The Captain of the Janizaries

by James M. Ludlow

  CHAPTER XX.

  The battlements of Sfetigrade lay, like a ruffled collar, uponenormous shoulders of rock rising high above the surrounding country.Over them rose, like a massive head, the citadel with its bartizansprojecting as a crown about the brow. The rock upon which thefortification stood was scarped toward the valley, so that it could beclimbed only with the help of ladders, even though the assailants wereunresisted by its defenders. The few spots which nature had leftunguarded were now choked with abattis, or overlooked by bastions soskilfully constructed as to need far less courage and strength fortheir defence than were possessed by the bands of Dibrian and Epirotpatriots who fought from behind them.

  The assaults which Sultan Amurath launched against the place had beenas frequent as the early summer showers, and his armies were beaten topieces as the rain rebounded in spray and ran in streams from therocks. The chagrin of the baffled Sultan reflected itself in thediscouragement of his generals and the demoralization of their men.The presence of his majesty could not silence the mutualrecriminations, the loud and rancorous strife with which braveofficers sought to lay upon one another the responsibility for theirdefeat, rather than confess that the daily disasters were due to thesuperior genius commanding among their foes. Especially was the envyof the leaders of the other corps and branches of the service excitedagainst the Janizaries, to whose unrivalled training and daring weredue whatever minor victories had been won, and whatever exploitsworthy of mention had been performed.

  A lofty tent, whose projecting centre-pole bore the glittering brasscrescent and star, and before the entrance to which a singlehorse-tail hung from the long spear, denoted the headquarters of aSanjak Bey. In front of the tent walked two men in eager, and notaltogether amiable, conversation. The one was the Bey, whose hugeturban of white, inwound with green, indicated that his martial zealwas supplemented by equal enthusiasm for his faith; and that he hadadded to the fatigue of many campaigns against the infidels the toilof a more monotonous, though more satisfactory, pilgrimage to Mecca.His companion was an Aga of the Janizaries, second only in rank to thechief Aga.

  The latter was speaking with a wrath which his courteous words but illconcealed--

  "I do not impugn your honor or the sincerity of your motives,Caraza-Bey, in making your accusation against our Captain Ballaban;but the well-known jealousy which is everywhere manifested against ourcorps compels me to believe not a single word to the discredit of himor any of the Yeni-Tscheri without indubitable proof. I would allowthe word of Captain Ballaban--knowing him so well as I do--to outweighthe oaths on the Koran of a score of those who, like yourself, havereason to be jealous of his superior courage."

  "But your upstart captain's guilt can be proved, if not to yourpersonal satisfaction, at least before those who will not care to askyour assent to their judgment," replied the other, not attempting toveil his hatred of the Aga, any more than his purpose of crushing theone of whom they were speaking.

  "What will the lies of a whole sanjak of your hirelings avail againstthe honor of a Janizary?" replied the Aga. "If two horse-tails[49]hung from the standard yonder, I would not publicly disgrace CaptainBallaban by so much as ordering an inquiry at your demand. TheJanizaries will take no suggestion from any but the Padishah."

  "A curse on the brag of the Janizaries! The arrogancy of the Christianrenegades needs better warrant than Ballaban can give it," sneered theBey. "If you like, let the matter rest as it is. The whole armybelieves that one of your dervish-capped heroes--the best of thebrood, I imagine--deserted his comrades in battle, and all for thesake of a captive girl."

  "It is a lie!" shouted the Aga, drawing his sword upon him.

  The attitude of the two officers drew a crowd, who rushed from allsides to witness the duel. Both were masters of sword play, so thatneither obtained any sanguinary advantage before they were separatedby the arrival of the chief Aga, who forbade his subaltern to continuethe conflict. Upon hearing the occasion of the affray, the chief said:

  "The trial of Captain Ballaban shall be had, with the publication ofthe fact that Caraza-Bey has assumed the position of his accuser; and,in the event of his charge proving false, he shall atone for hismalice by submitting to any punishment the captain may indicate; andthe force of the Janizaries shall execute it, though they cut thethroats of his entire command in order to do it. We must firstvindicate the honor of the corps, and then take vengeance upon itsdetractors. I demand that Caraza-Bey make good his charge to-morrow atthe sixth hour, or accept the judgment of coward and vilifier, whichour court shall then proclaim to the army."

