THE BULLIN-MOST
"I suppose you have been to Knin and Dernis?" said the captain by
chance after dinner to his host, speaking about the trade with the
interior, whilst puffing away at the long stem of his cherry-wood
pipe.
"Of course. Haven't you?"
"Oh, no! we sailors are always acquainted with the coasts of
countries, nothing more. What kind of a place is this Knin?"
"Much of a muchness, like other places. The country, however, is fine
and picturesque. There is, besides, the Bullin-Most."
"What is that?"
"The name of a bridge at the entrance of the town, and almost at the
foot of the fortress which tops the crags. It is called the
Bullin-Most, or the Bridge of the Turkish Woman. Formerly it used to
be called the Bridge of the Two Torrents."
"Well, and what is there remarkable about it?"
"Don't you know the tale of 'Hussein and Ayesha'?"
"No."
"It is the subject of one of Kacic's finest poems. Would you like to
hear it?"
"Of course."
"Well, then, about two hundred years ago, more or less, Kuna Hassan
was the governor of Knin and of the neighbouring province. The _Aga_
was said to be a man of great wisdom and courage; but his many
qualities were marred by his severity towards the Christians, whom he
hated, and subjected to all kinds of vexations and cruel treatment.
"This _Aga_ had a numerous family, being blessed with many children
by his several wives; but Ayesha, the only daughter of his favourite
wife, was the child in whom he had put all the fondness of his heart.
She was, it is true, a girl of an extraordinary beauty. Her skin,
they say, was as white as the snowy peaks of the Dinara, the mountain
over against the fort of Knin; her eyes were black, but they sparkled
softly, like the star which shines at twilight; her curly hair had
the colour of the harvest moon's mellow light.
"All the _vati_ of her father's palace were in love with her, only
hearing her beauty extolled by the eunuchs of the harem, and seeing
her glorious eyes sparkle through her veils, or the tips of her
tapering fingers, as she held her _feredge_.
"The principal lords of Kuna Hassan Aga's Court were, first, Ibrahim
Velagic, the _Dizdar_ of Stermizza; then Mujo Jelascovic, the
governor of Biscupia; lastly old Sare the _Bulju Pasha_, or
lieutenant of the troops. The old Sare had a son named Hussein, who
was the standard-bearer; he was the most beautiful young man of the
land, nay, it was difficult to find his like. He was, indeed, as
handsome as Ayesha was comely. The one was like a lily, the other
like a pomegranate flower.
"At that time, as I have said before, the Christians were groaning
under the Turkish yoke, and several attempts had already been made to
shake it off; nay, many of the struggles which had taken place
between the Turks and the men of the Kotar had been most successful,
as they had for their chief, Jancovic Stoyan, or Stephen, known in
history as 'the clearer of Turkish heads.' These continual skirmishes
had weakened our oppressors in such a way, and spread so much fear
amongst them, that Kuna Hassan never felt sure whenever he left his
castle walls. Finding himself reduced to this extremity, he
determined to muster all the troops he could get together and make
war upon the Christians.
"And now," said Giulianic, "I think I can give you some of Kacic's
verses on this subject;" therefore, taking a guitar, he sang as
follows:
"A letter wrote Hassan Aga
From Knin itself, the white-walled town;
He sent it to the bordering Turks,
To Mujo and to Velagic.
"And in this letter Kuna spake:
'Oh! brave men of my border-lands,
Now muster all your borderers,
And hie to Knin, the white-walled town.
"'For we shall raid upon Kotar,
And there rich plunder shall we get
Both gold and young Molachian maids,
Shall be the prize of all the brave.
"'Kotar will be an easy prey
For you, the warriors of the Cross!
Besides, the Sirdars are away,
And Stoyan is in Venice now.
"'Milikovic has fallen sick,
Mocivana has lost his horse,
Mircetic has sprained his hand,
And Klana to a feast is gone.'
"The Bulju Pasha heard all this,
And wisely answered to Kuna:
'Forbear, Kuna Aga; forbear
To make a raid upon Kotar!'"
Giulianic stopped to take breath. "The poem is long," said he, "and I
am old; I shall relate the story in my own words:--Well, Kuna Hassan
Aga would not be dissuaded, especially as the _Dizdars_ were for it.
