Harran

“ Without knowing it, Annixter had touched the right spring.
“I don't know but what you're right,” Harran murmured vaguely. His sense of discouragement, that feeling of what's-the-use, was never more oppressive. All fair means had been tried. The wheat grower was at last with his back to the wall. If he chose his own means of fighting, the responsibility must rest upon his enemies, not on himself.
“It's the only way to accomplish anything,” he continued, “standing in with each other... well,... go ahead and see what you can do. ”

“ Now the people of Harran number at this day over 4,000 souls of the Moslem faith; of men there are 1,900, and of the women 2,300. And some of them live in the city and some of them live without, in the villages. Now in the generations that have passed Harran was a great city of merchants ”

“ About an hour later, the two reached the ranch house, but as Harran rode up the driveway, he uttered an exclamation.
“Hello,” he said, “something is up. That's Genslinger's buckboard.”
In fact, the editor's team was tied underneath the shade of a giant eucalyptus tree near by. Harran, uneasy under this unexpected visit of the enemy's friend, dismounted without stabling his horse, and went at once to the dining-room, where visitors were invariably received. But the dining-room was empty, and his mother told him that Magnus and the editor were in the “office.” ”

“ A curious feature connected with Sin, is the occurrence of the name in Mount Sinai, in the wilderness of Sin, as well as in an inscription of Southern Arabia. May not this be a further testimony to the association of Harran with Sin, since it is from Harran that the departure of the Hebrews for the west took place? What more natural than that in the migrations which carried the Hebrews to the west, the worship of Sin should have been transferred to Arabia? [62] Important as Ur and Harran are as sacred towns, politically they do not retain their prominence after the days of Hammurabi. ”

“ But meanwhile the neighbouring powers, whose arms the King of Harran had defeated, as soon as they heard that Codadad was dead, banded themselves together in strong alliance, and with a great host began to advance upon the city. Then the King caused the execution to be postponed, and making a hasty levy of his forces went forth to meet the enemy in the open plain. And there battle was joined with such valour and determination on both sides that for a time the issue remained doubtful. Nevertheless, because the men of Harran were fewer in number they began to be surrounded by their enemies ”

“ By the Arabs it was called Raha, or Er-Raha, which owes its etymology to the same root, and by which name it is still known to the Bedooeen. This fact, together with the existence of Harran twenty-five miles to the south, and the plains of Serooj to the north-west, names evidently derived from the patriarchs, the former the brother, and the latter the great grandfather, of Abraham, (see Gen. xi. 22, 27,) go to prove that the whole of this district was comprehended within the limits of ancient Chaldea. ”

“ THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS
THERE formerly reigned in the city of Harran a most magnificent and potent sultan, who loved his subjects, and was equally beloved by them. He was endued with all virtues, and wanted nothing to complete his happiness but an heir. He continually prayed to Heaven for a child; and one night in his sleep, a prophet appeared to him and said: “Your prayers are heard; you have obtained what you have desired; rise as soon as you awake, go to your prayers, and make two genuflexions ”

“ Haran was the chief home of the moon-god Sin, whose temple was rebuilt by several kings, among them Assur-bani-pal and Nabunidus and Herodian (iv. 13, 7) mentions the town as possessing in his day a temple of the moon. In the middle ages it is mentioned as having been the seat of a particular heathen sect, that of the Haranite Sabeans. ”

“ He drew his huge cimeter, and summoned the pirate to yield himself prisoner, with all his slaves and the lady he was conducting. You know the end of this dreadful adventure and can foresee what would have been my fate had you, generous prince, not come to my deliverance.” As soon as the princess had finished the recital of her adventures, Codadad declared to her that he was deeply concerned at her misfortunes. “But, madam,” added he, “it shall be your own fault if you do not live at ease for the future. The sultan of Harran’s sons offer you a safe retreat in the court of their father ”

“ The references in the scripture narrative to Terah, the father of Abraham, as an idolator, and the Arabian tradition as a sculptor or maker of idols, is significant in these connections.
The destination of this family was Haran, at that time a Turanian city in northern Mesopotamia, [109] an important frontier station on the high road to Syria and Palestine, and the various roads to the fords of the Tigris and Euphrates.
The word Haran is from the Accadian, Kharran, “a road,” and was thus named for its position. It is said to lie in a region of exceeding fertility and beauty. ”

“ The brow of Harland was still contracted: a darkened passion rolled over his soul: his eye glanced to the Governor, who was conferring with the Marchioness and the Captain. Sir Henry read the tumult of his mind, and, drawing him aside, endeavoured to reconcile him to the Governor's commands.
"And what," answered Harland vehemently, "must Louise think? To be rescued from the hand of villany—perhaps of dishonour, by the hand of a brother, or menials, whilst he who nearly claims the name of Husband stands by like a dastard, in the moment of danger! ”

“ Harun replied, "Woe to thee, dog! whilst thou art the Chief of the Emirs shall this Wali, of men the meanest, come upon thy neighbours and oppress them and terrify them (these being women and without a man in the house) , and yet thou holdest thy peace and sittest in ease at home nor goest out to him and ejectest him by the foulest of ejections?" Presently the other replied, "O Prince of True Believers, but for the dread of thee lest thou say, 'This be the warder of the watch, why hast thou exceeded with him?' I would have made for him a night of the fulsomest, for him and for those with him. ”

“ Harlan was engaged in that pleasant pastime known as “pottering.” The instinct to drive nails, put up shelves, and to improve generally his local habitation is as firmly seated in the masculine nature as housewifely characteristics are ingrained in the feminine soul. Never before having had a home of his own, Harlan was enjoying it to the full.
Early hours had been the rule at the Jack-o’-Lantern 69 ever since the feathered sultan with his tribe of voluble wives had taken up his abode on the hilltop. Indeed, as Harlan said, they were obliged to sleep when the chickens did—if they slept at all. ”

“ Though the unfortunate girl I am afraid is too well secreted to be discovered by any means we can use."
"Drive me not mad, Sir Henry, by the supposition," said Harland; "rather encourage me with hopes, though delusive ones, than tear my heart by such a truth."
"Alas, Harland," answered Sir Henry, "I would encourage hope in you, but it is dead in my own bosom. Louise, I am afraid, is irrecoverably lost."
"I must not, will not lose her," cried the frantic Harland. "Ferrand, the villain Ferrand, too surely has her in his power! ”

“ Harland looked confused. The Captain returned the Marchioness's smile. "Harland, I believe, Madam, feels the force of the words you have uttered: and let their plain truth, George, recommend them to your consideration. Your character for courage has been long established: but that courage, if it lead you to revenge, degenerates to assassination; nor could I then regard you in a more respectable light than the hired Bravo! Too much blood has already been shed. Leave Ferrand then to the dictate of his own conscience for what he has done, and yield to the happiness which awaits you. ”

“ Harlan had no doubt that if he lingered in the vicinity of the covert long enough he would discover the place where the horse had been concealed. But that was not important, now that he had discovered enough to satisfy himself that there had been a spy—and so he rode on, smiling faintly, knowing that the rider was headed into the valley—possibly to the outlaw rendezvous to appraise Deveny and the others of his coming.
The trail was clearly defined, and there were places where it ran over broad levels of grass where he presented a good target to men who might be eager to send a shot at him. ”

“ Not a man moved as she climbed upon the back of the horse; it seemed to her as she urged the animal gently and slowly away from the men that they heard nothing and saw nothing but Harlan and Deveny, and that Harlan and Deveny saw nothing but each other.
She sent the horse away, walking him for a dozen yards or more, until he crossed the little level and sank into a shallow depression in the trail. Still looking back, she saw that none of the men had changed position—that they seemed to be more intent upon Harlan and Deveny. ”