  At the appointed time on the day following, the tent of the chief Agawas the gathering place of the notable officers of the corps. Without,it differed from hundreds of other tents only in its size, and in thepennant indicating the rank of its occupant. Within, it was lined witha canopy of finest silk and woollen tapestries, on the blue backgroundof which crescents and stars, cimeters and lance-heads, battle-axes,shields, turbans and dervish caps were artistically grouped with textsfrom the Koran, and skilfully wrought in braids and threads of gold.The canvas sides of the tent were now removed, making it an openpavilion, and inviting inspection and audience from any who desired toapproach. A divan was at one side, and made a semicircle of about halfthe tent. Upon this sat the chief Aga, his cushion slightly raisedabove those at his side, which were occupied by the agas of lowerrank. A group of officers filled the space beneath the tent; andsoldiers of all grades made a dense crowd for several rods beyond intothe open air.

  The chief Aga waved his hand to an attendant, and the military courtwas formally opened. Several cases were disposed of before that ofCaptain Ballaban was called.

  There was led in a stalwart soldier of middle age. Two witnessesdeposed that, in a recent assault upon the enemy's works atSfetigrade, when there was poured upon the assailants a shower ofarrows and stones from the battlements above, this man, without ordersfrom his officer, had cried, "Give way! Give way!" and that to thiscry and his example were due the confusion of ranks and the retreatwhich followed.

  The chief Aga turned and looked silently upon the man, awaiting hisreply to the accusation. The accused was speechless. The chief thenturned to the Aga to whose division the culprit belonged, that hemight hear any plea that he should be pleased to offer for thesoldier; but the Aga's face was stolid with indifference. The chief,without raising his head, sat in silence for a moment, as in solemnact of weighing the case. He then muttered an invocation of Allah asthe Supreme Judge. He paused. A gleam of light circled above the man;a hissing sound of the cimeter and a thud were heard. The culprit'shead rolled to the ground. His trunk swayed for an instant and fell.

  This scene was apparently of little interest to the spectators. Asecond case only tested their patience. One was charged with havingfailed to deliver an order from the colonel of his orta, or regiment,to a captain of one of the odas, or companies. Both these officerstestified, the one to having sent the order, the other to not havingreceived it, and on this account to have failed to occupy a certainposition with his men in a recent engagement with the enemy. Theculprit alleged that it was impossible to deliver the order because ofthe enemy's movements at the time. The Aga of the division, beingappealed to by the silent gaze of the judge, simply said:

  "The man is brave;" when, by a motion of the hand, the judge dismissedthe soldier together with the case.

  The expectation not only of common soldiers, but also of officials,led them to crane their necks to look at the next comer. Even theordinarily immobile features of the chief relaxed into an expressionof anxiety as a young man walked down the aisle made by the reverentreceding of the crowd to either side. He was not graceful in form. Hisbody was beyond the proportion of his legs; though his armscompensated for any lack in the length of his lower limbs. His neckwas thick, the head round, with full development of forehead, thoughthat portion of his face was somewhat concealed by the short, bushymasses of red hair which protruded beneath his rimless Janizary cap.His face
was homely, but strongly marked, evincing force of characteras clearly as the convolutions of his muscles evinced animal strengthand endurance. The brightness of his eye atoned for any lack of beautyin his features; as did his free and manly bearing make ample amendsfor deficiency in grace of form. Altogether he was a man to attractone's attention and hold it pleasantly.

  Though he bent low to the earth in his obeisance to the chief officerof his troop, it was without the suggestion of obsequiousness, withthat dignity which betokens real reverence and crowns itself with thehonor it would give to another.

  The chief Aga announced that, although the witnesses in this case werenot of the order of the Yeni-Tscheri, and, therefore, had no claim tothe consideration of the court, yet it pleased him in this peculiarcase to waive the right to try the matter exclusively amongthemselves, that the good name of the Yeni-Tscheri might suffer noreproach. "Caraza-Bey," added the chief, "for some reason best knownto himself does not accept the privilege we have extended him, tospeak in our official presence what he has freely spoken elsewhere. Weshall, therefore, hear any witnesses he may have sent."

  One Lovitsch, belonging to the irregular auxiliary troops, testifiedthat Captain Ballaban had organized a raid upon an Albanian village,and engaged himself and company for the venture; but had left them inthe heat of the fight, not rejoining them until the second day. Acommon soldier deposed that the captain returned to the company earlyin the second evening, and induced him, the witness, and Koremi, towhom the captain had entrusted a beautiful captive, to bring the girlto the rear, under plea of getting from her information regarding theenemy; and had then mysteriously disappeared with her. Koremicorroborated this testimony.

