Chapter XII

See yon fair groves that o’er Amana rise,
And with their spicy breath embalm the skies;
Where every breeze sheds incense o’er the vales,
And every shrub the scent of musk exhales!
See through yon opening glade a glittering scene,
Lawns ever gay, and meadows ever green.

SOLIMA.

Kazim had the inexpressible pleasure to see Mangeli look once more like herself, when, refreshed by the food she had taken, she busied herself about her infant, whom she was feeding with some mare’s milk, which the kind strangers had given her. Towards noon, the great body of the caravan appeared in sight, followed by an immense number of horses, destined to be exchanged at Kabul for the cloths the sugars, the drugs and spices of Hindostan. As soon as the principal members of the caravan learned the sad intelligence which the horsemen told concerning the wanderers, who had nearly fallen victims to famine in the desert, a tent was pitched, in which rich carpets were spread, and assigned immediately to the use of Mangeli. A skilful female slave was also appointed to attend her, who administered to her such medicinal care as her situation required. The great body of the caravan moved forward, after having rested during the heat of the day; but a small party was ordered to remain behind, until Mangeli was in a condition to travel without pain or inconvenience.

In the course of a few days the young mother, invigorated by the hospitable care with which she was treated, found herself in a situation to afford her child an abundance of the nutriment most suitable to its tender age. The opening smiles of the infant began already to recompense her for the dreadful sufferings she had undergone; and when she joined the caravan, seated on her own quiet palfrey, which had also profited not a little by the change that had taken place, with the babe asleep on her bosom, and her husband riding a beautiful steed of Ferghana by her side, she felt as if their journey were already at an end; at least, that its toils and dangers were now over.

The desert was already passed, and the mountains of Kabul at length appeared on the horizon, like a lofty mural boundary stretching across the country from east to west. It seemed at first, as if no access could be found which would enable the traveller to ascend those heights, whose summits were lost in the clouds. But as they approached nearer to the mountains, and began gradually to climb the rising grounds, they found the formidable barrier breaking up into green hills, affording pleasant paths that conducted them by easy winding courses, with perfect safety, from the lower to the higher regions. Waters falling from the rocks sparkled on the eye, and cheered the mind by their music. The spirit of freedom breathed in the air around, and filled the heart with extacy, while from numerous copses broke forth the song of a thousand birds, whose varied notes formed an enchanting contrast with the awful silence of the desert.

It was the season when the citron-trees were in bloom, and the orange had already begun to look yellow through the green leaves by which it was sheltered from the scorching beams of the sun. The apple-trees had also put forth their ruddy and snow-white blossoms, which were mingled in beautiful profusion with those of the almond, the pomegranate and the peach. The declivities were every where decked with flowers, amongst which the tulip reared its graceful chalice, streaked with green and gold, while the purple convolvolus spread in elegant festoons from precipice to precipice. The Indian pink, the red and yellow rose, the sweet-briar, and the jasmine gave all their variety and fragrance to the scene, while the peacock displayed his azure neck, and unfolded his magnificent plumage, the flying squirrel went through his merry anticks, the green parrot chattered, the turtle-dove cooed, and the nightingale poured forth her melodies among the groves which crowned the adjacent heights.

As the caravan wound up the sides of the mountain, a caution was given to the whole body to keep close together, they being now on the borders of Kaferistan, a savage tract of territory, inhabited by tribes who have for many ages existed principally by plunder. Hiding in the recesses of their native rocks, they rush down suddenly on the defenceless traveller, from heights which he might deem only the abode of the eagle. Not content with robbing their victim of his merchandize, they deprive him even of his apparel, and afterwards tie him to the nearest tree, where they leave his bones to be bleached by the sun and the winds. Caravans they attack with more systematic preparation. They wait until the train involves itself among the most difficult passes of the mountains, or is obliged to halt during the night before the passes are entered. In the former case, they easily throw the whole line into confusion, by rolling immense rocks down upon the narrow defile: in the latter, they arm themselves with burning branches of the pine-tree, by which they are not only easily distinguishable from the party they assail, but which they use in addition to their double-edged axes, as weapons of the most formidable nature, setting fire to the tents, and affrighting the horses and other animals which fly for refuge to the heights, where confederates are stationed for the purpose of capturing all the prey they can find.

Upon the approach of night, therefore, orders were given for pitching the tents of the caravan on a declivity of the mountain, as near to each other as the nature of the ground permitted. The horses were collected together near the tents, and sentinels were established at some distance round the encampment, whose duty it was to give the signal of alarm, should they discover any movement on the heights above. The horses of Ferghana, which always found a high price and a ready market at Kabul, were particularly coveted by the Kafirs; and a caravan from that district seldom crossed these mountains without sustaining great loss--never without molestation.

Kazim’s recent experience in war, such as it was, gave his counsels some weight during the discussion of the different plans which were proposed for defending the caravan from the banditti. He suggested, that instead of waiting for their approach, measures should be adopted for attacking them before they could reach the camp, in case they should make their appearance; and under his superintendence arrangements were made, for the execution of which the nature of the country afforded peculiar facilities.

