The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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other side amongthe thick cover of reeds, reported that none of the enemy had appeared,or seemed at all prepared for their approach. The cavalry, in condensedbodies, then rode boldly forward at a quick trot, encountering for along distance merely a few peasants with their cattle, who were quicklysent to the rear, some light bodies being thrown out on each side to seethat none escaped and to give notice of their approach to the enemy.
The hearts of all beat high, and their eyes flashed with excitement andpleasure, as the walls and houses of Kislavosk, seen by the pale lightof dawn, met their view. A cry of joy escaped them, as they urged ontheir steeds at full gallop towards the devoted town. The outerpicquets had no time to give the alarm, ere they were cut down; andonward dashed the band through the streets, the guards at the entrancemaking but a feeble resistance to their furious onset. The inhabitants,roused from their slumbers, looked amazed and trembling at the wildhorsemen. On all sides the Russian troops were called to arms; butbefore they could assemble in sufficient numbers to repel the assault,the cattle, which the Circassians found assembled in great numbers, weredriven off, and a magazine of powder and arms was stormed and ransacked.Then, like a whirlwind, the whole force again swept through the town.The inhabitants were spared; but little mercy was shewn to the soldierswho attempted to form their ranks.
The town, which a few minutes before was wrapped in fancied security,was now a scene of tumult and bloodshed, as the mountaineers foughttheir way through the broad streets, affording slight shelter to theRussians, who, ere they could bring their guns to bear, found theirassailants beyond their reach; though they saluted them with a heavyfire from the fortifications.
As the Circassian rear-guard were emerging from the town, the Russianinfantry formed and charged them in line; but the horsemen, wheeling ona sudden, rushed on them, sabre in hand, with such fury that they wereglad to retreat, losing many of their number on the field. TheCircassians, also, lost several men; but, as they were struck, they werelifted on their comrades' horses and carried away.
The town might have been theirs, but they knew that they could not keepit for any length of time; and all the lower ranks of the Circassianarmy were eager to advance for greater booty, notwithstanding thecounsel of the coolest and most sagacious chiefs. However, theyencountered no cavalry in the town from whom to fear pursuit; and theyhad nothing to dread from the infantry. Onward pushed the band ofmountaineers, passing through several villages, and sweeping all beforethem.
Their Seraskier then urged them to return; as now, that the Russianswere alarmed, they might collect an almost overwhelming force from theneighbouring fortified towns to impede their progress; for, carried awaywith the ardour of the foray, the greater number thought of nothing lessthan pillaging every Russian settlement on the borders. Veryunwillingly, therefore, they wheeled to make a circuit towards that partof the Kouban they had already passed.
Alp Beg had, during the day, constantly accompanied our hero and hisfriend, at the head of his troop, making, with them, several desperatecharges on the Russian lines as they had formed, and never failing inbreaking them with his furious onset. At their return, as the mainbody, with whom at the time were Selem and Alp, were passing at somelittle distance from Kislavosk, the Hadji, who brought up the rear tothe left nearer the town, heard from some peasants that they had missedsecuring several head of cattle, which were still at a short distanceoutside the walls.
"Mashallah! what say you, my friends?" cried the old warrior. "Shall welet the Giaours still have any beef for their dinners? Let us shew themthat they must not cheat us in this way. What say you, my friends;shall we pay them another visit? It will take us but few minutes."
The proposition was too much to the taste of all parties not to bewarmly seconded. Sending, therefore, to the Seraskier to intimate hispurpose, and being followed by about five hundred horse, he made aheadlong dash at the place the peasants indicated. The Russians salutedthem as they advanced with showers of shot and grape, while the troopssallied out to meet them; but nothing could stop the impetuosity oftheir onset, and they quickly liberated the cattle, driving them off ata greater speed than the animals had ever before accomplished.
"Well done, my friends," cried the Hadji. "I told you we would spoilthese unbelievers' dinners; and now, Bismillah! let us charge themagain," he added, as a large body of infantry met them.
