The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-05-27

to be brigands and who reinforce theil
ranks Immense precautions are taken by
the robbers against surprises. In the fine
weather they come down from their strong
holds amongst the rocks and evergreen
olives to the more sheltered country, to re-
tire again in the winter They ALWAYS
travel by night proceeding in file through
the open country; never through the mar
row passes, for fear of ambushes. The
smallest object, the faintest sound, startles
them and down they drop flat on their
stomachs till their confidence is renewed
A tree waving in the breeze, or the rustic
of dead leaves as they walk over them
shoeless for fear of noise, is often enough
to cause one of these panics. Before strart-
ing on any of these journeys they always
appoint rendezvous in case of separation.
Their scouts go on in front driving horses
or oxen, and habited as drovers. Under
their shelter follows the main body, peep
ing constantly beneath the cattle to see if
an enemy is approaching; and behind
come the vanguard, who, if anything is
amiss, whistle like night-bird, and the
band disperses.
From very horrid reason, it is said that
the crows are the best detectives of the
robbers. When the band are camping in
marsh, the clothes, owing to their I'M
clearly habits, emit so strong smell, that
the crows, imagining it to be carrion,
collect in swarms, and hover above them,
so that the soldiers are often guided to the
spot by seeing the dark cloud in the air.
There is regular system of treating
for the ransom of the captives. A letter
is first conveyed by the robbers from the
captive to his friends. This generally con-
tains safe conduct for the messengers who
shall be chosen to go to the robber camp
and treat, and plan marking out certain
places he must stop at. He travels by night,
on a white horse, and carries a small bell,
which he rings at certain convenient and
solitary situations, where he is answered by
shrill whistle if all is well. Unless the
whistle is heard he must not go on-and
the whole plan is so arranged that the
man himself does not know where he is
finally going to, so that it is impossible
for the authorities to discover the brigands'
haunt thereby. At certain spot the rob-
bers meet him, and take him into the pres
ence of the chief. Then regular bargain
ing is commenced. The chief names a sum.
which the messenger, if he is man of de-
termination, and represents we'll the insult
ficient means of the captive, can often get
reduced. When the bargain is finally
struck, the messenger goes back for the
money by a different road to that he came
by, and returns with the same ceremonies
and precautions. The ransom is delivered
to the chief in presence of all the band,
who light taper and examine the coins
to see If they are good. The captive is
then brought in, loosed from his ropes,
his beard cut off, and then he is kissed by
each robber on the cheek, whilst they all
cry out several times "Kallali ~ that is to
say, "Begone, and be of good health"
Should the robbers be besieged during
the time of the bargaining, both captive
and ransom are destroyed.
The robbers great object is to terrify
the people into bringing sufficient ransom
therefore, when it is deficient, OR the cap
tive is too poor to pay at all, the most hor-
rlble crueltles are practised. There are
several such cases known to have occurred
quite lately. One man, whose ransom was
short ofthe sum named, was tortured, strip
ped naked, and slowly burned with
lighted fuse to such an extent that he can
never recover. A boy of fifteen had his ear
cut off from the roots because hundred
drachmi of the ransom was wanting. But
the most terrible account of all was as fol-
lows: Three peasants had been taken pris-
oner. Two of them were enabled, by the
sale Of their oxen, to make up sum suffi-
cient to content the brigands. The third
was poor man, and could pay nothing
He was condemned to death. He fell at their
feet praying for mercy. "The law forbids
it, was the answer. Lots were drawn as to
who should be the executioner, and it fell
to the chief The chief led him out, and
compelled him to dig his own grave, stand
ing over him dirk in hand, and occasionally,
as the peasant hesitated over his task,
sharpening il on an instrument usually en-
ployed for lighting the fires. When the
grave was dug the man tainted; but recov-
ering, and trembling all over like fish,
again knelt down, crying, "Spare me,
brothers, for my children's sake" He
might as well have prayed to stone. The
chief seized his long hair in one hand, with
the other made six thrusts at his neck, and
finally threw the body into the grave,
Then the other captives had to cast in
earth and bury him.
1t would be impossible to believe that
such atrocities could be carried on without
the conniyance of government. Such has
been limited to be the case-whether with
truth cannot be positively ascertained.