Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/454

Seracens had to pass in returning from one of their excursions, in which they had taken a number of prisoners. Here they attacked and massacred a great number of them, and released their captive countrymen. Before, however, they had time to make good their retreat, they were surrounded by other detachments of the enemy, and after a brave resistance were obliged to surrender. On being taken to Bulah, he ordered them to be dreadfully tortured and then martyred, by cutting of their heads. Among these gallant, but unfortunate Armenians, were George of the tribe of Akies, and Khosrove of that of the Gabeliens, whose bodies after their death were noticed to possess many miraculous properties. Shortly after this, the governor dispatched troops to the provinces of the Seunies and Sisakans, there to act the same horrors as they had done in the other parts of Armenia. He gave them particular directions to seize all the nobles of these provinces, and especially Vasak the chief of the Sisakans, and Ashot his brother, the sons of Babken. The chiefs, on hearing this, retired into impregnable forts in the province of Balas. Vesak, however, having delayed rather longer than the rest, was surrounded by the Saracens, but by a little stratagem succeeded in escaping from them. On their discovering his flight, they pursued him