The expedition took place. Jelascovic and Velagic--called the snakes
of the empire, on account of their strength and craft--came to Kuna's
castle, bringing each man three hundred men with him. The _Aga_
mustered as many men himself, and with this little array they set off
for the Kotar. At first they were successful; they fell upon the open
country, plundering and sacking, carrying away young boys and girls
as slaves, finding nowhere the slightest opposition. It was not a
war, but a military march; thus they went on until they reached the
lovely meadows at the foot of the hills of Otre, a most pleasant
country, watered by many rivulets.
"There they pitched their tents, and began to prepare their meal and
make merry. All at once as the sun went down, a slight mist began to
rise from the waters and from the marshes of Ostrovizza, not very far
off from there. As the day declined, the fog grew denser, and when
night came on Jancovic Stoyan, who had returned from Venice, together
with the other _Sirdars_, fell upon them, threw them upon the
marshes, and not only obliged them to give back all their plunder,
but killed more than six hundred of their men. It was only with great
difficulty that the _Aga_ and _Dizdars_ got back to Knin; they were
all in a sorry plight, regretting deeply not to have followed Sare's
advice.
"Shortly after this, Kuna Hassan, having recovered from the wounds he
had received, gathered again all his chief warriors together. Then he
made them a long speech, saying that it was time that the Christian
hornets should be done away with, and their nests destroyed, for, if
left alive, they would daily become more troublesome; then he made
them many promises, so as to induce them to fight, but without much
success. At last he offered the hand of his handsome daughter, who, as
I have said, was indeed as beautiful as a heavenly houri, and a bride
fit for the Sultan, or the Prophet himself, to the bold warrior who
would bring him the head of Jancovic Stoyan, or those of the three
hundred Christians. The prize he requested was a great one, but the
reward he offered was such as to inflame the hearts of the greatest
cowards.
"However, amongst the warriors that Kuna Hassan had gathered together
that day, neither old Sare nor his son, the handsome
standard-bearer, had been requested to attend, doubtless, because the
_Aga_ had thought the _Bulju Pasha_ too old, and his son too young
and too rash, for such an undertaking. Perhaps he also felt a grudge
against the _Bulju Pasha_ for having dissuaded him from the first
attack, which had met with such a bad success.
"When poor Hussein heard of the slight he and his father had met
with, he was very much grieved, for, though he was the _Aga_'s
standard-bearer, he had been treated as a mere boy. Moreover, he was
madly in love with the beautiful Ayesha, who returned his affection.
In fact, whenever she had an opportunity, she sent him a message by
one of the eunuchs, and every time he used to pass under her window
she was at the lattice, and she often dropped a flower, or even her
handkerchief, if no one was looking on.
"Hussein would have risked his life to try and obtain her; nay, he
would even have gone to Zara and fight Stoyan, if he could get her
father's consent to wed her.
"As for the _Sirdars_, they were only too glad that Hussein was not
amongst the warriors called forth to strive for Ayesha's hand, nor
would they now allow any new pretender to come forth and take part in
their raids with them.
"During the many skirmishes that took place round about Knin, Hussein
had been left to take care of the castle, and then he had succeeded
in bribing the head eunuch to allow him to talk with Ayesha.
"This keeper, knowing how fond his mistress was of the handsome
standard-bearer, had consented to allow the lovers to meet, while he
watched over their safety.
"At first, when all the Mussulman warriors met with so many losses,
the lovers were happy, for they thought it would be years before any
of them could ask for their reward; but afterwards, when it was known
that Velagic's heap of heads was daily increasing, their gladness of
heart changed into the deepest sorrow. Both saw that there was very
little chance of their ever being able to marry, and Ayesha, rather
than give up the man she loved so deeply and become the wife of the
old _Dizdar_, whom she detested, proposed to her lover that they
should run away together.
"They waited till the very last moment, thinking that Velagic might
be killed, or some other unforeseen circumstance might take place;
but they had no _Kismet_, for the _Dizdar_ seemed to have a charmed
life; he had already got together about two hundred and ninety heads.
