The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-01-19


Of cloud scudded swiftly along, ever
and anon scattering down white pow
derry hakes--the first snow Of the win
ter. When he had stridden along, with
his head bent 70 the blast, for about
half an hour the sky grew lighter, and
the first streaks Of dawn were visible in
the east. Almost at the same time he
saw, not 20 yards from him, a figure
which caused him TO crouch down
among the long grass. Unless the I'M
certain light deceived him, mounted
soldier! The increasing dawn soon
showed that he had done well to conceal
himself, for the misty object resolved
itself into Bashi-bazouk vedette.
There he sat, with the butt Of his car
bine on the pommel Of his saddle, and
his back to tie blast, man and horse
motionless As IN equestrian statue; all
the more alert and soldierlike, perhaps,
because he would be soon called In, and
his superior officer might be expected
to make his appearance every minute.
What did 1t mean, these Turkish sol
diers being in the neighborhood, and
taking the precautions Of men in pres
ence Of an enemyp Had the insurgents
met with success? Had the insurrec-
ton spread? An officer and three men
rode up, fortunately from the opposite
side to where Stephan lay hid, and the
solitary horseman joined them.
" What nest Of infidels lies yonder Pr
asked one, as they rode on.
"vissa.n
"When shall we teach those Giaours
a lesson, CaptalnP"
"We shall see; perhaps tomorrow
or next day, il you behave yourselves.
Trotl"
1t is impossible to describe the hor-
ror which seized Stephan when he heard
these words. When he rose from his
place Of concealment you would have
thought that he had seen ghost.
The friends, the playmates OF his
childhood, the priest he honored, the
little toddling things who knew him
and ran out for frolic, lisping his name
when he passed by-above all, Marie
at the mercy Of those fiends!
All idea Of pursuing his Journey van
ished from his mind; his only thong at
was to save her he loved.
Thodoraki Durham was much sur
prised that morning when he was inter-
rupted in the operation Of breaking in
young colt by the apparition Of Ste
phan, whom he had thought far away
by that time, breathless and excited.
When he heard the young mans story
he looked very grave; and indeed his
mind was sorely perplexed. The risk
of remaining he knew to be great, but
then, on the other hand, TO fly was ruin.
He had q store of boarded cash which
he could carry with him, it is true, but
his chief possessions were his fiocks, his
herds, the contents Of his granaries,
and all these must be left behind.
Stephan was doubtful what to do
about warning the neighbors. A gen.
eral stampede would at once be OBJ
served, and the retreat of those he
cared most for cut off without any good
being done to any body. And vet h.
could not bear TO leave them all to their
fate without word. So he sought the
papa and confided what he had seen
and heard to him, so shifting the re-
sponsibility. What use the papa made
OF the information, however, can never
be known.
At nightfall Thodoraki Durham and
Stephan put the two best horses into
the lightest cart, which they loaded
with the most valued of such goods as
they could carry with them. The
mother and daughter then got in, and
the fugitives set out, as quietly as might
be, for the mountain track they knew
Of.
They were fortunate enough to reach
the Servian Territory without adven-
ture. Marie and her mother were safe
ly provided for, and the father and the
lover both joined the Servian army.
Here they soon learned that their
flight had not been q rash and unneces-
sary act Of pusillanimity. The village
had been sacked, and what that means
every body must know pretty well by
this time. 1t does not matter what the
period is or what the nationality, unre-
strained military successes are always
the same. When there Is any mitiga-
ton it is purely the result Of discipline.
The papa, . widower and childless,
was slain on the threshold Of the desc
Grated church.
Should Stephan survive the present
and renew his suit for the hand
Of Marie, he will not be objected on the
ground Of poverty, for Thodoraki Dur
ban Is much on . level with him so far
as worldly possessions are concerned.
1T is an i'll wind that blows no one
good. - Cdssel's Magazine.