 | XIII Hadji Murad |  |
XIII
WHEN Lóris-Mélikov entered the drawing-room, Hadji Murád received him with a bright face.
"Well, shall I continue?" he asked, sitting down comfortably on the divan.
"Yes, certainly," said Lóris-Mélikov. "I have been in to have a talk with thy henchmen.... One is a jolly fellow!" he added.
"Yes, Khan Mahomá is a frivolous fellow," said Hadji Murád.
"I liked the young handsome one."
"Ah, that's Eldár. He's young, but firm — made of iron!"
They were silent for a while.
"So I am to go on?"
"Yes, yes!"
"I told thee how the Khans were killed.... Well, having killed them, Hamzád rode into Khunzákh and took up his quarters in their palace. The Khansha was the only one
"Why did he kill her" asked Lóris-Mélikov.
"What could he do? ... Where the fore legs have gone, the hind legs must follow! He killed off the whole family. Shamil killed the youngest son — threw him over a precipice....
"Then the whole of Avaria surrendered to Hamzád. But my brother and I would not surrender. We wanted his blood for the blood of the Khans. We pretended to yield, but our only thought was how to get his blood. We consulted our grandfather, and decided to await the time when he would come out of his palace, and then to kill him from an ambush. Some one overheard us and told Hamzád, who sent for grandfather, and said, 'Mind, if it be true that thy grandsons are planning evil against me, thou and they shall hang from one rafter. I do God's work, and cannot be hindered.... Go, and remember what I have said!'
"Our grandfather came home and told us.
"Then we decided not to wait, but to do the deed on the first day of the feast in the mosque. Our comrades would not take part in it, but my brother and I remained firm.
"We took two pistols each, put on our búrkas, and went to the mosque. Hamzád entered the mosque with thirty murids. They all had drawn swords in their hands. Aseldár, his favourite murid (the one who had cut off Khansha's head) saw us, shouted to us to take off our búrkas, and came towards me. I had my dagger in my hand, and I killed him with it and rushed at Hamzád; but my brother Osman had already shot him. He was still alive, and rushed at my brother dagger in hand, but I gave him a finishing blow on the head. There were thirty murids, and we were only two. They killed my brother Osman, but I kept them at bay, leapt through the window, and escaped.
"When it was known that Hamzád had been killed, all the people rose. The murids fled; and those of them who did not flee were killed."
Hadji Murád paused, and breathed heavily.
"That was all very well," he continued, "but afterwards everything was spoilt.
"Shamil succeeded Hamzád. He sent envoys to me to say that I should join him in attacking the Russians, and that if I refused he would destroy Khunzákh and kill me.
"I answered that I would not join him, and would not let him come to me...."
"Why didst thou not go with him?" asked Lóris-Mélikov.
Hadji Murád frowned, and did not reply at once.
"I could not. The blood of my brother Osman and of Abu Nutsal Khan was on his hands. I did not go to him. General Rosen sent me an officer's commission, and ordered me to govern Avaria. All this would have been well, but that Rosen appointed as Khan of Kazi-Kumúkh, first Mahómet-Murza, and afterwards Akhmet Khan, who hated me. He had been trying to get the Khansha's daughter, Sultanetta, in marriage for his son, but she would not give her to him, and he believed me to be the cause of this.... Yes, Akhmet Khan hated me and sent his henchmen to kill me, but
"So they kept me six days," he continued. "On the seventh day they untied me and started to take me to Temir-Khan-Shurá. Forty soldiers with loaded guns had me in charge. My hands were tied, and I knew that they had orders to kill me if I tried to escape.
"As we approached Mansooha the path became narrow, and on the right was an abyss about a hundred and twenty yards deep. I went to the right — to the very edge. A soldier wanted to stop me, but I jumped down and pulled him with me. He was killed outright but I, as you see, remained alive.
"Ribs, head, arms, and leg — all were broken! I tried to crawl, but grew giddy and fell asleep. I awoke, wet with blood. A shepherd saw me, and called some people who carried me to an aoul. My ribs and head healed, and my leg too, only it has remained short," and Hadji Murád stretched out his crooked leg. "It still serves me, however, and that is well," said he.