How he had got them, nobody could understand, for he had never
received the slightest wound in any of his many fights.
"The last time the lovers met, they agreed that the day upon which
Velagic brought the ten last heads they would make their escape.
Hussein, upon that night, was to be on the rocks at the foot of the
castle, somewhere near the place occupied by the harem; then, at
midnight, when all the town had sunk into rest, and all the lights
were extinguished, Ayesha would put a taper by her window to guide
him if everything was ready for their flight. After the _muezzin_ had
called the faithful to prayers, she would open the lattice and throw
out a rope-ladder, by means of which he would climb up into the
castle. There he was to be received by the eunuch that had hitherto
befriended him--be led to her chamber-door. From there they would
pass by an underground passage, the keys of which she had. This
passage had an outlet, somewhere beyond the town, near the bridge,
where, indeed, there is a kind of den or hole. There Hussein was to
have swift horses ready, so that they might at once escape to Zara or
Sebenico, and if that was not far enough, they could there freight a
ship and go off to Venice.
"Hussein, overjoyed, promised that he would take the necessary steps,
so that nothing might hinder their flight.
"Poor lovers! they little knew how all their designs were to be
thwarted!
"At about four miles from Knin, and not far from the highway leading
to Grab, rises a huge beetling rock about thirty feet in height; it
seems to slant so much over the road that all the passers-by shudder
lest it should fall and crush them. The name of this rock is the
Uzdah-kamen, or the Stone of the Sighs--perhaps, because the wind
which always blows there seems to be moaning, or, as there is a kind
of natural cistern, spring, or well of water, which is said to be
fathomless, more than one luckless wanderer, going to drink of that
icy-cold water, happened to slip into it, utter a moan and a sigh,
and then all was over with him.
"Near this fountain there is a deep cavern, which is the
dwelling-place of a witch, well known in Turkish and Arabian
mythology, as well as Chaldean lore. Her name, which is hardly ever
uttered, and never without a shudder of awe, is Nedure; but she is
usually spoken of as The Witch. This Nedure--for we may well call
her by her name without fear--used to take the form of a lovely young
female, and come and sit by the spring at the entrance of her cave.
There she would sit, combing her long hair, which was of the deepest
hue of the night. Then, displaying all the bewitching beauty of
sixteen summers, she would press all the handsome youths who passed
thereby to come and rest in her den.
"Like a wily spider, she daily caught some silly man to linger and
gaze upon her large, languishing black eyes with long silken lashes,
like natural _khol_, or to look on the dark moles on her alabaster
skin. If he did so, he was lost, and nothing more was heard of him,
but his sighs wafted by the wind.
"Now, it happened one day that as Hussein was going to Grab on
horseback, he passed by the rock of Uzdah-kamen, and, lo and behold!
Nedure was sitting by the fountain waiting for him. As soon as she
saw him she beckoned to him to go up to her; but he, far from
obeying, spurred his horse and turned away from the woman.
"'Hussein,' said she, 'you are warm and weary; come and have a
draught of this delicious water and rest a while in my moss-grown
cavern.'
"'Thank you, I am neither warm nor weary; so I require neither water
nor rest.'
"'Hussein, why do you turn away your head, and will not even deign to
cast a glance upon me?'
"'Because I have heard of your enticements and blandishments, and do
not wish to fall a prey to such charms.'
"'I am afraid people have slandered me to you,' quoth she; 'but
believe them not. I am your friend--as I am, indeed, that of all
lovers. I know how your heart yearns for Kuna Hassan Aga's daughter,
and I should like to be kind to you, and help you in getting her for
your bride.'
"'Thank you, indeed,' replied the standard-bearer, who knew the wiles
of the witch; 'you are very good, but I hope to obtain Ayesha by the
strength of my love, and not by your wicked art.'
"'Look how ungracious you are. I wish to befriend you, whilst you
only answer me by taunts.'
"'Thank you, but your friendship would cost me too dear.'
"'No; my help is only paid by love. You see, I do not ask much.'
"'Still, I should have to remain your debtor. My heart is full of
love for Ayesha, and it can harbour none for creatures such as you.'
