nclines your hearts. Sentence me to life; I will
live, remembering your justice: condemn me to death; your will be
done! I will die innocent, Allah is my witness: I did what I could!"

A murmur arose among the people, as they listened to the new comer.
Some excused, others condemned, though all regretted him. "Every one
must take care of himself," said some of the accusers: "who can say
that he did not fly? He has no wound, and, therefore, no proof ...
but that he has abandoned his comrade is most certain." "Not only
abandoned, but perhaps betrayed him," said others--"they talked not
as friends together!" The Khan's noukers went further: they
suspected that the Ouzden had killed Ammalat out of jealousy:
"he looked too lovingly on the Khan's daughter, but the Khan's
daughter found one far his superior in Ammalat."

Sultan Akhmet Khan, learning what the people were assembling about in
the street, rode up to the crowd. "Coward!" he cried with mingled
anger and contempt to the Ouzden: "you are a disgrace to the name of
Avaretz. Now every Tartar may say, that we let wild beasts devour our
guests, and that we know not how to defend them! At least we know how
to avenge him: you have sworn upon the Koran, after the ancient
usage of Avar, never to abandon your comrade in distress, and if he
fall, not to return home without the skin of the beast ... thou hast
broken thine oath ... but we will not break our law: perish! Three
days shall be allowed thee to prepare thy soul; but then--if Ammalat
be not found, thou shalt be cast from the rock. You shall answer for
his head with your own!" he added, turning to his noukers, pulling
his cap over his eyes and directing his horse towards his home.
Thirty mountaineers rushed in different directions from Khounzakh,
to search for at least the remains of the Bek of Bouinaki. Among the
mountaineers it is considered a sacred duty to bury with honour
their kinsmen and comrades, and they will sometimes, like the heroes
of Homer, rush into the thickest of the battle to drag from the
hands of the Russians the body of a companion, and will fall in
dozens round the corpse rather than abandon it.

The unfortunate Ouzden was conducted to the stable of the Khan; a
place frequently used as a prison. The people, discussing what had
happened, separated sadly, but without complaining, for the sentence
of the Khan was in accordance with their customs.

The melancholy news soon reached Seltanetta, and th