THE BATTLE OF THE THIRD COUSINS.
* * * * *
There were never many persons who could correctly bound the Autocracy
of Mutjado. The reason for this was that the boundary line was not
stationary. Whenever the Autocrat felt the need of money, he sent his
tax-gatherers far and wide, and people who up to that time had no
idea of such a thing found that they lived in the territory of
Mutjado. But when times were ordinarily prosperous with him, and
people in the outlying districts needed protection or public works,
the dominion of the Autocrat became very much contracted.
In the course of time, the Autocrat of Mutjado fell into bad health
and sent for his doctor. That learned man prescribed some medicine
for him; and as this did him no good, he ordered another kind. He
continued this method of treatment until the Autocrat had swallowed
the contents of fifteen phials and flasks, some large and some small.
As none of these were of the slightest benefit, the learned doctor
produced another kind of medicine which he highly extolled.
"Take a dose of this twice a day," said he, "and you will soon
find--"
"A new medicine?" interrupted the Autocrat, in disgust. "I will have
none of it! These others were bad enough, and rather than start with
a new physic, I prefer to die. Take away your bottles, little and
big, and send me my secretary."
When that officer arrived, the Autocrat informed him that he had
determined to write his will, and that he should set about it at
once.
The Autocrat of Mutjado had no son, and his nearest male relatives
were a third cousin on his father's side, and another third cousin on
his mother's side. Of course these persons were in nowise related to
each other; and as they lived in distant countries, he had never seen
either of them. He had made up his mind to leave his throne and
dominions to one of these persons, but he could not determine which
of them should be his heir.
"One has as good a right as the other," he said to himself, "and I
can't bother my brains settling the matter for them. Let them fight
it out, and whoever conquers shall be Autocrat of Mutjado."
Having arranged the affair in this manner in his will, he signed it,
and soon after died.
The Autocrat's third cousin on his father's side was a young man of
about twenty-five, named Alberdin. He was a good horseman, and
trained in the arts of warfare, and when he was informed of the terms
of his distinguished relative's will, he declared himself perfectly
willing to undertake the combat for the throne. He set out for
Mutjado, where he arrived in a reasonable time.
The third cousin on the mother's side was a very different person. He
was a boy of about twelve years of age; and as his father and mother
had died when he was very young, he had been for nearly all his life
under the charge of an elderly and prudent man, who acted as his
guardian and tutor. These two, also, soon arrived in Mutjado,--the
boy, Phedo, being mounted on a little donkey, which was his almost
constant companion. As soon as they reached the territory of the late
Autocrat, old Salim, the tutor, left the boy at an inn, and went
forward by himself to take a look at the other third cousin. When he
saw Alberdin mounted on his fine horse, and looking so strong and
valiant, his heart was much disturbed.
"I had hoped," he said to himself, "that the other one was a small
boy, but such does not appear to be the case. There is but one way to
have a fair fight between these two. They must not now be allowed to
see each other. If they can be kept apart until my boy grows up, he
will then be able, with the military education which I intend he
shall have, to engage in combat with any man. They must not meet for
at least thirteen years. Phedo will then be twenty-five, and able to
do worthy combat. To be sure, I am somewhat old myself to undertake
to superintend so long a delay, but I must do my best to keep well
and strong, and to attain the greatest possible longevity."
Salim had always been in the habit of giving thirty-two chews to
every mouthful of meat, and a proportionate number of chews to other
articles of food; and had, so far, been very healthy. But he now
determined to increase the number of chews to thirty-six, for it
would be highly necessary for him to live until it was time for the
battle between the third cousins to take place.
Having made up his mind on these points, the old tutor introduced
himself to Alberdin, and told him that he had come to arrange the
terms of combat.
"In the first place," said Alberdin, "I should like to know what sort
of a person my opponent is."
"He is not a cavalryman like you," answered Salim; "he belongs to the
heavy infantry."
At this, Alberdin looked grave. He knew very well that a stout and
resolute man on foot had often the advantage of one who is mounted.
He would have preferred meeting a horseman, and fighting on equal
terms.
"Has he had much experience in war?" asked the young man.
