Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-30
4 TURKISH LAND-GRABBER.
By VINCENT cAILLARp.

It is Just nine years-it seems only yes
terday-since first saw his tall, athletic
figure, his piercing eyes, like jewels set in
bronze glittering in the sunlight, glaneing
full at me from the sun-tanned face-a no
bic face, with proud aquiline features
framed in gray locks which peeped forth
like silver rim, from under the crimson
fez which he wore and which seemed to be
part of himself, to have grown to him, so
inseparable was it from the head which it
covered. Stepan Boda, such was my
friends name, lived in a good-sized farm,
his own property, on the outskirts of Anti
vari, little town reduced to ruin in the
last war and then coded to Montenegro.
But the angel of war had been kind to
Stepan, and had not oyershadowed his
house; there was nothing but signs of
peace. 1t stood in homely farm-yard,
where | loved to saunter in the caressing
rays of the sun, full of those sounds and
objects sweet to the soul of country-bred
man. There was a great stack of dried
maize-stocks, against which / used to nestle
and sketch, and under which the fowls
would congregate in clucking harmony to
scratch up treasures from the earth, and
used to watch them lazily for more hours
than like to confess, giving sudden digs
with an air of dubious expectancy, explor-
ing the result with looks of pleased sur
prise, darting pecks at their discoveries in
victorious satisfaction, until l almost felt
my soul transmigrating into them, and
myself their sympathetic companion with
no ogreish suspicion of the future meals
they would provide Then fierce
old watchdog, who abominated strang-
ers, and who at FIST regarded
me with keen suspicion, would
come and poke his friendly nose under my
indolentIy dropped hand, and press his
head upward for a caress, while the tip of
his tall slowly wagging, made tiny regular
beats on the ground and set fragments of
straw in little puffs of dust dancing in the
sunlight so many atoms of gold shining
through ruddy mist, until, his suspicious
aroused by some sight or sound without
the range of my dull human sense, he
would dart away and round the other side
of the house, furiously awakening the
echoes with his deep bass bark. Straight
way would forget him and watch with
sleepy appreciation the gamboling of the
calves in the meadow beyond, where their
mothers lay reAectively chewing the cud,
from time to time lazily whisking tails
against aggressive flies, or giving faint
grumbling low of disapproval at the out
rageous activity Of their offspring despite
the hot summer SUM- or would let my eyes
wander slowly along the deep-eved wall
with the ladder leaning up against it
where the olive-press was, and further on
to the wooden stairway leading up from
the yard to the loft, until they rested
finally on the gray olive trees through
which from afar off shone patches of the
blue Adriatic. A sleepy, happy, lotus
eating kind of being was at such times,
the monotonous murmur of the summer
insects in the scented air, and lazy chirp-
ing of birds, and distant tinkling of sheep
bells, lulling me to greater repose, with
only distant consciousness that | ought to
be sketching and not idle, TO make the re-
pose all the more delicious.
"Heugh p | am walked up one afternoon,
as indeed was on many, from some such
delicious excursion into the land of forget
fulness, by the curious throat whistle of
nv friend Boda, the sound with which AL
bantam shepherds call the attention Of
their sheep. 7 watched him from under
half-closed eyelids-his tall, commanding
figure, his no0le features, and his curious,
feeble, lettering gait. l had frequently
wondered at the contrast presented by
this gait-the gait of broken-down old
man-to the rest of his demeanor and ap-
parent strength, but had never forgotten
politeness so far as to show my curiosity.
"Well, sir" said Boda q may hear men
ton that we conversed either in Italian,
which is spoken all down that coast, or in
Turkish, in both of which tongues | was
pretty proficient), 81 hope the cock did not
annoy you again last night, and that Maria
is learning how to attend upon you"
Maria" | answered, ''is most attentive.
/ could not ask to be better waited upon.
The cock" q should have mentioned that
the fowl-house was underneath my bed
room) "began to crow at about half-past l
in the morning, and continued until day
break, when | arose"
81 shall slay the cock" said Boda i'm
pressively.
"Can help you catch him ~ l asked.
"No, he is tame bird, aud will come
at my call" he replied, lettering away to
put his decision into execution; "you
shall have him for supper. | am coming
back wish to speak to you"
While he was Staying the cock | will
state. for my readers information, that the
rest of the household consisted of Boda's
wife, an energetic gray-haired woman,
with bright, piercing eyes, completely de-
voted to her husband and Maria,
woman of say between forty-fye and fifty,
active, and having the remains of what
had evidently been remarkable beauty,
but very nervous and shy, who helped in
the cooking and cleaning and the small
amount of waiting that l required. She
spoke to me as little as possible, indeed,
she scarcely ever spoke to any one, though
quiet and firm affection seemed to dwell
in the little household. In a few minutes
Boda returned.
"He will trouble you no more unless he
gives you evil dreams tonight" said the
smiling. at is a pity; he was a fine
bird. and loved him, but you know the
Turkish proverb The untimely growing
cock has his head cut off, Well well (!
he must have died some time or other.
And now permit me to ask you, my
Efendi, will you pardon me if change
some of the furniture in your room? You
shall be incommoded as little as possible
and"
"The furniture is yours, my dear Boda,'
interrupted; "pray make no ceremony
/ have my camp equipment with me, and
could really do without furniture as long
as you leave me the room"
II am ashamed to ask you this" said
Boda; cit is utterly against my desire
The fact is"-here he blushed and stam-
mered-"the fact is, that my oldest son
has asked for his portion, and tomorrow l
must divide my goods, and give him his
share"
began to think I was still doing, and
that my dreams had taken the shape Of
the "Prodigal Son." with Boda acting the