"'Well, then,' said she, in her sweetest voice, which was as soft as
the morning breeze amongst the orange-groves, 'if you hate me in this
way, why do you not look upon me? Do you think my charms can have any
temptation for you?'
"'We should try to resist temptation, and then it will flee from us.'
"Thereupon he spurred his horse and rode away.
"From that day, Nedure's heart, which had until then burned with
lust, was filled with the bitterest hatred for the young man, who had
not yielded to her request.
"Therefore she only thought to bring about his death, and was ever
plotting by which way she could harm him, for the Most High would not
allow her to do any harm to the faithful, so she strove to find
someone who would take up her vengeance for her, and now she was
about to reach her aim.
"When Hussein and Ayesha had planned together everything for their
escape, Nedure, the witch, who by her art could read the future, and
who, besides, could change herself into the likeness of a bird, a
rat, or even into that of any of the smaller insects, managed somehow
or other to overhear all that conversation of the lovers, and then
she at once sent for Velagic and informed him of what was to take
place.
"'Velagic,' said she, 'you are old, and it is true you think yourself
a world-wise man, but do you really believe that Ayesha, who is as
beautiful as the rising moon, for whose charms all men lose their
wits, can fall in love with an old man like you?'
"'I do not ask her to fall in love with me. Now, by your help, I
shall have got together the number of heads which the _Aga_ requires
as the prize for his daughter, and then she will be mine.'
"'Do not be too sure of that. Whilst you are numbering your heads,
Hussein, the handsome standard-bearer, has found his way to Ayesha's
heart.'
"Velagic winced at hearing this; but soon he shrugged his shoulders,
and added:
"'What does it matter if that young coxcomb is in love with her, or
even she with him. In a day or two I shall claim her as my bride.
Once she is in my stronghold of Stermizza, woe to the flies that come
buzzing around my honey.'
"'Velagic, Velagic,' said the witch, 'there is many a slip 'twixt the
cup and the lip; to-morrow you may find the cage empty and the bird
flown.'
"'What do you mean, Nedure?'
"'I mean what I say.'
"'Explain yourself, I beg you.'
"The witch thereupon told the _Dizdar_ all that was to take place,
and then advised him what he had to do.
"That day passed away and night came on; it was even a very dark one,
because, not only was there no moon, but the sky was overspread with
a thick mass of clouds, and heaven seemed to be lowering on the
earth.
"The hours passed slowly for three persons at Knin that night. Two of
them repeated their prayers devoutly, and tried to fix their thoughts
towards the holy _Kaaba_; one alone, whose heart was full of
murderous designs, could not pray at all.
"Velagic had been a wicked man; he had forfeited the happiness of his
future life, but never as yet had he rendered himself guilty of
shedding the blood of a Mussulman, nay, of murdering the son of one
of his greatest friends. The guilt he was about to commit was beyond
redemption; he knew that the Compassionate would spurn him away in
his wrath, and that he would be doomed to eternal fire; but what
could he do now? it was too late to retreat. He was in the witch's
power, nay, an instrument in her hands.
"He tried to pray, but every time he attempted to utter Allah's
sacred name, it seemed as if the three hundred heads now gathered
upon his tower were all blinking and grinning at him.
"Midnight came; all the preparations were made, every necessary
precaution against surprise was taken, the horses were ready for the
fugitives at the opening of the cave beyond the bridge.
"Hussein, at the foot of the tower, saw the beacon light at Ayesha's
window, and slowly and stealthily he scrambled on to the rocks
beneath it, awaiting, with a beating heart, for the given signal.
"All at once, in the midst of the darkness, he heard the _adan_--the
chant of the _muezzin_--calling the faithful to the prayers of the
_Ramazan_.
"'God is most great,' uttered Hussein faintly, and then lifting his
eyes as the sound of the _muezzin_'s voice had died away in the
distance, he saw the lattice of Ayesha's window open, and he heard
the ladder of ropes slowly being let down.
"He had time to say one _rekah_, or prayer, before the ladder reached
the ground, and then he seized the ropes and began to go up. The
ascent was a long one, for the tower was very high. He had not gone
up many steps, when he heard a noise somewhere above his head. He
shuddered and listened. It was nothing but an owl that had its nest
in some hole in the wall; doubtless it had been frightened by the
ladder, and now it flew away with a loud screech, grazing Hussein
with its wings as it passed.
