They had
not even time to shut their eyes before the fatal stroke descended.
Six-and-twenty of them perished there and then.
Only three survived the day, Sulali, Mohammed the dervish, and Alir
Aalem, the custodian of the sacred banner and justiciary of Stambul. All
three were Ulemas, and therefore not even the Sultan was free to slay
them.
Accordingly the Grand Vizier appointed them all Sandjak-Begs, or
governors of provinces.
As they knew nothing of the death of their comrades they accepted the
dignities conferred upon them, renouncing at the same time as usual
their office of Ulemas.
The following day they were all put to death.
On the third day after that the people of the city in their walks abroad
saw eight-and-thirty severed heads stuck on the ends of spears over the
central gate of the Seraglio. All these heads, with their starting eyes
and widely parted lips, seemed to be speaking to the amazed multitudes;
only Halil Patrona's eyes were closed and his lips sealed.
Suddenly a great cry of woe arose from one end of the city to the other,
the people seized their arms and rushed off to the Etmeidan under three
banners.
They had no other leader now but Janaki, all the rest had escaped or
were dead. So now they brought _him_ forward. The tidings of Halil's
death wrought no change in him, he had foreseen it long before, and was
well aware that Guel-Bejaze had departed from the capital. He had himself
prepared for her the little dwelling in the valley lost among the
ravines of Mount Taurus, which was scarce known to any save to him and
the few dwellers there, and he had brought back with him from thence a
pair of carrier-pigeons, so that in case of necessity he might be able
to send messages to his daughter without having to depend on human
agency.
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