Eastern Tales by Many Story Tellers Part 33

"Horam," said the Sultan, "I suspect the crafty magician Happuck: he is doubtless here disguised in our camp, and if I expose myself to-day, it may be in his power to destroy me, and set the crown of India on my brother's head."

"Let my Sultan, then," said Horam, "proclaim a reward to him who discovers the magician, even to the holding of the second place in your empire."

"That contrivance would have little effect," said the Sultan. "Happuck would elude our search, and, transforming himself into some reptile, escape our vengeance, and then meditate some new device to deceive us. No, Horam," continued Misnar, "if he be really with us, it were folly to let him escape."

"But how will my lord discover him amidst three hundred thousand troops?" answered the Vizier. "There is no officer in your army who knows the fiftieth part of your soldiers; and where recruits are daily coming in, to search for a particular person, without giving the alarm so that Happuck might escape, would be impossible."

"In how many ranks," said the Sultan, "is the army to be disposed?"

"The plain," answered the Vizier, "on which they are to be reviewed will contain three thousand in a row."

"Bring me, then, two hundred of the most expert archers in my army,"

said the Sultan, "and take them from those troops who are the farthest from the deserters who lately joined the army."

The Vizier did as the Sultan commanded, and brought the archers before the royal pavilion.

"Go now, Horam," said the Sultan, "and order all the troops to be drawn out on the plain."

"They are almost a.s.sembled already," said Horam.

"Then," replied the Sultan, "take these archers, and place one at each extremity of the ranks, an archer on the right of each rank; but, before you station them thus, give them the following orders: 'Be ready with your bows drawn, and your arrows fixed to the bow-string, and, whenever the word of command is given for all the army to fall prostrate, let your arrows fly at the man who is last to obey the word of command.'"

The troops being all drawn forth in their ranks, and the archers disposed according to the Sultan's orders, Misnar came forth, attended by his eunuchs, Viziers, Emirs, and guards. The loud clarion sounded, the notes of the trumpets were heard, and the brazen cymbals shook the air.

The magician, who was impatient to perpetrate the malicious purposes of his heart, was elated at the warlike sound, and beheld the Sultan's retinue at a distance with such joy as the eagle views the flocks of sheep on the plains of Homah.

The Sultan, having arrived at the front of his army, which he knew was composed of his most faithful troops, commanded silence throughout the plain.

"My brave soldiers," said he, "although neither care nor resolution has been wanting on your parts to extirpate the rebellion of my provinces, yet to Allah only belong the glory and the honour of your arms; wherefore let immediate orders be issued forth among my troops, that all do together fall prostrate on the ground before the all-seeing Allah, the Governor of the world and the Disposer of kingdoms and crowns."

As this order went forth through the ranks, the soldiers at once fell prostrate before Allah, all but the magician Happuck, who was surprised and astonished at the order, and irresolute what to do. But little time was given him to think; for no sooner were his fellow-soldiers fallen prostrate on each side of him, than the arrows of the archers pierced his heart.

The magician, finding himself overpowered, and that the messengers of death had seized him, raised his voice aloud, and, with what little strength was left, cursed both Allah and His Prophet; but the stream of life flowed swiftly from him, and his curses grew fainter and fainter, till they were lost in death.

Those who were acquainted with the designs of Happuck, perceiving that the magician was dead and their plot discovered, began to fly; and first Ibrac essayed to head his discarded troops; but they, not being used to march on foot, soon fell into confusion, and, the forces of the Sultan surrounding them, they were quickly destroyed.

The Sultan Misnar saw, by the confusion of his army in the centre, that the discovery was made, and sent Horam, with some chosen troops, to inquire into the cause of their disorder.

The Vizier had no sooner arrived than he perceived several soldiers bringing along the body of the magician Happuck, which appeared undisguised after death.

"Bid the two archers," said the Vizier, "who destroyed the monster come forward."

When the archers came, Horam applauded their skill and their obedience, and advised them to take the body between them, and carry it before the Sultan.

The archers obeyed, and, the ranks opening as they pa.s.sed, they soon arrived at the feet of Misnar.

The Sultan, seeing his enemy thus destroyed, ordered the two archers ten purses, containing each one hundred pieces of gold; and to every other archer one purse containing one hundred pieces of gold. To him who brought the head of Ibrac also he gave five purses of like value; and then again issued his commands that the whole army should fall prostrate and adore the mercy of Allah, who had so soon delivered into their hands the chief of their enemies.

In the meantime, two only of the troops of Ibrac and Happuck escaped; and, returning to Ahubal, they acquainted him with their defeat.

Ahubal fled at the news, and hid himself in the mountains; for he feared lest his soldiers should betray him, and deliver him up to his brother.

