The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-09-21
A COOL RUFFIAN.


He Tells How He and His Compatriots Sup
port Their Families.
On my visit to Batoum in 1856 an I'M
cident took place which will show how
law and order went on while the Turk
sits gurgling the smoke through his
water pipe. On the beach 1 cams
across a fellow in picturesque cos
tune. and with one of the most fiend-
ish faces it has ever been my chance to
gaze upon. 1t was Mephistophelian.
but then Mephistopheles was gentle
man, and there was nothing of that
kind in this case. Pure malignity
could be traced in every line of
the visage l had before me. Being
alone, and not knowing a word of the
language, made signs to him that I
wanted to sketch, and he, like most
Fasteners / have met, had no obiec-
tions, and willingly stood for me. To
be made into picture seems to touch
whatever vanity there may be, and this
brute had a touch of that in him.
While the sketching was going on, our
interpreter came ashore with some
others of our party, and at my request
inquiries were begun as TO who nv
model might be. He stated that he
was Kurd, and had come down from
the mountains about some business.
He cracked, picked and ate walnuts
while the sketching and questioning
went on. He hal a small gun which
rested on his arm. Talking to him
about it, the interpreter CHANGED to ask
why he had not a sword or dagger. to
which he replied that he did not require
them; it was not his way of doing
things. ''What thlngs?" was the natural
inquiry. ''Of killing people," ''Oh,
you kill people, do you?" Yes"
'::HOw do you kill them?'' 81 stand
concealed behind rock on the road and
wait till travellers come up, and when
they are close shoot them" What
for 90 you shoot them?" ITO gen
whatever they have upon them"
Then you rob all that you kill?r
''Yes." How many have you killed.
your timer Thirteen men and three
Russians" Why he placed the Rus
SLAMS in different classification was,
unfortunately, not cleared up. / re-
GREETED afteward that this point was
left so, but at that moment such triffe
did not seem of much Importance In
comparison to the astounding disclos-
ures this piece of humanity was max
ing. All the time there was a we'll
pleased shipper on his face, while hs
nibbled away at the walnuts. The
shipper, supposed, resulted in the sat-
isfaction he felt that his picture was
being made. "Where are you going
when you leave BatoumP'' "When
my business is finished / will return to
the mountains again" "What will
you do there?" ''Oh, please God, I
hope TO shoot the first traveller see.
and take whatever he has got" Ts
will be easily understood that such an
incident would fix itself on ones mind.
The sketching of the scoundrel and his
remorseless face, all helped to engraye
the whole deep into the memory. T
stood on the same spot last year, where
L had sketched this man, and the recol-
lection helped to give force to the con-
trast. This brute's character must
have been known in the place. He did
not seem to make any secret of his
ioings, and yet he walked about free
and no one seem to think about him.
The Kadi of Batoum, no doubt a good F
Turk, wonld sit smoking his chibook
while this man walked about and re-
'urned to the mountains, as was his
way, to. continue his trade of muir.
Ter and robberY.-C0r. London Neacs.