“ He had been one of the chiefs in the arena where all the great State looked on at the combatants. The overlord had just given him soul-stirring proof of his affection, half in jest as Harlan realized, remembering the occasion for it, but it was none the less gratifying. Madeleine Presson had looked at him with strange, new interest in her gaze when the General spoke out. It had occurred to Harlan that it was not the same good-humored tolerance which she had so frequently shown in her past relations with the bashful woodsman. His unquiet grudge against Linton spiced the whole. ”

“ For Harlan was an outlaw—she could not forget that! He bore a reputation for evil that had made him feared wherever men congregated; and as she watched him it seemed to her that his face betrayed signs of his ruthlessness, his recklessness, and his readiness for violence of every kind.
He might not have killed her father—Rogers and Lawson had acquitted him of that. But he might be lying about the promise to her father merely for the purpose of providing an excuse to come to the Rancho Seco. ”

“ Harun asked his ministers, "What ought to be such a person's punishment?" One made a sign to have him put to death; another to have his tongue cut out; and a third, to have him fined and banished. Harun said: "O my child! it were generous to forgive him; but if you have not resolution to do that, do you abuse his mother in return, yet not to such a degree as to exceed the bounds of retaliation, for in that case the injury would be on our part, and the complaint on that of the antagonist.—In the opinion of the prudent he is no hero that can dare to combat a furious elephant ”

“ I've never met my mate before. I can stand it here on the rim of the world—but in the world itself—what then, Harrigan?"
They stepped apart, and the glance of the black eye crossed that of the cold blue.
"Ah-h, McTee, are ye dark inside and out? Is the black av your eye the same as the soot in your heart?"
"Harrigan, you were born to fight and forget; I was born to fight and remember. Well, I take no oath, but here's my hand. It's better than the oath of most men."
"A strange fist," grinned Harrigan; "soft in the palm and hard over the knuckles—like mine." ”

“ Because he felt that trouble would result from the meeting, Deveny had thrown Barbara from him.
He had instantly forgotten the girl. For when Harlan came up Deveny saw a gleam in his eyes that sent his brain to throbbing with those unmistakable impulses of fear which had seized him the day, in Lamo, when Harlan had faced him.
There had been a moment of silence when the two groups met; a stiffening of muscles and the heavy, strained breathing that, in men, tells of mental preparation for violence, swift and deadly. ”

“ Harland, therefore, had permission to visit as an accepted lover; the Governor, unapprehensive of any further danger respecting his nephew, readily consenting to free him from his interdiction.
With an exultation he neither strove [Pg 242] to repress, nor wished to conceal, Harland received the intelligence of his enfranchisement, with the Marchioness's invitation; nor would the Captain, by unnecessary delays, add to his impatience to behold Louise. Sir Henry was with his sister; the Captain and Frederick therefore accompanied him to the Marchioness's. ”

“ Sir Henry started up to accompany him.
"This madness must not be," said the Captain, detaining them. "Though suspicion points at Ferrand, you are not certain he is the aggressor; and if he be, it is to the friendship of his uncle you [Pg 247] must look for redress: do not then, by an avowed act of violence, induce him to espouse the cause you want him to condemn. But here comes the Governor; and I beg, Harland, you will at least restrain your passion, and hear his opinion, before you determine on your procedure." ”

“ And through it all he had been able to maintain his poise, his self-control. The reputation he had achieved would have ruined some men—would have filled them with an ambition to fulfil the specifications of the mythical terror men thought him. There was a danger there; Harlan had felt it. There was a certain satisfaction in being pointed out as a man with whom other men dared not trifle; respect of a fearsome equality was granted him—he had seen it in the eyes of men, as he had seen an awed adulation in the eyes of women. ”

“ I'll go home, and tell the news to Christine. If it kills her, you know who'll have to answer for her death.” Thus far, the old man had spoken with great self-control; but here, suddenly, he forgot himself.—“But, by God,” he thundered out, “if it does kill her, I—I'd rather have it, by God! than have her married to you, now that I know what you are, you damn, miserable, white-livered Jew!”
With which, he stalked from the room; and next moment the street-door slammed behind him.
“Well, now, Elias,” said the rabbi, “now it's all over for good and all.”
“Yes, I dare say,” replied Elias ”