第39章

"I stand by you," answered the sheik, giving his hand to all, "but you must stand by each other. We have held a council through the entire night, and we have concluded that the demand is unjust, and have therefore, in the name of the people, declined to meet it. Now, however, you must not be intimidated; you must be firm. Then no one will dare to molest us.""We will be firm in what we have determined, and not give way,"cried they all. "Long live the sheik and the ulemas!""Now return quietly to your houses, and wait to see what the tschorbadji will do," said the sheik. "We shall see if he is content with your refusal."The men obeyed the order of the sheik, and went to their huts, to await there the next movement.

The two officers returned, with rapid steps, to Cavalla.

The governor was seated in the hall, with his favorite, his Osman, by whose side was Mohammed, who had yielded to the entreaties of his friend, and spent the last few months with him.

Osman considered it a great kindness that Mohammed had, at last, agreed to his wishes, and had remained with him at night. When the governor looked joyfully at his son, and said he had never seen him so gay and happy, Osman smiled and nodded toward Mohammed. "You should thank Mohammed; as long as he remains in our house, the air seems purer and fresher to me. He alone understands how to make me well, and, if I could always have him with me, I would be the happiest of men."The tschorbadji offered his hand to Mohammed, bowing and smiling kindly. "Mohammed, I wish you would, at last, yield to the united prayers of my son and myself, and would consent to live in this house. Let me have two sons, and I shall be doubly rich.""In veneration I will be your son," replied Mohammed, pressing the governor's hand to his brow; "I will obey you in all things! One thing alone do not demand--that I shall irrevocably relinquish my freedom. Let me come and go at my pleasure. Love always draws me back to my Osman, even when, in the restlessness of my heart, Iwander on the sea, or in the mountains, or remain solitary in my silent hut. Friendship for you has bound chains about my soul, and Imust always return. Leave to me the feeling of independence, or Ishall not be happy."

Osman nodded smilingly to him. "It shall be as you wish, and we will never weary him again, my father, with our prayers. He will return to us, he says, and Mohammed always keeps his word. But look, father what can be the matter with these two officers who are hurrying toward us?""They seem to have met with some misfortune; they look pale and excited, and are coming here without being announced," he said, rising from his cushions, and beckoning to the collectors, who had remained respectfully standing at the entrance, to come forward.--"Well, what is the matter? You look as disturbed as if something dreadful had happened to you!""Yes, governor, something dreadful has happened," they answered, bowing deeply. "We have been down to Praousta, as your excellency ordered, to collect the double tax.""And you have brought the gold with you, and given it to my treasurer?""No, we have not brought it."

"Not brought it!" exclaimed the tschorbadji, with the utmost astonishment; "I send you to collect the taxes, and you return without the money. Have thieves fallen upon you, and robbed you? My collectors have allowed the gold to be taken from them, and now dare to appear, empty-handed, before me!""O governor, we are innocent," replied the men. "No thieves took the money from us, but the men of Praousta have revolted; they have assembled together in the market place, and have solemnly declared that they will never pay the double tax!"While they were making their report, Mohammed sprung from his seat, and listened breathlessly to them.

"They refused to pay the tax," said the tschorbadji, in an angry voice. "And did you not go to the sheik and ulemas?""The men of Praousta went themselves, and brought out the sheik and the ulemas, that they might speak decisively for all. We were to take their answer to the tschorbadji.""And they did this?" cried Mohammed, forgetting all proper reverence, and speaking to the men in the presence of the governor.

"Yes, they did this," returned the collectors, breathing hard.

"What did they say!" demanded the tschorbadji, excitedly.

"The sheik looked at us contemptuously, and ordered us to state to the tschorbadji that Praousta had no thought of paying either the double or the simple tax.""And the ulemas?" asked Osman, rising from his couch, "did they confirm what the sheik said?""Yes, sir, they confirmed what the sheik said," answered the collectors.

"It is then an open revolt," cried the outraged tschorbadji. "They refuse obedience to my commands!"1

"And you allowed yourselves to be frightened by such words," cried Mohammed, with flaming eyes. " And you did not fall upon them, sword in hand, to force them to their duty!""We were but two against fifty!"

"Two men against fifty cowards! I should think the men would have carried the day. But you are not men; you did not even draw your swords and fell this seditious sheik to the earth!""The people would have torn us to pieces!" exclaimed the collectors, "if we had attempted it.""You would have perished in the fulfilment of your duty!" cried Mohammed. "Far better that, than to return home with the knowledge that you had acted as cowards!"Osman looked wonderingly at his friend, while the tschorbadji stood lost in thought, his countenance growing darker and darker.

"This is revolt--rebellion!" he said, after a pause. "What shall Ido? The men of Praousta are remarkable for their strength, as well as for their free and independent opinions."He ordered the collectors to leave the room, and await his call without; then paced thoughtfully up and down. The two young men dared not disturb him.