The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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the samebitter hostility towards their foes; but revenge ruled their breastsmore than love for their adopted country; and the ungovernable and fierytemper of the elder, often led him to commit excesses, even among hisown followers, of which his father was not guilty.
Such was the suitor for the hand of the gentle Ina; and though ArslanGherrei loved him not, yet he was not fully acquainted with his realcharacter; nor could he, without giving good reason, refuse his suitwithout a deadly insult, as he himself was descended, by his mother'sside, from the same race, though of a royal line.
The house of the chief, near which was erected a high watch-tower, wasbuilt directly facing the rocky defile leading to the green circularplain or bason before described, thus commanding a view of all whoapproached.
The Khan was pacing under the verandah in front of his house, in a stateof violent excitement.
"See you any one coming?" he shouted to a page stationed on the summitof the watch-tower. "Why tarries my brother thus? Why sends he notmessengers to announce the coming of my bride? Surely he would not failto send, and give me time to meet the beauteous girl, with due honour,on the way. He is not wont to disobey my orders. See you none coming,slave?" he again vociferated. "See you none coming?"
"On my head be it, Khan, I see not one speck moving in the whole of theglen," answered the page.
"Am I your Khan, that you hasten not?" he cried, to some attendantswaiting at a little distance. "Do you, Zand, take the fleetest steed,and fly towards Ghelendjik for three hours, returning without delay; andsee that you bring me tidings of my coming bride, or of my brother'smessengers."
The man hastened to obey the order, the Khan continuing his irregularand agitated walk as before, every now and then turning his glance downthe glen, then shouting to his watchman to learn if he had caught sightof any one approaching. The answer was as before. His impatienceincreased.
"Saddle me a steed, knaves--haste, fly. Am I not your Khan, that youmake no better speed?"
A horse was quickly brought him; when, throwing himself into the saddle,he rode furiously down the dark ravine; but he soon returned, on theback of the panting animal, from the fruitless search.
His temper was not assuaged by his headlong and heating ride; asthrowing the reins to a slave, who stood trembling to take his horse, heresumed his hurried walk in front of his dwelling.
Another hour passed, when the look-out man, on the watch-tower, gavenotice that he saw a horseman coming up the glen. As he approachednearer, he proved to be only one of the messengers despatched in themorning, and he reported that he could gain no intelligence of any ofthe young Khan's escort.
The shades of evening were beginning to throw a deep gloom into theglen, when the look-out man again cried that he saw a party of horsemenapproaching.
The Khan instantly threw himself on a gaily caparisoned steed, precededby his banner-bearer. His squire and pages followed, with the principalof his retainers, and galloped down the glen to meet the expected bride.What was his rage and disappointment when he did not see his brother'stowering form, or the white veil of the betrothed; but met, instead, thetravel-worn and agitated band of retainers who had set out with him?
"Where is my brother, and where my bride?" he exclaimed, ridingfuriously towards them with his drawn scimitar uplifted. "Say,caitiffs, ere I slay you."
"As Allah is great, we dare not say, Khan, where your brother is. Weknow not--we cannot speak," answered the foremost of the party. "Thefair daughter of the Uzden Arslan Gherrei is with her father."
"What! does she not come with my brother? Speak, slaves; answer, Icharge you," cried the Khan.
"This only we know, Khan. On my head be it that I say truth," repliedthe first speaker:
"The brother of the Khan parted from the Uzden Arslan Gherrei in anger,that he would not let his daughter come to be queen of our chief'sanderoon. We then travelled towards the castle of the Urus atGhelendjik, where Besin Khan, taking with him only Kiru, ordered us toproceed a day's journey, and then wait for him. For two days he camenot. We waited a third, and we then went to search for him. We heardthat there had been a bloody fight between some of the tribes on thecoast and the Urus, and we thought our young Khan would not have beenabsent; but all, of whom we asked for news of him, turned aside, andwould not answer. We then went to the shore, where the combat tookplace, and among heaps of the vile soldiers of the Urus, almostdestroyed by the birds of prey and wild beasts, we found the sabre,which was our young master's, broken, and his iron cap and his corslet,with a deep dent on its centre."