"It is not long," answered the tutor, "since he was almost constantly
in arms, winter and summer."
"He must be a practised warrior," thought Alberdin. "I must put
myself in good fighting-trim before I meet him."
After some further conversation on the subject, the old man advised
Alberdin to go into camp on a beautiful plain not far from the base
of a low line of mountains.
"Your opponent," said he, "will intrench himself in the valley on the
other side. With the mountains between you, neither of you need fear
a surprise; and when both are ready, a place of meeting can be
appointed.
"Now, then," said Salim to himself when this had been settled; "if I
can keep them apart for thirteen years, all may be well."
As soon as possible, Alberdin pitched a tent upon the appointed spot,
and began to take daily warlike exercise in the plain, endeavoring in
every way to put himself and his horse into proper condition for the
combat.
On the other side of the mountain, old Salim intrenched himself and
the boy, Phedo. He carefully studied several books on military
engineering, and caused a fortified camp to be constructed on the
most approved principles. It was surrounded by high ramparts, and
outside of these was a moat filled with water. In the centre of the
camp was a neat little house which was well provided with books,
provisions, and every thing necessary for a prolonged stay. When the
drawbridge was up, it would be impossible for Alberdin to get inside
of the camp; and, moreover, the ramparts were so high that he could
not look over them to see what sort of antagonist he was to have. Old
Salim did not tell the boy why he brought him here to live. It would
be better to wait until he was older before informing him of the
battle which had been decreed. He told Phedo that it was necessary
for him to have a military education, which could very well be
obtained in a place like this; and he was also very careful to let
him know that there was a terrible soldier in that part of the
country who might at any time, if it were not for the intrenchments,
pounce down upon him, and cut him to pieces. Every fine day, Phedo
was allowed to take a ride on his donkey outside of the
fortifications, but during this time, the old tutor kept a strict
watch on the mountain; and if a horseman had made his appearance,
little Phedo would have been whisked inside, and the drawbridge would
have been up in a twinkling.
After about two weeks of this life Phedo found it dreadfully stupid
to see no one but his old tutor, and never to go outside of these
great ramparts except for donkey-rides, which were generally very
short. He therefore determined, late one moonlight night, to go out
and take a ramble by himself. He was not afraid of the dreadful
soldier of whom the old man had told him, because at that time of
night this personage would, of course, be in bed and asleep.
Considering these things, he quietly dressed himself, took down a
great key from over his sleeping tutor's head, opened the heavy gate,
let down the drawbridge, mounted upon his donkey, and rode forth upon
the moonlit plain.
That night-ride was a very delightful one, and for a long time the
boy and the donkey rambled and ran; first going this way and then
that, they gradually climbed the mountain; and, reaching the brow,
they trotted about for a while, and then went down the other side.
The boy had been so twisted and turned in his course that he did not
notice that he was not descending toward his camp, and the donkey,
whose instinct told it that it was not going the right way, was also
told by its instinct that it did not wish to go the right way, and
that the intrenchments offered it no temptations to return. When the
morning dawned, Phedo perceived that he was really lost, and he began
to be afraid that he might meet the terrible soldier. But, after a
time, he saw riding toward him a very pleasant-looking young man on a
handsome horse, and he immediately took courage.
"Now," said he to himself, "I am no longer in danger. If that
horrible cut-throat should appear, this good gentleman will protect
me."
Alberdin had not seen any one for a long time, and he was very glad
to meet with so nice a little boy. When Phedo told him that he was
lost, he invited him to come to his tent, near by, and have
breakfast. While they were eating their meal, Alberdin asked the boy
if in the course of his rambles he had met with a heavy infantry
soldier, probably armed to the teeth, and very large and strong.
"Oh, I've heard of that dreadful man!" cried Phedo, "and I am very
glad that I did not meet him. If he comes, I hope you'll protect me
from him."
"I will do that," said Alberdin; "but I am afraid I shall not be able
to help you find your way home, for in doing so I should throw myself
off my guard, and might be set upon unexpectedly by this fellow, with
whom I have a regular engagement to fight. There is to be a time
fixed for the combat, for which I feel myself nearly ready, but I
have no doubt that my enemy will be very glad to take me at a
disadvantage if I give him a chance."
