The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-02-17

spot, and the determination of vast
number of "unbelieving dogs" But
when you turn to the Christian histor-
ians of the period, you find the story
complete in every detail, told with
graphic minuteness and childlike sim
plicity worthy of Herodotus or of Frois-
sart. And q grim study it is-one of
the most colossal tragedies of that
strange era when everything, whether
for good or for evil, was done upon a
gigantic scale. The drama opens, as ii
to heighten the tragic effect, with the
joyous departure from Malta, in 1861,
of Count La Cerda and his splendid
and principality of Tripoh in
the name Of Phillip II. Gal
lantly do the doomed men sail forth in
the fatal venture from which they are
never to return. The smooth, bright
sea echoes with their jests and laughter,
and the rising sun lights up their gilt
tering arms and fantastic bravery,
while above them floats the banner of
that cross whose spirit alas is so widely
different from their own. But even
during the short southwark voyage we
hear of many things which bode no
good to the adventure. "Little prayer
or chanting of Gods praise wes to be
heard among them, but many foul oaths,
much drinking and dicing, unseemly
jests, and goddess revelry; for they wist
not Of the evil to come, God having
blinded their eyes, to the intent that
He might make His judgment upon
them the heavier" Meanwhile La
Cerda himself drinks deep and boasts
loudly, in fashion that may
well make us augur i'll for
the success of an expedition
commanded by such leader. But
at the first glimpse Of the strong walls
and bistling cannon Of Tripoli, this
braggarts courage cools OF once. He
dispatches swift galley back to Malta
for heavy artillery, and meanwhile, al
tering his course, suddenly sweeps down
upon the undefended island of Jerbeh.
At first he is only too successful. The
island is swept with fire and sword, the
unprepared enemy slaughtered without
mercy, and the only daughter of their
principal chief, Yokdah, cruelty out
ragged by Juan de Ia Saera, bravest and
worst OF the prohigate cavaliers of Spain.
Watching moment when her captor's
attention is diverted from her. the for
lorn girl snatches up O. dagger and stabs
herself to the heart, invoking with her
last breath the vengeance of God upon
those who profaned the service of
heaven with the deeds of hell.
From this point onward the shad-
ows of coming destruction gather
ever darker and darker around the
| doomed host. "When word was brought
to Iokdah of what had CHANGED, he an
swcrcd nought, but gripped the hilt of
his cimeter till the blood started from
his fingers. Then his lips moved, but
no man wist what he spake; howbeit,
they might well guess by his look that
is BODIED no good to them of Spain"
The boreavod father has not long to wait
for his vengeance. AS if heaven itself
had doomed them, the Spanish veterans,
flushed with their easy victory, relax
their wonted vigilance, and give them
selves up to the widest excess of de-
baucheIy. Like lightning from clear
sky, destruction falls upon them in the
midst Of their fancied security. Two
smaller detachments, scattered through
the outlying villages, are cut off
to man, and Yokdahs fierce
swordsmen, with their thirst for
vengeance still unslaked, sweep
onward to attack the main body,
which lies in the town of Gerba itself.
At dead of night the Spaniards arc
startled from their drunken sleep by the
yell of Allah Ackbar!" God is VIC
torious,) and instantly the whole town
is one whirl of struggling figures and
tossing arms and blazing torches and
/ flashing weapons and hellish uproar and
merciless butchery. But such combat
is too unequal to last. Outnumbercd
and unprepared and basely abandoned
by their pusillanimous leader, the inva-
ders are soon driven pell-mell down to
| the shore, where the scene eliminates
in scene of horror worthy Of Dante !:
"The Christians, being put the worse,
flung themselves into the sea, thinking
to fly unto their ships; but even
thither did the infidels pursue them,
raging like savage wolves. Thus was
the fight waged in darkness amid
the waves of the sea--a thing un-
| thought Of heretofore. And with
such rage did they grapple one
another that many sank and were
I NlION lulto lOChCNl
to quit their hold. Many also were
slain with the sword, and many more,
being borne down by the weight of their
armor, persisted miserably. OF all that
had been in the town, none escaped;
and last of all died Juan de la Saera
himself, whom Gods vengeance suffered
not to live. For when he had we'll
nigh gained the ships,a Saracen grappled
him and would have slain him, but
Yokdah, the chief, cried aloud, Harm
him not; keep him for my own prize =
And by the force of many he was taken
alive, and was dragged back to the
shore. Then the infdels, the battle
being ended, gathered the heads of
them that We're slain and built them
into tower; and Saera, when he had
endured many and grevious torments,
such as none but Saracen wit could de-
wise, was beheaded, and his head laid
on the summit of the pile by Yokdah,
their prince, as being fitting crown fol
such a monument"
Mr.. Winans, the son of the late Bal
timore millionaire, lives in great splen
dor in England, having one of the most
MAGNIFICENT Dlaces in London and, with