The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia

Ivan, as he entered in his nationalcostume, scarcely knew him, but no sooner did he recognise him, than herushed forward with outstretched arms to embrace him.

  "Ah, my son," he cried, "I now recognise in you a true scion of thenoble race of the _Atteghei_; [the name the Circassians call themselves]and welcome shall you be to join, with your youthful arm, in ourstruggle for independence. Bismillah! with a few hundred such youths asyou at my back, I would take every cursed Russian fort on our coast, maythe Evil One possess them! You, perchance, have no father; I will be toyou as one, and you shall be to me as a son. I will protect you fromall who shall dare to oppose you, so fear not."

  "I would wish for no more valiant protector, noble Hadji," replied Ivan,"and gladly, in all things, will I follow your advice, and profit byyour experience. Under your guidance, I trust soon to gain that renownafter which I thirst, and to shew myself no unworthy child of theAtteghei."

  "You speak well, young man," replied the Hadji; "I have grown too oldnot to boast a little; and you need have no fear of not gaining creditunder my standard. Bismillah! the fana Moscov well know the sight ofit. I will shew you what fighting is in a few days, with the blessingof Allah!"

  With such like conversation, the time passed, till all the party soughtrepose.

  At the first streak of dawn, Ivan started up from the carpet on which hehad passed the night, at one end of the divan, summoning Javis and hispage, who came the moment he heard his master's voice. The Hadji, andthe rest of the party quickly followed his example, and were met at thedoor of the cafeneh by the Reis, who came in haste to inform them that abreeze, light, though favourable for their voyage, had sprung up.

  They rowed off into the bay, where the light zebeque lay at anchor, withher sails loosened, and were quickly on board. The anchor was tripped,her head gradually paid off from the wind, and calmly and slowly sheglided from the shores of Turkey.

  Far in the distance appeared the blue and indistinct ridges of theBalcan mountains; before them, the quiet sea; while around passed manyof the primitive looking fishing boats, and small coasting vessels,skimming over the waters, their crews habited in picturesque dresses,and gaudy-coloured turbans. No sooner were they under weigh, than thedevout Mahometans of the party knelt for the performance of morningprayer, while Ivan, following their example, offered up his thanks toHeaven for his escape from so many and imminent dangers.

  Volume 2, Chapter III.

  For several days did the light zebeque, which bore our hero and hisfortunes towards his native land, glide calmly and securely over theunruffled surface of the blue and shining waters, without encounteringany of those violent, but short lived, tempests for which the Euxine isso noted; or, what was still more to be dreaded by the voyagers, withoutmeeting any of the Russian cruisers. All on board were congratulatingthemselves on the calmness of the sea, and the favourable weather, whichseemed to promise a prosperous termination to their voyage, when theywere doomed to experience how uncertain and changeable are all thingshere below.

  The wind, which had hitherto blown gently in their favour, nowtreacherously shifted round to the north-east, while dark loweringclouds appeared in the horizon ahead. The breeze came at first infitful and strong gusts, so suddenly commencing, that it scarcelyallowed time to the slow-moving Turkish seamen to take in their canvass,ere the light vessel heeled over to the strength of the blast, but asthey clewed up the sails she again righted.

  "Allah be praised!" exclaimed the sturdy captain of the zebeque, runninghere and there, encouraging and assisting the people in their exertionsto shorten sail; "we shall yet weather such a summer storm as this.Bosh! this is nothing. Now, my brothers, my dear brothers, work with agood will, and by the blessings of the Prophet, no harm will happen tous. Keep her well before it, Osman," turning to the man at the helm."We must run before it for a time till the wind moderates, since shewill not look up to it. Square the yards, my men," as the peopledescended on deck, having close-reefed the lower sail, and taken in theupper ones. "Well done, good brothers, Allah is merciful, and we maylaugh at the storm."

  With such like exclamations of encouragement, the Reis cheered the men'sspirits, instead of swearing at and abusing them, as the commanders ofvessels of more civilised nations are apt to do.

