The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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who have seen his heroic bravery, when combating against the foesof our country; to bear witness, that he is worthy to be called one ofthe noblest of the children of the Atteghei; I call on you all, todeclare, if you will welcome him as a brother, the bravest of the braveamong us?"
"We do! we do!" was shouted from all sides; "he is a true son of theAtteghei. We welcome him as a gallant brother in arms."
Uttering similar expressions, each chieftain advanced to grasp his hand,in token of approval. The heart of our hero beat quickly, as the bloodtumultuously rushed through his veins, with a glow of noble pride, atthe applause of his countrymen; but more than all, at the hope that theconsummation of his most anxious wishes was about to draw near.
"I knew, my friends, that you could have but one opinion," said theHadji. "But to you, Arslan Gherrei, I more particularly speak, fortwice have you been witness of the bravery of the stranger warrior;twice has he rescued from peril, that life so prized by our country."
"Truly do I know how brave and noble he is," answered the chieftainadvancing; "and gladly do I hail him as a son of the Atteghei."
"Young warrior, you hear what has been spoken of you by some of the mostgallant chiefs of Circassia. What more would you have to absolve youfrom your oath?" exclaimed the Hadji with animation.
"I am overwhelmed with the proud feelings of my heart," cried our hero."No greater praise can I ever hope to gain. I will keep my secret nolonger. The name I bore at my birth was Selem Gherrei!"
"What! speak that name again," cried Arslan Gherrei, springing forward.Seizing his hand he held it in his grasp, while he gazed earnestly intohis face.
"Noble youth, whence come you? can a blessed spirit rise from the dead?Speak, ere my heart burst with impatience; say who gave you that name?"
"My mother," answered our hero. "When a child, I was carried away withher by a Russian commander; she continued to watch over my youth tilldeath tore her from me."
"It is enough; you are--you are my son, my long mourned son. I need nomore to convince me," cried the chieftain, clasping the youth in hisarms, while manly tears of joy burst from the long dried up fountains ofhis eagle eye.
"Am I! am I, noble chief, your son?" cried the youth, no less overcome,and falling on his knees while returning his new-found father's embrace."Has heaven, indeed, granted me so proud a blessing? See, I have bornethis amulet from childhood, and have ever religiously guarded it. Thismay prove my birth."
"I need no mark to convince me that you are my son. Nature speaksloudly for you, though well do I remember that amulet," cried thechieftain. "You are, indeed, my son, and Allah be praised for hisbounty. I felt it when first I saw you, like a guardian angel, fightingby my side, and rescuing me from death; I felt it when first I heard therich manly tones of your voice inciting your followers to the fight.Yes, my heart beat with joy that another warrior should be added to thecause of the Atteghei; and now how proud and grateful I am, let Heavenwitness. See, chiefs, I here present to you my son. Great Heaven hasgranted me the only boon I craved," he added, lifting up his son."After the witness you have borne of his bravery you all must know howproud I am of him."
"Have I not a sister, too, my father? Let her also participate in ourjoy," cried his son, hastening to embrace Ina, who, trembling withagitation, had advanced to the spot. "My sister, my sweet sister!"
"Oh, my brother! Allah be praised that I may pronounce that dear name.Now can my father's heart rejoice that he has found his long-wished-forson. Already does my heart give some of the love our father onceclaimed, to you, my brother," she said with a sweet smile beamingthrough her fast falling tears of joy.
The chieftains had courteously retired to some distance, so as not torestrain the indulgence of Arslan Gherrei's feelings of happiness; butthey gazed with deep interest, as the once stern and gloomy champion oftheir country melted into softness, as he looked on his newly-foundgallant son.
The Hadji also was delighted. "I knew, my friend," he cried, "that nonebut a noble father could have owned a son brave as my young friend,Selem Gherrei. Say, warriors, are they not worthy of each other?"
