and along the bottom of the valley in the direction of the sea, keepinghis course towards the north, along the coast.
Volume 2, Chapter IX.
Among the beetling crags of the high, dark, and rugged mountains, whichsurround the still more gigantic and terrific Elborous, is a deep glen,more wild and fearful than the many other fissures into which themountains have been rent by some awful convulsion of nature, forming theonly accessible approach to a wide bason, round which precipitous cliffsarise on every side. Their lofty and pointed summits areinsurmountable, even by the wild goat or active chamois.
It appeared as if nature had formed the spot expressly to serve as afortification for outlaws, as a dozen or twenty men could at all timesdefend the entrance from a host of foes. It was for this reason thatthe ancestors of the present occupier of the country had selected it asa spot on which to fix his abode, probably on account of his own lawlessdisposition, that he might sally forth from this strong hold, and commitforays on his neighbours, with a secure place to retire to with hisbooty, without fear of reprisal. Be that as it may, his descendants hadfollowed constantly the same occupation; rushing down on the unguardedand unsuspecting villagers of the plains, carrying off their cattle, andseizing on themselves as slaves.
The first of the present race who inhabited this wild spot, was a Khanof high rank in Tartary; one of the many who escaped with the exiledKing into the mountains of the Caucasus, when driven from his throne bythe Russians under the grasping Catharine. There they were hospitablyand joyfully received by the brave people from whose blood they hadoriginally sprung; great numbers, therefore, settled in Abasia, andtheir followers adhering to them through good and evil, they thus formedpowerful tribes in their new mountain homes.
From the marauding practices of the ancestor of Khoros Kaloret Khan, hewas possessed of large herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, numerousslaves, and a breed of high-mettled steeds, from the stock which theyhad brought with them from Tartary. Thus possessed of abundance ofwealth, he refrained from practices followed in more lawless times. Hewas at the head also of a numerous band of retainers, who obeyed himimplicitly as their hereditary chief and master; so that besides hisrank, he was a person of great consideration in the country, thoughperhaps more feared from his power to do evil, than loved for thebenefits he conferred on his neighbours.
His temper, being uncontrolled, was fierce and violent, so that none ofhis retainers dared to disobey his slightest orders; yet they followedhim willingly to battle, for he was, at the same time, a brave andskilful leader, and the Russians had often felt the power of his arm inhis tremendous onslaughts. No sooner did they commence hostilitiesagainst the tribes of Cauca
sus, than his father, leading out hisclansmen from their fastnesses, proved himself one of their most bitterand unceasing enemies. Deep and fierce was his revenge for the wrongswhich Crim Tartary had endured at their hands.
Sending once some of his people to throw themselves in their way, inorder to act as guides to them, he drew a large body among thefastnesses of the mountains, where, having lain in ambush, he set uponthem with his followers, and slaughtered several hundreds on the spot.The others, attempting to take refuge among the caverns and rocks, werehunted like wild beasts. For several days did the savage chasecontinue; every avenue for their escape was so guarded, that nonereturned to tell the tale of their disasters. Those who were not takenand put to the sword, died of starvation among the barren mountains.
The young Khan and his brother had imbibed from their father