  As the vessel's head turned from the gale, she ran quickly before it,bounding over the low, but froth-covered, hissing and sparkling waveswhich the squall had raised. The breeze quickly abated, and her headbeing again brought to the wind in nearly her right course, she dashedbravely through the water, the spray breaking over her bows in showers,sparkling with the hues of the rainbow, and sorely disconcerting herpassengers.

  To our hero, who had never been before on the surface of the ocean, thescene was novel and highly exciting. The waters, so lately smiling incalm and unruffled beauty, were now crested with a white glisteningfoam; the waves madly danced and sported in confused ridges; the darkclouds chased each other across the sky, and quickly disappeared toleave it blue and clear. From the looks of his seafaring companions, hecould have seen that no danger was to be apprehended, had he not beentoo much occupied with the contemplation of the sudden, and to him,extraordinary change which the face of nature had undergone, to thinkeven for a moment of peril or mishap.

  The youthful page, standing near his master, kept his eye fixed on hiscountenance, giving an eager and an inquiring glance; but, reading inhis tranquil looks that there was nothing to fear, he seemed perfectlysatisfied. Javis, who, in his wandering life, had passed over manyleagues of sea, saw there was no danger to dread in this summer squall,and with his usual activity was giving his assistance to the sailors.He had already become a great favourite with all the crew andpassengers; and even the dignified but kind-hearted Hadji regarded himwith an eye of favour, as one faithful to the friend to whom heconsidered himself as protector. Young Conrin alone kept aloof from thecrew in solitude and silence, except when answering a few low words toJavis's attentive inquiries, or when Ivan addressed him. Hiscountenance would then light up with pleasure and animation, as hepoured out his soul in expressions of admiration at the vast changingscene of waters, seeming alike, and yet so different and variable.

  As the sun sank down beneath the waves, a vast, glowing ball of fire,seeming to throw a liquid flame over the sky to the very zenith,reflecting its burning hue on the dancing waters; the wind fell assuddenly as it had arisen; but in its stead a dense fog came on, so thatby the time the shades of night had cast their gloom over the sea, itwas scarcely possible to distinguish any object beyond the head of thevessel. Nevertheless, with a firm confidence in destiny, the Reis keptthe zebeque on her course, trusting that she would not be run down byany larger craft in the dark, or meet with any other accident, andthrowing himself on his mat spread on the deck, waited for daylight, inthe hope of seeing by that time the Circassian coast, to which hecalculated they were drawing near.

  The night passed tranquilly; but it was yet scarcely daylight when thebreeze, again freshening, partly dissipated the fog, blowing slightopenings in some places, and in others wreathing it into thick columns,when the man at the mast-head sung out that he saw a large and toweringsail on the weather bow, close aboard them. As he gave the alarm ondeck, the Reis sprung from his mat and rushed to the helm. The lookoutman indicated the direction of the stranger, who evidently did not yetsee them, concealed as their low sails were by the fog. Nothingdaunted, the sturdy captain put the helm up, ordering the yards to besquared, and keeping the vessel's head before the wind, hoping therebyto escape the vigilance of their much-dreaded foe, for there was not theslightest doubt the stranger must be a Russian, it being improbable thatone of any other nation should be found in those waters.

  For some anxious minutes it appeared that this manoeuvre had succeeded;and calling on Allah and his holy prophet to succour them, he prayedthat the fog, again becoming dense, would favour their escape; but itwas a narrow chance. Should the breeze freshen a little more, it mightin a moment blow aside the thin ve
il which shrouded them, and exposethem to their remorseless enemies.

  Ivan, the Hadji, and the rest of the passengers, had assembled on deck,and on being informed of the threatened danger, the former, to whom itwas the most critical, nerved himself to meet it with fortitude. Tofall into the hands of the Russians, by whom he would probably be soonrecognised, would be utter destruction, perpetual slavery or death.

  The Hadji, forgetful partly of his newly assumed sacred character, drewhis sword with one hand, while he commenced telling his beads with theother; and, addressing himself to prayers for their safety, at intervalshe hurled abusive epithets at the foe, and uttered words ofencouragement to his companions. The rest of the landsmen followed themore pious part of his example, except Ivan's two followers, who stoodby their master's side, looking as if determined to sell their livesdearly, ere they would permit him to be captured