was a bad system; and our elders put a stop to it. It was atone time a common custom for the young men to go to the Urus, andpretend to be great friends, and then to carry off all the presents theycould get, and laugh at their beards. You must now, however, bide yourtime, and perhaps something may happen, before long, to favour yourwishes."
Their conversation was interrupted by the announcement that the eveningmeal was served, and at the same time their host arrived from his guard.Throwing off his large dark-coloured watch cloak as he entered, heoffered his welcome to all his guests, and congratulations on thesuccess of their recent exploit.
Volume 2, Chapter XIII.
The rage and fury of the Baron Galetzoff was ungovernable when, insteadof his troops returning with a number of prisoners, the TchernemorskoiCossacks first arrived in disorder and dismay at the fort, giving newsof the entire defeat of his well-laid plan to entrap the chief ArslanGherrei and his followers, and of the dangerous situation in which thefugitives had left the infantry. He lost no time in ordering out freshtroops to cover their retreat, and he smiled with grim satisfaction whenhe heard that the instigator of the plan had fallen. He determined towreak his vengeance on the hostage who remained, as having forfeited hislife by the failure of the enterprise.
The traitor Kiru, suspecting that something had gone wrong from thebustle and excitement around, made a desperate and nearly successfulattempt to escape, when he was dragged back by the soldiers, manacled,and chained to a stake, with a strong guard placed over him. No soonerdid the governor return from succouring his defeated troops than theprisoner was summoned before him.
"Traitor! you have deceived me!" he exclaimed. "Instead of capturingone of your chiefs, my troops have been defeated; and before anotherhour has passed you shall die."
The Tartar looked at him fearlessly.
"If I die," he said, "my master and my tribe will amply revenge me; youdare not slay me."
"Do you speak, barbarian, of your master?" said the governor. "Yourtraitorous master now is a rotting corpse among the bodies of my bravefellows whom he betrayed! Expect not help from him."
The traitor started at these words, and his courage seemed to give way."Russian, speak you the words of truth? Has my master indeed fallen?"demanded the prisoner.
"I tell you the truth," replied the general. "Your master has receivedthe reward of his treachery; and you shall soon follow his fate. I giveyou ten minutes to prepare; after that you die. Lead him away!" hecried to the guards who held the prisoner.
"Since my master has fallen, what have I more to do with life? I spitat you--I laugh at your threats. Do with me as you will, but I will yetbe revenged." And with herculean strength, throwing aside the soldierswho held him, he had nearly reached the throat of the governor when hewas felled to the ground. He was again manacled and led off, usingevery epithet of abuse, to shew his scorn of his executioners.
At the lapse of the specified time, he was led outside the ramparts ofthe fort, where he was again chained to a stake to prevent any chance ofhis escape. His shallow grave was dug beneath his feet. His couragewas indeed worthy of a better fate and better cause, for he quailed notduring the preparations.
A company of soldiers advanced; and as they presented their muskets heshook his manacled and clenched hands at them in an attitude ofdefiance, and uttering, with a dreadful shriek, the war-cry of histribe, his body was pierced with innumerable wounds. Ere the yet warmclay had ceased to vibrate with the pulse of life, the corpse was throwninto the shallow hole prepared for it, and instantly covered up; so thatin a few minutes from the time a human being had stood there with allthe energy and strength of life, he was for ever hidden from the sightof men, and a little new turned up earth alone marked the spot of thetragedy.
None can pity the fate of Kim, which he so richly deserved, though notat the hands of his executioners. But it would be fortunate for theRussian name if it were not stained with atrocities of a much darkerhue. The garrison of the fort remained all the rest of the day in astate of watchfulness and alarm, in expectation of an attack from themountaineers, whom they thought their weakened state might tempt to comedown upon them, if a sufficient force could be assembled in theneighbourhood; their fears however were groundless, for the day passedaway without any further appearance of the enemy.
