Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-03-24

W
came suddenly upon four men, two of !
them our old friends, who stopped |
! the way.
: Let us pass,' said Fred, in Tur-
| kish, or
"He had not finished the sentence
| before one of the Arnauts stepped
forward and snatched my watch
| chain. The next instant heard a dull
third, and he fell stunnedagainst the
rocks. / do not know what Fred
whispered in my ear, as he placed
me behind him, and stood at bay,
| looking, oh, SO splendidly handsome,
What followed seemed to my dazed
mind like magic. / saw three ruff
fans make their rush / saw Fred
put his right hand into his pocket,
draw it out again, and hold it towards
them. AS he did so | heard
slight click. At that sound and ac-
ton our assailants fell back, just as
the bad spirits in Il pantomime quail
before wave of the good fairy's
wand. What do you think the dear
clever fellow had done? Knowing
that with one to support for | was
foolish enough almost to faint, he
could not struggle against three, he
dropped the lion and assumed the fox.
drew out his pipe-case, snapped it to
initiate the cooking of a pistol, and
held it at the first Arnaut's face, say
ing that if he advanced one step hewas
a dead man. Luckily it was dark, 50
the stratagem succeeded to perfec-
ton. Fred lowered his hand, for fear
the trick might be detected, and retir-
ell in good order, half-carrying me,
until we got into the open road again.
I know what he whispered in my ear
then, and it gave me heart and
strength.
1.-The Arnauts followed us for a
little way, and then struck into the
wood and disappeared, eowed, poor
wretches. 10y leathern pipe-case -
"Ah, katey now l see why you
put it among your treasures, said
May. Dear old smelly thing, beg
your PARDON" she continued, adj
dressing the object of her former dis
dain.
"You have only heard half what
it saved us from that dreadful night, ;"
said Mrs. Katey.
30 dearie did they attack you
again ?''
mo. That danger was ut an end.
. We had another, perhaps greater, to
encounter.
Following the road, which we knew
now must he the right one, as we had
, been lured from it to be the more
. conveniently robbed and perhaps
, murdered, flor | heard that these
{ Arnauts were capable of killing a
i man for Il charge of POWDER we
, arrived without farther adventure
! at the village, where, moored to a
ricIety platform in front of the usual
r cafe, we saw four or five caiques. We
, chose the best looking, and the cal
) queiee was in the act of casting oil
: the rope which held it to the pier,
: when = man rushed out of the cafe
: with :; long knife in his hand, and
dared him ta take us. y violent
alteration, which from the express
/ sion on their faces and the gestures
! they used, | thought would any mo-
! ment end in murder, ensued. Al
! last an old Turk in a green turban
! interposed his authority, Che was
I | the scheik of the place and it was
explained to Fred that the man he
, had chosen must not take Us he did
g not belong to that landing; ii was
= his adyersary's turn We must hire
!, him. Fred did not like his looks he
. had the eye and the voice tas | was
r. told afterwards of an opium-eater
/, he was very dirty, too whereas
: most caiquejees are quite pictures o1
neatness and cleanliness, in theil
- white trousers and BrOusSa sill
| shirts. / felt a horror of him from
, the moment | had seen that long
cruel knife glittering in his hand
I but there was no appeal, no alterna
+ tive. 1t was Hobson's choice-hi,
J.. caique or none, and SO we took it.
at was what they call on the
: Bosphorous a two-oar caique but
! we should say il was rowed by double
H. l. Il
: dirty man with the long knife rOwed
stroke. And very well he pulled fol
= the first ten minuteS-SO well, thai
o most fmy,.nerVousness departed, anC
! | | began To think how soon, al the IA Il
: we were going, | should ever relieve
! poor dear papa's anxiety. But al
!, of Il sudden our stroke stopped row
: ing, gesticulated violently for few
: seconds, and then, burying his face
: in his hands, burst out crying. Tn,
: man in the bow rowed on quietly
. and took no notice of his partner
: He was probably accustomed to sucf
outbursts We were now in mid
: stream, where the current runs witt
. great violence, and il was with diff
! Guilty that the one rover could keel
= the head ofthe caique straight. Fred
seeing this, leaned forward eve dom
sit in caiques, you know, we lie dowr
y on cushionsl and told cur strok,
, kindly enough, to rouse himself and
= row. \ few words Missed out be
> tween his clenched teeth was tn,
reply, and felt fred's hand, which
. there is no harm in saying so now
= claSped mine, tremble little iii spite
:, of himself | now know what thos,
two words were-'CurSe forever be
;. these Giaour dogs, who defile theil
. women, bringing them unveiled in
il To public sight =
!, "rhen he Ilnelt, and began To say
4 his prayers. There was no doub
VI about il now. We were i'm the middl,
of the Bosphorus, at night, in eranl
n caique, at the mercy of a man rem
d dered frantically mad by opium.
II ''In the midst of his devotions h,
l. seized his sculls again, vowing tha
Il he would not serve Giaours, turned
T, the boat round by sheer strength
|. and made for the Asiatic shore w.
e were absolutely helpless. Niolenc,
II was out of the question. 1t requires
a some practice.to sit safely in a caique
Is Ia struggle in one is simply I,
IS upset il. Poor Fred, on whose fore
II head i could see the cold perspiratiol
:, standing i'm beads, tried persuasion
II He would give him double the pro
[, missed fare if he would go oil 10 The
e rapia. No answer.
e - Very WE'LL said Fred, go back
= and / viii take the other caiqUe.
have 8 right 10 do 80 now, as VOL
/ ~