Phedo looked about him with an air of content. The tent was large and
well furnished; there seemed to be plenty of good things to eat; the
handsome horseman was certainly a very good-humored and agreeable
gentleman; and, moreover, the tent was not shut in by high and gloomy
ramparts.
"I do not think you need trouble yourself," said he to his host, "to
help me to find my way home. I live with my tutor, and I am sure that
when he knows I am gone he will begin to search for me, and after
awhile he will find me. Until then, I can be very comfortable here."
For several days the two third cousins of the Autocrat lived together
in the tent, and enjoyed each other's society very much. Then
Alberdin began to grow a little impatient.
"If I am to fight this heavy infantry man," he said; "I should like
to do it at once. I am now quite ready, and I think he ought to be. I
expected to hear from him before this time, and I shall start out and
see if I can get any news of his intentions. I don't care about going
over the mountain without giving him notice, but the capital city of
Mutjado is only a day's ride to the west, and there I can cause
inquiries to be made when he would like to meet me, and where."
"I will go with you," said Phedo, greatly delighted at the idea of
visiting the city.
"Yes, I will take you," said Alberdin. "Your tutor don't seem
inclined to come for you, and, of course, I can't leave you here."
The next day, Alberdin on his horse, and Phedo on his donkey, set out
for the city, where they arrived late in the afternoon. After finding
a comfortable lodging, Alberdin sent messengers to the other side of
the mountain, where his opponent was supposed to be encamped, and
gave them power to arrange with him for a meeting. He particularly
urged them to try to see the old man who had come to him at first,
and who had seemed to be a very fair-minded and sensible person. In
two days, however, the messengers returned, stating that they had
found what they supposed to be the intrenched camp of the heavy
infantry man they had been sent in search of, but that it was
entirely deserted, and nobody could be seen anywhere near it.
"It is very likely," said Alberdin, "that he has watched my
manoeuvres and exercises from the top of the mountain, and has
concluded to run away. I shall give him a reasonable time to show
himself, and then, if he does not come forward, I will consider him
beaten, and claim the Autocracy."
"That is a good idea," said Phedo, "but I think, if you can, you
ought to find him and kill him, or drive him out of the country.
That's what I should do, if I were you."
"Of course I shall do that, if I can," said Alberdin; "but I could
not be expected to wait for him forever."
When his intention had been proclaimed, Alberdin was informed of
something which he did not know before, and that was that the late
Autocrat had left an only daughter, a Princess about twenty years
old. But although she was his daughter, she could not inherit his
crown, for the laws of the country forbade that any woman should
become Autocrat. A happy idea now struck Alberdin.
"I will marry the Princess," he said, "and then every one will think
that it is the most suitable thing for me to become Autocrat."
So Alberdin sent to the Princess to ask permission to speak with her,
and was granted an audience. With much courtesy and politeness he
made known his plans to the lady, and hoped that she would consider
it advisable to marry him.
"I am sorry to interfere with any of your arrangements," said the
Princess, "but as soon as I heard the terms of my father's will, I
made up my mind to marry the victor in the contest. As I cannot
inherit the throne myself, the next best thing is to be the wife of
the man who does. Go forth, then, and find your antagonist, and when
you have conquered him, I will marry you."
"And if he conquers me, you will marry him?" said Alberdin.
"Yes, sir," answered the Princess, with a smile, and dismissed him.
It was plain enough that there was nothing for Alberdin to do but to
go and look for the heavy infantry man. Phedo was very anxious to
accompany him, and the two, mounted as before, set out from the city
on their quest.
When old Salim, the tutor of Phedo, awoke in the morning and found
the boy gone, he immediately imagined that the youngster had ran away
to his old home; so he set forth with all possible speed, hoping to
overtake him. But when he reached the distant town where Phedo had
lived, he found that the boy had not been there; and after taking
some needful rest, he retraced his steps, crossed the mountains, and
made his way toward the capital city, hoping to find news of him
there. It was necessary for him to be very careful in his inquiries,
for he wished no one to find out that the little boy he was looking
for was the third cousin of the late Autocrat on the mother's side.
