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Updated: June 28, 2025
"Ho, archers! shout and rend the skies, Bold archers shout amain Belsaye, Belsaye arise, arise! Pentavalon Beltane!" Then from tower and turret, from wall and keep and market-square a great and joyous shout was raised a cry fierce and loud and very purposeful, that rolled afar: "Arise, arise! ha, Beltane Pentavalon!"
It did not even vex him that a wretched mulatto might be whipped in the market-square for laying his hands upon a white man, and that if he was a negro-slave he could be shot for the same liberty. It all belonged to the abnormal conditions of an island where black and white were in relations impossible in the countries from which the white man had come.
I know that, to avoid this row of burning cotton-bales, I had to ride my horse on the sidewalk. In the market-square had collected a large crowd of whites and blacks, among whom was the mayor of the city, Dr. Goodwin, quite a respectable old gentleman, who was extremely anxious to protect the interests of the citizens.
Now and again Actæon went to the city in the morning to stroll through the porticos of the Forum listening to the newsmongers with the curiosity of a Greek accustomed to the grumblings in the Agora. He noticed extraordinary stir in the great Saguntine market-square.
I found myself wrapped in one of our blankets, lying under the handcart. It was the market-square of a little town. And there were many old men and women and children, refugees like me. I rose and found a paper a leaf torn from a notebook fixed to the handcart. It was from the officer, bidding me farewell.
Soon I began to pick up the strange chatter of the birds and to understand the funny talking antics of the dogs. I used to practise listening to the mice behind the wainscot after I went to bed, and watching the cats on the roofs and pigeons in the market-square of Puddleby.
Their centurions, to the number of eighteen, stood together on the stone platform from which orators were accustomed to address or harangue such crowds as might assemble in the market-square. Before it we packed ourselves as closely as we could, eager to hear. About us idled the soldiery not occupied in guarding the approach to the square.
Mule-drivers cried "Balak" in tones that seemed to sing; gunsmiths and saddle-makers sat idle at their doors, greeting every one that passed; solemn Talebs stood in knots, with faces that shone under the closed hoods of their dark jellabs; and the bareheaded Berbers encamped in the market-square capered about like flighty children, grinned like apes, fired their long guns into the air for love of hearing the powder speak, often wept, and sometimes embraced each other, thinking of their homes that were far away.
It did not even vex him that a wretched mulatto might be whipped in the market-square for laying his hands upon a white man, and that if he was a negro-slave he could be shot for the same liberty. It all belonged to the abnormal conditions of an island where black and white were in relations impossible in the countries from which the white man had come.
Let the under-officers stand on the flanks and rear. So! 'tis smartly done for a first venture, though a good adjutant with a prugel after the Imperial fashion might find work to do. Whilst we were thus rapidly and effectively organising ourselves into a regiment, other bodies of peasantry more or less disciplined had marched into the market-square, and had taken up their position there.
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