Part 16 (2/2)

”Maybe a fresh host has arrived, which now awaits us.”

”Come,” cried Azrael, seizing Ha.s.san's hand, ”we will find out at once who is right;” and she hastened with them to the sh.o.r.e of the island.

On the further bank the camp of Feriz Beg was visible; they were just pitching their tents on the side of the hills. A company of cavalry was just going down to the water's-edge, at whose head ambled a slim young man whose features were immediately recognised, even at that distance, both by the favourite Beg and the favourite damsel.

Only Ha.s.san saw nothing; in the distance everything was to him but a blur of black and yellow.

”Well, what did I say?” exclaimed Yffim Beg triumphantly; ”that is the camp of Feriz Beg, and there is Feriz himself trotting in front of them.”

The words were scarce out of his mouth when the terrible thought occurred to him that Azrael had no business to be looking upon this strange man.

The odalisk, laughing loudly, flung herself on Ha.s.san's neck.

”Ha, ha, ha! the worthy Beg takes the water-carrying girls for an army!”

Then Yffim Beg began to tremble, for he perceived now whither this woman wanted to carry her joke.

”My master,” said he, ”forbid thy slave-girl to make a fool of me. The camp of Feriz Beg is straight in front of us, and thou wilt do well to prevent thy maid-servant from looking at these men with her face unveiled.”

”Allah! thou dost terrify me, good Beg!” said Azrael, feigning horror so admirably that Ha.s.san himself felt the contagion of it.

”Say! where dost thou see this camp?”

”There, on the water-side; dost thou not see the tents on the hillocks?”

”Surely it is the linen which these girls are bleaching.”

”And that blare of trumpets?”

”I only hear the merry songs that the girls are singing.”

In his fury Yffim Beg plucked at his beard.

”My master, this devilish damsel is only mocking us.”

”Thou art suffering from deliriums,” said Azrael, with a terrible face, ”or thou art under a spell which makes thee see before thee things which exist not. Contradict me not, I beg; this hath happened to thee once before. Dost thou not remember when thou fleddest from Transylvania how, then also, thou didst maintain that the enemy was everywhere close upon thy heels! Thou also then wert under the spell of a hideous enchantment, for thy eunuch horseman who remained behind at Nagyenyed, and is now a sentinel on this island, hath told me that there was no sign of any enemy for more than twenty leagues around, and he remained waiting for thee for ten days and fancied thou wert mad. Most a.s.suredly some evil sorcery made thee fly before an imaginary enemy without thy turban or tunic.”

Yffim Beg grew pale. He felt that he must surrender unconditionally to this infernal woman.

”Was it so, Yffim?” cried Ha.s.san angrily.

”Pardon him, my lord,” said Azrael soothingly; ”he was under a spell then, as he is now. Thou art bewitched, my good Yffim.”

”Really, I believe I am,” he stammered involuntarily.

”But I will turn away the enchantment,” said the damsel; and tripping down to the water's-edge she moistened her hand and sprinkled the face of the Beg, murmuring to herself at the same time some magic spell. ”Now look and see!”

The Beg did all that he was bidden to do.

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