"Hussein, though brave, felt his limbs quake with fear; was it not an
evil omen? Would not something happen now that he was about to reach
the goal of his happiness!
"Was it not possible that the eunuch had betrayed him? No, that could
not be; this man had always been so fond of Ayesha. A thousand dismal
thoughts crowded through his brain; the way up in the midst of the
darkness seemed everlasting. He looked towards the lighted window; he
was only half-way up.
"Just then he thought he heard something creak. Was it the rope
breaking beneath his weight? Frightened, he hastened to climb up; if
there was any danger it would soon be over.
"He muttered a few verses of the Koran; he looked up again; now he
could see Ayesha's face at the open window; she stretched forth her
arms towards him. How beautiful she was! There, in the darkness, it
seemed as if all the constellations had hidden themselves before her
radiant beauty.
"He stopped one moment to take breath and to look at her, when again
he heard the ropes creak, and at the same moment the ladder snapped
under the young man's weight. He lifted up his arms towards her, but
alas! she was beyond his grasp. The next instant he fell with a heavy
thud upon the rocks, and from those into the yawning precipice over
which the castle was built.
"Ayesha uttered a loud cry, which was repeated several times by the
surrounding echoes, and then she swooned away in the eunuch's arms.
"Velagic, who, apparently, had been hidden close by, saw Hussein fall
into the chasm, and heard Ayesha's cry; then he mounted his horse and
galloped away.
"When Ayesha, with the help of the eunuch, got over her faintness,
she went to the window and looked down, but she could only see the
darkness of the chasm below. She listened; she heard nothing but the
wind, the rustling of the leaves, and now and then the screech of
some night-bird. She pulled up the ladder; she saw that it had been
cut in several places, at one of which it snapped. She understood
that some foul treachery had been committed, but she could not make
out who had discovered their secret and had dealt her this cruel
wrong. She could not suspect the eunuch, who was there by her side,
her friend to the last.
"She passed a night of most terrible anguish and anxiety, waiting
impatiently, and still dreading the morrow. She tried to hope that
Hussein might not have fallen down the chasm, that he might have been
caught by some of the trees or bushes that grew on the rocks, and
thus saved from death; but it was, at best, only a faint kind of
forlorn hope.
"Not a cry, not a groan escaped from her lips, as she stood cold and
tearless, at her window, almost stupefied by the intensity of her
grief. Thus she remained motionless and dumb for hours, until the
first rays of dawn lighted the tops of the Veli-Berdo, the mountain
over the fortress.
"Her eyes pierced the faint glimmering of the dawn, and, looking down
into the chasm, at the place where the two torrents meet, there she
saw three lovely maidens of superhuman beauty, tending the remains of
her lover. By their garments, of the colour and splendour of
emeralds, by their faces shining like burnished silver, she knew that
they were celestial houris, and that her lover was already amongst
the blessed.
"When she saw this sight, she wanted to dash herself down into the
chasm and rejoin her happy lover, hoping that Allah would be merciful
and allow her to meet Hussein in the abode of the blessed; but then
one of the houris beckoned to her to stop, and in a twinkling she was
by her side, whispering words of comfort in her ear.
"Her attendants, whom she had dismissed in the early evening, came
back to her early in the morning, and they were surprised to see she
had fainted by the window.
"When she recovered from her swoon, every recollection of that
terrible night seemed to have passed away; far from being bereaved
and forlorn, she was a happy maiden, about to be united to her lover
in eternal bliss.
"Later on in the day her father summoned her to his presence, to tell
her that the _Dizdar_ of Stermizza had brought the three hundred
Christian heads demanded as the price for her hand, and that she was
to get ready to receive him as the man who was to be her husband.
"Ayesha crossed her hands on her breast and bowed; then she uttered,
in a soft, slow voice, that sounded as an echo of a distant sound:
"'My lord, it shall be as Kismet has ordained.'
