“Why, Mohammed Ali, to be sure, and his rascally Paymaster-General.”
“I had always heard,” said Hassan, “that Mohammed Ali paid his brave Bashi-Bazouks regularly.”
“He used to do so,” said the fellow sulkily; “but for eighteen months we have not had a piastre of pay. See, our clothes are all in rags, and we have nothing wherewith to buy a pound of tobacco or a little rice water.[[114]] Ali Bey and Osman Bey have petitioned and laboured for us in vain. But we will have our rights. Inshallah! we shall see something to-morrow.”
“Yes, our rights and our pay, or else blood and plunder!” said half-a-dozen rough voices around.
It is unnecessary to detail all that passed between Hassan and the mutineers; suffice it to say that he completely gained their confidence, and occupied himself during the remainder of the day in ascertaining the character and views of those who seemed the more influential among them.
It was not his purpose to attempt putting in execution the plan that he had formed until nightfall, when the gates would be shut and none could go out to give notice of his proceedings to Ali Bey, whose house was only separated from the palace by a walled garden. No sooner had that hour arrived than Hassan desired those whose confidence he had gained, including the men from Siout, to call together all the regiment in front of the guard-house, as he had something of importance to communicate to them, and guards on whom they could depend were placed at the front and postern gates to prevent the ingress or egress of any one unchallenged.
As soon as they were all assembled he said in a clear and sonorous voice, that was heard by the farthest of that rough and turbulent band—
“Comrades! some of you have known me personally, and most of you have heard of Hassan Ebn-el-Heràm: did you ever hear of him that he aided the tyrant to trample on the oppressed, or the rich to plunder the poor?”
“Never!” shouted a score of voices.
“Did you ever hear,” he continued, “that he was sparing of his blood or his money, or that he ever betrayed a comrade?”