He galloped into the town without opposition.  At every street corner he blew a long blast in the captured horn, and addressed some well-chosen remarks to the people assembled there, which scattered them in every direction.

At last he reached the Bezesztan, where every shop was closed.

“Open your shops, ye dogs!” thundered Abdi to the assembled merchants and tradesmen.  “I suppose your heels are itching?—­or perhaps you are tired of having ears and noses?  Open all your shop-doors this instant, I say! for whoever keeps them closed after this command shall be hanged up in front of his own shop-door!”

The shopkeepers, full of terror, began to take down their shutters forthwith.

From thence he galloped off towards the Etmeidan.

The great fishmarket, which he passed on his way, was filled with people from end to end.  Not a word could be heard for the fearful din, which completely drowned the voices of a few stump-orators who here and there had climbed up the pillars near the drinking-fountains to address the mob.

Nevertheless the resonant, penetrating voice of the horn blown by the Kapudan Pasha dominated the tumult, and turned every face in his direction.

Rising in his stirrups, Abdi addressed them with a terrible voice: 

“Ye fools, whose mad hands rise against your own heads!  Do ye want to make the earth quake beneath you that so many of you stand in a heap in one place?  What fool among you is it would drag the whole lot of you down to perdition?  Would that the heavens might fall upon you!—­would that these houses might bury you!—­would that ye might turn into four-footed beasts who can do nothing but bark!  Lower your heads, ye wretched creatures, and go and hide yourselves behind your mud-walls!  And let not a single cry be heard in your streets, for if you dare to come out of your holes, I swear by the shadow of Allah that I’ll make a rubbish-heap of Stambul with my guns, and none shall live in it henceforth but serpents and bats and your accursed souls, ye dogs!”

And nobody durst say him nay.  They listened to his revilings in silence, gave way before him, and made a way for his prancing steed.  Halil was not there, had he but been there the Kapudan Pasha would not have waited twice for an answer.

So here also Abdi succeeded in trotting through the ranks of the rioters, and so at last directed his way towards the Etmeidan.

By this time not only the caldron of the first but the caldron of the fifth Janissary regiment had been erected in the midst of the camp.  They had been taken by force from the army blacksmiths, and a group of Janissaries stood round each of them.

Abdi Pasha appeared among them so unexpectedly that they were only aware of his presence when he suddenly bawled at them: 

“Put down your weapons!”

They all regarded the Kapudan Pasha with fear and wonder.  How had he got here?  Not one of them dared to draw a sword against him, yet not one of them submitted, and everyone of them felt that Patrona was badly wanted here.