Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-30

my feet were shapeless Jumps of multi
ated bleeding flesh, my legs swollen t,
twice their natural size, the nails haC
fallen from my toes and lay in pools o
blood upon the ground. When the Mutes
sarif gave the usual signal for them to stop
he had my wife brought up to me anC
told her brutally that she might walk bach
with me now, that the dinner was finished
and he had no more to say; then he rost
and sauntered off into the Konak. She
told me that even my executioners seemed
to take some pity ON her then, for they pro-
cured litter and carriers for her, and bic
her hasten to take me away lest the Mutes
sarif should change his mind.
For six months afterwards | lay near
death; many times they thought that my
legs would have to be cut of; but in the
end my strength triumphed and l recov.
cred my health. But two things | lost
| have never since been able to walk ex-
cept with the totteriug gait of feeble
old man. l have walked like that
(said Boda, signing for thirty years. And
l lost my spirit; it was broken. My
friends came in and offered revenge, but
would not listen to them only / had
made up my mind obstinately that !
would never give up my land, and it is
mine still.
Here Roda paused, and thinking that
his story was finished, l said, ''What a
horrible story, my poor friend l feel
myself that | would like to take ven.
geance for you on that cruel devil of a
Mutessarif What became of him ? Surely
such an act was not allowed to go unpun-
| ished !"
"Wait, my Effendi p replied Boda. 81
have more to say" He paused for mo-
ment, evidently under the effect of strong
emotion, then he continued;
l had younger brother called Aeostin,
a splendid young fellow, beloved by every
one, but by me as if he were another SELF
When l got well again, he came to me and
said, "Stepan, you must revenge yourself
no Skipetar can remain under such insult
and offense as you have suffered at the
hands of that dog of a Mutessarif una
venged. / would have shot him down
long ago, but while there was hope that
you would live, would not step in your
place and take that pleasure away from
you. Now you are well, you must lie in
wait for him and shoot him. Fear no
consequences. | and many other lusty
friends are here to protect you" But as
| told you, my spirit was broken, and
though before / would never have refused
vendetta, could not now bring myself
to contemplate doing as my brother urged
| me. | knew he thought me a coward, but
he was generous, and knowing the suffer
ing l had been through, he never re-
preached me for my want of courage,
| though he did not cease to endeavor to
persuade me. At last, seeing that he
could not rouse my spirit, he told me that
he should kill the Mutessarif himself. l
strove hard to dissuade him, but for all
| Mutessarif, and with laugh bid me hold
my peace. The time of Agostin's wedding
was then drawing nigh. He was engaged
to lovely girl, the only child of a widow
| in Antivari. 1t is not the custom among
us, as you know, to see courtship or
love before marriage; the match is ar,
ranged by the parents of the young couple
| and the bridegroom buys his wife at the
price of a cow or two, or other valuables.
But Agostin was an exception; he had
fallen in love with the girl and
longed for the day of wedding her.
She could bring him no property; but he
had his portion of land and his dwelling,
and desired her only. He grew happier
and happier as the day came closer, and l
was glad not only for that, but because he
seemed to have forgotten the vendetta,
and hoped that his marriage would make
him change his mind, for l feared the
Mutessarif in spite of my resolution to
keep my land, and foresaw some evil to
my dear Agostin should he endeavor 10
execute his oath. On the eve of his we'd
ding-day he came and sat with me for a
long time; he spoke of his happiness, and
of how he loved his bride, and of his i'm
patience at the length of the hours which
separated her from him, and of how he
would have her mother to dwell with
them "And you, my poor Stepan," he
said affectionately; 81 know you cannot
leap and dance like the Others" l saw his
| face darken as he remembered why, and
the fear came over my heart again. "But,
he continued, "you must nevertheless be
one of my brides escort, and be witness
of my carrying her across my threshold.
cannot do without you at the happiest oc-
casion of my life" I promised l would
come, and we kissed each other lovingly
and then he went out from my house, sing
ing a Turkish love-song, as happy as any
man the sun shone upon.
The next day | went to the house of the
bride to join in the escort which was to
accompany her to my brothers house
You know that our custom is that the
bride. yelled from head to foot and mounted
on horse, should be taken by her owr
friends and those of the bridegroom to the
bridegroom's house; there he lifts her from
the horse, carries her into his house, bid:
her welcome and unveils her. Afterwards
is the marriage feast. So the procession
started on my account it advanced at 6
slow pace, but it was none the less merry
and Joyous for that At the head was al
improruisatore, playing wild and happy
music on his clarionet, and the men were
dancing and leaping aronnd the BRIDE
horse, firing their pistols into the air ant
shouting their praises aloud for all passers
by to hear, while the summer sun shont
down upon US to gladden. our hearts
When we neared my brothers house and
saw the door wide open, and thought o
my brother waiting inside in rich happi
ness, his heart beating as he heard thu
bridal noise drawing close, l felt my OWL
heart beat in sympathy with his, and
was happier than l ever thought | coulC
have been after the wreck of me by the
bastinado; loved my brother SO dearly.
looked for him when we were quite close
but he did not show himself. When We
stopped at the door, the firing and playing
ceased, and we waited for him to appear
Come out, thou sluggard, Agostin p called
out one. cart thou afraid of our firing a
thee? Then there was a laugh, and an
other shouted, "Nay, he is shy, and is hid
ing from the eyes of his wife," and they
laughed again. Still Agostin came not
1--WE must go Inland drag him FORTH" callec
a third, and indeed, as Agostin gave NJ
answer, two or three of his most intimate
! friends entered the house and I totteref