The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-08

aucient history, whether regarded rom =
moral or q material point of-visw. have set
a deeper brand of dishoner HpoArhe Chras-
tan name. There are various ooShcr1ng
versions of the wretched story, but that
which appears to be the most reliable Ii as
follows:
In 1881 Philip II of Spain sent Admiral
La Cerda against Tripoh with a strong
armament of Spanish and Italian war
ships-a selection IS unfortunate a. the
choice of the Duke of Medina Sidnn1a
twenty-seven years later TO command the
s'Invincible Armada" At once braggart
and a coward, La Cerda had no sooner
come in sight of the strong walls and
bristIng cannon of the Moslem fortress
than he forgot all his former boastings
and declared, in spite of the remonstranees
of his best captains, that it would be folly
to think of attacking such place till they
could obtain heavy siege guns from Malta,
whittier swift galley was instantly dis
patched.
Meanwhile the admiral, in order to find
work for his men during the delay. made
sudden swoop upon the almost defense
less Isle of Jerbeh. Outnumbered and
taken by sursDrise though they were, the
-
wonted courage Of their race, but they
were crushed by superior force, and the
conquerors sullied their inglorious victory
by the massacre of nearly all their prison
ers in cold blood, with all that ferocious
cruelty which made Philips Spanish sol
diers the byword of all Europe even in that
iron age.
But that ignoble raid was destined TO be
! 4 ban
of wanton hoodshed Among the female
captives was the lovely Zobiyah, only
daughter Of the principal chief Of Jerbeh,
Sheikh Yokdah, whose fresh girlish beauty
| doomed her to fate worse than death at
the hands Of her eapsor, Don Jose de oaers'
| Contdving to escape during the night. the
wrstched girl made her way through the
darkness to grove of palm trees IN Wnlcn
the shattered remnant Of Yokdah's force
| had sought refuge, and had just strength
enough to tell her dismal story ere she ex-
pired at her fathers feet.
Any painter might have loved to pre-
serve that seene-the shadowy aisle CT over
arching palm trees; the cold moon lighting
I'D the dead girls motionless form anc
rigid features; the towering figure OF tn
warrior chief bowed In dumb and stony
! despair over one D64OV6Q 1HC0 CudI "OuLI
never brighten at his approach again; his
warlike followers standing around him II
the moonli ght in their picturesque eastern
garb exchanging such looks as brave ane
high spirited men might be expected tc
wear in the presence of so foul and mon
strous a villaipy, and in the background
the low sandy shore and the glitterinG
foam of the restless sea.
Not a word spoke Yokdah as he stood
over the dishenored corpse Of his only child
for the wrath that burned in his stricken
heart was too deep and deadly TO waste it
salt in threats or lamentations. In grin
silence he marshaled his men for nigh
attack upon the hated foe, while two swift
runners darted off at full speed to warn tn
Arabs who had escaped the storming o
the sister village of Essoon to be ready t.
take their part in the coming assault Ant
when all was prepared for the work o
death there broke from the bereave'
fathers set lips a few words of dead.
meaning:
''Let no one slay that man; take hin
alive!''
Meanwhile the Christian invaders, littl
dreaming Of the murderous Vengeanc
which was even then stealing upon the1
presumptuous security, had fallen aslee
in the perfect confidence that they wer
now safe from all raolestation. But jus