The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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Circassian coat, the cloth or fur cap, and alarge cloak over the shoulder; so that the whole of the party had abold, martial appearance; the horses curvetting and careering, and theleader's banner borne at the head, fluttering in the wind.
It was, in truth, a noble and gallant looking little band, worthy to beled by such a chief. And Ina's eyes flashed with enthusiasm andanimation, as she rode by her father's side, at their head, guarded oneach side by a few of the most favoured and honoured.
In order to avoid the more rugged and difficult passage over themountains, the chieftain had, for his daughter's sake, chosen a routealong the sea-coast, affording a plain and even path for some distancetowards the north, before it would be necessary for him to strike inlandtowards the place of their destination. After riding for some distanceby the side of the clear stream, flowing through the valley, they passedthe narrow gorge which formed its entrance, emerging from it into theopen coast of the blue sea, whose waves rippled on the bright hard sandat their feet.
High on their right, rose lofty mountains, covered with shrubs of everyvaried form and hue. Sometimes they passed beneath the boughs ofwide-spreading trees, whose grateful shade sheltered them from the heatof the sun, now rising high in the heavens; and again where the gentlebreath of the sea-breeze came soft and cooling to their cheeks.
The leader kept his small troop together, except a few of the youngermen, who galloped about in every direction, both to ascertain whetherany enemies were lurking about, and to amuse themselves by martialexercises; now throwing the djereed with unerring aim, now gallopingtheir fiery steeds up the steep sides of the mountain, amid rocks whichappeared to afford scarce footing even for the nimble goats; thendashing amid the cooling waters of the clear blue sea, and swimmingtheir well-trained steeds at some distance out in a line with the shore.There some would join in mimic fight, chasing after, or flying fromeach other along the hard sandy margin of the ocean. Not a few, indeed,were eager to exhibit their feats of horsemanship before theirchieftain's fair daughter, whose bright smile every now and then offeredrich reward for any superior display of dexterity or courage.
They were now approaching the neighbourhood of Ghelendjik. Thoughlittle danger was to be apprehended from their foes; who scarcely lefttheir entrenchments, and never without a strong force when driven out byfamine to forage in the neighbouring country; yet as a good commander,Arslan Gherrei considered it necessary to lead his men more carefullyalong the Dehli Khans keeping a stricter watch in every direction.
To avoid the fort, it was necessary to leave the sea shore, and toproceed over some rugged paths further into the interior. A rapid anddeep stream, however, the Mezi, crossed their path, before they couldreach a part of the mountains practicable for their horses and baggage.The nearest ford was close to the mouth of the stream; so that, toenable the women and their goods to pass over secure from wet, it wasnecessary to return again to the margin of the sea, which they hadpreviously left for a short distance, in order to pass through a shadygrove on level ground. The young men, however, at once dashed into thestream, quickly swimming their horses over, and galloped along on thebank of the side they had gained to meet the rest of the party, andassist them in crossing, which, with some difficulty, on account of thedepth of the water, they accomplished.
The warlike little band, forming in order, turned again from the sea, toproceed along the bank of the stream, to the entrance of a vast gorge,through which its waters passed.
Few scenes could have more of wild grandeur than the one now beforethem. The foaming waters of the stream, dashing over its rocky bed,were lined, where the crevices of the rocks afforded root for them, withwillow, elder, and other trees and shrubs. On each side of the gorge,were dark and lofty rocks, overhung with bending shrubs and creepingplants, which fell in thick festoons; while the sides of the mountains,rising high above the shore, and crowned to the summit with thickgrowing trees, were so precipitous, as to afford but a narrow, steep,and winding path, difficult even for the nimble horses of theCircassians.
Ina gazed up the steep sides of the mountain with doubt and hesitation,as to the possibility of crossing it; but finding her father about toproceed to the fort, she prepared to accompany him.
