Then, with fury in his face, he sprang savagely toward the aged man.
But here the younger Mehrikan interfered. Rapidly approaching themand shutting tight his bony hand, he shot it from him with startlingvelocity, so directing that it came in contact with the face ofJa-khaz who, to our amazement, sat roughly upon the marble pavement,the blood streaming from his nostrils. He was a pitiful sight.
Unaccustomed to such warfare we were seriously alarmed, and thoughthim killed perhaps. Ad-el-pate, a mighty wrestler, and of powerfulbuild, rushed furiously upon the Mehrikan for whom I trembled. But hisarm again went out before him, and Ad-el-pate likewise sat. A mournfulspectacle, and every Persian felt his heart beat fast within him.
By this time Ja-khaz was on his feet again, purple with rage. Withuplifted scimitar he sprang toward our host. The old man steppedbetween. Ja-khaz, with wanton cruelty, brought his steel upon theancient head, and stretched him upon the floor. For an instant theyounger one stood horror-stricken, then snatching from the floor thepatriarch's staff--a heavy stick with an iron end--he jumped forward,and, quicker than words can tell it, dealt a frightful blow upon thehead of Ja-khaz which sent him headlong to the ground with a brokenskull.
The Slaughter of the Persians]
All this had happened in a moment, and wild confusion followed. Myfollowers drew their arms and rushed upon the Mehrikan. The girl ranforward either from terror or to shield her spouse, I know not which,when a flying arrow from a sailor's cross-bow pierced her to theheart.
This gave the Mehrikan the energy of twenty men.
He knocked brave Kuzundam senseless with a blow that would have killedan ox. Such fury I had not conceived. He brought his flying staff likea thunderbolt from Heaven upon the Persian skulls, yet always edgingtoward the door to prevent his enemies surrounding him. Four of ournumber, in as many minutes, joined Ja-khaz upon the floor. Kuzundam,Ad-el-pate, Fattan-laiz-eh, and Hae-tak, a sailor, lay stretched uponthe pavement, all dead or grievously wounded.
So suddenly had this taken place, that I hardly realized what hadhappened. I rushed forward to stay the combat, but he mistook thepurpose, struck my scimitar with a force that sent it flying throughthe air, and had raised his staff to deal a second for myself, whenbrave Lev-el-Hedyd stepped in to save me, and thrust quickly at him.But alas! the Mehrikan warded off his stroke with one yet quicker, andbrought his stick so swiftly against my comrade's head that it laidhim with the others.
When Lev-el-Hedyd fell I saw the Mehrikan had many wounds, for mycomrades had made a savage onslaught. He tottered as he moved backinto the doorway, where he leaned against the wall for an instant, hiseyes meeting ours with a look of defiance and contempt that I wouldwillingly forget. Then the staff dropped from his hand; he staggeredout to the great portico, and fell his length upon the pavement.Nofuhl hastened to him, but he was dead.
The Last of the Mehrikans]
As he fell a wonderful thing took place--an impossible thing, as Ilook back upon it, but both Nofuhl and I saw it distinctly.
In front of the great steps and facing this doorway is a large sittingimage of George-wash-yn-tun. As the Mehrikan staggered out upon theporch, his hands outstretched before him and with Death at his heart,this statue slowly bowed its head as if in recognition of a gallantfight.
Perhaps it was the sorrowful acceptance of a bitter ending.
"This statue slowly bowed its head."]
_7th July_
Again upon the sea.
This time for Persia, bearing our wounded and the ashes of the dead;those of the natives are reposing beneath the Great Temple.
The skull of the last Mehrikan I shall present to the museum at Teheran.
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