The Lion of Janina; Or, The Last Days of the Janissaries: A Turkish NovelJókai, Mór
History
The Lion of Janina; Or, The Last Days of the Janissaries: A Turkish Novel
Jókai, Mór
Ali Pasa, Tepedelenli, 1744?-1822 -- Fiction; Janizaries -- Fiction; Turkey -- History -- Mahmud II, 1808-1839 -- Fiction
The Timariotes remained behind, and Zaid began to send forward his
Spahis to attack the retreating army in the rear. Odysseus slowly
retraced his steps till he came to Puló. There his war-path stopped.
His banner was no longer white, but red; it was sprinkled with the
blood of the many heroes who had died in its defence.
Suddenly, from the heights of Pindus above them resounded the
tempestuous melody of the "Marseillaise," which the Greeks had adopted
as their war-song, and rapid as a storm-swollen mountain torrent the
Suliotes, with Kleon and Artemis in the van, hurled themselves upon
the Turks.
Omar Vrione was caught between two fires. It was too late to turn
back, too late to reform his order of battle. His guns were useless,
his cavalry could not move forward, and his infantry columns were so
completely isolated that they could not render each other any
assistance.
The general saw that he could not save his army, but he was at least
determined not to save himself, so he hastened to where the fight was
raging most furiously.
A wild, merciless _mêlée_ was proceeding between the inextricably
intermingled foes. Forcing his way along, Omar Vrione suddenly
encountered, in the midst of reeking powder and streaming blood, a
tall youth with a blackened face, whom he at once recognized as Kleon.
There, then, they stood, face to face. Three years before, when Ali
had sent Omar Vrione to threaten the Suliotes, Kleon fled before him,
and then he had called after the fugitive, "Stand, I would send thy
head to Ali Tepelenti!"
And there, indeed, Omar Vrione fell, combating, and Kleon cut off his
head.
How strange is fate!
The fall of Omar Vrione sealed the fate of his army. The Turks fled
wherever they saw the chance, leaving all their guns, all their flags,
and all their officers in the lurch. The cavalry had no chance of
escaping. Half of it fell, the other half surrendered.
Zaid, in the moment of extremest danger, took his silver aigrette out
of his turban and threw it away; then he changed caftans with his
servant, and mingled with the rank-and-file, so that none might
recognize him. It would have been much better for a child like him to
have remained at home than to have gone hunting that old lion, his
aged grandfather.
The Suliotes surrounded Zaid's company. "Dismount from your horses!"
exclaimed the clear voice of Kleon.
The Spahis, full of shame, dismounted.
"Which is your leader, Zaid?" cried Kleon, advancing. The edge of his
sword was dripping with blood.
"I am," said the servant who had changed clothes with Zaid, and he
approached Kleon.
"Bow down before me, thou slave!" cried Kleon, kicking him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account