  Captain Ballaban gave a look of puzzled curiosity as he heard this;but otherwise evinced not the slightest emotion.

  The crowd gazed upon the young captain with disappointment whiletestimony was being given. The agas present being unable to concealthe deep anxiety depicted upon their countenances, as they leanedforward with impatience to hear from his lips some exoneratingstatement, which, however, they feared could not be given. A few faceswore a look of contemptuous triumph. But two persons maintainedcomposure. It might be expected that the chief Aga, from hisfamiliarity with such scenes, if not from the propriety of his beingthe formal embodiment of the rigid and remorseless court of theJanizaries, whose decrees he was to announce, would show no emotion,however strong his sympathy with the prisoner.

  The endangered man answered his gaze with equal stolidity when thejudge turned to him for his defence; but he remained speechless. Ashudder of horror ran through the crowd. The executioner steppedforward to the side of the apparently convicted person. A slightringing sound, as the long curve of the well-tempered blade grazed theground, sent to every heart the chilling announcement of hisreadiness. The chief Aga turned to the others, but sought in vain anypalliatory suggestion or appeal for mercy, except in the mute agony oftheir looks. The chief then raised his eyes as if for the invocationof Allah's confirmation of the sentence as just. But his prayer was astrange one:--"Oh, Allah! thou hast given a wondrous spirit to thisman; a courage worthy of the soul of Othman himself!" Then rising withexcitement he addressed the throng in rapid speech.

  "Look upon this man, my brothers of the shining face![50]

  "Did he quail at the ring of the executioner's sword? Did he evenchange color when he heard the damning testimony? A true son of KaraKhalif is he. A word from his lips would have exonerated him, yet hewould not speak it lest it should reveal the secrets of our service,which he would keep with dead lips rather than live to tell them. ButI shall be his witness; and you, my brothers, shall be his judges.Captain Ballaban was recalled from the raid by our brother Sinam, agaof the division to which the captain belongs. But, alas! the sword ofScanderbeg has loosed Sinam's soul for flight to paradise, and hecould not testify to this man's fidelity. But I know the order ofSinam; in this very tent it was written. And though the faithfulmessenger who carried it was slain in after conflict, the order wasexecuted by Captain Ballaban to every letter: every moment of hisabsence from the raid is accounted for on my tablets"--tapping hisforehead as he spoke.

  A loud shout burst from the crowd which made the tent shake as iffilled with a rising wind.

  "Ballaban! Ballaban!" cried the multitude, lifting the brave fellowupon their shoulders.

  "Take that for your grin when you thought he was guilty!" shouted one,as he delivered a tremendous blow upon the face of another.

  "Death to Caraza-Bey! Down with the lying villain!" rose the cry, thecrowd beginning to move, as if animated by a common spirit, to seekthe envious commandant of the neighboring corps. But they halted atthe tent side waiting for the sign of permission from their chief,who, by the motion of his hand forbade the assault which would havebrought on a terrific battle between the Janizaries and their rivalsthroughout the army.

  "We shall deal with Caraza-Bey hereafter, if his shame does not sendhim skulking from the camps," said the chief, resuming his sittingposture, and restoring order about him.

  "Summon the witnesses again," he proceeded.

  "You Lovitsch testified truly as to Captain Ballaban's absence, andmay go. But you twin rascals who swore to his escape with the girl,your heads shall go to Caraza-Bey, and your black souls to the seventhhell.[51] Executioner, do your office!"

  "Hold!" cried Ballaban, as the man drew his cimeter. "Upon my returnto the company I found my fair captive gone, and under such strangecircumstances that I can see that these good fellows may be honest inwhat they have stated. I bespeak thy mercy, Sire, for them."

  "Captain Ballaban's will shall be ours," replied the chief, with awave of his hand dismissing the assemblage. As the crowd withdrew, hesaid, "My brothers, the agas, will remain, and Captain Ballaban."

  The sides of the tent were put up. The guard patrolled without at adistance of sixty paces, that no one might overhear the conversationin the council.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [49] Two horse-tails; the symbol of a Beyler Bey, a chief bey ofEurope or Asia.

  [50] A title of Janizaries given them by the dervish who blessed theorder at its institution in the days of Orchan.

  [51] According to the Moslems, hell is divided into seven stories orcellars, the lowest being reserved for hypocrites.