Suleiman had 15,000 Tartars amongst his troops, principally inhabitants
of Aidin and Saruchán, who were led by Bey Illisz. These Tartar hordes
were suddenly let loose in one body, being sheltered on either side by
the Anatol troops. Timur's opposing force advanced slowly towards the
rushing enemy. At its head was the Khan of Aidin who, on that day, wore
neither armour nor helmet, and did not even draw out his sword from its
scabbard, though he made straight for Illisz.
The Bey of Illisz was twirling his pike, and turned it towards the Khan.
As he nearly reached him and was within throw, the Bey exclaimed,
"Defend yourself," and threw the pike at him.
The Khan of Aidin smiled. Had he earned his bread for a whole year as a
magician in vain that he should be frightened by a pike?
"You had better defend yourself," he replied to Illisz, as the pike
hissed towards him. He grasped it in its flight, and threw it back to
the Bey, and the iron penetrated his cheek-bone. In this state his
terrified charger ran away with him. Then the Khan of Aidin rose in his
saddle and straightened himself on his horse's back, whilst with ringing
voice he cried out to the Tartars, "I am your Khan! Return to me, and
aid me against the enemy!" In a moment the entire Tartar force turned
round to him and threw clouds of arrows upon the Turkish horsemen
behind them, and thus cut open a space in the left wing for the advance
of Timur's troops.
This move decided the fate of the battle. Bajazet could not believe that
his Tartar soldiers would desert him at the sight and by the command of
their late master. Those whom he believed to be his own followers had
now actually gone over to the enemy! The Sultan's son Suleiman upon this
stroke of ill-fate turned his horse's head, struck spurs into him, and
was the first to leave the battle-field.
Another son, Mohammed, commenced a fight with the reserve, but no
success attended their efforts. The day was lost to Bajazet. The
"lightning" was vanquished, and the iron sword prevailed; but Bajazet
still could have escaped with the rest of his troops, and might have
overcome his enemy from his European forts, could he have reconciled
himself to the notion of flight. All round was heard the tumult of the
tempestuous war. It was impossible to see, owing to the clouds of dust,
and the women away yonder in the velvet tower no longer sang of victory,
but trembling awaited the close of the day. Once during the afternoon a
ray of hope sprang up, when Timur's force made an advance, and the
Waiwode Lazaruvich cut his way through the Csibukabad reeds across
Mohammed Mirza, and joined Bajazet in correct battle order. The Sultan
stood motionless amidst his unconquered veterans. Lazaruvich, with his
fagged out and wounded troops, who were blackened by dust and covered
with the blood of the enemy, with broken pikes and torn standards,
suddenly appeared before the Sultan.
Lazaruvich hardly recognised him.
"Is it you, my faithful friend?" the Sultan asked, with emotion.
"It is I, father. Escape; the battle is lost!"
"Then let me perish," replied the Sultan. "You had best return. You have
wife and children, and have yet a long life to live."
"God can alone bring help," answered Lazaruvich, and quitted the
battle-field.
It was already twilight. The escaping forces were seen in all
directions. Only 10,000 Janesars stood steadfast round Bajazet. Since
the morning they had been thirsting for water: now they thirsted for
blood! They could have had plenty of time and opportunity for escape,
for Timur did not attack them until later on. The night came on; the sun
disappeared, and the comet--the dread of heaven and earth--shone out on
the sky. By the aid of its demoniacal glitter Bajazet could see the
opponent's army. He was not frightened, either by the star or by Timur's
victory, and motionless he stood with his ten thousand men on the spot
where half a million men had already perished. Then Timur raised his
hand to heaven, as though he would grasp the flaming club, and with it
strike his enemy.
"Well, so be it," he said, and with this he gave the signal to start his
troops of mailed men, the Dzsagata horsemen and the rows of fighting
elephants, against Bajazet's Janesars. Maria heard tremblingly from her
tower the bellowing of the elephants. "Ah! the _Dzsins_, the _Dzsins_!
But Bajazet will pursue them and rout them asunder, for he is the
'lightning.'"
The flying Greek fire opened the attack. From the elephants' towers the
blinding sparks came in clouds, and created dazzling colours in this
night battle, whilst arrows shot at the same instant from all sides. The
Janesars fought and died speechless, as though they were not men, but
spectres. The two forces fought without a word. Only the clanking of
their swords spoke. Oh! the _Dzsins_, the _Dzsins_!
Suddenly one of the flaming arrows cut its way through the ranks of the
Janesars, and flew to the women's tower, igniting a velvet curtain, and
so setting the whole place on fire. The women, terror stricken, rushed
down from the burning amphitheatre, which, in a few moments, was as a
burning torch in the midst of the camp, lighting up the spectacle of
slaughter. Immediately Bajazet saw this his heart gave way, and he
turned back with his suit of horsemen, and, leaving behind him the
fighting Janesars, he galloped towards the women. Maria was then lying
on the earth, her face covered with dust.
Oh, the _Dzsins_--the _Dzsins_! "To horse quickly, by my side, away to
the mountains!" exclaimed the defeated "lightning," lifting his wife
from the dust, and with these words he escaped from the field. One
thousand brave horsemen and two thousand fighting Amazons accompanied
them. Mahmud Khan saw the Sultan's flight, and rushed after him with
4000 Dzsagata horsemen. Until midnight he pursued him up to the foot of
the mountain. The soldiers left behind fought with Timur's men whilst
the Sultan got away.
The Khan of Dzsagat did not relax his search after Bajazet, whose
horsemen and horses fell to the right and left, and by daybreak only
forty men remained. The Sultan was, therefore, left almost alone with
his women. He then stopped and awaited his pursuers. He was clad in
impenetrable armour, and held a good Damascus blade in his hand, for he
had to defend his beloved harem. Ten of his pursuers fell before their
swords could touch him, but finally becoming dazzled by the frequent
strokes of his sword, he fell down from his horse at Maria's feet, where
he was captured. Maria had to see the face of her demigod become pale
and besmirched with dust. His eyes were heavy, and from his lips issued
impotent curses.