Uttering loud cries, they charged the Russians, driving the cattle amongtheir ranks. The troops gave way, when they were again saluted with atremendous flanking fire of grape; and, ere they had got clear from therange of the guns, a large body of Cossack horse, who had that momentarrived from the neighbouring towns, met them at full charge. Alreadyhad many of their number fallen under the fire from the town; but theold warrior Hadji, undaunted by the overwhelming force of their newopponents, shouting his war cry, called to his followers to charge them.
Tremendous was the shock of the two fierce bodies of hostile cavalry,animated with the most bitter hatred, and excited by the fiercest rage;but the superior skill, agility, and courage of the Circassianscompensated partly for their inferiority in numbers. The Cossacks werearrested in their course; while the mountaineers literally hewedthemselves a road through their ranks. They discovered, however, whentoo late, that they had committed a dreadful error in so doing; for afresh body of Cossacks arriving from the same direction, they foundthemselves completely surrounded. The ground they fought on was a broadopen heath, in front of the town, which gave full scope for the largerbody of their assailants to bring their whole force against them.
The main body of the Circassians, with whom was Alp and Selem, onreceiving the Hadji's message, and on hearing the firing, wheeled tosupport him. The first of the band was the brave young Alp, eager tojoin the affray, and assist his father.
The Hadji, with scarcely three hundred followers, was bravely defendinghimself against several thousand Cossacks, shouting his war cry,cheering on his men to the attack, who wheeled and charged in everydirection, keeping a complete circle in the midst of their foes, andplacing their horses back to back in such close order that few of theenemy could get within the brave troop; or if they did, they were cutdown by the inner ranks. At length, however, the Cossacks seemedashamed at being held at bay by so small a body, and charged them withrenewed vigour, hoping to destroy them before the main body came up.Great numbers of the Circassians fell beneath this fresh attack; thoughthe remainder fought on with yet undaunted courage. But even theirgallant old leader looked out anxiously for the succour of theirfriends. They made many fresh, desperate, but unavailing, attempts tocut their way through, still the Hadji fought on, shouting to his bravecompanions, and never for a moment thinking of yielding.
"Ah! Allah! well done, my sons!" he cried. "Well done, men ofAtteghei! See, the vile Cossacks are thinning fast around us. We shallsoon have a hill of their bodies to ride over. Fight on, my men! ourfriends will be here anon; and then we shall see how fast these Giaourscan fly. Charge, my sons! charge! Ah! Allah! here comes my noble son,my own Alp. I knew that he would be the first to rescue his father."
While shouting these cries, the old warrior had made such desperatecharges with one or two followers, that the Cossacks, partly openingtheir ranks, again closed before the rest could get up to them, thuscompletely hemming him in. His enemies, who recognised him as one ofthe most daring chiefs, pressed hard upon him, endeavouring either tomake him prisoner, or to cut him down on the spot; when Alp, theforemost of the advanced guard of the main body of the Circassians,beheld his father's imminent danger.
Not waiting even to see who followed, the young warrior shouted his warcry, and dashed boldly at the foe, the foremost of whom gave way as theysaw the gallant youth approaching. But a young Cossack officer, seeinghim advance unsupported, spurred on his charger, and fired his lightrifle at the same time. For this movement Alp was prepared; andthrowing himself on his horse's side, the ball passed over him. In amoment his own gun was in his hand; he fired, but the Cossa
ck imitatinghis manoeuvre, escaped his aim. Urging on their steeds their swordsmet, fast whirling round their heads as they were wheeling: and backingtheir horses. Alp, seeing an opportunity, threw up the Cossack's guard,endeavouring to seize him and plunge his dagger in his heart; but ere hecould effect his purpose, a ball from his antagonist's pistol enteredhis horse's neck, and the noble animal fell mortally wounded to theground. But Alp was not overcome; disengaging himself from his horse ina moment, he sprung like a tiger on his opponent; and, striking him withhis dagger, hurled him to the ground. Then springing on his steed'sback, and waving his sword, he stayed not an instant to cast a partingglance at his conquered foe, but led on his friends who had just comeup.
The father and son recognised each other amid the turmoil of the fight;when, again shouting loudly his war cry, Alp urged on his steed amidstthe thickest of the foe, followed by the few who