But Ollomand, the enchanter, who first counselled the Sultan of India to secure his throne by spilling the innocent blood of his brother, now resolved to revenge the common cause. He therefore directed the steps of Ahubal toward a cave in the mountains, where, fatigued with flight and fearful of pursuit, the royal rebel arrived in the heat of the day.

The cave was, for the most part, surrounded by steep mountains, at a great distance from any track or path, and was situated at the entrance of a long valley which led among the mountains.

Ahubal, having slept and refreshed himself in the cave, pursued his journey through the valley, till he found his path stopped by inaccessible rocks, on the top of which he perceived a magnificent castle, whose walls reflected the rays of the sun like burnished gold.

The brother of Misnar fixed his eye for some time on that part of the castle which was shaded by the rest, for the front was too dazzling to behold, and, in a few moments, he perceived a small wicket open, and a dwarf come forth.

Ahubal soon lost sight of the dwarf behind the rocks; but he resolved to wait there to see whether he could find any pa.s.sage into the valley.

The dwarf, after being hid for some time, appeared again about the middle of the rocks, and by his course appeared to descend in a spiral path around the mountain.

When the dwarf had reached the bottom he advanced to Ahubal, and, presenting him with a clue, he told him that, if he threw it before him, and followed it, the clue would unravel itself, and discover to him the path which led up the rocks to the castle of Ollomand, his master.

Ahubal, having heard from Ulin and Happuck that Ollomand was his friend, took the clue out of the hand of the dwarf, and threw it before him.

As the clue rolled onward until it touched the rocks, Ahubal discovered a regular ascent, which, winding round, brought him by degrees to the castle on the summit of the mountain.

The enchanter Ollomand received Ahubal at the entrance of the castle, which was guarded by four dragons, and led him through a large court into a s.p.a.cious hall, the walls of which were lined with human bones that had been whitened in the sun.

"Favourite of the race of the powerful," said Ollomand, "see here the bones of those who have lifted up their arms against thee; and I will add to their number till this castle be filled."

"Alas," answered Ahubal, "Ulin is no more, and the vultures are preying on the vitals of Happuck! Ten provinces have deserted my cause, and the coffers of my army are exhausted!"

"Happuck," answered Ollomand, "despised the a.s.sistance of riches and trusted to deceit, and therefore failed. The provinces dared not revolt while the armies of Misnar overawed them; but I will replenish thy coffers, and Ollomand will tempt the leaders of the Sultan's troops to join the cause of Ahubal. In this castle are riches and arms sufficient to equip all the inhabitants of Asia; and when these are exhausted, we will apply to Pharesanen, Hapacuson, and all the chieftains of our race: and fear not, Ahubal; for, by my art, I read that Misnar the Sultan shall fly before the face of his enemies."

Ahubal was encouraged by the words of Ollomand; and the enchanter, having opened his design to the Prince, invited him to behold the riches of his castle.

Pa.s.sing through the hall of bones, they descended into a square court, much more s.p.a.cious than the former, in the middle of which appeared a deep and dark pit. This court contained four hundred ma.s.sive gates of bra.s.s, and each gate was supported by nine enormous hinges of the same metal.

As Ollomand the enchanter entered this court, with the Prince Ahubal in his hand, he lifted up his voice, which echoed like thunder amidst the lofty turrets of the castle, and commanded his slaves to expose to the sight of Ahubal the treasures of their master.

The Prince Ahubal, who had seen no creature but the dwarf and the enchanter in the castle, wondered whence the slaves would come; but his wonder was shortly turned into fear when he beheld a gigantic black, with a club of ebony forty feet in length, arise out of the pit which was in the centre of the court.

But his horrors were increased when he perceived a succession of the same gigantic monsters following one another out of the pit, and advancing to the four hundred brazen gates, till every gate had a slave standing before it.

When Ollomand saw his slaves were all prepared before the gates, he bade them strike with their clubs of ebony against them.

The black slaves, in obedience to the enchanter's orders, lifted up their ponderous clubs of ebony, and struck against the four hundred gates, which jarred so much with the blows of the slaves that Ahubal was forced to stop his ears, and was ready to sink into the earth with astonishment and dread.

As soon as the black slaves of Ollomand had struck the four hundred gates of bra.s.s, the gates began to move, and the harsh creaking of the hinges sent forth a noise which alone had chilled the hearts of all the armies of Misnar, could they have heard them.

Ahubal then, lifting up his head, looked around the court, and saw the four hundred gates were opened. In those to the right were millions of wedges of gold and silver, piled beneath craggy arches of huge unchiselled stone. Opposite to these he beheld a hundred vaulted roofs, under which were sacks and bags of the gold and silver coin of many nations.

Before him another hundred gates exposed to his view the arms and warlike accoutrements of ten thousand nations, and all the instruments of death which the inventive malice of man had ever devised.

Ahubal, who understood but little of these instruments, was amazed at their construction, and asked for what purposes they were formed.