Some hours after dark, a figure was perceived by the outer picketstealing cautiously from beneath the shadow of the cliffs towards hispost. The person, on being challenged, gave the sign and countersign,and was allowed to pass to the gate of the fort, where, the like cautionbeing employed, he was admitted, and conducted to the quarters of thegovernor. The Baron looked up on seeing him enter, with an expressionof satisfaction.
"Ah! my faithful Armenian," he exclaimed, "I rejoice to see you returnhere in safety. What news do you bring me from the enemy's country? Dothe barbarians think of attacking us?"
"I bring you some news which may please you, noble General, though notmuch of general importance," replied the seeming Armenian, in very goodRussian.
"Let me hear it quickly then; for I require some good news to put me inspirits after the disaster of the morning:" said the governor. "And howcame you not to give me warning that so large a body of Circassians wereon the move?"
"I knew not of it myself till the moment I saw the troops engaged,"answered the spy.
"Well, well, I believe you: but your news now," said the General.
"In the first place the barbarians are meditating some exploit--though Iyet know not what, but will discover to-morrow--under the guidance ofthat old rebel Guz Beg, who has just returned from a pilgrimage toMecca, and has lost no time in inciting his countrymen to fresh outragesagainst you, their rightful masters. He nearly cut my throat when heheard me trying to persuade old Mahmood, the Prince of Pchad, to send inhis allegiance to the Emperor. I was obliged to hold my tongue to savemy neck. The Hadji, as he is now called, touched at some place in thenorth of Turkey, Varna I believe, and there picked up a young Russian,as he seems, though he speaks the Circassian language, and twofollowers, who act as his squire and page. They at all events areRussian, for I heard them conversing together, and I have my strongsuspicions that their master is an officer of the Emperor who hasdeserted, for I heard him speaking to one of the prisoners, whom he tookto-day, as an old acquaintance, calling the man Karl."
"It is he!" almost shouted the General. "I guessed it from the momentyou spoke of him. May curses rest on the traitor's head! One whom Ihad adopted as my son! But I will punish him for his vile ingratitude.That knave, who was taken prisoner, or rather deserted, was once inattendance on him, and a slave of mine. Now mark me. I will give ahandsome reward to any who delivers them into my power. Are you readyto gain it?"
"I would do any thing to please you, General, much more to gain areward," answered the spy. "But I know not how to manage it."
"It must be done," said the Baron. "Entice him near the fort, when hemay be taken prisoner, or watch his movements, and perchance he may befound sleeping in the neighbourhood, when I will send a strong body tocapture him. But mark me, I must have him brought before me a prisoner,and my orders are not to be disobeyed. Follow what plan you will; Iwould rather have his head than that of a thousand Circassians."
"Your orders shall be obeyed, General," answered the spy. "And I willset my wits to work for the purpose."
"Remember your reward shall be great if you succeed. You may nowreturn, or you may be missed by the barbarians, and fail not to cometo-morrow night with the report of your proceedings."
"I will obey your orders, Baron, without fail," replied the spy, as,bowing, he retired out of the fort, and returned to the village he hadleft, without the slightest suspicion that his movements had beenobserved.
We must now follow the steps of our hero's faithful squire, Javis, whowas keeping a strict watch on the house in which the Armenian merchanthad taken up his abode, in company with an active, clever youth, whomthe Hadji had sent to act as his guide
. They had not long to waitbefore they saw the Armenian issue from the house, telling his host thathe must, before night was over, pay a visit to the chief of the village,to settle about some goods he had sold him, as he might be obliged tostart early on his way. To deceive his host he first took the path tothe chiefs house of whom he had spoken; then, turning abruptly, hehastened in the direction of the fort of Ghelendjik. Following him atthe same speed, over hill and dale, through brake and stream, Javis andhis guide traced him till he arrived in the neighbourhood of the fort.
Fortunately for their design, the moon was now obscured by some darkclouds; and, leaving the lad under shelter of some rocks, the Gipsycrept cautiously forward, till he arrived close to the picquet, where heheard the password given, and the Armenian, who addressed a