"Give me that banner, Janissary!" cried Abdi once more, sternly
regarding Musli straight between the eyes.
Instead of answering Musli simply proceeded to wind the banner round its
pole.
"Give me that banner!" bellowed Abdi for the third time, with a voice of
thunder, at the same time drawing his sword.
But now Musli twisted the pole round so that the mud-stained end which
had been sticking in the earth rose high in the air, and he said:
"I honour you, Abdi Pasha, and I will not hurt you if you go away. I
would rather see you fall in battle fighting against the Giaours, for
you deserve to have a glorious name; but don't ask me for this banner
any more, for if you come a step nearer I will run you through the body
with the dirty end."
And at these words all the other Janissaries leaped to their feet and,
drawing their swords, formed a glittering circle round the valiant
Musli.
"I am sorry for you, my brave Janissaries," observed the Kapudan Pasha
sadly.
"And we are sorry for you, famous Kapudan Pasha!"
Then Abdi quitted the Etmeidan. He perceived how the crowd parted before
him everywhere as he advanced; but it also did not escape him that
behind his back they immediately closed up again when he had passed.
"These people can only be brought to their senses by force of arms," he
said to himself as away he rode through the city, and nobody laid so
much as a finger upon him.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, in the camp outside, a great council of war was being held.
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