'
Karaguus, the black-eyed pigeon, brought tidings to the Queen of the
Ansarey, from her agent Darkush, that two young princes, one a Syrian,
the other a Frank, wished to enter her territories to confer with her
on grave matters, and that he had reason to believe that one of the
princes, the Frank, strange, incredible as it might sound, was one of
themselves. On the evening of the next day, very weary, came Ruby-lips,
the brother of Black-eyes, with the reply of her Majesty, ordering
Darkush to grant the solicited pass, but limiting the permission of
entrance into her dominions to the two princes and two attendants. As
one of these, Baroni figured. They did not travel very rapidly. Tancred
was glad to seize the occasion to visit Hameh and Aleppo on his journey.
It was after quitting the latter city, and crossing the river
Koweik, that they approached the region which was the object of their
expedition. What certainly did not contribute to render their progress
less difficult and dangerous was the circumstance that war at this
moment was waged between the Queen of the Ansarey and the Pasha of
Aleppo. The Turkish potentate had levied tribute on some villages which
owned her sway, and which, as he maintained, were not included in the
ancient composition paid by the Ansarey to the Porte in full of all
demands.
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