"The people heard the news, and began coming to me. I recovered, and went to Tselméss. The Avars again called on me to rule over them," said Hadji Murád, with tranquil, confident pride, "and I agreed."
He quickly rose, and taking a portfolio out of a saddle-bag, drew out two discoloured letters and handed one of them to Lóris-Mélikov. They were from General Klügenau. Lóris-Mélikov read the first letter, which was as follows,—
"Lieutenant Hadji Murád, thou hast served under me, and I was satisfied with thee, and considered thee a good man.
"Recently Akhmet Khan informed me that thou art a traitor, that thou hast donned a turban, and has intercourse with Shamil, and that
"Now hear me. If thy conscience is pure, if thou art not guilty in anything towards the great Tsar, come to me; fear no one. I am thy defender. The Khan can do nothing to thee; he is himself under my command, so thou hast nothing to fear."
Klügenau added that he always kept his word and was just, and he again exhorted Hadji Murád to appear before him.
When Lóris-Mélikov had read this letter, Hadji Murád, before handing him the second one, told him what he had written in reply to the first.
"I wrote that I wore a turban, not for Shamil's sake, but for my soul's salvation; that I neither wished nor could go over to Shamil, because he was the cause of my father's, my brothers', and my relations' deaths; but that I could not join the Russians because I had been
"Then the General sent me this letter," said Hadji Murád, handing Lóris-Mélikov the other discoloured paper.
"Thou has answered my first letter, and I thank thee," read Lóris-Mélikov. "Thou writest that thou art not afraid to return, but that the insult done thee by a certain Giaour prevents it; but I assure thee that the Russian law is just, and that thou shalt see him who dared to offend thee punished before thine eyes. I have already given orders to investigate the matter.
"Hear me, Hadji Murád! I have a right to be displeased with thee for not trusting me and my honour; but I forgive thee, for I know how suspicious mountaineers are in general. If thy conscience is pure, if thou hast put on a turban only for thy soul's salvation, then thou art right, and mayst look me and the Russian Government boldly in the eyes. He who dishonoured thee shall, I assure thee, be punished;
"I myself have consented to the Chimrints wearing turbans; and I regard their actions in the right light; and therefore I repeat that thou hast nothing to fear. Come to me with the man by whom I am sending thee this letter. He is faithful to me, and is not the slave of thy enemies but is the friend of a man who enjoys the special favour of the Government."
Further on Klügenau again tried to persuade Hadji Murád to come over to him.
"I did not believe him," said Hadji Murád when Lóris-Mélikov had finished reading, "and did not go to Klügenau. The chief thing for me was to revenge myself on Akhmet Khan; and that I could not do through the Russians. Then Akhmet Khan surrounded Tselméss, and wanted to take me or kill me. I had too few men, and could not drive him off; and just then came an envoy with a letter from Shamil, promising to help me to defeat and kill Akhmet
Here Hadji Murád related all his military exploits, of which there were very many, and some of which were already familiar to Lóris-Mélikov. All his campaigns and raids had been remarkable for the extraordinary rapidity of his movements and the boldness of his attacks, which were always crowned with success.
"There never was any friendship between me and Shamil," said Hadji Murád at the end of his story, "but he feared me and needed me. But it so happened that I was asked who should be Imám after Shamil, and I replied: 'He will be Imám whose sword is sharpest!'
"This was told to Shamil, and he wanted to get rid of me. He sent me into Tabasarán. I went, and captured a thousand sheep and three hundred horses, but he said I had not done the right thing, and dismissed me from being Naïb, and ordered me to send him all the money. I sent him a thousand gold pieces. He sent his
"I will tell him," said Lóris-Mélikov.
"Take pains, do try! ... What is mine is thine, only help me with the Prince! I am tied up, and the end of the rope is in Shamil's hands," said Hadji Murád, concluding his story.
| XIII Hadji Murad | |