St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-11
a Thrilling Story Of Turkish
Treachery and Feminine
Courage.
Driven to Desperation, Two
Sisters Destroy Their
Own Lives.
After Their Protector, Their
Father, Had Been Cruelty
Assassinated,
They Jump Into an Abyss to
Escape Being Thrown
Into Slavery.

In Southern Dalmatia there is bit OF
coast stretching from Cavtat, Ragusa
Neccha. to Sutorina, which is called
Konavje, and is noted far and wide for
the beauty of its women and the valOr
of its men. Faces and forms of antique
Grecian mould are by no means rare
among the inhabitants of this pictur-
esque region, and this is the more sur
prising since their neighbOrs. the Her
zegovinians and the Bosnians, are not
at all prepoSseSsing i'll mien or feature.
About the middle of the last century,
while Konavie still formed part of the
republic of Ragusa, the family Radovic
settled in the frontier village of Uvjece,
The possession of the hamlet had long
been bone of contention between the
Bosnian viZier and the republic OF
Ragusa. The little republic had at last
been forced to give up the struggle and
abandon Uvjece to the Turks. The
villagers were naturally disSat-
lsfied with the result, and Minko
Radovic, the head of the family,
was active in keeping up the discon-
tent. He persuaded his neighbOrS 10
consider themselves citizens of Ragusa
and to resist with arms every attempt
Dn the part of the Turkish agaS or beys
to collect taxes.
MIRKO HAD TWO DAUGHTERS.
The elder. K0sara, was lovely girl of
seventeen: the other, Ljubica, child OF
eleven. Kosara was the faireSt maiden
in the village, and had no end of admir-
ers among the young men. Her most
eager suitors were two friends of her
father, named Stanko and TOma. Stanko
was refugee. who, for some reason.
had fed from Turkish vengeance and
found an asylum in Uvjece. His ugly,
weather-beaten face wore an expression
of vicious cunning. and there was moth
ing in his appearance or disposition to
win upon the young girl. iona, on the
other hand, was a far more agreeable
character, but still he was nothing more
than good friend to Kosara. She was
still heart-whole, and, as her father
made no effort to influence her choice,
neither StankO nor iona received any
encouragement.
Things stood this way when one
bright September morning a Turkish
aga with two companions appeared in
Uviece and demanded the deserina
tenth) and the harass (poll-taX). The
three friends acted as spokesman for the
villagers, and boldly declared that Uvjece
belonged to Ragusa. and would never
pay taxes to the Turks. The enraged
aga drew his sword, but before he could
make use of his weapon StankS barred
his cimiter. and with one stroke cut off
the officers head. Minko and Toma,
for their part, threw themselves upon
his companions and
CUT THEM DOWN IN AN INSTANT.
Then StankO promptly set to work to
plumber the bodies.
They found a rich booty The
pockets of the fallen aga were full of
money, the weapons of the soldiers were
set with precious stones, and the horses
were richly caparisOned with silver
mounted harness and gOld-broidered
cIcth. The loot was taken to the house
Radovic to be divided. Stanko's face
wore its ugliest leer as he spread
the rich trappings on the floor
and TOma investigated the con-
kO looked on with satisfied smile.
Liubica, nesting close to her father,
and KOsara. leaning carelessly against
the wall. watched with attentive inter-
est the result of the investigation.
Three hundred and siXty-three due
atsl" cried Toma at length, in delight.
"Thatll make fine doWry for you,
Kosara."
"How so?' replied the maiden in as
constituent: 1.-THE spoil belongs equally
TO all. and father gets but third; be-
sides, you seem to forget my dear little
sister has claim as well as IL
"Tll not touch my part" exclaimed
Toma with enthusiasm. II give it to
the lovely Kosara."
but can't accept your present." re-
turned the girl quietly.
"Right you are" interposed StankO.
"Kosara'S heart is not to be won with
ducats."
WHO said it was?" retorted Toma in
an angry tone. ''Do you think I'd try
to win kOsara with money?''
ut looks little that way" replied
Stanko, his face disfigured with a hide
ons Sneer.
IONA. NOW TIOROUHLY ENRAGED,
was about to turn upon his rival, when
Minko interfered and restored peace.
Let there be no quareling," he said,
in conciliatory tone. The deed we
have to-day committed was, perhaps.
rash and ill-considered, but it can't be
helped now, and we shall have to stand
together. and the best thing we
can do is TO consider how we can
avert the evil consequences of our act.
over yOnder in Trebilje will commence
an investigation, and if they discover
the real state of the case, We'll have tC
pay dearly for it."
The long consultation which followed
brought the friends to no other conclu-
sion than to quietly await develop
mentS.
The disappearance of the aga was
soon remarked in Trebinje, and his
friends became uneasy. Learning in z
neighboring village that he had set out
for UvJece and had never returned. the
Turks directed their march to thai
place. The approach of
a HUNDRED TROOPERS
naturally awakened the greatest alarm
in the hamlet. There was no doub
that the Turks were coming to avengt
the murdered aga. The terrified vii
layers were on the point of flying acros.
the Roumanian border, but Minkt
urged them rather to draw the Turk
into an ambush and receive them will
bullets. His counsel prevailed. and al
the able-bOdied meh in the place. abou
twenty in number, hurried out to NEE
the enemy.
About quarter of mile from tn
village the peasants secreted them
selves behind the rocks which lined boil
sides of the road, and, as the Turks an
preached, opened upon them with
deadly volley. Before the Moslems hat
recovered from their establishment tn
Christians had reloaded and fired a sec
ond time, then followed two volley
from their pistols, and finally the al
lacking party rushed out from its am
bush, and with drawn scimitars fel
upon the thirty Turks who were We
able TO fight. In the
HAND-To-HAND CONFLICT
which followed our three friend Tough
side by side. Toma, after cuttin,
down three of the Turks, was shot Will
closing with the fourth. With secre
JOY Stanllo saw him fall, for he was nov
rid of a rival whom he had begu to fear
While in this moment he thought of Ko
sara he saw directly in from
of him Turk spring FORWARD
to strike Minko from the rear
One quick blow from Stanko's flash
lngsteel and the Turk woult
have fallen before he could accomnlisl