"As Kuna Hassan knew nothing of all that had happened, he thought
that his daughter meant that she was ready to obey the decrees of the
Fates, that had chosen Velagic for her husband; so he answered:
"'Though he would not have been the man I should have chosen for
thee, still, by his bravery, he has won thee for his bride; so
prepare yourself to go with him this very evening. But, daughter of
my heart,' added he, taking her hand, 'before parting with your
father, have you no request to make?'
"'Yes, father.'
"'Well, let me hear it, my child, and if it is in my power to grant
it, you may be sure that your wish will be gratified.'
"'My request, though strange indeed, is a very simple one; it is that
my betrothal should take place this evening, on the Poto-devi-Most,
just when the sun gilds with its rays the snowy peaks of the
Veli-Berdo. This, and nothing more.'
"The father looked at his child, astonished.
"'It is, indeed, a strange request, and were it not for the earnest
way in which it is made, I should think that it was merely a joke.
Anyhow, it shall be as you wish; only, may I know why you do not wish
to be married in the usual way?'
"'I have had a vision at day-break, and the powers above have decreed
that it shall be so; but I cannot speak about it till this evening,
at the appointed place.'
"The _Aga_, wishing the ceremony to be performed with the utmost
splendour, sent word at once to the _Dizdar_ of Stermizza to be on
the Bridge of the Two Torrents at the appointed time. Similar
messages were likewise sent to the other _Dizdars_ and _Sirdars_, and
to all the gentry of Knin and of the neighbouring towns.
"The sun was sinking down below the horizon when Ibrahim Velagic,
followed by Mujo Jelascovic, by the old _Bulju Pasha_, who was as yet
ignorant of his son's fate, by the other Mussulman warriors, as well
as by a number of _svati_--all came to the bridge, attired in
magnificent clothes of silk and satin, laced in gold, with their
finest weapons glittering with precious stones. Then came Kuna Hassan
Aga, with all his train and a number of slaves, some carrying a
palanquin, the others the bridal gifts.
"When the two parties had met at the bridge, all wondering what would
take place next, Ayesha ordered the slaves to put her down.
"Velagic at once dismounted from his horse, and came forward to help
her to alight, offering her his hand.
"She simply waved him off, and standing up: 'How dare you come to me!
Look at your hand; it is stained with blood; and not with Christian,
but with Moslem blood.'
"The eyes of the bystanders were all turned upon the _Dizdar_ of
Stermizza, who got all at once of a livid hue; still, he lifted up his
hand and said:
"'Ayesha, my hands have often been stained with the blood of our
enemies, never with that of our brethren.'
"'Man,' said the young girl, 'in the name of the Living God, thou
liest!'
"There was a murmur and a stir amongst the crowd, as when the slight
wind which precedes the storm rustles amongst the leaves of the
trees.
"Then Ayesha, turning towards Sare: 'Father,' said she to him, 'your
hand.'
"The _Bulju Pasha_ rushed forward and helped her to alight.
"As soon as she was on the ground she threw off her veil and her
_feredge_, and stood there in her glittering bridal dress, the
costly jewels of which seemed to shine less than her beautiful face.
"All the men were astounded at such an act of boldness from so modest
a maiden; but her dazzling beauty seemed to fill them with that awe
which is felt at some supernatural sight. They all thought they were
looking upon a houri, or some heavenly vision, rather than upon a
human being; so that when she opened her lips again to speak, a
perfect silence reigned everywhere.
"'Sare,' said she, 'where is your son?'
"'My child?' replied the old man; 'I have not see him the whole of
this long day.'
"'Ibrahim Velagic, _Dizdar_ of Stermizza, where is Hussein, the
standard-bearer?'
"'How am I to know? Am I his keeper?'
"'Sare,' continued the young girl, 'when, after the fight of
Ostrovizza, my father had promised me as the bride of the warrior who
would bring him the head of the brave Christian knight Jancovic
Stoyan, or those of three hundred of our foes, Hussein, your son, by
the machinations of Ibrahim Velagic and his friends, was excluded
from amongst the warriors who could obtain my hand by fighting for
our faith and our country. Sare, I loved your son; yes, father, I
say it aloud and unblushingly, for Hussein was as good as he was
handsome, and as brave as he was good. I loved him with all my heart,
and he loved me, because the Fates had decreed that we should be man
and wife, if we lived. Our faith, therefore, was plighted. We waited,
hoping that some happy incident would happen to free me from my
impending fate. At last I knew that Ibrahim Velagic had got together
the number of heads demanded by my father for my dower, and that
to-day he was coming to claim me as his bride. Rather than be the
wife of that imposter, felon and murderer, I should have thrown
myself in yonder chasm.