Towards midnight, a sentinel brought in word that he had just seen a light, which he had at first mistaken for a star, moving rapidly near the summit of the mountain. Kazim immediately divided his little troop into two parties, one of which he stationed in front of the camp, the other he led up to a group of plane-trees, where he directed his followers to procure the most shady branches they could find, and such as they could, at the same time, carry in one hand, without preventing the other from wielding the sabre. They had scarcely armed themselves with these rude shields, when the lights began to thicken on the mountain top, and all the sentinels returned from their posts, assured that the robbers were in motion.

By and by a stream of light descended the mountain, in a zig-zag course, now broken by intervening rocks, now hidden by the forests through which it partially gleamed, and now entering a ravine, where it seemed lost for a while in total darkness, save that a slight reflection in the sky still marked its course. At length, gathering together in a dense mass, like the torrent flood before it precipitates itself over the ledge of rock whence it falls in a sheet into the foaming abyss below, the whole appeared as one body of flame, rushing directly from the heights right upon the encampment.

Kazim’s party separated into small groups on either side of the path by which the outlaws descended, and holding the plane-branches before them, knelt down on one knee, prepared for action, should they be prematurely discovered. But the Kafirs passed through the columns, without suspecting that they left aught save shrubs behind them. As their torches already began to gleam before the tents, and to shew the multitude of horses in the lower ground, they leaped forward with an exulting shout, which shewed that they were much intoxicated with wine. They were, however, instantly precipitated upon a steady line, bristling with spears, which proved fatal to their front ranks. Those who were behind, seeing the fate of their companions, turned backwards for flight, when, to their amazement, they found the woods closing upon them on all sides. They stood horror-struck at the spectacle, their torches singled them out as they fled here and there, from what they deemed a supernatural enemy; they fell almost before they were sabred, for cruelty and fear, guilt and superstition, always lodge together in the same breast. When the morning dawned on that mountainside, it displayed a scene of retribution, such as the borders of Kaferistan had never exhibited before. The dead, each of whom had a leathern bottle of wine tied round his neck, were deposited in a hollow space, over which a pile of stones was raised, in order to warn future travellers of the dangers which the caravan had encountered, and to exemplify the effect of meeting such perils with the courage of men, rather than evade them by a base and criminal compromise.

The honours of the achievement were principally attributed to Kazim, who, however, modestly declined ascribing them to any merit of his own. They were due only to Allah, under whose protection the valour of the Ferghanese, and the justice of their cause, received their due reward. But his new friends, desirous of expressing their gratitude for his services, upon which they set a high value, assigned him as a recompense fifty of the best steeds which their herd afforded. These he might exchange at Kabul for money, or any other merchandize more suitable to his purposes. As he was destined for Lahore, which was still at a considerable distance, they hoped that the little wealth he might thus obtain, would enable him to perform the remainder of his journey with greater ease both to himself and Mangeli.

The caravan arrived in a few days after, without any further interruption, at Kabul, with whose appearance and situation Kazim was delighted. Ascending its lofty citadel he beheld the town, surrounded on all sides with extensive gardens, watered by streams directed through aqueducts from the distant hills. To the south stretched the beautiful lake of Kheirabad, animated by numbers of small boats in which groups of persons were amusing themselves by fishing, while others sauntered through green fields, stretching as far as the eye could reach, decorated by clusters of trees, and by fountains, whose waters sparkled in the sun. This fair scene, the usual resort of the people of Kabul on all holidays, contrasted strongly with the rude aspect of the mountains to the north and the east, which looked like a dreary waste: realizing, in every respect, the description of the Persian poet, who said of Kabul, that “it is at once a mountain and a sea, a town and a desert.”

Kabul was remarkably gay at this time, as it happened that the caravans from Ferghana, Turkestan, Bokhara, Samarcand, and several parts of Hindostan, met together in the marketplace, where bazaars were erected for the manufactures and produce of the different nations. Here were seen rows of white slaves from India, piles of cotton cloth, heaps of sugar-candy, common sugar, spices, and drugs; in another bazaar, gold and silver trinkets, beautifully wrought chains from Ceylon, diamonds, amethysts, emeralds, and precious stones of every description, were displayed for sale in their most tempting forms. Farther on, the carpets of Turkey, the sabres of Damascus, the coarse and fine cloths of Irak, and the rich shawls of Persia met the eye; while in all the open spaces in and near the town, men skilled in the art of displaying the excellences of the Ferghanese horse in all its points, were seen riding up and down before the dealers from all quarters of Hindostan, Persia, and Turkey, who bargained for the best animals they could find.

The market of native produce exhibited a magnificent display of the fruits of the cold and warm districts, which are within a few hours’ march of each other, among the Kabul mountains. Those in the former region send thither their walnuts, cherries, damsons, quinces, grapes, peaches, apricots, and pomegranates; while the latter were represented by the sugar-cane, the orange, the citron, the ambek, and the honeycomb teeming with its fragrant liquid. The bazaars abounded also in Kabul wine of the most delicious flavour, which too often induced the Turkish and Persian merchants to forget the salutary precepts of the Koran.