CHAPTER X.
Beyond the walls of the seraglio lay the royal hunting grounds. Manyacres of the city were enclosed within high walls of clayey earth,packed into huge square blocks and dried in the sun; on the top andoutside of which bristled a miniature abattis of prickly vines. Someparts of this park were adorned with every elegance that the art oflandscape gardening could devise. In the summer season these portionswere covered with floral beauties, interspersed with water-jets, whichtossed the light silver balls like fairy jugglers; broad basinssparkling with gold fish; and walks leading to little kiosks andarbors. Even its winter shroud could not conceal from the imaginationwhat must have been its living beauty in summer.
The greater part of this reserve was, however, left in its naturalstate. Gnarled old olive trees twisted themselves like huge serpentsabove the dense copses of elder and hazel bushes. Dusky balsams rosein pyramids, overtopped by the pines, which spread their branches likeumbrellas. Here and there were open fields, encumbered with stintedunderbrush, and either broken with out-cropping rocks, or smooth withstrips of meadow land now white and glistening under the snow.
This section of the park presented a fascinating appearance on the dayof the fox-hunt. Scores of lads from the Janizary school were there,dressed in all shades of bright-colored jackets, and short trousersbagged at the knees; the lower part of the limbs being protected withclose-fitting stockings of leather, terminating in light, but strong,sandals. Each wore a skull cap or fez of red flannel, from the top ofwhich and down the back hung a tassel, that, by its length andrichness, indicated some prize won by its wearer in previous games.Old soldiers gathered here and there in groups; some, the Janizaries,wearing tall sugar-loaf-shaped hats of gray; others, white turbans, orgreen ones, indicating that their possessors had made a holypilgrimage to Mecca. Elegant burnooses, or sleeveless cloaks, ofwhite, black, orange and yellow silks, fluttered in the wind or weregathered at the waist by rich sashes, from which hung great cimeters.
Near an open spot was a stand, or running gallery, enclosed inlattice-work, from behind which the ladies of the harem could witnessthe sports, themselves unseen. The presence of these invisiblebeauties was indicated by the stiff, straight forms of the blackeunuchs, whose faces appeared above their white cloaks like heads ofebony on statues of alabaster.
Prince Mahomet rode a horse, small but compactly built, with head andmane suggestive of the power of his well-rounded muscles; slim ankles,seemingly better adapted to carry the lighter form of a deer; jetblack, in strongest contrast with the white tunic and gailyembroidered jacket of the little prince, as well as with thesaddle-cloth of purple silk, in which the star and crescent werewrought with threads of gold. With merry shout the young tyrant chasedthe boys, who, carrying wands decorated with ribbons, ran ahead of himto clear the way.
"So it will be if he ever comes to the throne," said Selim to acomrade. "Mahomet II. would follow no one. There would be no use ofviziers and generals, and he would even attempt to drive theJanizaries like his sheep. It is well that Aladdin is the elder."
"But woe to Aladdin if Mahomet lives after his brother comes to thethrone," said the man addressed. "With such fire-boxes about him onecould justify the practice of a sovereign inaugurating his reign bythe slaughter of his next of kin."[31]
The woinaks brought in several crates, with latticed sides, containingthe foxes, which, one by one, were to be let loose for the chase; theboys to act the part of hounds, and drive the game from the thickets,in which they would naturally take refuge, out into the open space,and within arrow range of the prince. Mahomet, by constant practice,had acquired great dexterity in managing his steed, and almostunerring aim in using the bow from the horse's back.
A splendid red fox was thrust out of the crate. For a moment heremained crouching and trembling in his fright at the crowd; thendarted suddenly for the underbrush. The boys, imitating the sharp cryor prolonged baying of a pack of hounds, scattered in differentdirections; some disappearing in the copse; others stationingthemselves at the openings or run-ways where they thought the animalwould appear. The bugle of the white eunuch, who was constantly nearthe prince, kept all informed of his position, so that reynard mightbe driven toward him. In a few moments the arrow of Mahomet laid himlow.
A second fox was liberated--like many of the Sultan's noblercreatures--only to fly to his speedy execution. The third animal wasan old one, who persisted in taking the direction opposite to that inwhich the chasers would drive him. Again and again, as the boys closedabout him, he dashed through the thickest of their legs, leaving themtumbled together in a heap. At one time he sprang through the openingat which Michael, studying the tricks of the quick-witted brute, hadstationed himself. Sudden as were his movements, the youngmountaineer's were not less so; for, like a veritable hound, he threwhimself bodily upon the prey. Passing his right hand beneath theentire length of the animal's body from the rear, he grasped his frontleg and bent it back beneath him; at the same time using his wholeweight to keep the animal's head close to the ground, so as to escapehis fangs. He had taken more than one beast in a similar way from theholes in the old mountain pass. In the excitement of the sport he nowforgot that he was merely to enable another to get the game withouteffort or danger.
