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Allah had been with him he was now raised to the rank of a ciaus-officer. The giant stood among the Janissaries and inquired in a voice of thunder: "Which of you common Janissary fellows goes by the name of Halil Patrona?" Patrona stepped forth. "Methinks, Halil Pelivan," said he, "it does not require much brain-splitting on your part to recognise me." "Where is your comrade Musli?"
"Can you not give me a handle to my name, you dog of a ciaus?" roared Musli. "I am a gentleman I tell you. So long as you were a Janissary, you were a gentleman too. But now you are only a dog of a ciaus. What business have you, I should like to know, in Begta's flower-garden?" "To root out weeds. The pair of you, bound tightly together, must follow me."
He could not hear a word of Musli's last demand. Musli drew nearer to him, and making a speaking-trumpet out of his hands, bawled in his ear: "Janaki I am talking about." "Yes, yes! I hear, I hear. You want him to be allowed to provide the Sultan's kitchen with the flesh of bullocks and sheep. So be it! He shall have the charge."
"'Twill be best," said he, "to gather together from among us our least useful members any murderers there may happen to be, or escaped gaol-birds for instance; call them Halil, Musli, and Suleiman, deck them out in the garments of Agas, Begs, and Ulemas, and send them to the Seraglio. Then, if we see them return to us safe and sound, we can, of course, go ourselves."
Musli was inscribed in the list as the Aga of the Janissaries, but he was too modest to speak of himself. "Don't trouble your head about me, Kabakulak, while there are so many worthier men unprovided for. We want the Khan of the Crimea deposed and the banished Kaplan Giraj appointed in his stead." "Very well, we will inform Kaplan Giraj of his promotion presently." "Not presently, but instantly.
"There is no occasion to fear anything," said Musli reassuringly. "Good counsel is cheap. We can easily find a way out of it. Before the business comes to light, we will go to the Etmeidan and join the Janissaries. There let them send and fetch us if they dare, for we shall be in a perfectly safe place anyhow.
There he remained standing in the doorway as if he were afraid or ashamed, till Musli rushed towards him and tore him away by force. "Be not cast down, muzafir, but snatch up a sword and stand alongside of me. No harm can come to you here. It is the turn of the Gaolers now."
An impatient group of Janissaries was standing round their kettle, which was placed on the top of a lofty iron tripod, and amongst them we notice Halil Patrona and Musli. There was very little of the huckster of the day before yesterday in Halil's appearance now.
And thou thyself wilt be a laughing-stock to the people, like the cock of the fairy tale who spitted and roasted himself." "Then thou art really resolved to go?" inquired Musli. "Well, in that case, I will go too." At these words the others also began to bestir themselves, and when they saw that Halil really was not joking, they accompanied him right up to the Seraglio.
In the hand of each one of them was a naked sword, and in their midst stood Musli holding aloft the half-moon banner. The people made way before them, and allowed Patrona to ascend the steps of the mosque, and when the blast of the alarm-horns had subsided, the clear penetrating voice of the ex-pedlar was distinctly audible from end to end of the great kalan square in front of him.
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