Forty Days of Musa Dagh (42 page)

 

 

Down in the valley the thought of the Damlayik had seemed a release,
since in bitter need the prospect of any kind of change works as an
assuagement and a cure. But now they were firmly ensconced, the healing
thought no longer sustained Gabriel. He had the sensation of having been
hurled out of space and time. No doubt he could keep the inevitable at
arm's length for a few seconds, yet in exchange he had had to sacrifice
the hundred cracks and loopholes which chance presents. Had not Harutiun
Nokhudian made a wiser decision for his flock? An icy compulsion had hold
of Gabriel. What an unforgivable sin against Stephan and Juliette! Over
and over again he had let slip the moment of escape, nor once seriously
tried to shake Juliette out of her fool's paradise, though he had known,
even on that March Sunday, that the trap was closed. Violent giddiness,
sudden emptiness in his head, succeeded this incredible feeling of guilt.
The two horizons, land and sea, had begun to swirl. The whole earth was
a twirling ring, and Musa Dagh its dead, fixed focus. But the true center
of that focus was Gabriel's body, which, high though it stood, was in
reality the lowest point of rigidity above which swung this inescapable
vortex. All we ask is to keep alive, he reflected horror-stricken.
Instantly there followed the still thought: "But -- why?"

 

 

Gabriel rushed down to the Town Enclosure. The separate committees of
the Council were sitting already, since the myriad tasks of the first
day were not yet apportioned. He insisted that every active person,
man or woman, should set to work instantly on the trenches and outposts
already begun. This whole line of defences must be as good as complete
by tomorrow evening. Who could tell whether the first Turkish assault
might not be delivered within two days? He had to keep on urging again
and again that defence, and all that appertained to it -- the sharpest
fighting discipline -- must take precedence of all other things. Since
they had chosen him to lead their resistance, it followed as the inevitable
consequence that he must be given a free hand, not only over the front-line
fighters, but the reserve -- that is to say, over fighters and workers --
the whole camp. Pastor Aram, who was unfortunately very touchy,
kept saying that it was equally urgent to control the inner life of
the community. At present it was all chaos -- each family jealous of
the living-space assigned to every other, and the separate communes
equally dissatisfied with their camping-ground. Bagradian seized on the
pastor's words. There must be no such thing as dissatisfaction, this
was a state of acute emergency. Grousers must be dealt with out of hand,
and ruthlessly punished. Kebussyan and the other mukhtars at once began
siding with the pastor. Even Dr. Bedros Altouni obstinately insisted that
the bodily needs of the people were the first thing to be considered,
that work on the hospital hut must be started at once, so that the sick
might not get any worse. Then, one after another, teachers and mukhtars
made rambling speeches -- each on the particular urgency of his own
particular job. Gabriel perceived with terror how hard it is to get a
deliberating body to pass the most essential and obvious measure.
But the constitution he had given them soon proved its efficacy.
Ter Haigasun had the necessary authority to determine undecided cases.
He made such skilful and unobtrusive use of it that their counsels had soon
ceased to be troubled with dangerous and confusing suggestions. Gabriel was
perfectly right. Everything else must give way to the work of defence.
The rules of discipline laid down several days ago by the council must
be read out instantly to the decads and, as from that moment, come into
force. Everyone owed unconditional obedience to the chief. He had the
definite advantage over all the other representatives of having learned
to know war as a front-line officer. The Council therefore must give
him complete authority in all which might concern defence, fighting
preparations, and camp discipline. Gabriel Bagradian and the members of
his Defence Committee were in no way bound to submit their decisions to
the General Council. Pastor Aram Tomasian had been given a seat on that
committee, and Gabriel on the Committee for Internal Discipline, so that
unnecessary friction might be avoided. And naturally the commander must
have his own powers to inflict punishment. He must be able to deprive
recalcitrants and lazy people of their rations, have them put in irons,
punished with the bastinado, mild or severe, as he might see fit. Only one
punishment -- death -- remained at the sole discretion of Ter Haigasun,
the Council having unanimously endorsed it. Every inhabitant of the camp
must be made to realize, from this first hour, the seriousness of a war
situation. The chief tasks of the Camp Committee would be to provide for
strict law and order, to make these difficult circumstances seem natural,
and to direct every effort towards the development of a normal, ordinary
daily routine, just as much up here as down in the valley. Ter Haigasun
kept stressing the words "normal" and "everyday." On these unobtrusive
powers, more than on any deed of heroism, would depend the strength and
duration of their resistance. So that not one pair of hands must be left
idle. Not even children must be without their regular work. No holiday
wildness should encroach on this life-or-death struggle. School must
still be taught in a place assigned to it, and in as disciplined and
serious a manner as ever. Teachers, as they came off duty, must take
their turns in holding classes. Only unremitting work, concluded the
priest, would enable people to sustain this life of deprivations.
"So get to work. Let's waste as little time as possible on talk."