As he spoke, the horsemen opened their ranks, and discovered betweenthem, on a led horse, the shattered arms of Besin Khan.
"As Allah is great, Khan, this is all we know," added the man.
The rage of the chief seemed for a moment abated, by the shock he hadexperienced at the account of his brother's too probable death. But itas suddenly returned.
"What lies are those you speak, villains?" he exclaimed. "Is it thecustom of the chiefs of Abbaseik to leave their companion warriors whenslain on the field? Though he had not his own clansmen with him, thinkyou the other nobles would not have brought off his body were he slain?No; those cannot be the arms of my brother. If you have lied, some ofyou shall suffer for this. Follow me to my house. We will see, whenlight is brought, if these are truly my brother's arms."
And turning his horse's head, he rode hastily homeward.
Throwing himself on a divan, in his principal apartment, followed by allthe newly-arrived troop, he caused torches to be brought, and the armsto be placed before him. He examined them narrowly.
"Alas, my Khan!" said one of his attendants, "the hilt of this sabre Iknow it too well. Often have I seen it in your noble brother's hand."
"Peace, fool!" answered the Khan, furiously. "Think you that I know notmy brother's sword? Yes, those are his arms, and I will make those paydearly who have cast this indignity on my father's son. He would not,if living, have left his weapons on the field; and by Allah and hisProphet, I swear that I will have revenge. He may have fallen into thehands of the Urus; but no, Besin Khan would not be taken alive. I willgo to the chieftains of the Atteghei, engaged in this combat, and makethem pay dearly for thus deserting my brother, if he was slain. If hewere near, and heard the sounds of strife, so assuredly would he haverushed into the thickest of the fight; and if he fell by those hatedUrus, doubly will I wreak my vengeance on all of their cursed race whofall into my hands. Yet what is the blood of a whole host of such asthey are, to one drop of the blood of my noble brother? He would havedied for me, and shall I rest while I live to avenge him? No; hisspirit calls to me from the grave."
He rose, and walked in an excited manner through the chamber, shakinghis clenched hand in the air.
"Perchance even yet, my brother, thou art not slain! Wherever thou art,at the hands of that proud Uzden Arslan Gherrei, I will demand thee. Hemust know where thou art. Why should he refuse me his daughter? Am notI as noble as he? Have I not more faithful followers, more flocks andherds? Then why does he refuse to let the maiden come to my anderoon?"
On the next morning, a fierce and warlike band were ready to follow theKhan, as, clothed in rich and glittering armour, with his banner bornebefore him, he left his mountain home, nor tarried on his road, but withfurious speed galloped on, like some cataract descending from a loftymountain to the plain.
The band of horsemen issued from the glen, passing along the giddy edgeof precipices, fearless of danger, down the steep sides of the ruggedmountains, along the dry rocky bed of the winter torrent, never drawingrein.
The inhabitants of the villages and hamlets ran out on hearing therattling hoofs of the steeds, as the fiery Khan and his followersgalloped by; but none greeted him as he passed, and, like a whirlwind,vanished from their sight.
"Ai! ai!" cried the aged villagers. "Is the Khan again on a foray? Woebetide the hapless people of the plain he pounces on; or if he ridesagainst the Urus, many will rue h
is coming, as he gallops over theslaughtered bodies of their countrymen."
Volume 2, Chapter X.
It has been seen, that young Khan Besin Kaloret had been deputed by hisbrother, the fierce Khan of the mountains, Khoros Kaloret, according tothe custom of the country necessary to be observed on such occasions, tomake his proposals to the Uzden Arslan Gherrei, for the hand of hislovely daughter; having several times seen her in his excursions to thatpart of the country, and being deeply captivated by her beauty, andreputed accomplishments.
The young envoy came, empowered to offer rich presents, which hisbrother had prepared to her father, in the full confidence that hismagnificent overtures would be accepted; for who could doubt that thesuit of a powerful and youthful noble would be successful; one, whom athousand brave warriors obeyed, and