"Thus die all traitors to Circassia!"
Close to him was Selem, encountering the sword of Count Erintoff, whoshouted, "Ah! we have met at length? Traitor to Russia, yield!"
"Heaven defend the right!" cried Selem, parrying his blow. Their swordsflashed quickly round, and in a moment the Count fell mortally woundedfrom his horse.
The Hadji, Alp, and many other chiefs, and their followers rushed on thebayonets of the infantry. "Ah! Allah!" shouted the old warrior, "we'llcut through that wall of steel. Onward, men of Atteghei!" So terrificwas the onset that the two foremost ranks of the Russians trembled,wavered, and fell back on the rear, as the dauntless warriors approachedthem, driving the others in hopeless confusion, cut down by theCircassian sabres, and trampled under foot by their war-steeds.
"Ah! Allah!" again shouted the Hadji. "Follow me, my son, and we shallsoon be within their trenches!" and attacking those who alone stoodtheir ground, followed by a dense cloud of horsemen, sweeping over theirprostrate foes.
The remnant of the Russian cavalry had turned, and fled towards theentrance of their fort; but none succeeded in reaching it: thedrawbridge was drawn up, the gates were closed.
Why does Selem stay in his career of victory, his cheek blanched evenamid the excitement of the combat? On the ground weltering in blood, hesees the slaughtered form of his faithful, loving page; he bends lowfrom his horse, and lifts it in his arms.
Onward, onward rushed the mountaineers towards their hoped for prize;but as they mingled among the confused mass of flying infantry close tothe trenches, a tremendous discharge of cannon saluted them. On friendand foe fell alike the crashing showers of deadly grape; and theramparts were lined with bristling rows of bayonets. Many of thegallant patriots fell beneath the devastating fire in their career ofvictory.
"Turn, turn, my noble friends!" cried the brave Chief Arslan Gherrei."It is madness to be exposed to this iron storm. We can never take thefort on horseback."
At the word, the dense troop swept round. A horseman, in the uniform ofRussia, seized Selem's rein, and urged on his horse, while Thaddeus, onthe other side, joined the retreating Circassians. Before the gunscould be reloaded, they were beyond their range.
The mountaineers halted in the confines of the forest. Selem sprang tothe ground, endeavouring to staunch the blood which flowed from manywounds in the breast of his page. He tore open his vest; his heartturned sick with horror and grief as he discovered a woman's form. Heleant over it with deep grief. The veil which so long had obscured themwas torn from his eyes. He knew the features of Azila. In a moment heread the history of her deep unswerving love, constant to the lastthrough trials, hardships, and neglect. He felt her heart to discoverif it yet beat. He tried to persuade himself that her yet warm breathfanned his cheeks; but it was in vain. A faint smile still lingered onher features; but no throb answered to his touch. The dark blood flowedslowly from the wounds; her heroic, her loving, spirit had fled; Azilawas dead!
None of the chiefs, not even Selem's father, approached him. They hadwitnessed the scene, and read the sad story at a glance. Long did hebend, in deep agony, over that inanimate form.
He was aroused by the Russian deserter.
"Think you not, young chief, that I, too, have cause for grief?Remember you not how I loved that fair and noble girl? Do you not knowme?"
"Yes, yes, I know you now, my friend," answered Selem, recognising inthe stranger the Gipsy chief who had aided his escape from Russia, thereputed father of Azila. "You have, indeed, deep cause to grieve foryour daughter."
"Except that she sprung from my race, she is not my daughter, though Iloved her more than one. See, two of my race I have lost today mostcruelly murdered;" and he pointed to the body of Javis, which he hadalso brought off on the horse of one of the slain troopers. "She, too,murdered by her own father, though he knew it not till too late, whenmadness seized his brain; and yon poor youth, he also deserves our pity,for I know his deep, yet hopeless, love for Azila, for whose sake hefollowed you."
"What say you, my old friend?" said Selem, rising from the groundwhereon he had been kneeling. "By what strange fortune came you tolearn so horrid a tale? and what wonderful chance conducted you hitherat this moment?"
