The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-14

filled his pockets with all the cart
ridges he could find, and stole forth
from the village of Argadoun. Down
the hillside he sped, leapirlg from
rock to rock, and so into The sandy
plains beyond On the h1gn road
shivering caravan of fugitives asked
the way toward the pass; and in re-
turn told him that the Kurds lay en-
camped not many miles, away. For
ward he sped, carefully scanning
every step of the path. At one point
the road dipped suddenly and took
sharp turn through defile bounded
by precipitous rocks Here the boy
stopped, and spent nearly an hour in
explorati ton. When he set forth again
there was smile upon his lips and
great light in his eyes. He had chosen
his Thermopylae-the spot at which
he hoped to hold the KurdS at bay.
The chill Armenian dawn was break
ing and the Kurdish camp was astir,
when d ragged, upkempt Armenian boy
came begging food of the soldiers.
They beat him and might probably
have slain him outright. had they not
been intent upon breakfast. AS it
was they preferred to sit over their
steaming coffee and kibobs of meat,
than to waste energy over stray
Armenian lad. So Simon, son of Yus-
suf-for il was he-had a chance to
see his foes at near range and to learn
their plans. They were assuredly
bound for Argadoun. Nothing less
than the total destruction of the little
village would satisfy them; and the
word sped from mouth to mouth that
that arch-Christian Yussuf should be
the first to die.
The carnp was Urea DIV M, tlo ,,oove
when Simon made his escape amid the
din and excitement. He heard the
| tramp of the Kurds behind him, and
the jingle of their households as he
! fed with all his speed toward that dip
in the road where he was going to- do
| a gallant deed for stricken Armenia.
| With cruel jests upon their lips, and
seeming, like the tigers they were. the
! blood of fresh victims, rode the Kurd-
| iSh troops along the road to Argadoun
Simon perched amid the crags COM
handing his chosen defile, saw them
| coming and made ready. He waited
until the entire body of men had en-
| tered the narrow space between the
rocks. Then "Bangl' went his rifle
and a horseman rolled writhing in the
dust. "Bang!" it went again-for this
was a repeating rifle; and again a
Kurd rolled over among the cactus
bushes. Leaping to his feet the boy
ran like a lapwing along the parapet
| of rock as a VoEey from the startled
Kurds riddled the spot where he
stood. Fifty yards further on he
| again opened fire, and sent three shots
rafting among the brigands. Then,
hitting new cartridges in the empty
chambers of his rifle he dashed for
ward another space, and once more
plowed the ranks of the enemy.
Wild confusion and wrath beyond
telling reigned among the Kurds 1T
is an ambush" they Shrieked; striving
in vain to scale the rocky wall above
which Simon was intrenched. There
is a whole army of Christians on the
rocks
Truly from the way Simon leaped
hither and thither, firing as he sped
it seemed as though a body of defend
ers must be ambushed on the heights.
Charge the rocks, children of the
Prophet" howled the Kurdish captain.
waving his scimeter. Instantly the
troopers began to swarm UP the pre-
cipitous crag. But Simon was ready
for them. To and fro he sprang, loos-
ening by touch the myriads of stones
and small boulders which he had spent
hours arranging along the cliffs edge.
much for the Kurds. Down they rolled
in scores-some never to rise again.
Then Simon-sparing them not, as they
had not spared his countrymen-contin-
ued to pick them out with his rifle.
AT last the Kurdish captain fell, and
the troopers, with yells of despair,
turned tail and fled. The rout was in
describable-, Men and horses mingled
madly in a race down the rocky defile,
Simon discharging his last cartridges
after. them as they disappeared Then
the boy, utterly spent with fatigue,
his face grimy from the effects of DOW
der, fell fainting on the rocky wall
which he had held so we'll
Yussuf, the old soldier, and his fol-
lowers, missing Simon, went forth to
seek him about the noon hour. Long
they searched, until The scene of car
nage-the dead and wounded Kurds-
in the glen arrested their attention.
Here has been a signal victory. -
said Yussuf.' What brave men have
6 done this deed?'
One of the wounded Mohammedans
pointed gloomily toward the heights,
and at the same moment the boyish fig
ure (that of Simon was outlined
against the sky. He waved the rifle
in his hand, and cried joyously to his
father: Il have conquered, oh, my
father. Will the poets make a song
about me, think your
The poets of Armenia did indeed
make songs about Simon, son of Yus-
suf, and for leagues around Argadoun
you may hear them chanting the fame
of his wonderful rife and the story of
how, single-handed, this brave boy beat
back a whole troop of Kurds.