The Living Age 1859

Chrisna was still speaking when, from the
thickets which bordered the valley, from the
angles in the rocks, from the caverns of the
mountains, in every direction around them,
issued men of divers mien, arms, and costumes.
Some were coiffed with those tall, cylindrical
hats, forming an elbow after ibc fashion of a
stove-funnel, others with otter-skin caps, and
heavy bonnets borrowed from the fur of the
bear and lire wolf. These were draped in a species of Roman tunic, and carried long carbines incrusted with ivory ; those, clad in frocks of sheep-skin, had no weapon but a hatchet thrust through the girdle ; finally, from the jacket to the long pelisse, from the pistol and poignard to the espingole and long curved sabre, all dressed, armed according to their caprice or to the customs of their country, seemed to have been desirous of freeing themselves from the yoke of uniformity as well as from every other. There were Kousniaks, descended from the Carpathian Mountains, Tartars from Little. Cumania, people from the banks of the Danube and the Theiss, Serbs, Croats, Albanians, Dalmatians, Sclavonians. and even Montenegrins, mostly deserters from the military frontiers. There might also be distinguished among them by their university costume, contrasting by its simplicity with all the rest, some ancient Slavic students from Perth or Prasbourg. Preferring the condition of adventurers to that of soldiers, loving war, but not discipline, restive beneath Austrian dominion, they had risen on their own account, recognizing for chief and sovereign only him whom they had freely chosen, Pierre Zény, the Sclavonian, dignified by them with the pompous title of King of the Danube. These wretches constituted the remnant of those imposing bands which Zcny had formerly called the Slavic army and which according to his hopes, was destined to re-unite in a single nation after so many centuries of oppression, that great family broken into twenty different nations, from the shores of the Mediterranean to the banks of the Volga. Perceiving Chrisna extended motionless on the rock, and beside her a stranger, a knife red with blood in his hand, they thought murder had been committed and were lire- paring to seize the murderer when Zény came, who enlightened him on the true part played by the Croat in this affair. The Sclavonian brought pure and cool water in his large beaver hat, which he had folded in the shape of a horn……….

The spirit of Mexico abounds
amongst the boys. A distinct code of honour prevails
here. Treachery when discovered is rewarded.
Fire issuing from the windows and doors of one of the
small inns reveals the fact that the owner has been
weighed in the balances and found wanting. I was
told that the csikds drive away strange animals without
compunction, and at the first offensive word will kill
a man, if the fokos be in their hands. ” A fokos is an
instrument with the head of a tomahawk, and may be
used as a walking-stick: it is to the szegtny legtny
what the sword is to the soldier.” Another custom
is not without its interest . Supposing a csikds under
the influence of drink unconsciously betrays one of
his comrades, no sooner has the alcoholic spell spent
itself than he of his own accord goes to the court and
submits to the punishment. Again, there is the love-
duel. It sometimes happens that two men may fall
in love with the same girl. Report hath it then that
each go out into the terrible heat of the summer sun
to fight a death-fight. ” Each needs a sure eye
and a steady hand, for upon one throw of the lasso
life or death may depend.” The two best horses of
the herd are selected, and each man, ever watchful,
circles round and round awaiting his opportunity for
the final throw. To the mere watcher the apparent
unconcern of the combatants reveals much of character.
Men who act like this make great soldiers. The
hissing, the cruel hissing sound of the delivered lasso
is heard, and in a second it falls on the neck of its
victim, a cracking sound, a gurgle, then the brave
soul falls. He has loved and lost.