fate might be should he fall.
Again shouting their war-cry, his clansmen rallied round him, havingretreated a short space to renew the charge. On they rushed with afurious shock; but it was only to find the hopelessness of theirattempt.
The attacks of the foes seemed principally directed against thechieftain Arslan Gherrei himself, as he was easily distinguished by hislofty plume, his jewelled poniard, his rich shining armour, hisimpetuous valour, and his noble bearing. The Cossacks pressed roundhim, though many of their comrades bit the dust beneath his horse'sfeet. A spell seemed thrown over himself and his charger, for the shotfell harmlessly around them. The noble animal was equally energetic inthe combat, rushing onward, and trampling down his foes, or seizing theadvancing horses with his mouth, trying to overthrow them. [Awell-known fact. The Arab horses constantly fight in this way, with orwithout riders.]
Ina, amid the fierce slaughter and loud din of the combat, thought onlyof her father, following him with her eyes whenever the tide of battlecarried him from her. Towards her, also, many desperate attacks weremade by the enemy in the attempt apparently to possess themselves of solovely a prize; but too many gallant hearts were yet beating with life,to allow her assailants to succeed while they could yet wield theirweapons.
Among their opponents was one who frequently led the attack, chargingimpetuously towards Ina, whenever she was separated from her father; butit appeared that he, at all times, avoided meeting the chieftain hand tohand; and once, when he had almost reached Ina, Arslan Gherrei againreturned to her side; and the Cossack officer, as he seemed, turned thetide of war in another direction. He was a person of great strength andheight, dressed in the Cossack uniform, except that a cap shrouded hisface; but in the skirmish, his vest flying open, discovered a coat ofchain armour, and his cap at the same moment falling off, exhibited thefierce features of the young Khan Besin Kaloret. A shout of execrationarose from the band of his adopted countrymen, as they discovered thetraitor, and many an arm sought to cut him down; but, conscious of hisshame, he seemed to avoid the strife. Seeing the effect that hisconduct had on the Cossacks, and that he might, after all, lose hisprize, he again desperately joined the combat, which had become fiercerthan ever.
The children of the mountains were still undaunted. Placing the womenin the centre, they determined to succeed in cutting their way, or toperish in the attempt. Their war-cry was answered from above theirheads; and looking up, they perceived a band of warriors amid the treeson the mountain's brow, dashing furiously down with headlong speed tojoin them.
Scarcely had the Russian infantry, posted in the path, time to perceivetheir danger, when the fresh band of Circassian warriors were upon them,cutting down some with their sharp sabres, trampling over others, andhurling the rest over the precipices, till none remained to impede theirfurious course.
As the gallant men reached the strand, they were met by a strong partyof Russian infantry formed into a hollow square, bristling withbayonets. But, like a wild mountain torrent, broken loose from someAlpine lake, nothing could withstand their overwhelming fury.Concentrating their voices into one loud rending shout, of the mostdreadful sound, they galloped with uplifted sabres at the steel formedwall.
The Russian front ranks trembled, wavered, and gave way before theirdesperate charge, which seemed more like a torrent of wild spirits, thanof men, like themselves; unnerving their arms, and causing their bloodto run cold. The fierce horsemen who rushed over their prostratebodies, to succour their hard-pressed countrymen, were led on by a noblelooking cavalier, without defensive armour of any sort, and in thesimple costume of the country; but whose sword dealt dreadful havoc amidthe foe, as he cut his way through their broken ranks.
Among this newly-arrived troop of Circassians, were several chiefs inarmour, some of whom joined the young leader, and others with theirretainers, turned to follow up their success over the infantry, andprevent their rallying.
Onward flew the young hero, like a flash of lightning, followed by hissquire, and by a youthful page, who kept close to his side, with agallant array of horsemen. They shouted loudly to give their countrymennotice of the succour close at hand, and dashed furiously against theCossacks with so tremendous a shock, as to drive them bodily back for aninstant, and to give Arslan Gherrei, and his followers, breathing timeto recover from their exertions.