Prince Mahomet rode to the spot toward which the fox had turned, and,in a sudden outburst of anger at this interference with his shot,drove the arrow at the two as they were struggling on the ground. Thewhirring barb cut the arm of Michael before it entered the heart ofthe prey. The sharp cry of pain uttered by the lad recalled Mahometfrom his insane rage. The rushing attendants showed pity for Michael,but no one ventured a remonstrance against this act of imperialcowardice and cruelty. A moment's examination showed that the lad'swound was not serious, being only a cut through the flesh. But as thepallor of his fright died away from his face, it was followed by adeep flush of anger. Tears of vexation filled his eyes. His glance ofscorn was hardly swifter than his leap: for, with a bound, his armswere around the prince's body, while his weight dragged him from thesaddle to the ground. Mahomet, rising, drew a jeweled dagger, and madeseveral hasty passes at his assailant, who, however, dextrouslyavoided them. The posing of the lads would have done justice to thefame of professional gladiators. The prince pressed upon hisantagonist with incessant thrusts, which, by skilful retreating andparries with his bare arm, Michael avoided; until, with a ringing blowupon Mahomet's wrist, he sent the weapon from his hand, and closedwith him; the prince falling to the ground beneath the greaterstrength of Michael.
The spectators at this point interfered. As they rose the eunuchgrasped the little victor, and shaking him, cried: "I will cut thethroat of the Giaour cub of hell."
But the one hand of old Mustapha was upon the eunuch's throat, and hisone eye flashed like a discharging culverin, as he cried, "Had Ianother hand to do it with, I would cut yours, you white-facedimbecile! Don't you know that the boy belongs to the Janizaries? andwoe to him who is not a Janizary that lays a hand on him!"
"The prince's honor must be avenged," wheezed out the eunuch betweenthe finger grips of the old soldier. "I care not for the Janizary,though you were the Aga[32] himself, instead of a mutilated slave."
The eunuch had drawn his dagger, and was working his hand into aposition whence he could strike, when old Selim's hand grasped his.
"None of that treachery, or we will let out of your leprous skin whatmanhood is left in you, you blotch on your race! Touch one hair ofBlack Khalil's[33] children and you die like the dog you are. Let himgo, Mustapha! His coward throat is no place for you to soil a bravehand. We will get a snake to strangle him; a buzzard to pick his grainof a soul out of his vile carcass;[34] an ass to kick him to death. Wemust observe the proprieties."
"Pardon my heat!" said the eunuch. "My zeal for my prince has led metoo far."
"Not at all!" said Selim. "It is pleasant to see that you have someheat in your cold blooded toad nature."
"It is better for us to retire," said the eunuch to Mahomet
. "I shallsound the signal for the close of the games."
Mahomet stood stubbornly for awhile; then turning to Michael said in atone which was strangely without a shade of anger or petulance in it:
"Say, young Giaour, you and I must have this out some day."
Michael could not help a half-smiling recognition of the boyishchallenge, and replied:
"I have seen more foxes than you have, and know some tricks I didn'tshow you to-day."
As they moved out of the park, Yusef delivered a brief lecture to hisprincely pupil. "Hark thee, my master. I warn thee, that thou have aneye always open and a hand always closed to the Janizaries. They havegrown from being the heel to think that they are the head of thestate. They dictate to thy father, the Padishah, and snub the veryVizier. I would have killed both those old imbeciles, but that itwould not have been politic. I am glad, too, that thou didst not letthy dagger find the heart of the Balkan boy. That would not have beenpolitic. For, Allah grant! thou mayest one day be Padishah. Then thisday would be remembered against us."
"But, Yusef, I did not spare the boy. I think he spared me; and if Iever get to be Padishah, I will make him my vizier, for hiscleverness. It would be a pity that so brave a man were elsewhere thanat my right hand. Though he angered me awfully at the moment, I shalllike that fellow. Did you see how he gripped the fox with his barearms? He must teach me how to do that. Was it between the hind legs hethrust his hand, or across the beast's body? I could not see for mybeing so mad because he spoiled for me a fine running shot."
"Thou art a strange child, Mahomet. Thou seemest to have forgottenthat the boy leaped at thy throat, and would have torn out thine eyes,but that thou wast more valiant than he."
"Well, I should despise him as white-livered and milk-galled if he hadnot sprung at me," said Mahomet. "Has not every noble fellow quickblood, as well as a prince, Yusef? That boy shall be mine. He shallteach me his tricks, and I shall give him all my sweetmeats; for theyget none of such things in the school."
"Ah! my little prince, thy head is as full of wit as a fig is ofseeds. Thou art gifted to know and use men. One that is born to rulemust make his passion bend to policy. He must not allow himself thepleasure of hating those whom he can use. But take heed of this:--whomhe cannot use he must not love."
"But I was not born to rule, Yusef. If so, I would have been bornearlier, before my brother Aladdin cried in his nurse's arms, andwould not be comforted until they had covered the soft spot on hisbare head with a paper crown. Do you believe in omens, Yusef?"
"Not in such; only in dreams," said the eunuch.
"Well; I dreamed that our two heads--yours and mine, Yusef--weretogether on a pike-staff, grinning at Aladdin's coronation."
"Nonsense, child!" said the eunuch, his white face bleaching a shadewhiter under the thought, as they passed through the gateway into theseraglio grounds.
FOOTNOTES:
[31] The custom also in other Oriental nations than the Turkish.
[32] Aga; commander.
[33] Kara Khalil Tschendereli, the founder of the Janizaries in thetime of Sultan Orchan.
[34] According to a Moslem tradition the beautiful birds of paradisehold in their crops the souls of holy martyrs until the resurrection.
The Captain of the Janizaries Page 10
