They all give attention.
"It is thunder."
"No--thunder rolls. This is a beat."
Constantine and Justiniani remembered Count Corti"s description of the great drum hauled before the artillery train of the Turks, and the former said calmly:
"They are coming."
Almost as he spoke the sunlight mildly tinting the land in the farness seemed to be troubled, and on the tops of the remote hillocks there appeared to be giants rolling them up, as children roll snow-b.a.l.l.s--and the movement was toward the city.
The drum ceased not its beating or coming. Justiniani by virtue of his greater experience, was at length able to say:
"Your Majesty, it is here in front of us; and as this Gate St. Romain marks the centre of your defences, so that drum marks the centre of an advancing line, and regulates the movement from wing to wing."
"It must be so, Captain; for see--there to the left--those are bodies of men."
"And now, Your Majesty, I hear trumpets."
A little later some one cried out:
"Now I hear shouting."
And another: "I see gleams of metal."
Ere long footmen and hors.e.m.e.n were in view, and the Byzantines, brought to the wall by thousands, gazed and listened in nervous wonder; for look where they might over the campania, they saw the enemy closing in upon them, and heard his shouting, and the neighing of horses, the blaring of horns, and the palpitant beating of drums.
"By our Lady of Blacherne," said the Emperor, after a long study of the spectacle, "it is a great mult.i.tude, reaching to the sea here on our left, and, from the noise, to the Golden Horn on our right; none the less I am disappointed. I imagined much splendor of harness and shields and banners, but see only blackness and dust. I cannot make out amongst them one Sultanic flag. Tell me, most worthy John Grant--it being reported that thou hast great experience combating with and against these hordes--tell me if this poverty of appearance is usual with them."
The st.u.r.dy German, in a jargon difficult to follow, answered: "These at our left are the sc.u.m of Asia. They are here because they have nothing; their hope is to better their condition, to return rich, to exchange ragged turbans for crowns, and goatskin jackets for robes of silk. Look, Your Majesty, the tombs in front of us are well kept; to-morrow if there be one left standing, it will have been rifled. Of the lately buried there will not be a ring on a finger or a coin under a tongue. Oh, yes, the ghouls will look better next week! Only give them time to convert the clothes they will strip from the dead into fresh turbans. But when the Janissaries come Your Majesty will not be disappointed. See--their advance guard now--there on the rising ground in front of the gate."
There was a swell of ground to the right of the gate rather than in front of it, and as the party looked thither, a company of hors.e.m.e.n were seen riding slowly but in excellent order, and the sheen of their arms and armor silvered the air about them. Immediately other companies deployed on the right and left of the first one; then the thunderous drum ceased; whereat, from the hordes out on the campania, brought to a sudden standstill, detachments dashed forward at full speed, and dismounting, began digging a trench.
"Be this Sultan like or unlike his father, he is a soldier. He means to cover his army, and at the same time enclose us from sea to harbor.
To-morrow, my Lord, only high-flying hawks can communicate with us from the outside."
This, from Justiniani to the Emperor, was scarcely noticed, for behind the deploying Janissaries, there arose an outburst of music in deep volume, the combination of clarions and cymbals so delightful to warriors of the East; at the same instant a yellow flag was displayed.
Then old John Grant exclaimed:
"The colors of the _Silihdars!_ Mahommed is not far away. Nay, Your Majesty, look--the Sultan himself!"
Through an interval of the guard, a man in chain mail shooting golden sparkles, helmed, and with spear in hand and shield at his back, trotted forth, his steed covered with flowing cloths. Behind him appeared a suite mixed of soldiers and civilians, the former in warlike panoply, the latter in robes and enormous turbans. Down the slope the foremost rider led as if to knock at the gate. On the tower the cannon were loaded, and run into the embrasures.
"Mahommed, saidst thou, John Grant?"
"Mahommed, Your Majesty."
"Then I call him rash; but as we are not ashamed of our gates and walls, let him have his look in peace.... Hear you, men, let him look, and go in peace."
The repet.i.tion was in restraint of the eager gunners.
Further remark was cut short by a trumpet sounded at the foot of the tower. An officer peered over the wall, and reported: "Your Majesty, a knight just issued from the gate is riding forth. I take him to be the Italian, Count Corti."