 

 

The mukhtars assembled their communes on the big square before the altar,
already marked out as the Town Enclosure. Bagradian ordered Chaush Nurhan
to form up the eighty-six decads of his first defence. That tyrant of
recruits soon had them drawn up in front of the still unconsecrated
altar, in neat square formation. Ter Haigasun climbed the altar tribune,
a broad space raised fairly high above the square. He asked Bagradian,
but no other leader, to stand beside him. Then he turned to the men and
in a resonant voice read out the rules, as taken down by Avakian. These
he supplemented with a few threatening words of his own. Anyone who
disobeyed, or set himself up against his chief would bring down instant
punishment on himself. Let all newcomers from Turkish barracks take
that to heart. It was not an understood thing that they should be taken
into camp and fed out of communal supplies. It was an act of brotherly
kindness by the communes, of which they would have to show themselves
worthy. Ter Haigasun took up the silver crucifix from the altar and
came down into the ranks, along with Gabriel. Slowly he administered
the oath. The men had to repeat, with uplifted hands:

 

 

"I swear before God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost that I
will defend this encamped people to the last drop of my blood; that
I subordinate myself to my commander and all his edicts, in blind
obedience; that I acknowledge the authority of the elected Council of
Leaders; that I will never leave the mountain for my own purposes --
as God the Father shall help me to my salvation."

 

 

After this oath had been administered, the front-line men marched behind
the altar. The eleven hundred reservists, men and women, divided into
twenty-two groups, took a shorter oath of obedience and willingness
to work. This reserve shouldered the main burden of entrenchment and
camp-building. It had nothing with which to ward off an attack but
those scythes, pitchforks, and hammers which it had carried up with
it from the valley. Lastly the three hundred adolescents, the "light
cavalry," marched forward. Ter Haigasun made them a short speech of
admonishment, and Gabriel explained their duties as scouts, signallers,
and liaison-runners. He divided these youngsters up into three sections,
by "picking them out." The first were to garrison the observation
posts and concealed look-outs, and send a report every two hours to
headquarters. The hundred oldest and most reliable boys were chosen for
this very important duty. It would also be their job to post sentries,
day and night, on the Dish Terrace, to use their sharp young eyes
to keep a look-out for the smoke (vain hope!) of passing ships. The
second section were to do orderly work. This hundred must always be
somewhere about around headquarters, to take the commander's orders in
any direction, and keep him in touch with the various sectors of the
defence. Samuel Avakian was put in command of this corps of orderlies,
and Stephan enrolled in it. Finally, the third hundred were to be at
Pastor Aram's disposal, for general use about the camp and, for instance,
to carry rations out to the line.

 

 

This dividing up of the villagers by Bagradian instantly revealed its
advantages. The martial self-importance which swelled the breasts of the
various decads, the pricking itch to command, with which lower officers
were at once infected, the childish delight in forming ranks and playing
soldiers -- all these human traits served to veil completely, in the
beneficent ardor of a game, any deeply uneasy sense of the inevitable. As,
soon after this, the ranks marched off to trench-building, there arose
here and there, shyly yet stubbornly, the old workers' song of the valley:

 

 

"Days of misfortune pass and are gone,
Like the days of winter, they come and they go;
The sorrows of men do not last very long,
Like the buyers in shops, they come and go.

 

 

