Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-02

Wien showed the slightest signs, lnc
three bell-mouthed muskets were bent
toward me and felt that the odds were
too many, and determining to await
events, grimly submitted to be led down
the mountains by our unsavory guides.
AT last, after winding through ravines
and hollows, across glens and over noun
tain paths innumerable, this most UNI
pleasant journey ended by our guides
calling halt as we gained the summit OF
an eminence surrounded by trees and tall
rocks, forming an extraordinary natural
fortress. Beneath our feet, in deep
ravine, with seemingly but one outlet
and excellently sheltered by overhanging
foliage, was the camp of the brigands;
and here we found; the rest of the shaggy
rufiians the exception of one who
stood sentinel-enioying their siesta with
indolent content.
A shrill whistle soon brought the ras
Gals to their feet and rushing up to meet
us, displayed dozen .of as unfavorable
specimens of the human race as could be
found. Selling our asses by the brides,
they relieved our captors, and led us down
the ravine aud having roughly assisted
us to dismount. brought us into the pres
ence of the chief of the band.
Sb"Brnvo, lads {, excellent, excellent " he
shouted. as his sparkling eyes bent upon
us in delight; and after n cursory exam
nation, we were conducted amid the eX-
cited gesticulations of the brigands and
without undue ceremony, into "A dark
cavern within the ravine.
"Shiver my maintops y exclaimed
voice us / groped my way in they
might give us sea-room, the vagabonds,
and not land us Ill this lubberly creek
and now they are showing more craft In to
anchor y
HAUL in, jack. old chum " answered
another "we must make the best OF n
bad job. mate.
To say that my heart leaped to my
mouth at hearing such unexpected words,
and finding myself i'll the company OF my
own countrymen, would no more than de-
scribe the cheering sensation that thrilled
through me.
"What cheer, mates?' | cried i'll the
darkness. Answering ordinations of as
constituent greeted my words, and III
few minutes our stories were told and
| learned that my new-found friends were
the captain and supercargo OF ashlp then
lying in the port of the Piraeus, who, seek
ing like object, had met with n similar
fate to my own.
"And now, said Captain Jack jenkins,
chow are we to get out of this scrape
If had Tim and Joe and Black Tom,
each with cutlnss and II barking-iron
here we'd soon make passage, I'd war
rant !"
"Thst's all very well, said Will john
son, the. supercargo g but we haven't:
If I'd but the opportunity given me, III
guarantee
Whatever the supercargo was about TO
say was cut short by the advent of two
shock heads ut the little opening of our
prison, and two harsh voices calling us
as my guide, rhemistocles informed us
to partake of feast for we learned af
terward that the chef, in commemora-
ton of having made such good haul,
had decided to allow us, his prisoners, to
partake of the general festivity But as
a preliminary, we had to undergo an ex-
animation as to our capability of our pay
ing the anticipated ransoms. First, we
were relieved Of our watches and rings,
the Captain using language rather strong
for translation to these pages, TO the great
amusement of his tormentors, who, with
similar gesticulation to his own, endeav
ored to initiate the sound of the Captains
words, which of course only added to his
wrath and their hilarity.
"You uncombed. dirty-faced vaga-
bonds y he shouted ''if had II few of
you aboard the Annie Martin, I'd twist
your ugly heads over the yard-arm in the
twinkling of a iiify!'
OF course they only laughed the loud
er at his impotent rage and | thought it
quite as well that they did not understand
the language in which he gave it vent.
The operation of stripping us of our
valuables gave me an opportunity to OBJ
seive the appearance of my companions.
Captain jenkins was the beau-ideal of an
English seaman. In age about thirty
five, oil large ami robust build a face
broad, manly, and bearded, and limbs |
such as would delight sculptor to copy. |
His height was nearly six feet, aud he had
an air Of command about him that was
doubtless bred of his occupation. The |
supercargo, Will johnson, was perhaps
ten years younger nearly as tall as his
friend, strong and active ; and take us
altogether--ior | am Of no mean stature
myself--we We're three men who, under
any circumstances would be no disgrace
to our country and if any opportunity |
should arise for an attempt at an escape,
felt certain we should give as good an
account OF ourselves us any scratch three,
here or there.
Having satisfied themselves of the
value Of my Late fathers watch, which |
parted from with some emotions, and OF
the intrinsic worth of the Captains gold
en- chronometer, as well as the supercar-
COS watch and diamond ring, we were in
terrogated, through Thcmistocles, as to
our means. For myself, the name of the
firm was travelling for acted with tai
lsmanic effect upon them, and | was I'M
mediately assessed notwithstanding my
protcstations-a three hundred pounds.
At tins price, too, the Captains freedom
was valued; while the unfortunate SUI
.percargo-- whose business they persisted
III coniounding with that Of the owner of
the cargo and ship was unanimously
voted to be worth twice ourransom. Hay
ing arranged this matter to their own sat
lsiaction, II not to ours, We were told to
sit down and enjoy ourselves with what
appetite we could muster.
The smell Of the roast lamb and the
freshly-baked meal cakes, however, soon
aroused pleasanter sensations, and dim
med for time the memories Of our griefs
more especially as, under the apparent
''i'hihtl VI NIB bOOlN, inc cillci coiiiSS-
cended to be quite patronizing to ward us,
carving the joint himself for us. and deli
cately handing on the point of dagger
our several portions. After we had salts
fed our hunger with more solid viands,
we were RECALLED with dried fruits as des-
sert and jar Of peculiar sherry-col
ored but bad-tasting wine of resnons
flavor which Themistocles described as
the common wine of the country-was
brought i'll and set down in the midst OF
us. This we told them we could not
drink and the chief very generously or
dered us couple of bottles from his own
particular store, doubtless the proceeds
of n roil upnu some we'll to-1o housp-