Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-03-20

grateful acknowledgement Of tkl
sacrifice. and he thought he spoke "a
him, but he only dreamed it. for h
fell asleep Immediately.
MAruf, on the contrary, kept his
leyes open. and leaning on his gun. h
looked at his sleeping companions
but that terrible drink began to mur
mur softly:
"Why do You not sit down? Yor
could see just as we'll"
As soon as he was seated, Satay
lAgain began to tempt him.
"Why do you tire your eyes? i
you shut. one Of them, you will see
with the other Just as we'll ae will
both"
Maruf reflected that, if his eyes wer,
closed, his ears were open, and that he
would be ready to start at the small
est danger that might threaten his
companions and himself. And with
the firm purpose of not falling asleep,
he Numbered as heavily as the rest.
In the meantime, the hidden Greeks
came all of sudden upon the sleeping
men, united the horses of the Turks
and would certainly have killed them,
had not Msrufs horse, as though he
foresaw the danger, begun to neigh.
The first to awaken was Maruf, and in
| n few moments the rest were ready.
They ran to get their arms and stood
on the defence, now fully awake and
sober.
They threw themselves on the enemy /;
but it was Of no avail. The Greeks
had mounted the horses and laughed
at the Turks, who endeavored to over
come them on foot.
| Maruf's horse alone would not SUBJ
nit to the Greek who had mounted
him, and began to rear and plunge
until he had succeeded in throwing
the rider. He then kicked him and
returned to his owner.
Eight men had one horse left among
them. What was Mehemed going to
say? The Bedouins, yet young, were
cast down at the thought of death.
They knew their leader would have no
pity for them; and still sadder were
they at the loss of their beloved
horses. OF what use is man without
horse?
Mortally worried at the punishment
they expected, they returned to head
quarters, and, brought face to face
with Ahmanzade, they narrated what
had happened; how they had dis.
obeyed his orders, how they had fallen
asleep after drinking the liquor, how
the last two watchmen had played
chess, and finally how they had lost
their horses. Ahmanzade was not in
the habit Of making a display OF
passion when he had to pass sentence.
In his immovable face, no one could
read whether he decreed life or death.
"As for eight men there remains
,nly one horse" he remarked, lyon
will agree with me, that there are seven
Of you too many. 1 have never read
in the Koran nor in the Azorat that
eight men should ride one horse, and
,s you are such good players, sit down
and let skill decide which of you is to
be the man who is to have the one
horse. All the others are sentenced to
iie."
Having said this, Ahmanzade had
four chess-boards brought in, for the
Turks are in the habit of carrying
chess-boards with them, even in war,
As soon as the men were arranged, he
ordered the Bedouins to begin their
play.
Twelve of the best marksmen were
;eady with their rifles to shoot the
losers. Two or three gave in at once
| to their stronger adversaries; in others,
despair battled with craftiness against
the advantage of their more skillful
opponents, and the former would win
when the latter had victory in their
hands.
The losers were immediately rc
noved, and the noise Of several shots
indicated that they had ceased to ex.
! ist.
The first tilt WIS ovoz. -Four had
cost. four were winners. These last
were paired. New hopes and new
fears. A danger would pass un-
observed, and he who had made the
error would raise cry which was hi
death sentence.
Again two lost, and again two were
shot. And now only two remained
Maruf and Se'er. They found them
selves, as they had been before. in
front of the camp fire. They were the
best players. They began the game
with q good deal of caution, resting
their foreheads on the palms of their
hands, thoughtfully calculating every
move, without hesitating but without
aurrying.
For a long while neither of the two
7ucceeded In obtaining advantage /;
'or each gain there was an equal
sacrifice.
The spectators nod to each othel
rhen either one makes o brilliant
move. Little by little, the number
If pawns on the chess board diminishes !;
The main figures lie scattered to the
right and to the left; the situation
becomes palmer; few more moves
and Sefer will lose his castle!
Maruf has one more castle than his
adversary, and this means a good deal
at the present stage Of the game. The
crowd believes that the game is in his
hands.
All OF sudden, great drops of swea
cover the forehead of Maluf-a fear
overtakes him, he trembles through
all his body. He has noticed that, if
his adversary sacrifices his queen in
stead of the castle, he can checkmato
him with the bishop. Would Sefer
see that move? On that depends life
and death!
Sefer looks at the chess-board for n
long while. his 1ooEa hatrov that ha