The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-01-09
skin caps, and at their head was
Shahrookh Khan, with Seid Ali beside

skin caps, and at their head was
Shahrookh Khan, with Seid Ali beside
him.
I had Just time to notice q stone bal
cony on the further side, with curtain
of yellow silk before it, when the cur.
tain was suddenly drawn back, and
this is what I saw:
Seated cross-legged on a pile oi
cushions was q short fat man, with q
broad, heavy face, without sign Of
life in it except its small, restless black
eyes. He wore long blue robe and
pointed red cap, and his breast was
covered with medals. I saw the
makhram bow to the earth, and then !
knew that this dumpy little fellow was
the ameer himself, who was going to de-
eide whether should live or die.
"Is this the man ?" asked the ameer.
His voice was low and rather pleasant;
but, every time he spoke, one side of
his face twitched as if ierked with q
string.
"Your majesty has said it, answered
Shahrookh Khan.
The ameer looked hard at me for a
moment, and then clapped his hands
twice. Instantly a door few open in
the wall, and out came tall, gaunt,
hideous.lookirg black man, wearing
nothing but pair of white cotton draw
ers, splashed with blood, and carrying a
huge broad -bladed knife, just like a
butcher's chopper.
Then I thought all over, and settled
my face as firmly as I could, that the
unbelievers might not think me afraid.
But fancy it was only done to try me;
for the ameer, after watching me for a
moment to see how I took it, waved the
headsman back with his hand, and said
to the makhram. "Make proclama-
tion p
The makhram raised his arms, and
shouted thrice "Ooshar !" (attend) and
then went on:
"This is the command of Nasr' Ullah
Khan Bahadoor, the great ameer of
Bokhara: Seid Ali and the Oorooss
shall shoot three times OF a mark in his
maiesty's presence, and he who is beaten
shall be beheaded on the spot. May his
majesty live a hundred and twenty
years !"
This was more than the Persian had
bargained for, and when he saw that in
stead of getting me knocked on the head,
it was my life or his own, he looked no
happier than wolf in trap. However,
there was no drawing back now, and he
had Just to make the best of it.
They put down q little square carpet
in one corner, to show where we should
stand, and then they brought US coEple
of long Afghan rifles, with about dozen
cartridges each. In the midst of q dead
silence, with all those countless eyes
watching us curiously. we loaded our
pieces, and stood ready. ,;-''
Alltbis while there was no sign Of a
target; but suddenly Shahrookb KahiI
came forward with a small round sh5el5
Gust Big enough to coysr 20 ntan's
breast). with polished stone ip the
middle. Then he stationed two soldiers
IN the corner opposite ours, about three
feet apart, and passing light rod
through the strap Of the shield, rested
the two ends on their shoulders. This
was to be our mark-a target with living
supporters, who might be killed or not,
Just as it happened.
At sign from the ameer, Seid Ali
stood forth, and aimed 80 long and care
fully, that + saw he wasn't quite sure OF
winning. At last he let fly. There was
dull thud, and the shield rocked
violently. His ball had gone through
it pretty near the center, but without
touching the stone.
The ameer nodded, and stepped for
ward in turn.
knew that, with my own life for the
stake, I should be the shaker the long.
er waited, 80 fired the moment I got
my aim fair on the sparkle Of the central
stone. There was sharp crash, and
shower of sparks seemed to fly up from
the shield. I had split the stone
We loaded and fred again. The
Persian did better this time, but he was
still wide of the center. went wide of
it, too, but I managed to Craze the ring
that had held tho central stone, and that
was still good inch nearer than he
was.
Just then Icaught sight OF the ameer's
face, and grewsome sight it was. 1t
had flushed purple, and the great thick
lips were drawn back, showing his
sharp white fangs, like the teeth of
mad dog; and his cruel black eyes
looked at Seid Ali, as if they could see
the knife already at his throat. I saw
the same look on his face many a time
afterward, but it never seemed half 30
hideous as it did then.
And when I looked at Seid Ali, his
proud handsome face seemed to have
grown pinched and CHASTITY all of sud-
den, as if death were clutching it with
unseen fingers. It was pitiful to see
him trying to steady his hand for the
final shot, knowing that it was his last
chance Of life; but at last his gun went
off almost at random, and the bullet
struck fuH on the breast of one of the
target bearers, who dropped dead with
out cry.
The ameer waved his hand and
another soldier stepped forward, pushed
away the corpse with his foot, and laid
the end of the rod upon his own shoul-
der. The moment the target was
straight again, I fred, and went right
into the center.
The echo of the shot was still ringing,
when the headman's knife flashed and
fell, and Seid Ais head rolled on the
pavement, blotting the smooth white
stones with its blood.
"Een kari padishah hast ct is the
kings doing)i" cried the e1ecutioner,
holding up the head by its long black
beard.
The soldiers, with one voice, repeat
ed, "It is the kings doing"
And the ameer himself rubbed his