Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-02-20

began 10 reflect on the best means to
be employed of getting rid of this terri
bic head. Following the example Of
the tailor's wife, he determined TO pass
it over to neighbor. To execute this
determination, it was necessary that
the father should assist him, and the
following was the plan pursued:
At the turning of the street in which
the baker resided there stood a BARRIERS
shop, and it was to him the head was
destined. AS pretext, the baker first
went to the barber with an invitation to
take walk with him, while the son
followed his father at little distance,
carrying the head hid underhis mantle,
and entered the shop, he moment the
barber and4lis father had left it. On
the chair, where the BARRIERS customers
were wont to seat themselves, he plac-
ed piece Of wood ofthe size Of hu-
man body, on which he planted the
head and tied a shaving cloth over the
wood which he had enveloped in an
old frock. On returning, the barber,
casting his eyes on the figure, thought
that it was customer awaiting him.
"You are very early" he exclaimed.
Finding thatno answer was return
| ed, he continued; "Ah! ah! l see now
he is dumb"
With this exclamation, he prepared
the necessary articles, and placed him
self, secHnd,tm oqtum, tocommence his
shaving operation. AT the first touch
of his hand, the head lost its equilibri-
UNI, and fell rolling to a corner of the
shop. Astonished at this, SO unex-
pected an event, the barber though ter
ri6ed at the moment, was less so than
the tailor. After short time spent in
consideration, he took up the head and
commenced to examine it. By asmall
tuft of hair that grew on its crown, he
recognized it as belonging to Mussul-
man, which stimulated him tothe same
desire as that of its preceding posses
sors-that of promptly getting rid of it.
Placing therefore the head under his
mantle, he bent his way towards an
eating house, kept by Greek, who
lived few doors from him, and where
he often went to take his meals.
"Landlord," he exclaimed on enter
ing, Gas this day is not one Of fasting,
prepare me good piece &C roasted
mutton and dish of good rice
! After giving this order, the barber
strobe into the back shop to light his
pipe, when siezing an opportunity, he
hid the head under quantity of pieces
of meat that were piled on the table,
and then left the room. A Few mo-
ments after, the master, in preparing to
arrange the meat for cooking discover
ed the head. His establishment and
fear were even greater than the prece-
ding head bearers, and his situation
even more critical than theirs. If a
head was discovered at his house, there
was no doubt, in his quality of Chris
tian, he would at once be impaled.-
A prey to the most violent fears, and in
state almost bordering on madness,
he siezed the head, and rushing
forth from his house into the streets,
ran as if the demon was pursuing him.
Luckily it was not yet day. Fate con-
ductedhim to the quarter of the Jews
where he arrived out of breath. While
running along in haste he strnck him.
self against some object, and looking at
what thus impended his path, he re-
cognized, by faint CLEAN of flight, the
dead body of a man, the head of which
was separated from the trunk, and
placed between the legs. Such is
still the ignoble mode reserved for the
decapitated Jews, the Mussulmans en-
joying the honor of having the head
placed under the right arm until the
body is inferred. Misunderstanding
that no man, even Jew, can be pos
sessed Of two heads, the poor fellow
seized what he thought a favorable OPP
portunity ofgetting rid of his terrible
burden, by placing it close to, and in
the same position as, the other head,
and then quietly returned to his home.
! Day now began to appear in the
narrow streets ofConstantinople. The
Jews, aware that one of their number
had been decapitated the preceding
evening before their residences, did not
dare to go out, but viewed from their
windows with establishment the sight
of the two heads. At the same time
the Mussulmans, who commenced pas
sing along the streets, beheld them, al
so, with similar wonder; and soon an
immense crowd collected, which COM
pletely DISTRACTED the passage Of the
street. AT the repor. Of this tumult,