The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-04-23
A LEAP TO DEATH.
Fate Of Two Christian Maidens
I'm Escaping the Turks.

Fate Of Two Christian Maidens
In Escaping the Turks.
In Southern Dalmatia there is q
bit of coast stretching from Cavtat,
Ragusa, Veccha, to Sutorina, which
is called Konavje, and is noted far
and wide for the beauty of its wo-
men, and the valor of its men.
Faces and forms of antique Grecian
mold are by no means rare among
the inhabitants of this picturesque
region, and this is the more surpris-
ing since their neighbors, the Herze-
govinians and the Bosnians, are not
at all prepossessing in mien or fea-
ture.
About the middle of the last GEN.
tury, while Konavje still formed a
part of the republic of Ragusa, the
family of Radovice 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 natur-
ally dissatisfied with the result, and
Minko Radovic, the head of the
family, was active in keeping up
the discomfort. He persuaded his
neighbors to consider themselves
citizens of Ragusa, and to assist
with arms every attempt on the
part of the Turkish Agas or Beys
to collect taxes.
Mirko had two daughters. The
elder, Kosara, was lovely girl of
seventeen; the other, Ljubica, a
child of eleven. Kosara was the
fairest maiden in the village, and
had no end of admirers among the
young men. Her most eager suit
ers 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 nothing in
his appearance or disposition to win
upon the young girl. Toma, 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 Toma received any encourage
ment.
Things stood this way when one
bright September morning Turk
ish Aga with two companions ap-
peared in Uvjece and demanded the
deserina (tenth) and the harass
(poll-tax). Three friends acted as
spokesmen for the villagers, and
boldly declared that Uvjece belong
ed 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 Stan.
ko barred his scimitar, and with one
stroke cut off the officers head.
Minko and Toma, for their part,
threw themselves upon his compan-
ions and cut them down in an in
slant. Then Stanko promptly set
to work to plumber the bodies.
They found a rich body. The
pockets of the fallen Aga were full
of money, the weapons of the SOL
diers were set with precious stones,
and the horses were richly capari-
soned with silver-mounted harness
and gold -broidered cloth. The lot
was taken to the house of Radovic
to be divided. Stanko's face wore
its ugliest leer as he spread the
rich trappingso on the floor, and Toma
investigated the contents of the
purse. while Minko looked on with
satisfied smile. Ijubica, nesting
close to her father, and Kosara,
leaning carelessly agaist the wall,
watched with attentive interest the
result of the investigation.
"Three hundred and sixty-three
ducatsl' cried Toma, at length, in
delight. "That'll make a fine dow
ry for you, Kosara."
Chow sog" replied the maiden in
astonishment. "The spoil belongs