CHAPTER LVI.
The splendor of the victory, and the inestimable spoil which fell intothe hands of the Albanians, elated the patriot braves; and the goodnews flew as if the eagles that watched the battles from afar were itscouriers. Castriot, however, seemed to be oblivious to the generalrejoicing. The wrath he had displayed during the time of Amesa'smenace from the ranks of the enemy, was displaced by pity as he lookedupon the contemptible and impotent man. He touched him with his foot,and said, in half soliloquy--
"And in this body is some of the blood of the Castriots! Humph!"
Turning away he paced the tent--
"And why not Castriot's blood in Amesa! It is not too immaculate toflow in his veins, since it has filled my own. I was a Turk, too,once. But----" looking at the wrinkles upon his hand--"growing old ina better service may atone somewhat for the shame of earlier days. Andthese hands never murdered a peaceful neighbor and his innocent wife,and robbed a child of her inheritance--though they did murder thatpoor Reis-Effendi. But God knows it could not be helped. But what isone man that he shall condemn another!" An officer approached fororders.
"What, Sire, shall be done with the prisoner?"
"Let him lie until Constantine comes!" was the response.
Late in the night the general sat gazing upon the miserable heap ofhumanity that crouched by the tent side. Amesa raised himself as faras his bonds would permit, and began to speak.
"Silence!" demanded Castriot, but without taking his eyes from theprisoner.
A subaltern, anxious to induce the general to take needed rest, againsuggested some disposition of the prisoner for the night.
"Let him lie until Constantine comes!"
"Captain Constantine has been captured, Sire," replied the officer;"men who were with him have returned, and so report."
"By whom captured?" asked the general in alarm.
"By Janizaries."
Castriot smiled, and asked, "It is certain he was not slain?"
"Certain, Sire, for Ino saw him being taken away."
"Let the prisoner lie there until Captain Constantine returns."
The morning found Amesa still bound. No one had been allowed to speakto him, nor he to utter a word.
During Castriot's absence from the tent not one approached it; onlythe guard patrolled at the distance of a couple of rods.
"The torture of such a villain's thoughts will be more cruel than ourtaunts or swords. Let him lie there, and tear himself with his owndevil claws!" had been Castriot's order.
Toward noon the camp rang with cheers. Scouts reported thatConstantine had escaped, and was returning. Castriot alone seemedunsurprised, though gratified with the news. He went to the edge ofthe camp to meet him.
"Well, my boy, your brother was not so well pleased with your looks,and let you go sooner than I thought he would. I expected you notuntil to-night."
"My brother? How knew you, Sire, that I had seen him? for I have toldit to none."
"Then tell it to none. To warn you of that I came to meet you, lestyour tongue might be unwise. Did you not tell me yourself thatBallaban was the Moslem name of your brother?"
"But how knew you that he was in this service?" asked Constantine.
"As I know every officer in the enemy's service in Albania above anojak's command. And the Aga of the Janizaries is to my mind as thecommander of the expedition. And I will tell you more, my boy;--unlessthe Padishah has gone daft with his chagrin over this defeat, BallabanAga will command the next campaign against us: for none save he kepthis wits in the fight yesterday. His plan was masterful, and saved thewhole Moslem army. He held his Janizaries so well in hand, and so wellplaced, that I could not follow up our advantage, nor even strike torescue you. Ballaban evidently has been much in the Albanian wars, andhas learned my methods better than any of our own officers. Should hesucceed to the horse-tails, the war hereafter will not be so one-sidedas it has been. Mark that, my dear fellow. But we must look to ourroyal prisoner, after I have heard your story."
Late in the day Castriot summoned Moses Goleme, Kabilovitsch, andConstantine. Amesa was unbound, and was bidden to speak what he couldin extenuation of his treason. The Voivode protested his innocence ofany designs against the liberties of his country; and declared that hehad despaired of obtaining her independence under Castriot'sleadership. Better was it to take the virtual freedom of Albania underthe Sultan's nominal suzerainty, than to longer wage a hopeless war.In this he was seconded, he said, by the noblest generals andpatriots. He was about to mention them; but was forbidden to utter somuch as a suspicion against any one.
"I would not know them," said the magnanimous chief. "I will not havea shadow of distrust in my mind toward any who have not drawn swordagainst us. Let them keep their thoughts in their own breasts. NobleMoses, your lips shall pronounce the sentence due Amesa's treason."
The Dibrian general was silent.
"Then, if Moses speaks no condemnation, no other lips shall," saidCastriot.
Amesa threw himself at the feet of the chief, and began to pour forthhis gratitude.
"The life thou hast spared, Sire, shall ever be thine. My sword shallbe given to thee as sovereign of my heart, as well as of my country."
"Hold!" said Castriot. "What says Arnaud, the forester?"
Amesa raised his face, blanched as suddenly with horror as it had beenflushed with elation. The venerable Kabilovitsch sat in silence for atime, lost in the vividness of his recollections. At length, with slowspeech and tremulous voice, he portrayed the scenes of that terriblenight when the castle of the gallant De Streeses was destroyed, itsowner slain, the fair Mara driven back into the flames from which shewould have fled.
"It is a lie," shouted Amesa. "The deed was wrought by Turks!"----
"Thy words condemn thee!" said Castriot. "The crime was not laid tothy charge, Amesa. But now it shall be. Let Drakul be brought."
Soldiers led in the man. The villain, whose hand had stayed at no deedof daring or cruelty, was now seized with such cowardly fright that hecould scarce keep his legs. He was dragged before the extemporizedcourt. In answer to questions, he admitted his part, not only in theoriginal murders, but also in the raid upon the hamlet where Amesa hadsuspected the heiress of De Streeses to be concealed.
Amesa's rage at this betrayal burst forth in savage oaths, mingledwith such contradictory denials of his story as clearly confirmed itstruth.
"For his treason against my authority, I refuse to take vengeance,"said Castriot. "But Albania, appealing for God's aid in establishingits liberties, must, in God's name, do justice. What says ColonelKabilovitsch?"
The old man spoke as if the solemnity of the Last Judgment had fallenupon him,--
"As soon I must go before Him whose mercy I shall so sadly need forthe sins of my own life, I forgive Amesa the cruelty with which he hasfollowed me. God is my witness, that my personal grievance colors nota thought of my heart. But, as I shall soon stand before the Judge,together with the noble De Streeses, who was robbed of life in itsmeridian, and that bright spirit whose cry for Amesa's mercy I heardfrom out the flames, I say, Let justice be done! and let the soul ofthe murderer be sent to confront his victims there before their God!"
"Amen!" said Constantine. Moses Goleme was silent.
Amesa had lost all his bravado. He trembled as would the meanest ofmen who should bow his neck to the sword. He confessed his crime, andpiteously begged for his life; or, at least, that time should be givenhim to make preparation for what he dreaded worse than death. A spiritalready damned seemed to have taken possession of his quivering frame.
"Your life, Amesa," said the chief, "is forfeit for your crimes. Onthe citadel walls of Croia, when we shall have returned there, as thesun sets, so shall your life! Jesu grant that, through yourrepentance and the prayers of Mother Church, your soul may rise againin a better world!"
"Amen!" responded all.
The army returned from the Thessalian border through the countrynorthward, everywhere received wi
th ovations by the people. The fateof Amesa, though commiserated, was as generally commended. No one,however attached by association to the once popular Voivode, raised avoice in dissent from the sentence, or in pity for the culprit.
The Captain of the Janizaries Page 56
