Into what hands Hajji Baba falls, and the fortune which his razors
proved to him.
The distribution of their prisoners which had been made by the
Turcomans, turned out to be so far fortunate, that Osman Aga and I
fell into the hands of one master, the savage robber whom I have before
mentioned. He was called _Aslan Sultan_,[7] or Lion Chief, and proved
to be the captain of a considerable encampment, which we reached almost
immediately after descending from the mountains into the plain. His
tents were situated on the borders of a deep ravine, at the bottom of
which flowed a stream that took its rise in a chain of neighbouring
hills; and green pastures, teeming with cattle, were spread around as
far as the eye could reach. Our other fellow sufferers were carried into
a more distant part of the country, and distributed among the different
tribes of Turcomans who inhabit this region.
At our appearance the whole encampment turned out to look at us, whilst
our conqueror was greeted with loud welcomes, we were barked at and
nearly devoured by a pack of large sheep dogs, who had soon selected
us out as strangers. My masters green shawl had hitherto procured some
degree of respect; but the chief wife, or the _Banou_,[8] as she was
called, was seized at first sight with a strong desire to possess it;
so he was with no other covering to his head than his padded _caoûk_,
or tiara, which contained his money. That too was longed for by another
wife, who said that it would just do to stuff the pack-saddle which
had galled her camels back, and it was taken from his head and thrown,
among other lumber into a corner of the tent. He did all he could to
keep possession of this last remnant of his fortune, but to no purpose;
in lieu of it he received an old sheep-skin cap, which had belonged to
some unfortunate man, who, like us, had been a prisoner, and who had
lately died of grief and wretchedness.
My master having been installed in the possession of the dead mans cap,
was soon appointed to fill his situation, which was that of tending the
camels, when they were sent to feed upon the mountains, and, as he was
fat and unwieldy, there was no apprehension of his running away. As for
me, I was not permitted to leave the tents, but was, for the present,
employed in shaking the leather bags which contained the curds from
which butter was made.
In order to celebrate the success of the expedition, an entertainment
was given by the chief to the whole encampment. A large cauldron,
filled with rice, was boiled, and two sheep were roasted whole. The
men, consisting of our chiefs relations, who came from the surrounding
tents, and most of whom had been at the attack of our caravan, were
assembled in one tent, whilst the women were collected in another. After
the rice and the sheep had been served up to the men, they were carried
to the women, and when they had done, the shepherds boys were served,
and, after they had devoured their utmost, the bones and scrapings of
dishes were given to us and the dogs. But, when I was waiting with great
anxiety for our morsel, having scarcely tasted food since we were taken,
I was secretly beckoned to by one of the women, who made me screen
myself behind a tent, and setting down a dish of rice, with a bit of
sheeps tail in it, which was sent, she said, by the chiefs wife,
who pitied my misfortune, and bade me be of good courage, hurried away
without waiting for my acknowledgements.
The day was passed by the men in smoking, and relating their adventures,
and by the women in singing and beating the tambourine, whilst my poor
master and I were left to ponder over our forlorn situation. The mark of
favour which I had just received had set my imagination to work, and
led me to consider my condition as not entirely desperate. But in vain I
endeavoured to cheer up the spirits of my companion; he did not cease
to bewail his hard fate. I brought to his mind that constant refuge of
every true Mussulman in grief, _Allah kerim!_--God is merciful! His
answer was, Allah kerim, Allah kerim, is all very well for you who had
nothing to lose; but in the meantime I am ruined for ever. His greatest
concern seemed to be, the having failed to secure the profits which he
had expected to make on his lamb-skins, and he passed all his time in
calculating, to the utmost farthing, what had been his losses on this
occasion. However, we were soon to be parted. He was sent off the
next day to the mountains, in charge of a string of fifty camels, with
terrible threats from the chief that his nose and ears should pay for
the loss of any one of them, and that if one died, its price should be
added to the ransom money which he hereafter expected to receive for
him. As the last testimony of my affection for him, I made him sit
down on a camels pack-saddle, and, with some water from a neighbouring
spring, and a piece of soap, which, together with my razors, I had saved
from the wreck of our fortunes, shaved him in the face of the whole
camp.[9] I very soon found that this exhibition of my abilities and
profession might be productive of the greatest advantage to my future
prospects. Every fellow who had a head to scratch immediately found out
that he wanted shaving, and my reputation soon reached the ears of the
chief, who called me to him, and ordered me to operate upon him without
loss of time. I soon went to work upon a large head that exhibited the
marks of many a sword cut, and which presented as rough a surface as
that of the sheep dogs aforementioned. He who had been accustomed to
have his hair clipped, perhaps, with the same instrument that sheared
his sheep, and who knew of no greater luxury than that of being
mutilated by some country barber, felt himself in paradise under my
hand. He freely expressed his satisfaction and his approbation of my
services, said, on feeling his head, that I had shaved him two days
march under the skin, swore that he never would accept of any ransom for
me, be it what it might, and that I should, henceforth, be entitled to
the appointment of his own body barber. I leave the gentle reader to
guess what were my feelings upon this occasion. Whilst I stooped down
and kissed the knee of this my new master, with every appearance of
gratitude and respect, I determined to make use of the liberty which the
confidence reposed in me might afford, by running away on the very
first favourable opportunity. From being so often near the person of the
chief, I soon began to acquire great ascendancy over him; and although
I was still watched with care, yet I could already devise plans,
which appeared to me to be practicable, for escaping from this hateful
servitude into which I was thrown, and I felt in a less degree than
another would have done the drudgery and wretchedness of my situation.