The National tribune., 1894-03-22
KHAN AND DERVISH.
An Historical Tale of Oriental Justice.
BY g. T. FERRISs.

Togrul, the grandson of the great conquero
| Timour. sat in the gate of justice to hear th
complaints OF his people.
Plainly robed in gray, amid swarm of goi
| geOus courtiers and mobiles. only great dia
| mond blazed in the Khan's turban. On hi
forefnger rested the mystical emerald cut wit
| unknown characters which Timour had wreste
from the last of the line of the ancient caliphs
This gem, it was believed, was the very tails
man by whose power Solomon, the Son o
David, had subdued the Kingdoms of the Jinni
weeping beggar knelt before the thron,
and kissed the hem of Togruls robe.
Justice, justice o Khan of Khans ant
ruler of the world" he cried, in tones of piercing
SORROW" in the name of Allah the Compassion
ate. Aziz the water carrier, my sons son, the
prop OF my old age and light of my eyes, the
most beautiful youth in Samarcand, was seized
even at the third hour, gagged and borne away
The leader of the ravishers, the people said
much beseemed a slave of the wazir's."
The face of Noureddin, the wazir, TogruPs
trusted minister turned pale at these words
By so much, too his masters face darkened
and the very beard of him twitched with
wrath. The spirit of his terrible grandfather
burned in his eyes.
"How is this. wazir!" he said. "Shall
the robbers of the desert obey the laws and
manstealing be done in the capital under the
very shadow of thy name? See that the guilty
wretches be seized and impaled. On thy head
be it. wazir, though thou vert the friend of my
youth"
Thy will be DONE" answered the wazir,
"Khan of the World, but think not it was thy
servants slave who did this evil; rather some
son of Sheitan, who shall howl on the stake
before two suns have passed"
NOureddin sat at meat with his master that
day. On the next morning TogrGl would
leave Samarcand for the retreat, where twice
- l,-N e.. f,-N
night.
There have been evil whispers about my
wazir." said the Khan. but Togrul the man
trusts the playfellow of Togrul the boy. See
thou rule justly in my stead till return"
Noureddin's father had been wazir before
him, and he himself had been loaded with
wealth and honor. Yet even now under that
smiling face was Matching foul plot to de-
throne and murder the master who had been
to him friend and brother rather than dispenser
of life and death. He had already won over
portion of the Khan's bodyguard with heavy
bribes.
Having the keys of the treasure chamber,
Noureddin now sent costly gifts of silk robes,
gems, armor, and 500 purses of gold to the
chief shaykh of the savage hordes of Merv.
On the morning of the third day troop of
Iurcoman horse stood at the outer gate of
the palace park, while Noureddin whispered
apart with Yacoub Beg the Captain.
Twelve hours Journey" said the wazir, sat
the second bend OF the Darya. small island
rises in midstream. There in a cave of the
rocks Togrul spends the days in prayer. Let
him pray henceforth in Paradise-and see thou
bring his head in token.
Slay him sleeping. and beware lest thou
ook OH Solomon's seal resting on the finger of
-he living man." continued the traitor, who
alf-beiieved tho legend of the ring, "fcr the
Iinni obey its call. Bring that at all hazards.
success wins thousand purses"