He therefore disguised himself as a migratory medical man, and
determined to use all possible caution. When he reached the camp of
the young horseman, Alberdin, and found that personage gone, his
suspicions became excited.
"If these two have run off together," he said to himself, "my task is
indeed difficult. If the man discovers it is the boy he has to fight,
my poor Phedo will be cut to pieces in a twinkling. I do not believe
there has been any trouble yet, for the boy does not know that he is
to be one of the combatants, and the man would not be likely to
suspect it. Come what may, the fight must not take place for thirteen
years. And in order that I may still better preserve my health and
strength to avert the calamity during that period, I will increase my
number of chews to forty-two to each mouthful of meat."
When old Salim reached the city, he soon found that Alberdin and the
boy had been there, and that they had gone away together.
"Nothing has happened so far," said the old man, with a sigh of
relief; "and things may turn out all right yet. I'll follow them, but
I must first find out what that cavalryman had to say to the
Princess." For he had been told of the interview at the palace.
It was not long before the migratory medical man was brought to the
Princess. There was nothing the matter with her, but she liked to
meet with persons of skill and learning to hear what they had to say.
"Have you any specialty?" she asked of the old man.
"Yes," said he, "I am a germ-doctor."
"What is that?" asked the Princess.
"All diseases," replied the old man, "come from germs; generally very
little ones. My business is to discover these, and find out all about
them."
"Then I suppose," said the Princess, "you know how to cure the
diseases?"
"You must not expect too much," answered the old man. "It ought to be
a great satisfaction to us to know what sort of germ is at the bottom
of our woes."
"I am very well, myself," said the Princess, "and, so far as I know,
none of my household are troubled by germs. But there is something
the matter with my mind which I wish you could relieve." She then
told the old man how she had determined to marry the victor in the
contest for her father's throne, and how she had seen one for the
claimants whom she considered to be a very agreeable and deserving
young man; while the other, she had heard, was a great, strong foot
soldier, who was probably very disagreeable, and even horrid. If this
one should prove the conqueror, she did not know what she should do.
"You see, I am in a great deal of trouble," said she. "Can you do any
thing to help me?"
The pretending migratory medical man looked at her attentively for a
few moments, and then he said:
"The reason why you intend to marry the victor in the coming contest,
is that you wish to remain here in your father's palace, and to
continue to enjoy the comforts and advantages to which you have been
accustomed."
"Yes," said the Princess; "that is it."
"Well, having discovered the germ of your disorder," said the old
man, "the great point is gained. I will see what I can do."
And with a respectful bow he left her presence.
"Well," said old Salim to himself, as he went away, "she can never
marry my boy, for that is certainly out of the question; but now that
I have found out her motive, I think I can arrange matters
satisfactorily, so far as she is concerned. But to settle the affair
between that young man and Phedo is immensely more difficult. The
first thing is to find them."
Having learned the way they had gone, the old tutor travelled
diligently, and in two days came up with Alberdin and Phedo. When he
first caught sight of them, he was very much surprised to see that
they were resting upon the ground quite a long distance apart, with a
little stream between them. Noticing that Alberdin's back was toward
him, he threw off his disguise and hastened to Phedo. The boy
received him with the greatest delight, and, after many embraces,
they sat down to talk. Phedo told the old man all that had happened,
and finished by relating that, as they had that day stopped by this
stream to rest, Alberdin had taken it into his head to inquire into
the parentage of his young companion; and after many questions about
his family, it had been made clear to both of them that they were the
two third cousins who were to fight for the Autocracy of Mutjado.
"He is very angry," said the boy, "at the tricks that have been
played upon him, and went off and left me. Is it true that I am to
fight him? I don't want to do it, for I like him very much."
"It will be a long time before you are old enough to fight," said
Salim; "so we need not consider that. You stay here, and I'll go over
and talk to him."
Salim then crossed the stream, and approached Alberdin. When the
young man saw him, and recognized him as the person who had arranged
the two encampments, he turned upon him with fury.
