Part 12 (1/2)
?At round; and, as the day dawned, our line ofthe mountains We kept a track little followed, in order not to ive information of our movements to the pasha; and, after several days? march, we reached the frontier of Persia, with ht have been expected During the journey, my father, in conjunction with the principal men of his tribe, kept a constant look out in the rear, determined, should any of the Pasha?s people approach us with an intention of iress, they would, without hesitation, make every resistance in their power But fortune favoured us, andnone but shepherds, belonging to Curdish tribes, who occupied part of the country that we travelled over
?When we had reached a place of safety, overn of Persia?s sons, in order to claim his protection, and to receive his peres situated within the Persian territory We waited for his return with great anxiety, for in the meanwhile ere liable to an attack from both Turks and Persians; but as it is the policy of both countries to entice the wandering tribes into their territory, we met with no molestation from the chief of the Persian tohich happened to be the nearest to us
?At lengthto the prince, who assigned us a tract of country, about ten parasangs within the Persian frontier Our winter residence was situated in a sheltered nook of theof water; and our summer quarters, about three days? journey off, were described as situated in the coolest spot of the adjacent rass and water, and distant from any chance of molestation from the Turks
?My father ell known at Kermanshah, and when his arrival and the object of his reat pleasure, treated him with much consideration, and dismissed him invested with a dress of honour No stipulations were made as to the terms upon which he was to be received, and unlimited promises of protection were held out to him ?If the pasha,? said the prince, ?claiovernment, and sends me a request that I should not adh at his beard The face of God?s world is open to every one, and if man is ill-treated in one spot, he will take himself where better treatment is to be found?
In short, we settled, and returned to our former habits and occupations
?As the prince had expected, so it happened A very short time after our arrival an officer fro a formal demand, that my father, with the whole of his tribe, should be sent back to his territory; and stating all the circuht My father was called a thief, and accused of having stolen a mare of immense value, which was described as the pasha?s property The animal was demanded to be instantly restored; and in case it were not, threats were made that immediate reprisals on Persian property should ensue The whole of these circumstances were made known to my father, and he was summoned forthwith to appear before the prince
?Consternation seized us as soon as this intelligence was known ast us It was evident that the pasha was deterain possession of the mare, and to ruin my father; nor could it be supposed that a weak and poor tribe like ours was likely to withstand the intrigues, bribes, and machinations of so powerful a chief: besides, the possession of such a treasure would of itself be a crime in the eyes of the Persians, and they would certainly endeavour to get her from us, if not now, yet at some more favourable opportunity
It would soon be known that many of us were Yezeedies, a circumstance of itself sufficient to excite the hatred and execration of every good sectary of Ali; and every probability existed, even supposing the mare to be out of the question, that we should be a prey to every sort of persecution as soon as tiue to have worked its effects
?Before iven secret orders that the mare should be put into soed to deny that he possessed her; but on his return we found that such a precaution was unnecessary He had been kindly received by the prince, who had assured him that he was resolved not to accede to the pasha?s deht enjoy the possession of hisas he re to this purpose: ?Set youras you remain under our shade you may lay your head on your pillow in full security What does the pasha overnates of the palace of s, are open to every one, and as soon as the stranger has touched the skirt of his robe he is safe
You have sought our protection, and we should not be Mussulmans if we refused it Go, return to your tents, be happy, and leave the pasha to us?
?This produced great rejoicings aave a feast to the chiefs and elders of the tribe, where our present situation was fully discussed, and our plans for the future taken into consideration Every one present was elated with the success that had attended our flight excepting one, and that was the old man,served under Nadir Shah when a youth, and nothing could induce him to put any faith in the promises and fair words of the prince ?You do not know the Persians,? said he, addressing his with them, and therefore you per expressions and their winning and a with them; and have learned the value of what they say Their weapons are not such as you have been accustomed to meet in the bold encounter, and the open attack: instead of the sword and spear, theirs are treachery, deceit, falsehood; and when you are the least prepared, you find yourselves caught as in a net; ruin and desolation surround when you think that you are seated on a bed of roses Lying is their great, their national vice Do not you remark that they confirm every word by an oath? What is the use of oaths to men who speak the truth? One man swears by your soul, and by his own head, by your child, by the Prophet, by his relations and ancestors; another swears by the _Kebleh_,[46] by the king, and by his beard; a third by your death, by the salt he eats, by the death of Is? No, they feel all the time that they lie, and then out comes the oath Now in our case, is it to be supposed that we shall be left unmolested, in the quiet possession of this ht so much misfortune already on our heads? The Persians are more wild, if possible, on the subject of horses than the Turks, and an Arabian reater value than diamonds and rubies Should the Shah hear of the one we possess, he will instantly send for it, and what are we to do then? Shall we continue in arainst all the world? No, my friends You may think what you please; but, for my part, I look upon your situation as precarious, and advise you, as a general rule, not to put your trust in Persians, be they who or what they may?
