CHAPTER XIV.
HOW ARGON GOT THE SOVEREIGNTY AT LAST.
When Argon heard the words of Boga he took them in truth for an untimely
jest, and replied with much bitterness of soul: "Good my Lord," quoth he,
"you do ill to mock me thus! Surely it suffices that you have done me so
great wrong already, and that you hold me, your lawful Lord, here a
prisoner and in chains! Ye know well, as I cannot doubt, that you are
doing an evil and a wicked thing, so I pray you go your way, and cease to
flout me." "Good my Lord Argon," said Boga, "be assured we are not mocking
you, but are speaking in sober earnest, and we will swear it on our Law."
Then all the Barons swore fealty to him as their Lord, and Argon too swore
that he would never reckon it against them that they had taken him
prisoner, but would hold them as dear as his father before him had done.
And when these oaths had passed they struck off Argon's fetters, and
hailed him as their lord. Argon then desired them to shoot a volley of
arrows into the tent of the Melic who had held them prisoners, and who was
in command of the army, that he might be slain. At his word they tarried
not, but straightway shot a great number of arrows at the tent, and so
slew the Melic. When that was done Argon took the supreme command and gave
his orders as sovereign, and was obeyed by all. And you must know that the
name of him who was slain, whom we have called the Melic, was SOLDAN; and
he was the greatest Lord after Acomat himself. In this way that you have
heard, Argon recovered his authority.
CHAPTER XV.
HOW ACOMAT WAS TAKEN PRISONER.
<+> (A messenger breaks in upon Acomat's festivities with the news that
Soldan was slain, and Argon released and marching to attack him. Acomat
escapes to seek shelter with the Sultan of Babylon, i.e. of Egypt,
attended by a very small escort. The Officer in command of a Pass by which
he had to go, seeing the state of things, arrests him and carries him to
the Court (probably Tabriz), where Argon was already arrived.)
CHAPTER XVI.
HOW ACOMAT WAS SLAIN BY ORDER OF HIS NEPHEW.
And so when the Officer of the Pass came before Argon bringing Acomat
captive, he was in a great state of exultation, and welcomed his uncle
with a malediction,[1] saying that he should have his deserts. And he
straightway ordered the army to be assembled before him, and without
taking counsel with any one, commanded the prisoner to be put to death,
and his body to be destroyed.
