The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-02-23
A WEEK AMONG BRIGANDS.
BY o. WHITTALL.

kilograms which appeared lately i
several English papers reported th
the capture by brigands in th
neighborhood Of Smyrna of fou
young Englishmen, as they were re
turning from a shooting excursion
| was one Of the party, and shall en-
deavor briefly to describe our seve
days stay among a band Of brig
ands, who, if they have not as yet ac
qaired formidable reputation for dar
ing in the district of Smyrna, are a
any rate no novices in their trade
and may be considered fair re
presentatives Of their class.
The hills that surround Bournabat
a village lying some five miles INLAND
from Smyrna, and the permanent
residence Of several English families
are pretty we'll stocked with game
The coverts are extensive, and, being
considered free from the aggressions
of brigands, are the scene Of numer-
GUS shooting expeditions. All day
long, without any apprehension OF
meeting bad characters, one may
roam about the hills and valleys, with
the prospect Of good sport in the
shape Of patridges, hares, and other
game.
1t was, therefore, without the
smallest thought of danger that I
consented to join some friends who
were planning days shooting on the
Palamont hills, lying about an hours
distance from Bournabat. We started
for our shooting-ground at dawn on
Saturday, the Oath of September, the
party consisting of my three friends,
Charles, William, and Robert Wilkin
(the first two brothers, the latter their
cousin), and myself. A native hunter,
as usual, accompanied us. and I fear
we must have looked, to English eyes,
sadly unsportsmanlike, as we sailed
forth, each astride of fine donkey,
with the owner of the animals follow
ing in the rear to superintend the
cavalcade. l will say nothing of the
sport we had that day, which was
not of particularly eventful
character, and gave no indication of
the misfortune awaiting us. We
stopped shooting early in the after
noon, and with several hours of day
light still available, it was pleasant to
be able to saunter slowly along over
the few miles Of undulating ground
that intervened between us and
Bournabat. The range of hills we
had been shooting over was visible
from the village; thickly clad with
coppice and brushwood, and gradually
increasing in hight toward the north
east, it became merged at length in
the mountains of Magnesia. The
deep gorges and forest-clad ravines of
these mountains are in striking con-
trast to the gentle slopes Of the hills
near Bournabat, while numerous caves
and almost impenetrable fastnesses
from an admirable refuge for the
affording them such
facilities for eluding pursuit, that
they can generally contrive to escape
from the Turkish police, whose
efforts to capture them are often half
hearted and disorganized.
As we topped the last crest and !
narrow path leading down
% the level ground which formed the i,
plain OF Bournabat, my companions
observed two ragged-looking men
US as fast as they could.
Their sudden appearance aroused
and, pointing them out to :.
'ur hunter, we asked what he thought
# them. His reply was not alto
,ether reassuring, for although ne
declared they were only Krissadars, or i,
dountain-Police, he recommended us =
It the same time to hasten OH, in order :
o avoid being overtaken. We =
ccordingly urged our donkeys to y
heir best pace, and soon congratulate =:
d ourselves on having distanced the "
who dropped out Of sight. =
But scarcely had we reached the open = =
round at the foot Of the hill, when y y
hey appeared again, having passed us g
y short cut, and stood confronting
8, blocking the path, with Martini . .
ifes levelled at our heads.
A summons to surrender followed:
nluckily we had extracted the car :, :,
ridges from our guns, and being =;
AIKEN by surprise and totally unpre- .,
ared for the encounter, we saw no :.
lternative but to submit, and dis :. "
counting, prepared to give up our =,
rms. One Of the brigands- all - -
oubt as to the true character Of the ~ '.
affians was now dispelled-there- y.
pom fired two shots in the air and l, y
'histled, as signal to the rest of the -
and, while the other still kept US = =
overed with his rife. In a few =,
,conds we were surrounded by the - -
fellows, who had hither- =.
} remained invisible, but now came -
lshing up from all sides. Our native :. ::
unter, putting on as bold face as l.,
e could, asked the man whom we =
ook to be the chief, what he meant
y stopping US on the high road. III
his was answered by request to ="
se nnr; shooting licenses, hnt the w