The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-21
HIS LAST GAME OF CHESS,
roURNAMENT IN WHICH LIVES
WE'RE AT STAKE.

s,ent soldiers Had 10 PIny-seven
losers Were Shot and the Victor
Went Mad.
From the New York Tribune.
.Nmanzade Mehemed, the Serdar Of the
,-,7rs Of Tunis. says Moriez Jokai, the
.-,i-ant Hungarian novelist, in his tale
.-.f,,si The Last Game OF Chess" was
,s,cwned for his extraordinarily severe
ss..9iine among the soldiers under his
command. Don't fear the enemy" Me-
hsnei used 70 say. only fear Ahmanzade
Neb-med, your commander" and it is re-
corded as fact that his soldiers did not
know such a word as fear on the battle
aell but that they trembled in the pres
srce Of their general, Mehemed.
The first war in which Mchemed was
enraeeI was against the insurrecting
Greeks in Albanus, and it was in this
expedition that his troops first exceIled.
IN this campaign Mehemed ordered eight
csyalrymen to watch the five wells of
Arta. a spot which the Greeks often Wis
tied. These eight soldiers had received
strict orders to challenge every passer-by,
never 20 close as the saying goes. even
one eye, and not to dismount on any
Consideration.
About midnight on the first day of their
watch, a driver of a wagon tried to pass
BY unobserved. When he saw that he
could not carry out his intentions, he
left the wagon and his team of oxen,
Il D he. MO loo. HI rr~Efh
cask. and without dismountng the sol
diars succeeded in removing the bung,
and they then soon detected from the
smell that the cask contained brandy, an
excellent beverage, most probably dis
titled from figs and raisins.
Mehemed's soldiers were not forbidden
10 drink coniscated liquors. They man.
aged TO get some reeds, which they insert
ed in the bunghole, and began to suck the
delicious brandy to their hearts content.
They never thought of the prophets say
Ing that wine in any form was a wicked
drink Of Satan and Satan soon saw that
he had the soldiers at his mercy First
Of all the soldiers were asking each 9TH
er why they were sitting in their saddles
when they could enjoy much needed
rest on the lawn. Nobody would ever
know if they were to dismount and 10
stretch their tired limbs on the grass.
They could fasten their horses to the
wagon, and nobody would betray them.
And they finally did lie on the lawn; the
hesh drink persuaded them to be still
more incautious. Why should eight of
them be watching, when four would do
just as we'll? And a minute later four
We're fast asleep. and the rest-well. they
tried 10 keep the watch, but not for long.
The remaining four soon argued that two
would be enough to keep the watch, two
more went to Sleep and Maruf and Sefer
were the two left to guard the wells of
Arta and their comrades.
Let me tell you" said Sefer to Maruf,
zone man would do just as wen as two;
what DO you say?'
Maruf, being of the same opinion an
swerdd. Let us play a game Of chess; the
loser must keep the watch, the winner
may rest" Sefer accepted the PROPOSE
ton
The two drew chessboard on the sand;
they made chess pieces out of wild pears
10 represent the kings, wild apples served
as queens, nuts, acorns and other things
served as rocks, knights and pawns, and
the game began. At first Sefer had an ad-
vantage, but getting rather mixed up, and
not being able to distinguish the pieces,
he lost his queen and was about to re-
sign as he could not prevent a mate in
two moves; Maruf interrupted the game by
eXclaiming, You are in a precarious po-
stion. Sefer."
Yes l know" rplied the latter, "I shall
be mated in two moves. l could not play
we'll for am almost asleep"
Go on. then, and Sleep" said Maruf,
Il shall watch for you all
An instant later seven of the eight SOL
diers were fast asleep.
Maruf, gun in arm, was now walking to
and fro after the fashion of sentinels,
principally to keep sleep away. After
-f-EH L.
He next closed his eyes, thinking that he
could rely on his ears if anybody should
approach, and only a few minutes had
elapsed and the eight soldiers were fast
asleep.
The Greeks, who lay in ambush, came
forth, unfastened the horses, and would
certainly have killed the Turks but for
the noise made by one of the animals when
led away Maruf was the first on his legs.
In an instant the eight were standing in
fighting attitude, but it was useless. The
Greeks had mounted the horses and laugh
ed at he pursuing Turks. Maruf's horse,
however made il hot for the Greek who
rode 1t. The rider was thrown and the
horse joined the eight Turks. One horse
Tor eight calvarymen!
What will Mehemed have to say to
this?' exclaimed the soldiers
They knew that their lives were for
feited, but they really were more upset
about the loss of the horses than ABOUT
that Sadly and timidly they returned to
the camp, and, being brought before their
severe commander, they made clean
breast of it. They related the story in all
its details; how they had disobeyed orders
by dismounting, how they fell asleep in
consequence of taking too much brandy,
how the two men had played game of
chess, and how they finally lost the seven
horses.
Ahmanzade never showed his feelings
when about to speak. From his face they
could not read the sentence which he was
70 announce, after he had listened to the
story Of the disobedient soldiers. AT last
he spoke.
As there are eight men for one morse,
seven of you are superfiuous, for never
fead in the Koran or in the Azorath that
Hght men could mount one horse. Tut
as YOU are all good chess players. let
tournament decide who of you shall be
me one to sit on the horse. The other
seven viii be shot"
ne now ordered four sets of chessmen
ana boards to be brought to a specially
appointed spot in the camp, and the eight
Degan tournament in which their lives
were at stake. Twelve sharpshooters
were ready to carry out the sentence of
ueath passed upon the losers. One or two
weak players soon surrendered to their