?The event proved to be precisely what the old, about an hour before the dawn of day, we heard an unusual stir as of the camp; they did not cease to bark and make a most furious noise As ere accustos, we did not at first pay attention to the disturbance; but at length uns with them, went to see what could have happened They had not proceeded twenty steps before they saw a horseman, and then a second, and shortly after several more; in short, they discovered that their tents were surrounded My father iave the alarm, and instantly all the camp was in motion The horsemen rushed on my father, and attempted to seize him; but he shot the first dead at his feet, and with his sounded the second The report of the gun, and the noise of the fray, was a signal to the invaders for a general attack, and in a short time our camp was entered at every corner Their principal object was evidently the mare; for the women?s tent was attacked first, and there they instantly seized the object of their search
?As the day dawned, we observed that our invaders were Persians, and we also soon discovered that they were acting from authority My father had unluckily killed their chief, and that was a sufficient reason for our being made prisoners Conceive our situation: it was a scene of et My father was treated with every indignity before our eyes; our property was pillaged, and----?
Zeenab was proceeding to relate to me how she becaate of the house was heard
We both got up in great alarm My fair one entreated me to take ht be By the voice, that was ordering the door to be opened, she recognized the doctor hiood reasons for the appearance of breakfast and good cheer, which he would perceive, she forthwith unbarred the gate and admitted hi on The doctor appeared quite delighted to find Zeenab alone, and made her so how his affections were placed Looking into theof his wife?s apartment, he perceived the remains of the breakfast, and every appearance of the roo so what he sahen in came the khanum herself, followed by her women She entered the house so unexpectedly, that she appeared before theet her look and attitude at this sight
?_Selam aleikum!_ peace be unto ye!? said she, with mock respect, ?I am your very humble servant I hope that the health of both your excellencies is good, and that you have passed your tireeably I have arrived too soon, I fear? Then the blood creeping into her face, she very soon relinquished her raillery, and fell tooth and nail upon the unhappy culprits
And breakfast too--and in my room _Mashallah! Mashallah!_ It is understood, then, that I a; now that in ive up their hearts to joy _La Allah il Allah!_ There is but one God! I around!?
Then addressing herself to her husband, she said, ?As for you, Mirza Ahmak, look at st e, with that oat?s beard, with that hu the lover, the swain! Curses attend such a beard!? then putting up her five fingers to his face, she said, ?Poof! I spit on such a face
Who am I, then, that you prefer an unclean slave to nity? When you had nothing but your prescriptions and your medicines in the world, I ca, thanks to : men bow the head to you You wear a Cashmerian shawl: you are become a person of substance Say, then, oh, you less thanof all this??
The doctor, during this attack upon hi tell thousands of excla, however, could stop the volubility of his wife, or cale By this time she had worked her passion up to such a pitch, that oath succeeded oath; and blasphe torrent From her husband she fell on Zeenab, and froain to her husband, until she foamed at thethe wretched girl by one of the long tresses which hung down her back, she pulled it till she roared with pain; then, with the assistance of the other slaves, she was thrown into the reservoir, where they beat and soused her until both parties were nearly exhausted Oh, how I burned to fly to her rescue! My body was beco fire I could have drunk the blood of the unfeeling wretches But what could I do? Had I rushed into the harem, death would have been my lot; for most probably they would have iood would that have done to Zeenab? She would have been even more cruelly treated than before, and the doctor?s ould not have been the less jealous So when the stor-place on the terrace, and walked into the open country without the town, to consider upon the course which I ought to pursue To remain with the doctor was out of the question; and: to expect to enjoy Zeenab?s coain was folly My heart bled, when I reflected what irl; for I had heard horrid stories of the iniquities perforth to which such a deo, with one so entirely in her power
[Illustration: The khanu]
CHAPTER XXVII
Of the preparations uest, and of the great expense which threatened him