The Portland daily press., 1891-10-26
ONE NIGHT OF TERROR.
experience OF a Traveller In an I'm
civilized Land.
lChicago Times. I

StruLSu Ldnos
[Chicago Times.]
Talk about experiences that turn
ones hair gray in night" said gen.
tleman whose curling locks were as
black as the traditional ravens wings.
81 had one once which, according to the
authorities, ought to have made me not
only gray, but baldheaded, if the ira
ditions are right, which don't believe
they are.
at was in Kurdistan that my expert
ence occurred was travelling through
that forsaken country merely for the
purpose of seeing it, and | was accom-
panied by but two men-Jean, a French
servant, combining in his own Ssrsonal-
ity all the excellencies of cook and valet.
and a Prussian guide named Multi.
whom had engaged for the trip. We
had two horses and an ass, which Jean
rode and on which he carried the uten-
sils necessary to the cuisine. We lad
been in Kurdish territory for four da
had passed through several villages,
/ was just beginning to think the Ku. is
were pretty decent sort for half saw
age people, when one night we came to
little town that never succeeded in
finding on any map, and decided to
put up for the night.
81 saw the head man of the village,
and despite the fact that he was as VII
famous ruffian as / had ever met, his
words were those of welcome and hospi-
tality. Now had never heard of actual
brigandage among the Kurds, who, while
they are semibarbaric and fierce, are es-
sentially race of shepherds and small
farmers. So when the head man as
signed me hut felt remarkably secure
and rather thankful, despite the fact that
knew / should have to pay literally for
my accommodations. bought sheep,
and Jean soon transformed it into
savory stew. Supper over, smoked
few pipes, and rolling myself in trav-
cling rug lay down on a cot of i'll SMELL
ing sheepslins to sleep.
AWAKENED FROM SLEEP.
Il did sleep, and soundly, too The
first awakening had was when shrill
shrek rang in my ears, and jumped up
to find myself surrounded by burly ruff
ans, armed with ferocious looking
knives, and to see one of their number
withdraw his ensanguined blade from
the breast of my Persian guide, who lay
as he had fallen on awakening, across
his pallet. Jean was in the grasp of two
more of the party, and SO frightened
that he could not speak. was sure at
first that they intended nothing less than
to instantly dispatch both of us, but as |
heard them parleying and disputing |
gathered hope, They ransacked the
place, took everything we had except
our trousers, tied us tightly and departed.
"The hut was entirely cleaned out as
far as our effects were concerned-port-
manteaus, revolvers, rugs, coats; even
jeans cooking utensils were gone In
agony I lay till daybreak, and then,
hearing some one passing, shouted at
the top of my voice. A Kurd entered,
and he was not of the visiting party of
the night before. Now l didn't know a
word of Kurdish, and poor Mufti was
dead. finally made him to understand
that / wanted to be released, but he
only grinned and shook his head Then,
remembering the name of the chief, /
repeated it several times. He finally
shuffied off, leaving me in an agony of
suspense as to whether he intended going
to that parsonage or not. After half an
hours wait, however, the chief appeared.
He gave some order, and we were imme-
diately cut loose.
"Once my hands were free, succeed
ed in explaining to him finally by panto-
mime what had occurred. He seemed
to understand. and sent for some one
else.
HELP FROM FRIENDS.
''The party sent for appeared event
ually. He wasn't Kurd, but Persian,
and he spoke little French. l told
him of the outrage and he told the chief.
Then he replied to me that the chief said
he could do nothing, as the robbers must
be of another band or village This l
greatly doubted, as was sure had seen
two at least Of my assailants lettering
around when we arrived, but of that l
deemed it best not to speak. implored
the chief to give me an escort back to
the last town had left and where two
Englishmen and their retinue were stop
ping. knew one of the Englishmen,
du0 pIOLuAsSu W aluply ISWdlu MN IL no
would do 80. He finally consented to
that and furnished me with guide and
two asses upon my swearing to him that
would pay the man, he also agreeing
If he could get track of our assailants to
visit summary punishment on them
$50 Jean and finally set out, and the
next day, hatless, coatless, penniless and
nearly starved arrived at the head town
of the section, where l borrowed some
supplies from my friend, paid the Kurd
who had accompanied us about ten dol
lars of American money in Persian sill
yer, and whence, rehabilitated in bor-
rowed raiment, we set off for the Persian
frontier. l afterward learned that our
friends of the Kurdish village were no.
torious robbers and murderers, and that
the chief himself had been seen later
wearing my coat and riding my horse.
I'll tell you / never crossed the Kurdish
border again, and don't ever intend
to. like travel, but in the future I'm
going to keep under the flag of some
civilized or semicivilized nation"