The National tribune., 1881-08-20

erected to Homer; and several times he had rid
den into the very cave where many scholars be-
IleVe the great poet Homer at one time lived
These excursions were attended by many dangers
but somehow Fred came out of them unharmed
After General Grant had been several days in
Smyrna, Fred was OverjOyed at receiving an invi-
tation to accompany him grand excursion to
the ruined city of Ephesus lying fifty miles from
Smyrna. His father told him that he might take
the pony with him, as several freight-cars were to
be filled with horses and donkeys for the use of
the party. The Pasha-the governor of that dis
trict of Turkey-had arranged for this excursion
as his greatest compliment to General Grant.
He chartered large train; ordered mounted
body guard of Turkish officers to proceed to
Ephesus, and regiment of troops to receive the
General at the depot with military honors. The
party needed strong military escort for at Ephe-
sus there robbers who live in caves, and watch
for distinguished visitors whom they sometimes
capture, and demand heavy ransom for their
release.
Fred galloped early to the depot He kept the
pony quiet amid the general confusion, with ex-
treme difficulty. The donkey drivers were mer-
cilessly pounding the donkeys and yelling at
struggling with the restive horses; dogs were
yelping; the soldiers were going through their ex
ercises and there was a bewildering medley of
unpleasant sounds
By much persistence Fred got the pony into the
car with a fine gray horse and a snow white
mule sent from the Pasha's stables for General and
Mrs. Grant. Fred was almost wOnder-struck at
the sight of these beautiful animals. The horse
was dressed in gorgeous housings The saddle
was heavily embroidered and plated with gold; /;
even the buckles and rings were of gold and a
rich gold fiigree work covered the bride and por-
tions of the reins and girths. Fred had heard of
the richness of Oriental accoutrements, but he
was not prepared for such magnifcence as this.
The mule was not dressed regally, but being re-
garded sacred animal by the Pasha queen
could not have desired greater compliment than
was offered Mrs. Grant in the sending of this mule
for her use.
When the General arrived all things were
ready and the train swept out into an enchant-
ing valley. Past Turkish villages it ran, the lit
tie Turkish boys, like many boys in more civil
lied countries, giving it a vigorous salute with
pebbles as it hurried on. Often it passed trains
of camels making their tedious way to bordering
countries, and occasionally hunter and his dogs
would seem to start out of jungle or hillside
as if on purpose to delight master Fred.
In an hours time the train thundered over the
river Cayster and shot into the depot at Ayaso-
look. Instantly all was confusion again. The
horses and dOnkeys were hustled out of the cars
The horses were arranged in cavalry line, and the
don1eys were drawn up in the rear. General
Grant gave the signal to mount, and the men of
the party instantly vaulted into the saddle. The
white mule had been behaving strangely for an
animal of his reputation, and Mrs. Grant was ad-
vised not to undertake to ride him. She wisely
listened to advice for the mule turned out on this
particular occasion to be very careless with his
heels, and to have a very abrupt way of stopping,
which obliged his rider to travel on a short dis
tance alone. Mrs. Grant had been so well ac-
quainted with mules in the West that she had
in fact no confidence even in sacred mule.
By some means she with the other ladies got the
smallest and most tired-looking donkeys. Now
they put spurs to their horses, leaving the don
keys with their unfortunate riders far behind
For moment only they stop to look at the few
pieces of glittering marble which are all that
remained of the snowy blocks and columns of
the once glorious temple of Diana. They decide
to skirt the plain lying between Ayasolook and
Ephesus, by riding along an ancient breakwater:
they paused for instant to listen to the rustic
of the long grass against the wall where once was
heard the ebb and flow of the sea- Up they
climb among a whole cluster of temples, stop
ping only to look at the face of shattered sta
tue, or at beautiful carved hand extended al
most beseechingly from heap of rubbish. The
horses stumbled through public squares regain
ing solid footing for an instant on some broad ped
estal Of once world-renOwned monument |
Now Fred's pony founders in the basin of an
old fountain, into which he has been forced to
leap. The ruins seem to rise up in waves and they
are obliged to dsmount and lead their horses up
to the great theatre where they halt for rest and
lunch.
Fred tied the pony to the foot of PROSTATE
Apollo and slipped away to explore this great
building for himself. He climbed to the top of |
the hill, on the side of which the theatre was
built, and looked in wonder upon the stage far be-
Ow. This great interior contained seats for
$4,000 people. Fred fancied he could almost hear
the thunder of applause from distant ages, like
The far-away roar Of the sea. He now clambered |
1own to look at the foundations of the building.
he great pillars and arches stood firmly as the
lay on which they were completed. ST. Paul
lad looked upon the same grand architecture
hat he now beheld.
As he looked he began to stir the earth careless
V wi SnlI lo Iro,