"Wretched old man, who came to me as the emissary of my antagonist,
you are but the tutor of that boy! If I had known the truth at first,
I would have met him instantly; would have conquered him without
hurting a hair on his head; and carrying him bound to the capital
city, would have claimed the Autocracy, and would now have been
sitting upon the throne. Instead of that, look at the delay and
annoyance to which I have been subjected. I have also taken such a
fancy to the boy that rather than hurt him or injure his prospects, I
would willingly resign my pretensions to the throne, and go back
contentedly to my own city. But this cannot now be done. I have
fallen in love with the daughter of the late Autocrat, and she will
marry none but the victorious claimant. Behold to what a condition
you have brought me!"
The old man regarded him with attention.
"I wish very much," said he, "to defer the settlement of this matter
for thirteen years. Are you willing to wait so long?"
"No, I am not," said Alberdin.
"Very well, then," said the old man, "each third cousin must retire
to his camp, and as soon as matters can be arranged the battle must
take place."
"There is nothing else to be done," said Alberdin in a troubled
voice; "but I shall take care that the boy receives no injury if it
can possibly be avoided."
The three now retraced their steps, and in a few days were settled
down, Alberdin in his tent in the plain, and Salim and Phedo in their
intrenchments on the other side of the low mountain. The old man now
gave himself up to deep thought. He had discovered the germ of
Alberdin's trouble; and in a few days he had arranged his plans, and
went over to see the young man.
"It has been determined," said he, "that a syndicate is to be formed
to attend to this business for Phedo."
"A syndicate!" cried Alberdin. "What is that?"
"A syndic," answered Salim, "is a person who attends to business for
others; and a syndicate is a body of men who are able to conduct
certain affairs better than any individual can do it. In a week from
to-day, Phedo's syndicate will meet you in the large plain outside of
the capital city. There the contest will take place. Shall you be
ready?"
"I don't exactly understand it," said Alberdin, "but I shall be
there."
General notice was given of the coming battle of the contestants for
the throne, and thousands of the inhabitants of the Autocracy
assembled on the plain on the appointed day. The Princess with her
ladies was there; and as everybody was interested, everybody was
anxious to see what would happen.
Alberdin rode into the open space in the centre of the plain, and
demanded that his antagonist should appear. Thereupon old Salim came
forward, leading Phedo by the hand.
"This is the opposing heir," he said; "but as every one can see that
he is too young to fight a battle, a syndicate has been appointed to
attend to the matter for him; and there is nothing in the will of the
late Autocrat which forbids this arrangement. The syndicate will now
appear."
At this command there came into the arena a horseman heavily armed, a
tall foot soldier completely equipped for action, an artilleryman
with a small cannon on wheels, a sailor with a boarding-pike and a
drawn cutlass, and a soldier with a revolving gun which discharged
one hundred and twenty balls a minute.
"All being ready," exclaimed Salim, "the combat for the Autocracy
will begin!"
Alberdin took a good long look at the syndicate ranged before him.
Then he dismounted from his horse, drew his sword, and stuck it,
point downward, into the sand.
"I surrender!" he said.
"So do I!" cried the Princess, running toward him, and throwing
herself into his arms.
The eyes of Alberdin sparkled with joy.
"Let the Autocracy go!" he cried. "Now that I have my Princess, the
throne and the crown are nothing to me."
"So long as I have you," returned the Princess, "I am content to
resign all the comforts and advantages to which I have been
accustomed."
Phedo, who had been earnestly talking with his tutor, now looked up.
"You shall not resign any thing!" he cried. "We are all of the same
blood, and we will join together and form a royal family, and we will
all live at the palace. Alberdin and my tutor shall manage the
government for me until I am grown up; and if I have to go to school
for a few years, I suppose I must. And that is all there is about
it!"
The syndicate was now ordered to retire and disband; the heralds
proclaimed Phedo the conquering heir, and the people cheered and
shouted with delight. All the virtues of the late Autocrat had come
to him from his mother, and the citizens of Mutjado much preferred to
have a new ruler from the mother's family.