Some horsemen, who were sent in advance to clear a passage among thethick branches of trees and the underwood which impeded their progress,were about to scale the side of the mountain, when a loud shout from therest of the band, rending the sky, called them back. At the samemoment, a terrific crash, and report of cannon, sending forth adeath-dealing shower of grape, laid many of the foremost low. ArslanGherrei turned in the direction from whence the iron shower came; andcalling to some of his retainers to follow, galloped furiously up theglen, without a moment's hesitation, towards a mound rising slightlyabove the stream, on which now appeared a row of light field-pieces,guarded by a body of Russian troops, who had before been concealed bythe ground they now occupied. At the same moment, the sides of themountain, up which their intended route lay, glittered with hostilebayonets.
Half the Circassian band, raising their terrific war-cry, rushed withheadlong speed, led by their gallant chief, against the guns. The heavydischarge of musketry which met their advance, did not check them; and,with irresistible force, they drove the gunners from their posts,causing the troops to recoil before them. The Russians, panic-strickenby their shouts, and the impetuosity of their onset, made slightresistance, as the Circassians, seizing the guns, hurled them withseveral of their defenders into the torrent; and were about to follow uptheir success against the party of soldiers who guarded the glen, whenthey were recalled by a loud shout from their comrades. Turning, theyperceived the opposite side of the stream lined by a strong body oftroops, who, as they passed down, opened a heavy fire on them; while,from behind every tree which clothed the mountain, appeared more oftheir enemies. Turning their horse's heads, they again galloped back,in spite of the bullets which assailed them, to answer the call of theirfriends.
The party whom they had left to protect their fair charge, seemed not toattract the hostility of their foes, for among that band none hadfallen; but, at the moment they were again about to join, a strong troopof Cossacks were seen advancing at full gallop, with loud shouts, toattack them.
"There has been treachery at work, oh! men of Atteghei! or we shouldnever have been caught in this toil; but, my gallant friends, we mustcut our way through them, or die, wreaking due vengeance on their heads.Let us now remember that we fight for the fair ones we are bound toprotect. On, my brave followers--on, men of Atteghei, and shew ourdastard foes that we fear not a host such as they. We will hew a wayfor ourselves through their crowded ranks, and pass the guns of theirfort, leaving those who may survive our charge to follow if they will.On, gallant warriors, on!" shouted their noble leader.
Hearing these words, the band again raised their terrific war-cry,overpowering the rattling sound of the musketry, and rushed impetuouslyto meet the charge which the advancing troops of fierce Cossacks seemedabout to make.
On both parties rushed, shrieking in their eagerness; their eyesstarting from their sockets; their sabres clenched firmly in theirhands; the hoofs of their steeds spurning the soil, and foam flying fromtheir nostrils. The meeting crash of the hostile cavalry was terrific;but many of the first ranks of the Cossacks were overthrown by thesuperior agility of the Circassian warriors, their active steeds wellseconding their riders, as their swords whirled rapidly round theirheads, and descended with tremendous force on the unguarded bodies oftheir foes, whose sabres were shivered against their steel breast-platesand helmets.
So fierce was the onslaught of the mountaineers, that the sturdyhorsemen of the plain recoiled at first before their desperate charge.They might have succeeded in cutting their way through the ranks oftheir opponents, had they not been already weakened, and their numbersthinned by the deadly fire of the infantry, who continued to harasstheir rear from a distance; part only as yet having reached the spot towhich the combat had been removed.
These were kept at bay by a fewhorsemen who wheeled rapidly again and again when they ventured toapproach; caring but little for the infantry, whom they despised nowthat their guns were destroyed; yet the force of the Cossacks was almostoverpowering, so that nothing but the most determined and desperatebravery would have excited the Circassians to persist in the unequalcombat.
Their movements too were impeded by the women. The young Ina, undauntedamid the scene of desperate strife, endeavoured to urge her palfrey toher father's side; and was almost surrounded by the enemy, when thechieftain hewed his way towards her, and cleared a passage for herescape. Yet, notwithstanding the most heroic and desperate fighting,the Circassians were at length driven back towards the river, whennothing seemed to remain for them but to sell their lives dearly, or toyield themselves as prisoners to their detested foes. The courage ofthe chieftain, even then, quailed not before the danger; but he thoughtof his loved Ina, and what her