Constantine became a spectator of what ensued.
Ordinarily the roadway from the country was carried over the deep moat in front of the Gate St. Romain by a floor of stout timbers well bal.u.s.traded at the sides, and resting on brick piers. Of the bridge nothing now remained but a few loose planks side by side ready to be hastily s.n.a.t.c.hed from their places. To pa.s.s them afoot was a venture; yet Count Corti, when the Emperor looked at him from the height, was making the crossing mounted, and blowing a trumpet as he went.
"Is the man mad?" asked the Emperor, in deep concern.
"Mad? No, he is challenging the Mahounds to single combat; and, my lords and gentlemen, if he be skilful as he is bold, then, by the Three Kings of Cologne, we will see some pretty work in pattern for the rest of us."
Thus Grant replied.
Corti made the pa.s.sage safely, and in the road beyond the moat halted, and drove the staff of his banderole firmly in the ground. A broad opening through the cemetery permitted him to see and be seen by the Turks, scarcely a hundred yards away. Standing in his stirrups, he sounded the trumpet again--a clear call ringing with defiance.
Mahommed gave over studying the tower and deep-sunken gate, and presently beckoned to his suite.
"What is the device on yon pennon?" he asked.
"A moon with a cross on its face."
"Say you so?"
Twice the defiance was repeated, and so long the young Sultan, sat still, his countenance unusually grave. He recognized the Count; only he thought of him by the dearer Oriental name, Mirza. He knew also how much more than common ambition there was in the blatant challenge--that it was a reminder of the treaty between them, and, truly interpreted, said, in effect: "Lo, my Lord! she is well, and for fear thou judge me unworthy of her, send thy bravest to try me." And he hesitated--an accident might quench the high soul. Alas, then, for the Princess Irene in the day of final a.s.sault! Who would deliver her to him? The hordes, and the machinery, all the mighty preparation, were, in fact, less for conquest and glory than love. Sore the test had there been one in authority to say to him: "She is thine, Lord Mahommed; thine, so thou take her, and leave the city."
A third time the challenge was delivered, and from the walls a taunting cheer descended. Then the son of Isfendiar, recognizing the banderole, and not yet done with chafing over his former defeat, pushed through the throng about Mahommed, and prayed:
"O my Lord, suffer me to punish yon braggart."
Mahommed replied: "Thou hast felt his hand already, but go--I commend thee to thy houris."
He settled in his saddle smiling. The danger was not to the Count.
The arms, armor, weapons, and horse-furniture of the Moslem were identical with the Italian"s; and it being for the challenged party to determine with what the duel should be fought, whether with axe, sword, lance or bow, the son of Isfendiar chose the latter, and made ready while advancing. The Count was not slow in imitating him.
Each held his weapon--short for saddle service--in the left hand, the arrow in place, and the shield on the left forearm.
No sooner had they reached the open ground in the cemetery than they commenced moving in circles, careful to keep the enemy on the shield side at a distance of probably twenty paces. The spectators became silent. Besides the skill which masters in such affrays should possess, they were looking for portents of the result.
Three times the foemen encircled each other with shield guard so well kept that neither saw an opening to attack; then the Turk discharged his arrow, intending to lodge it in the shoulder of the other"s horse, the buckling attachments of the neck mail being always more or less imperfect. The Count interposed his shield, and shouted in Osmanli: "Out on thee, son of Isfendiar! I am thy antagonist, not my horse. Thou shalt pay for the cowardice."
He then narrowed the circle of his movement, and spurring full speed, compelled the Turk to turn on a pivot so reduced it was almost a halt.
The exposure while taking a second shaft from the quiver behind the right shoulder was dangerously increased. "Beware!" the Count cried again, launching his arrow through the face opening of the hood.
The son of Isfendiar might never attain his father"s Pachalik. There was not voice left him for a groan. He reeled in his saddle, clutching the empty air, then tumbled to the earth.
The property of the dead man, his steed, arms, and armor, were lawful spoils; but without heeding them, the Count retired to his banderole, and, amidst the shouts of the Greeks on the walls and towers, renewed the challenge. A score of chiefs beset the Sultan for permission to engage the insolent _Gabour_.