Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-28

In an instant the whirlwind enveIoped
Badrul Bey's troop IN such a cloud of
sand that no one knew which was for
ward or which was back. The air was
dark as pitch Not one of the horsemen
could see another through the cloud
which was so thick that even the light-
ming did not shine through; only YOU
could hear the thunder drawing nearer
and nearer.
Badrul Bey's horse trembled under
him. The storm tore his turban from
his head and stripped his little banneret
from his lance.
40 Cod! God of the Hungarians ~
muttered the negro, shaking his fist above
him at the skv. Thou hast taken the
part of Thine own people; but Thou canst
not deliver them from me!'
AS soon as the braggart chief had ut
tered this blasphemy something hard
struck him sharr on his shoulder, so that
his arm fell lame from the blow.
What was it?
A great block of ice, which did not
come alone: for after it heaven let loose
all it's thunder-stones, crashing and crack
ing Quick and hard. The misshanen
stones smashed down out of the sky
some as big as an egg; others like trans
parent nuts. or more like the head of Bad
rul Bey's own mace, studded with nails; ;
for a dozen Jumps would be frozen
together, so that wherever the heavy thing
fell it gave a murder0us blow The
lightning flashed from one end Of the skv
to the other; and, as the white plain was
piled fetIOck deep with blocks of ice
there was a groaning so loud that YOU
would have thought il was beinr crushed
by the fall Of the heavens.
allah Karin! Allah Ekberpn cried
out the disappointed slave-hunters, flying
wildly before the icy sling-stones, which
were banging down upon them with
horrid rage from every side, and which
they had never seen in their lives at
home The struggle Of their horses.
which were raging with terror, made the
alarm more horrible; and, if any one
kept up his courage for an instant, the
terrible lightning was too much for him
flashing here and cracking there, while
pouring down upon them the blocks of
ice, as millions Of diamonds and silver
stones poured down out Of the heavens.
"Allah is Allah; and there is no help
but in him." so cried the predestined
Turks as they rushed here and there.
wherever their horses carried them. A
part rushed to the forest which they had
just left; and there they were caught
among the trunks and trees which were
flung down by the gale; another part
pressed forward and so plunged into the
raging stream into which the swampv
brook had swelled in half an hour after
the breaking of the cloud. Some, who
tried to ride through the storm, kept all
the way in its path, and were hustled and
beaten by it for miles. When it had
spent its fury Badrul Bey could not rally
more than fifty of his 800 horsemen.
Some twenty Of them were MORALLY
wounded, lying here and there with
gaping wounds in their breasts, or with
their heads knocked in, or their ribs
broken. Many had been thrown from
their horses by the ice; others were
buried in it so completely that YOU could
hardly see hand. The whole plan
looked like a wilderness sown all over
with white and little pebbles, all so white
and so cold!
These sons of the palmy oasis Of EthiO-
pia had never seen ice before.
"WOndcrs upon WOnders!" said the
crestfallen Badrul Bey. "WhO can fight
against Heaven? This is strange God
whom these Hungarians serve; and He
works wonders to show His love Of them.
Allah preserve US from the wrath of the
strange GOdr'
And now he began to ask himself how
KuZuk Pacha would be satisfed-whether
he would believe him when he came back
with his troop so cut up, after he had let
the women escape him; and whether
KUzuk would believe in such a miracle
as none of them had ever heard of before.
He could not have any better voucher for
his words than to fill those very iron
bound chests which he had brought with
him for the jewels Of the Debreczin girls
full of the thunder sling-stones as they
had fallen from heaven. He would show
these to the PaCha to confirm his marvel
Gus story of misfortune.
So he filed four of the IRON bound
chests to their brim, and babe the men
swing them, two and two, over the backs
of the pack-horses which he had brought
with him. TOmake sure of his treasure he
locked the trunks himself, and kept the
keys, and sealed the locks with wax
Two weary days they toiled back be-
fore they came to GrOsswardein. Mean
while the wrecks of the shattered army
struggled together once more. Some had
broken bones; all were wounded or
bruised; there was not one who did not
show bruise or a scar.
Meanwhile, from morning till night,
the blazing sun sreamed down upon
them. Drop by drop the water trickled
out of the iron-bOUnd trunks, and dried
up as it came to the surface.
Arrived at Grosswardein, the black
Bey, with his lame arm and hang-dog
head, went ut once to Kuzuk Pacha, told
him his story, and waited in terror.
Kuzuk Pacha heard the story with
scornful face, and would not believe a
word of it. Badrul Bey ordered in the
iron-bound trunks and begged the Pacha
to see with his own eyes the sling-stones
which had fallen from heaven.
When the seals were taken off and the
locks were opened, there was not in any
of the trunks speck or a straw, not a
trace of one Of the sling-st0neS!
Badrul Bey tore off his clothes. cal
Iah, be gracious to me! The God of the
Hungarian has made the sling-stones dis
appear with which He struck down my
warriors"
Living coward" screamed the Pacha,
who did not believe one syllable of what
had been said; "geese often kill hounds;
and these hero-hearted women are more
than match for you"
So he hanged Badrul Bey outside the
door. There he swung till evening. But
he pardoned all the negroes who came
home with him; for the rest he cut off
half an ear Of each, and sent them to Bel
grade.
The women of Debreczin all came
home safe and sound. Kuzuk Pacha was
glad to let alone people who had treated
Badrul Bey so mercilessly; and from that
moment he held them in great honor