“Cheer up, worthy8 Mousa!” said Iskander, lying his length on the green turf. “We have had a sharp ride; but I doubt not we shall soon find ourselves, by the blessing9 of God, in good quarters. There is a city at hand which they call Croia, and in which once, as the rumour10 runs, the son of my father should not have had to go seek for an entrance. No matter. Methinks, worthy Mousa, thou art the only man in our society that can sign thy name. Come now, write me an order signed Karam Bey to the governor of this said city, for its delivery up to the valiant11 champion of the Crescent, Iskander, and thou shalt ride in future at a pace more suitable to a secretary.”
The worthy Mousa humbled12 himself to the ground, and then talking his writing materials from his girdle, inscribed13 the desired order, and delivered it to Iskander, who, glancing at the inscription14, pushed it into his vest.
“I shall proceed at once to Croia, with a few friends,” said Iskander; “do you, my bold companions, follow me this eve in various parties, and in various routes. At dead of the second night, collect in silence before the gates of Croia!”
Thus speaking, Iskander called for his now refreshed charger, and, accompanied by two hundred horsemen, bade farewell for a brief period to his troops, and soon having crossed the mountains, descended15 into the fertile plains of Epirus.
When the sun rose in the morning, Iskander and his friends beheld16 at the further end of the plain a very fine city shining in the light. It was surrounded with lofty turreted17 walls flanked by square towers, and was built upon a gentle eminence18, which gave it a very majestic19 appearance. Behind it rose a lofty range of purple mountains of very picturesque20 form, and the highest peaks capped with snow. A noble lake, from which troops of wild fowl21 occasionally rose, expanded like a sheet of silver on one side of the city. The green breast of the contiguous hills sparkled with white houses.
“Behold Croia!” exclaimed Iskander. “Our old fathers could choose a site, comrades. We shall see whether they expended22 their time and treasure for strangers, or their own seed.” So saying, he spurred his horse, and with panting hearts and smiling faces, Iskander and his company had soon arrived in the vicinity of the city.
The city was surrounded by a beautiful region of corn-fields and fruit-trees. The road was arched with the over-hanging boughs23. The birds chirped24 on every spray. It was a blithe25 and merry morn. Iskander plucked a bunch of olives as he cantered along. “Dear friends,” he said, looking round with an inspiring smile, “let us gather our first harvest!” And, thereupon, each putting forth26 his rapid hand, seized, as he rushed by, the emblem27 of possession, and following the example of his leader, placed it in his cap.
They arrived at the gates of the city, which was strongly garrisoned29; and Iskander, followed by his train, galloped30 up the height of the citadel31. Alighting from his horse, he was ushered32 into the divan33 of the governor, an ancient Pacha, who received the conqueror34 of Caramania with all the respect that became so illustrious a champion of the Crescent. After the usual forms of ceremonious hospitality, Iskander, with a courteous35 air presented him the order for delivering up the citadel; and the old Pacha, resigning himself to the loss of his post with Oriental submission36, instantly delivered the keys of the citadel and town to Iskander, and requested permission immediately to quit the scene of his late command.
Quitting the citadel, Iskander now proceeded through the whole town, and in the afternoon reviewed the Turkish garrison28 in the great square. As the late governor was very anxious to quit Croia that very day, Iskander insisted on a considerable portion of the garrison accompanying him as a guard of honour, and returning the next morning. The rest he divided in several quarters, and placed the gates in charge of his own companions.
At midnight the Epirots, faithful to their orders, arrived and united beneath the walls of the city, and after inter-changing the signals agreed upon, the gates were opened. A large body instantly marched and secured the citadel. The rest, conducted by appointed leaders, surrounded the Turks in their quarters. And suddenly, in the noon of night, in that great city, arose a clang so dreadful that people leapt up from their sleep and stared with stupor37. Instantly the terrace of every house blazed with torches, and it became as light as day. Troops of armed men were charging down the streets, brandishing38 their scimitars and yataghans, and exclaiming, “The Cross, the Cross!” “Liberty!” “Greece!” “Iskander and Epirus!” The townsmen recognised their countrymen by their language and their dress. The name of Iskander acted as a spell. They stopt not to inquire. A magic sympathy at once persuaded them that this great man had, by the grace of Heaven, recurred39 to the creed40 and country of his fathers. And so every townsman, seizing the nearest weapon, with a spirit of patriotic41 frenzy42, rushed into the streets, crying out, “The Cross, the Cross!” “Liberty!” “Greece!” “Iskander and Epirus!” Ay! even the women lost all womanly fears, and stimulated43 instead of soothing44 the impulse of their masters. They fetched them arms, they held the torches, they sent them forth with vows45 and prayers and imprecations, their children clinging to their robes, and repeating with enthusiasm, phrases which they could not comprehend.
The Turks fought with the desperation of men who feel that they are betrayed, and must be victims. The small and isolated46 bodies were soon massacred, all with cold steel, for at this time, although some of the terrible inventions of modern warfare48 were introduced, their use was not general. The citadel, indeed, was fortified49 with cannon50; but the greater part of the soldiery trusted to their crooked51 swords, and their unerring javelins52. The main force of the Turkish garrison had been quartered in an old palace of the Archbishop, situate in the middle of the city on a slightly rising and open ground, a massy building of rustic53 stone. Here the Turks, although surrounded, defended themselves desperately54, using their cross bows with terrible effect; and hither, the rest of the city being now secured, Iskander himself repaired to achieve its complete deliverance.
The Greeks had endeavoured to carry the principal entrance of the palace by main force, but the strength of the portal had resisted their utmost exertions55, and the arrows of the besieged56 had at length forced them to retire to a distance. Iskander directed that two pieces of cannon should be dragged down from the citadel, and then played against the entrance. In the meantime, he ordered immense piles of damp faggots to be lit before the building, the smoke of which prevented the besieged from taking any aim. The ardour of the people was so great that the cannon were soon served against the palace, and their effects were speedily remarked. The massy portal shook; a few blows of the battering57 ram4, and it fell. The Turks sallied forth, were received with a shower of Greek fire, and driven in with agonising yells. Some endeavoured to escape from the windows, and were speared or cut down; some appeared wringing58 their hands in despair upon the terraced roof. Suddenly the palace was announced to be on fire. A tall white-blueish flame darted59 up from a cloud of smoke, and soon, as if by magic, the whole back of the building was encompassed60 with rising tongues of red and raging light. Amid a Babel of shrieks61, and shouts, and cheers, and prayers, and curses, the roof of the palace fell in with a crash, which produced amid the besiegers an awful and momentary62 silence, but in an instant they started from their strange inactivity, and rushing forward, leapt into the smoking ruins, and at the same time completed the massacre47 and achieved their freedom.
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1
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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2
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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3
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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4
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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5
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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6
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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7
disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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8
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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9
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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10
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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11
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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12
humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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13
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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14
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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15
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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16
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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17
turreted
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| a.(像炮塔般)旋转式的 | |
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18
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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19
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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20
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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21
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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22
expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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23
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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24
chirped
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) | |
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25
blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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26
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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27
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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28
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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29
garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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30
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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31
citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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32
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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34
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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35
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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36
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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37
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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38
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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39
recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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40
creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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41
patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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42
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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43
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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44
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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45
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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46
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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47
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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48
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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49
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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50
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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51
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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52
javelins
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| n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 ) | |
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53
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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54
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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55
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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56
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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58
wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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59
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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60
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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61
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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62
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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