"'You are astonished at such language; but, father, how is it that
all the warriors aspiring to my hand cannot put together a hundred
heads, whilst Velagic alone has three hundred?
"'Well, then, know that those heads are by no means the heads of our
enemies; they are rather those of the unhappy beings who of late have
been seduced by Nedure, the witch, into her den, and who after their
rash act never saw daylight again. Look at those ghastly heads, and
perhaps many of you will find there people that you have known.'
"At these words, stirred to rage at the light of truth which gleamed
from Ayesha's eyes, there was such a yelling and hissing, that it
seemed as if all the men there had been changed into snakes. They
would have thrown themselves on the _Dizdar_ and torn him to pieces
there and then, had Ayesha not stopped them.
"'Forbear,' said she, 'and hear me out; wait at least for the proofs
I shall give you of his guilt.'
"'Ayesha!' cried out old Sare, overcome by anguish, 'and my son
--where is my son? Is my beautiful boy's head amongst the three
hundred?'
"'No; brave Hussein withstood long ago the enticement of the witch,
and she has been since then his bitterest enemy.'
"Sare heaved a deep sigh of relief.
"'Hussein was to deliver me from that heinous wretch. Last night we
were to flee together. I had the houris to help me, but alas! Ibrahim
Velagic had the powers of darkness. It was night, and he won. Hussein
yesternight was under my windows, as we had agreed upon. I opened my
lattice and lowered him a ladder of ropes, upon which he was climbing
joyfully; a moment more he would have reached the windowsill. All at
once, an owl screeched, the ropes gave way, and Hussein, my brave
Hussein, was dashed down those rocks and into the dreadful chasm.
Sare, my poor Sare, you have no son. Still, be of good cheer; this
morning, when the first rays of the sun were gilding the tops of the
Veli-Berdo, I saw the celestial maidens tending him. His mangled body
is in the chasm, but his soul is in the blessed abode of peace.'
"'Ayesha,' interrupted the _Aga_, 'is all this true?'
"The girl beckoned to a slave to approach, and then she took a parcel
from his hands.
"'This,' said she, opening it, 'is what remains of the ladder; and
you will find Hussein's body in the chasm, smiling in the happy sleep
of death. The houris, who have been praying over him the whole day,
have covered him with garlands of flowers. Go and dig his grave in
the burying-ground, and dig another one by his side.'
"'But,' said Kuna Hassan, 'how did the accident happen?'
"'Nedure hated Hussein, but she could not harm him, so she apprised
Velagic of what was to happen; nay, she did more, she transformed him
into the likeness of a rat, and changing herself into an owl, she
deposited the _Dizdar_ on the sill of my room, there he came and
gnawed at the ropes of the ladder.'
"'This is false,' said the _Dizdar_. 'Whoever can believe such a
story? Why, the girl is mad!'
"'Guards,' said the _Aga_, with his hand on the haft of his dagger,
'seize Velagic, and mind that you do not let him escape!'
"'Away!' replied the _Dizdar_. 'A man of my rank can only be judged
by the Sultan.'
"'Stop!' cried Ayesha; then, lifting her beautiful arm, naked up to
the shoulder, and whiter than the strings of pearls entwined around
it, and pointing towards the highway:
"'Do you see there a cloud of dust on the road? Do you see those men
coming here? Do you know who they are? You cannot distinguish them,
but I can.'
"'Who are they, Ayesha?' cried all the bystanders.
"'The foremost man amongst them, that tall and handsome youth, that
looks like Prince George of Cappadocia, is no less a hero. It is
Stoyan Jancovic, the man whose back you never saw; the others are but
a few of his followers.'
"Then, turning to Velagic: 'Now, craven, utter your last prayer, if
you can and if you dare, then prepare to fight; your hour has come.'