"It may seem extraordinary that I am here; and yet such was the decreeof fate, when first we met beneath my tent in Russia. You were theunconscious instrument of bringing me hither; and yet, from the remotestperiod of time, this event was destined. The latest cause was this: Itwas discovered that I had aided in your escape from Russia, when I andall my tribe, who could be found, were seized and condemned to serve inthe ranks of the Russian army of the Caucasus. Azila's history, Ialone, with the dwarf Ladislau, have known from her birth. He wasanother cause of these events. As you remember well, the Baron alwaysmade him his butt, treating him with contumely, little thinking whatdeep feelings of hatred and revenge rankled in the bosom of thediminutive being. A lovely girl of our race, whose sweet voiceenraptured the proudest nobles of Moscow, won the haughty Baron's heart;and, dazzled by his rank and wealth, she consented, at an unhappymoment, to exchange her liberty to become the slavish wife of atyrannical master. She soon pined for her freedom, regretting themiserable lot she had madly chosen; and, as her husband's admiration ofher charms wore away, he treated her with cruelty and neglect. Yetjealous feelings, at the same time, possessed the tyrant's breast; andhe began to look with an eye of suspicion on an innocent daughter shehad just borne him.
"The broken-hearted wife of the Baron died; and Ladislau, to revengehimself on his tyrant, brought away his child, and delivered her to me,making me swear never to reveal her history till his death, and that Iheard of ere I left Russia. To rescue her from a life of thraldom andneglect, I determined to keep her as my own daughter, bringing her upwith all the accomplishments I could well find means to bestow. Shebecame all I could wish in mind and person, wreathing herself round myheart as much as any child of my own could do; and when she once visitedmy tents, she seemed so to enjoy the wild freedom of our lives, that Icould not again part from her, intending, however, on Ladislau's death,to make her father recognise her, and restore her to her proper rank andfortune. When you came to my tents, knowing that you were not herbrother, I hoped in some way, through your means, to accomplish mypurpose; little thinking how deep was the love which had sprung up inthe sweet girl's bosom for you."
"Blind and dull have I been!" exclaimed Selem in a tone of anguish, "notto have seen through her disguise before; for now, when lost to me forever, I feel how fondly I could have returned her love."
He knelt again over her, and took her cold lifeless hand:--"My trueAzila, faithful to death! A hundred fold has your murder added to thedebt of retribution I owe our tyrannical invaders. Yes, sweet one, Iagain swear to avenge your death on every one of that cursed race whosets foot on the shores of Circassia. Bear witness, my friend, I signmy vow before as fair an image as nature ever formed! Let this be thetoken! Where the battle is thickest, there will I bear this silkenlock."
He kissed her pallid brow, and severed with his dagger one of her longblack tresses, which he entwined through the links of his chain armour.He knelt over the bleeding form for some moments more in silence: hethen rose, and extended his hand to the Gipsy chief.
"Welcome, my friend, to the land I call my own. I may now hope to repayyour hospitality."
"If my services will be accepted, I have come to offer my hand and heartto the cause of the patriots. I should have remained a good subject ofRussia, if she had allowed me; but she will now find me and my tribe hermortal enemies; for I doubt not that all my people will take the firstopportunity of escaping, when they hear that I am on the side of theCircassians; and heartily will they all join in avenging that poorgirl's death."
"It was a barbarous deed," cried Selem, casting an agonised glance onthe pale features of Azila, beautiful, even in death.
Arslan Gherrei now approached his son; "Let not sorrow take possessionof your soul
, my son, for the loss of that faithful girl. I, I too wellcan share your feelings; but shew yourself stern as a warrior among ourcountrymen. Think not of grief, while we have swords in our hands toavenge our friends. That poor maiden shall have a befitting funeral,she shall be consigned to the care of Ina, who, with her friends, willmourn over their lost sister."
"You speak truly, my father," exclaimed Selem, "no one henceforth shallsee me shed a tear of joy or grief, till every hallowed spot of ourloved country shall be freed from the defiling tread of the Russianfoot, or till the death-wound comes to send me to a warrior's grave."
"My son, your words make your father's heart beat proudly," said thechieftain; "and worthy are you of our royal race. See, is not
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