Gabriel summoned Chaush Nurhan and the heads of the most important decads.
But meanwhile Ter Haigasun had left the altar square for that of the Three
Tents, near a great well-spring. Sheltered on three sides by fern-grown
rocks and myrtle bushes, its beauty was a signal proof of how carefully
Juliette was looked after. Ter Haigasun asked to speak to the hanum
Juliette Bagradian. Since Kristaphor, Missak, Hovhannes, and the other
servants were all engaged in setting up the adjacent "kitchen square,"
the priest found only Gonzague Maris to take his message. That young man
was pacing rapidly up and down, as passengers walk for exercise up and
down the narrow deck of a liner. The Greek went to Juliette's canvas tent
and struck the little gong which hung at the entrance. But the hanum kept
them waiting a very long time. When at last she appeared, she asked Maris
to bring out a chair for Ter Haigasun. He refused to sit down, regretted
that he had no time to spare. He let his hands slip out of sight into his
wide sleeves, and cast down his eyes. What he said, in his stiff French,
was charged with formality. Madame's kindness was known to everybody. He
therefore begged Madame to honor his people by undertaking a special
duty. It was necessary that a very large white banner, with a red cross,
should be set up on the ledge of rock jutting out to sea, on the steep
side behind the mountain, to give any ships which God, in His mercy,
might choose to send them knowledge of their desperate plight. Therefore
the banner must bear an inscription in French and English: "Christians
in need. Help!" Ter Haigasun bowed as he asked Juliette whether, with
the help of some other women, she would be willing to get this banner
prepared. She promised; but tepidly, indifferently. It was queer --
the Frenchwoman seemed to have no inkling of the honor Ter Haigasun was
paying her, as much by his visit as this request, which he framed with
all possible courtesy. She had grown indifferent again to all things
Armenian. But when Ter Haigasun quickly left her, with nothing more than
a curt nod, she suddenly became very restless, and herself sought out
two big linen sheets, to be sewn together on the machine.

 

 

 

 

Gabriel insisted again, to Chaush Nurhan and the other platoon leaders,
on the need for the very strictest discipline. From now on let no one leave
his post without permission. Nor must any man in the front line be allowed
to sleep in the Town Enclosure with his family. Nights must be spent in
the trenches unless special leave were given by the commander. Bagradian
also set up his headquarters at a place where all could easily reach
him. There, every day, two hours before sunset, he would hold a session,
which every section and group commander must attend. He would be ready to
hear requests, complaints and denunciations, arrange for reinforcements,
and give out the following day's orders. That completed the broad outlines
of military organization. Now it would all depend on will and endurance
to get things going. Gabriel, map in hand, discussed the disposal of his
thirteen sections of defence. Three of these required larger garrisons --
the others were mainly strong observation posts, for which, provisionally,
one or half a decad sufficed. To the trenches and rock barricades of the
North Saddle, on the other hand, Gabriel assigned a skeleton force of
forty decads, with two hundred rifles in good repair. He himself was
to command this important sector. His immediate subordinate was Chaush
Nurhan, to whom the command of the positions above the ilex gully and
the task of general inspection were entrusted. His responsible duties
comprised especially the renewal of munitions and supplies and the proper
care of rifles. Chaush Nurhan had the invaluable faculty of being in ten
places at once, and had indeed made all his preparations for a workshop
and cartridge factory. All the necessary tools and material had been
carried up from his secret store in Yoghonoluk. All that now remained
was the question who should command the South Bastion. The garrison
of this most distant sector would be composed of fifteen decads. For
reasons already stated, deserters, both authentic and bogus, had been
detailed off to make up this force -- a very large one, considering
the fortress strength of the point. Provisionally these men were being
commanded by a reliable native of Kheder Beg. But Bagradian pursued a
definite object. Sarkis Kilikian was, after all, a gallant soldier, with
very recent trench experience in the Caucasus. He was both intelligent
and educated. He had suffered unheard-of cruelties from the Turks and,
if he still had anything like a soul in him, it must be parched with
an inhuman thirst for revenge. Gabriel therefore intended to keep a
sharp, provisional eye on Kilikian, and entrust him with this command
if he proved satisfactory. He hoped that this might not only release a
valuable force, but give him full power over the deserters, unreliable
people in the main. So, when the decads marched off, he had kept back the
Russian. All this while Kilikian had stood scrutinizing Gabriel, with a
kind of rigid detachment that seemed too bored even for insolence. This
figure, emaciated by slavery in the oil fields, by jails, by a hundred
gruesome adventures, clothed as it was in earthy rags, and the face like
a young death's-head stretched with tanned hide, looked aristocratic,
imposing, in spite of everything. Since he never once turned his light,
contemptuous, observant eyes away from Bagradian, he may have sensed
a kind of respect even in this pampered, well-dressed "boss." Perhaps
he mistook for simple fear what in reality was the tribute to his own
indescribable fate and the strength that had managed to surmount it.
But his very inkling of a fear, in conjunction with the appearance of this
bourgeois, who could never in all his life have known a second's real want,
degradation, terror, aroused all the malice in Kilikian. Bagradian called
sharply, like an officer, to him: