Mohammed Ali and His House [195]
of the fortress hurl their deadly contents among them. "We are betrayed! They are murdering us!" yell the infuriated rebels, drawing their ataghans, and rushing upon the Turkish soldiers who are endeavoring to drive them from the citadel, fighting them man to man. And now the three hours have elapsed, and new masses of soldiers are storming up the height! These are Mohammed Ali's troops, now let loose! Like the others, they clamor for pay, and, like the others, they rush upon the Turkish soldiers. The revolt is now general.
Taker Pacha, as well as Mohammed Ali, hears it; but the latter remains quietly in his room. Taker Pacha, less discreet, hastens forth to suppress, or, if the prospect seems favorable, to encourage the revolt. He repairs to the citadel and sends the viceroy word that he desires an audience.
"Tell his highness I wish to restore the city to tranquillity; and, if possible, appease the soldiers."
The messenger soon returns with a dejected look. "It is in vain, general, in vain! His highness desires no peaceful settlement. He says he will make no compromise with rebels! You are to return to your house; he says he can dispose of these rebels without any assistance!"
"Is that his opinion?" asked Taher, bowing profoundly. "The wisdom of the viceroy is inscrutable. I retire, as he commands."
He hastily quitted the apartment, went down to his soldiers and called his bim bashis to his side.
"I was with his highness, and endeavored to settle this difficulty without further bloodshed. But he declined, and said there could be no settlement between you and him except at the cannon's mouth, and that be would pay you with your own blood!"
The soldiers answered their general's words with a fierce roar; when this at last subsided, he continued: "The viceroy says the defterdar is to pay you--that you must look to him. Let us do so, soldiers! Let us compel him to pay!"
"Yes, be shall pay us!" cried they; and the wild masses again rushed to the house of the defterdar.
The closed gates are torn asunder; and Taher Pacha's Armenians and Mohammed Ali's Albanians run with savage cries into the house.
"I have no money!" cries the defterdar, with pale, trembling lips.
"Where are your books, your accounts? We will take you, together with your books, to our general."
"Do so, do so!" groaned the defterdar, pointing to his books. "Take me, with my books, to Taher Pacha."
Onward the wild mass surged with their prisoner and his accounts.
They passed the house of Mohammed Ali, who stood at the window, and looked down at them with a smile of satisfaction.
"The revolt is firmly established; Taher Pacha is at its head, and we shall see how he conducts the matter."
CHAPTER VIII
THE INSURRECTION.
From the citadel the thunder of the artillery and the fierce shouts of the people still resounded. Mohammed heard the uproar throughout the entire night. The soldiers continually pressed forward to replace their comrades shot down by the murderous volleys from the fortress.
Mohammed remained quietly in his house. True, his soldiers have joined the rebels, but who can hold him responsible, and why should he expose himself to the danger of being refused obedience should he demand it of them?
Taher Pacha thinks differently. During the night he had examined the books of the defterdar, held a prisoner in his house, and had been compelled to admit that he was innocent, and had no money with which to pay off the soldiers.
On the following morning he announced to his soldiers that the defterdar was innocent, and the viceroy alone guilty. He had accumulated and possessed money and treasure, and could pay the soldiers if he would. He had, however, determined to keep for himself all the money sent from Stamboul for the troops.
The intelligence rapidly spreads among the soldiers that Cousrouf has money, and can pay if he will.
"And pay he shall!" cries Taher Pacha. "I will march with you into his stronghold. Woe to him; he has begun this work of slaughter, and must take the consequences!"
Taker Pacha, as well as Mohammed Ali, hears it; but the latter remains quietly in his room. Taker Pacha, less discreet, hastens forth to suppress, or, if the prospect seems favorable, to encourage the revolt. He repairs to the citadel and sends the viceroy word that he desires an audience.
"Tell his highness I wish to restore the city to tranquillity; and, if possible, appease the soldiers."
The messenger soon returns with a dejected look. "It is in vain, general, in vain! His highness desires no peaceful settlement. He says he will make no compromise with rebels! You are to return to your house; he says he can dispose of these rebels without any assistance!"
"Is that his opinion?" asked Taher, bowing profoundly. "The wisdom of the viceroy is inscrutable. I retire, as he commands."
He hastily quitted the apartment, went down to his soldiers and called his bim bashis to his side.
"I was with his highness, and endeavored to settle this difficulty without further bloodshed. But he declined, and said there could be no settlement between you and him except at the cannon's mouth, and that be would pay you with your own blood!"
The soldiers answered their general's words with a fierce roar; when this at last subsided, he continued: "The viceroy says the defterdar is to pay you--that you must look to him. Let us do so, soldiers! Let us compel him to pay!"
"Yes, be shall pay us!" cried they; and the wild masses again rushed to the house of the defterdar.
The closed gates are torn asunder; and Taher Pacha's Armenians and Mohammed Ali's Albanians run with savage cries into the house.
"I have no money!" cries the defterdar, with pale, trembling lips.
"Where are your books, your accounts? We will take you, together with your books, to our general."
"Do so, do so!" groaned the defterdar, pointing to his books. "Take me, with my books, to Taher Pacha."
Onward the wild mass surged with their prisoner and his accounts.
They passed the house of Mohammed Ali, who stood at the window, and looked down at them with a smile of satisfaction.
"The revolt is firmly established; Taher Pacha is at its head, and we shall see how he conducts the matter."
CHAPTER VIII
THE INSURRECTION.
From the citadel the thunder of the artillery and the fierce shouts of the people still resounded. Mohammed heard the uproar throughout the entire night. The soldiers continually pressed forward to replace their comrades shot down by the murderous volleys from the fortress.
Mohammed remained quietly in his house. True, his soldiers have joined the rebels, but who can hold him responsible, and why should he expose himself to the danger of being refused obedience should he demand it of them?
Taher Pacha thinks differently. During the night he had examined the books of the defterdar, held a prisoner in his house, and had been compelled to admit that he was innocent, and had no money with which to pay off the soldiers.
On the following morning he announced to his soldiers that the defterdar was innocent, and the viceroy alone guilty. He had accumulated and possessed money and treasure, and could pay the soldiers if he would. He had, however, determined to keep for himself all the money sent from Stamboul for the troops.
The intelligence rapidly spreads among the soldiers that Cousrouf has money, and can pay if he will.
"And pay he shall!" cries Taher Pacha. "I will march with you into his stronghold. Woe to him; he has begun this work of slaughter, and must take the consequences!"