"Hearing these words, the _Dizdar_ grew ashy pale; then he began to
quake with fear. Such an overpowering dread filled his soul that he
seemed to have been smitten with a strong fit of the ague. Still,
trying to hide his anxiety:
"'Yes, we shall fight; Allah be thanked, brothers, that this infidel
dog is within our reach. Yes, friends, we shall see the power of the
Crescent over the Cross.'
"'No; you shall fight alone,' said Ayesha, authoritatively; 'and it
is useless to contaminate the name of the All-powerful. As you are
already doomed to perdition, call to your aid Sheytan and Nedure.'
"Ayesha had hardly uttered these words when Stoyan, having made a
sign to his companions to keep back, rode boldly up to where the
chiefs were standing, and, when a few steps from Ayesha, he curbed
his foaming steed, that, unable to brook control, began at once to
paw the ground.
"'Maiden,' said he, bowing, 'I am here at thy behest. I have this
night had a strange dream. A _Vila_ appeared to me in my sleep, first
in the likeness of a nightingale and then in the shape of a dainty,
glittering little snake. She told me that for your sake I had to
accomplish, this very day, two mighty deeds of justice. The one was
to rid this neighbourhood of the evil doings of Nedure, the powerful
witch. This is already done.'
"Thereupon, loosening a silken scarf attached to his saddle, he threw
the sorceress's head at the _Dizdar_'s feet.
"'Now,' said he, turning to Velagic, 'you who have been her
accomplice--you who brag to have killed three hundred Christians,
who, while skulking away like a cur, dare to say that you have been
looking everywhere for me, to slay me--here I am.'
"Appalled at the sight of the witch's hideous head, terrified by the
hero's words, shaking like an aspen leaf, full of dread and
consternation, Velagic looked up at his companions for help; but on
their faces he saw nothing but angry scowls, looks of scorn and
hatred.
"'Fight,' cried the _Aga_, 'or a worse death awaits thee, the
ignominious death of a murderer and a sorcerer! Fight, coward, fight!
for if thou fallest not by that brave man's hand, thou shalt this
very day be impaled as a wizard.'
"The _Dizdar_, seeing that there was no escape, plucked up his
courage in his own defence, called the powers of darkness to his
help, and unexpectedly rushed upon Stoyan, hoping to catch him off
his guard, and to despatch him with a treacherous blow of his
scimitar.
"'Fair play! fair play!' shouted the chiefs.
"'The laws of chivalry, gentleman, are not expected to be known by a
vile recreant like Ibrahim Velagic,' quoth Stoyan, whose keen eye
forthwith saw the stroke, and whose deft hand not only parried it,
but dealt his adversary such a mighty blow that it cut off the
_Dizdar_'s head and sent it rolling on the ground by the side of
Nedure's.
"'And now, beautiful maiden, the task you have enjoined me is done;
would to God thou hadst called upon me before.'
"'I thank thee, gentle knight,' said Ayesha, who all the time had
been standing on the parapet of the old stone bridge. 'Thou hast
avenged my lover's death; may Heaven reward thee for thy deed.'
"'_Allah, bismillah!_' cried out the chiefs.
"Thereupon Stoyan, bowing courteously, wheeled round his horse and,
galloping away, was soon out of sight.
"'And now,' said Ayesha, 'I had sworn to Hussein, that flower of
youth and beauty, to be his for ever. Now I shall keep my vow. May
the Most Merciful unite me to my lover. God of my fathers, God of
Mohamed, receive me amongst the blessed.'
"Thereupon, lifting a small dagger which she held in her hand, she
plunged it into her heart, and before her father had time to rush up
to her, she had fallen into the torrent underneath, dyeing its waters
of a crimson hue, just as the last rays of the sinking sun seemed to
tinge in blood the lofty tops of the Veli-Berdo.
"From that day the Bridge of the Two Torrents has ever been called
the Bullin-Most, or the Bridge of the Turkish Maiden, and every
evening, when the day is fine, the sun sheds a blood-red light on the
highest peaks of the Dinara, and the wind that, at gloaming, blows
down the dell and through the arches of the bridge, seems to waft
back an echo of the last moan of the _Aga_'s beautiful daughter."