Allah had been with him--he was now raised to the rank of a
ciaus-officer.
The giant stood among the Janissaries and inquired in a voice of
thunder:
"Which of you common Janissary fellows goes by the name of Halil
Patrona?"
Patrona stepped forth.
"Methinks, Halil Pelivan," said he, "it does not require much
brain-splitting on your part to recognise me."
"Where is your comrade Musli?"
"Can you not give me a handle to my name, you dog of a ciaus?" roared
Musli. "I am a gentleman I tell you. So long as you were a Janissary,
you were a gentleman too. But now you are only a dog of a ciaus. What
business have you, I should like to know, in Begta's flower-garden?"
"To root out weeds. The pair of you, bound tightly together, must follow
me."
"Look ye, my friends!" cried Musli, turning to his comrades, "that man
is drunk, dead drunk. He can scarce stand upon his feet. How dare you
say," continued he, turning towards Pelivan--"how dare you say that two
Janissaries, two of the flowers from Begta's garden, are to follow you
when the banners of warfare are already waving before us?"
"I am commanded by the Kapu-Kiaja to bring you before him."
"Say not so, you mangy dog you! Let him come for us himself if he has
anything to say to us! What, my friends! am I not right in saying that
the Kapu-Kiaja, if he did his duty, ought to be here with us, in the
camp and on the battlefield? and that it is no business of ours to dance
attendance upon him? Am I not right? Let him come hither!"
This sentiment was greeted with an approving howl.
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