"Fear not, Patrona!" cried he jeeringly, "Guel-Bejaze will never again be
conducted into the Seraglio. She and your father-in-law have been
captured as they were trying to fly, and the unbelieving Greek
cattle-dealer has been thrown into the dungeon set apart for evil-doers.
As for that woman whom you call your wife, she has been put into the
prison assigned to those shameless ones whom the gracious Sultan has
driven together from all parts of the realm, and kept in ward lest the
virtue of his faithful Mussulmans should be corrupted. There you will
find her."
Patrona, like a furious tiger that has burst forth from its cage, at
these words rushed from out the ranks of his comrades. His sword flashed
in his hand, and if Pelivan had been doubly as big as he was, his mere
size could not have saved him. But the leader of the ciauses straightway
put spurs to his horse, and laughing loudly galloped away with his
ciauses, almost brushing the enraged Halil as he passed, and when he had
already trotted a safe distance away, he turned round and with a
scornful Ha, ha, ha! began hurling insults at the Janissaries, five or
six of whom had set out to follow him.
"Ha! he is mocking us!" exclaimed Musli, whereupon the Janissaries who
stood nearest perceiving that they should never be able to overtake him
on foot, hastened to the nearest battery, wrested a mortar from the
topijis by force, and fired it upon the retreating ciauses. The
discharged twelve-pounder whistled about their heads and then fell far
away in the midst of a bivouac where a number of worthy Bosniaks were
cooking their suppers, scattering the hot ashes into their eyes,
ricochetting thence very prettily into the pavilion of the Bostanji
Bashi, two of whose windows it knocked out, thence bounding three or
four times into the air, terrifying several recumbent groups in its
passage, and trundling rapidly away over some level ground, till at last
it rolled into the booth of a glass-maker, and there smashed to atoms an
incalculable quantity of pottery.
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