Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/171

 Meanwhile, a dwarfish Turk, with a reddish beard, called out at the top of his voice to the bystanders:—“Is it right that this true believer should carry that dog?” And, running up to me, he gave me a violent blow, so that I shot down from my steed I knew not how; also he contemptuously kicked me in the side, and would have beaten me still more, had not our former janissary, Mustapha, seen it, and taken compassion upon me. Not enduring this conduct, and looking upon me with sorrow,—for he wished me everything that was good, he flourished his staff, and dragging me from him, reviled him in Turkish, asking him why he struck a poor sick prisoner, and wanted to show his manhood on me? If he possessed so heroic a heart, let him take it against fresh and strong giaours in Hungary; he would find plenty of them to match themselves with him; it was easy (pointing at me) to beat and maltreat a dying giaour. And when the other answered him contumaciously, my friend the janissary cudgelled him with his staff over the head, till the blood streamed, upon which the Turk rushed at the janissary with a knife. In a moment about a hundred people ranged themselves on the side of the janissary, and as many more on the side of the other, and they were already beginning to take up stones and throw them at each other. Indeed, had not the guards, and the imperial judge, or sub-pasha, speedily turned and galloped to us, and ordered them to keep the peace under pain of death, a great riot would have taken place on my account, and we should all have had to suffer for it guiltless.

When this disturbance was quieted, Mustapha raised me from the ground, and gave me to two men to lead;