But the Cossacks, to revenge themselves for the check given to theirnearly-won victory, soon recovering from the effects of the last charge,gathered in overwhelming numbers round the chieftain Arslan Gherrei,attacking his followers so furiously, as to separate him from them, andto hem him in completely. His gallant steed wheeled and pranced high,attentive to the rein, till receiving a wound in his neck, he becameweak from loss of blood, and began to falter in his movements. Hardpressed by numbers, the chief was nearly overpowered, when the youngleader we have spoken of, saw his peril, and galloped to his rescue.
At the same moment, Besin Khan, with a strong body of Cossacks, wheelinground, made a furious charge at the spot, where Ina had been forced bythe press of the combatants to move, when separated from her father,with a few Circassians only around her. Seizing her horse's rein, aftera desperate defence by her guards, he was on the point of carrying heroff, when the young stranger leader, followed by a small party, rushedtowards him, and cutting down all who opposed him, pressed the Khan sohard, that he was obliged to quit his hold, in order to defend himself.The lady Ina, thus restored to momentary safety among the women, andsome of her father's retainers, again hastened to join the combatants.
The traitor Khan, who had recovered from his repulse, now seeing thestranger without armour, singled him out in hopes of making him fall aneasy prey. Their swords met: a furious conflict ensued between them:one backed by his adherents, the other by the Cossacks. Victory seemeddoubtful, but Besin Khan's strength prevailed, and the young hero'ssword being beaten down, the weapon of his opponent was about to fall onhis unguarded head, when ere it could descend, a shot from the pistol ofthe youthful page struck the breast of the traitor. He reeled in hissaddle. For a moment, he attempted to keep his seat, but in vain. Hisweapon dropped powerlessly by his side; his knees refused to press hishorse's sides; and his eyes rolling wildly, he fell heavily to theground, where his body lay trampled on by the prancing steeds of thecombatants.
A piercing cry of joy escaped the boy's lips, as his master was saved;and Arslan Gherrei, at that moment joining him, the two leaders foughtside by side, heading their followers in many desperate onslaughts, tillthe Cossacks, despairing of victory, endeavoured to save themselves byflight. As they galloped off, however, they loaded their short guns,and turned to discharge them at their eager pursuers.
The Chieftain loudly called on his clansmen to desist, for they hadstill many opponents. Those who heard him, obeyed; but others followedtheir foes to within range of the guns of fort Ghelendjik.
To complete their victory, the Circassians had still a powerful force ofinfantry to conquer, who had kept up a galling fire on the horsemen,during the whole time of the combat.
The Circassian chiefs, collecting all their followers, again charged theenemy in a strong body, breaking through their ranks, cutting them down,driving them into the sea, and carrying away as prisoners many who threwdown their arms and begged for quarter. A few of the leading ranks ofthe Russians succeeded in escaping; and those only by a strong forcefrom the fort, with some artillery, sallying out to succour them.
Content with their victory, the Circassian leaders assembled theirfollowers. Some were occupied in collecting their wounded and deadcountrymen, and placing them on their horses; others, in collecting theRussian arms and ammunition, most valuable to them at that time; andothers, in dragging away the prisoners whom they had captured.
Among the dead, was found the body of the traitor Besin Khan; and everywarrior, as he passed, cast a stone at it, with a low, muttered curse,leaving it to rot among the carcases of the hated Urus, or to bedevoured by the wild beasts of
the forest, and the birds of the air; thegreatest indignity they could shew it.
The Russian prisoners willingly followed their new masters, glad toescape the confinement and danger of the camp, for the safety and freerange of the country; preferring, to the iron tyranny of the Imperialarmy, a servitude under the kind-hearted Circassians.
No sooner was the fight over, than Arslan Gherrei hastened to the spotwhere Ina and her women had been stationed, anxious to learn if eithershe or her attendants had suffered from the fire of the retreatinginfantry. All were unhurt; and his lovely daughter, though still pale,had begun to recover from the terror into which his danger had thrownher. Great was her admiration and her gratitude, when she saw thegallant stranger rush so heroically to his aid; and she longed, withfeminine eagerness, to express to him her deep thanks; but as she lookedround to discover him, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, my father!" exclaimed Ina, as the chieftain rode up, "Heaven bepraised,