THE SPY.
The Sultan being sufficiently recovered from his fatigue, was reclining
in his half-open tent, when it occurred to him to examine the paper
which had been taken from the Marabt. He opened and began reading it
carelessly, but before he had finished, his face was livid, for it
proved that treachery was at work among his own personal attendants.
"God is great!" he ejaculated, "God is my protection. A conspiracy! The
address--Abdslem Ibn Hadj,--the slave! And the seal, Sheik Hamed of the
Lion Tribes!" then raising his voice, "Who waits?"
"My lord's slave," answered Abd el Aziz, who was on guard, and coming
forward.
"The spy that was taken this morning, let him be taken outside the camp
and return to me with his head!--Go!" said the Sultan.
"On my head and eyes;" and Abd el Aziz receiving a token from the
Sultan, went out immediately to obey his orders.
The guards whom he summoned, astonished and awed by the sudden command,
mechanically obeyed, and in spite of his prayers and entreaties the
Marabt was forthwith decapitated, and his head, still dripping with
blood, carried by the lock of hair on his crown, and laid by Abd el
Aziz in view of the Sultan, saying, "Behold the traitor's head! thus
perish the enemies of the Khalifa!"
"God be praised," said the Sultan, counting his beads. "It is well; so
far. Approach and mark--Take that head, mount your horse and ride to the
town; cause it to be nailed up over the gate of the Kasba, and let it be
proclaimed that he was a traitor and a spy of your lord's enemies. That
done, seize our slave Abdslem of the guard, and lodge him in a dungeon,
in chains, with hand torture. Here is my signet, have I not trusted
thee? and thy fidelity shall be rewarded."
Abd el Aziz prostrated himself, kissed the seal and placed it in his
vest. "My lord's slave is too highly honoured, in being the bearer of
the least of my lord's commands. May I ever deserve my lord's favour!"
He then left the tent, mounted his horse, with the bloody head dangling
at his saddle-bow, and with heart elate, galloped to the town,
entertaining himself with visions of the promotion and honours he was to
derive from the Sultan's favour, of which, however, that head might have
taught him the uncertainty.
Rachel, although she had despatched her intended son-in-law on his
mission, left no means untried in the interval to save her child. She
first went round to all the most influential persons of her own
persuasion, imploring their assistance and begging them to petition the
Sultan for her daughter's liberty. The Jews, on occasions of this kind
when the integrity of their faith is menaced, always hold together for
mutual protection, and are not sparing of money or exertion to prevent
such precedents being established. The present outrage had caused a
great sensation, and a large sum of money was at once collected with
which to present themselves before the Sultan, and intercede for the
liberation of Azora. Under any other circumstances, this would have
succeeded, even had there been any truth in the accusation; but as the
case now stood, it ultimately proved abortive.
The poor mother now repented the rashness of her language towards
Abdslem; and the reason that worthy did not notice it was, that he
foresaw she would be driven to the necessity of purchasing his
friendship, or buying him off; he also meditated extorting money from
the Jews for the same purpose, and his avarice had chiefly prompted him
to make use of Hassan's passion to induce him to become Azora's accuser.
Rachel, prepared to submit to any humiliation which would help to save
her child, took her way in the afternoon through a retired part of the
town to Abdslem's lodging. He was sitting in a small white-washed room
on a smaller carpet, the only furniture was a mattress on the floor, and
a copper ewer and basin; his gun, saddle, and sword, occupied a corner.
Smoking his pipe of hashish he was ruminating on the golden harvest he
should reap, from the traitorous connexion he had established with
certain Sheiks of the Arab tribes, when Rachel entered.
"Welcome to the daughter of the infidel!" said he, with an inquisitive
look, as she gathered up her hayk and sat down at the threshold. "She
has repented of her curses. She might have been punished, but Abdslem is
soft-hearted; what of Azora?"
"'Tis that which has brought me to my lord's presence," said Rachel.
"When I uttered evil words against my lord, I spoke with the mouth of
fools, but my lord is kind and has forgiven it."
"God is merciful; that is past, my heart has been heavy for the evil
that has befallen your daughter. Why should I injure her? is she not a
houri? That renegade Hassan was the cause, that is--"
"My lord admits she was not guilty," said Rachel, catching at the hint
thus intentionally thrown out.
"God is great!--not exactly--but if I can help her, I will do it for the
love of God."
"What easier, my lord, than to proclaim her innocence?"
"And so lose my own head! Ah! the infidel's gratitude. Shall I perjure
myself and brave the Sultan? Is not Azora in his hareem? If I were not
so poor, I have friends at court, whom I might pay for their interest
and intercession. But without money--Moors are Jews--no better."
"You shall have gold," exclaimed Rachel, deceived by his apparent
feeling. "I have some hundred dollars; do for us what you can, and
blessings attend my lord. When and where shall I find you?"
"An hour after evening prayer, I shall be here," said he, scarcely able
to conceal his satisfaction. "It shall be a sacred trust, and may it be
the means of serving your cause."
Rachel's heart was too full for utterance, she kissed the hem of his
dress, and rose to depart, when the door was thrown rudely open, and Abd
el Aziz unceremoniously entered, without the usual "Peace be with you!"
(It is the height of impropriety for a Moor to enter another's house
uninvited.)
"So, you are Abdslem Ibn Hadj," said he.
"But whose dog's son are you," cried Abdslem, springing up and laying
his hand on his gun, "that dare to break in on the sanctity of my
dwelling?"
"You shall presently repent of your abuse, O son of a black slave! but
now I advise you, to make your hand and gun more distant relations if
you care for your head; which is likely soon to ornament the Bab el
Kasba, by the side of a friend of yours. Do you know _that_?"
"The Sultan's seal!" exclaimed the astonished Jewess, while Abdslem
started back terror-struck; his dark cheek blanched and his thick lip
quivered as he saw the near punishment of the crimes of which his
conscience accused him; and when Abd el Aziz, satisfied with the
impression he had produced, ordered him to follow, he obeyed almost
unconsciously. In the street he was seized by the soldiers who were in
waiting and dragged to prison, and until he should be finally disposed
of the following temporary punishment was inflicted on him. His hands
were filled with quicklime and salt, and then sewn up in raw hide,
which, as it dries, binds the hand like a vice, while the caustic
contents eat into the flesh and cause the most excruciating pain. He was
then heavily ironed and thrown into a damp dark cell, where we will
leave him to meditate on his misdeeds, while we accompany Yusuf to the
Desert.