"Yes, yes! may Allah grant a long and prosperous life to our gallantchampion, Arslan Gherrei, and to his brave son, the young Selem," wasshouted by the assembled warriors. "Long live Selem Gherrei!" wasechoed through the grove, as they advanced in gallant and martial array,each grasping Selem's hand as they passed him and his proud and happyfather; nor could they refrain from giving an admiring but respectfulglance at the fair Ina, as she stood clinging to her newly-foundbrother's arm.
Then arose the song of a wandering minstrel, who, attracted by the fastflying news of the storming of the fort, had repaired hither tocommemorate the victory with his muse; and here was a theme well worthyof his martial strains. First tuning his lyre he broke forth into aloud triumphant hymn of victory; then, changing his theme, he describedthe fierce attack of the Russians, when the noble chief Arslan Gherreiwas deprived of his wife and son; then it sunk into a low strain ofgrief, worked into rage against the ravishers. He next enumerated themany bloody combats in which the chief had fought to revenge himself onhis foes, the coming of the youthful stranger, his fighting by hisfather's side and rescuing him and his sister from the enemy. Finally,as he pictured their surprise and joy at meeting, his notes were meltingand pathetic, till, by degrees swelling high to triumphant strains ofjoy, he was joined by numerous other minstrels of scarcely less note,who had followed him to the scene.
A band of maidens then, taking the word from the bard, advanced, andsurrounding the group with their wreaths of flowers, joining theirsweet, rich voices to the melody as the cadence rose and fell with thesubject.
Then the bard changed his theme to the rescue of the Polish stranger;and as he sang, all eyes were turned towards Thaddeus; and as Ina caughthis gaze drinking in with enraptured delight the beauty of her form andfeatures, she cast her look on the ground, blushing she knew not why;while he, the brave soldier, seemed seized with the same bashfulfeeling.
The bard had ceased his strains when a party of musicians struck uplight and cheerful airs, and some of the youthful mountaineers, in spiteof the fatigue of the fight and march, led forth the village maidens,nothing loath, to the dance; the nobles looked on to applaud, untilmessengers arrived from the house of the Tocav to say that a banquet wasprepared to welcome the warriors.
Our hero, whom we must in future designate by his true name of SelemGherrei, now took the hand of Thaddeus. "My sweet sister," he said, "Iwill lose no time in making known to you one, who has been my friendunder various circumstances, and will, I trust, always continue so."
"My brother's friend is welcome to me," she answered in Turkish, alanguage Thaddeus was also slightly acquainted with. "But I cannotperform the courtesies you have been accustomed to in Frangistan. Ihave but few words to express my feelings in the tongue in which I nowspeak."
"Think not so meanly of yourself, Ina," said Selem. "My friend is oneof those noble Poles, whose country you have doubtless heard theRussians have treated as they would ours; and yet he hesitates to drawhis sword against such foes. But I must leave him to your softpersuasions to supply him with excuses for joining us."
"I fear that I could scarce disobey your wishes, sweet lady," saidThaddeus; "then pray do not bid me act against my conscience."
"I would not do as you fear," answered Ina. "But among the sons of theAtteghei the claims of friendship are paramount to every other. Surelyyou would not quit my brother's side in the battle-field. His foesshould be your foes, and his friends your friends."
"Cease, lady, cease," exclaimed Thaddeus earnestly; "or you will gaintoo quick a victory. The sweet tones of your voice alone are tooeloquent to be withstood."
"Silence, my friend," interrupted Selem, in Russian smiling. "Youbring, indeed, the courtly style of St. Petersburg with you, when youcommence by paying compliments. I must assert a brother's privilege tostop such language, or you may turn my gentle sister's head. R
ememberthat she is unaccustomed to phrases of flattery."
"Her looks bespeak her to be far too sensible to be influenced by termsof compliment," answered Thaddeus.
"There breathes no woman of any clime, and but few of the nobler sexeven, who are uninfluenced by flattery," returned Selem. Then speakingagain in his own language, "Pardon me, my sister, for speaking in alanguage you understand not. I was but scolding my friend for payingthe empty compliments which the fair ones of the cities of Frangistanreceive as of sterling value."
"Your friend, my brother, would not surely use phrases unbecoming amountain girl to hear. He looks