The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-07
THE TURK FIGHTER.
From the Harvard Advocate.


Below the ruins of the Servian fortress
of Golubatz, the river bed of the Danube
suddenly narrows, the banks become two
steep walls of solid rock, and the water
dashes helter-skelter into the pass of the
Iron Gates. On the north shore is a Hun
garian village; beyond the hills at its
back is q stretch of waste country, the
home of wild horses and rowing bandits.
At odd times vague rumors of civilization
come posting along the highway past the
village But it is a peaceful, unchanging
spot. The children grow up dark skinned
and strong under the sun; the fathers
work by day in the vineyards on the hills,
and at night sit with their pipes before
the houses, watching in silence the wa
ters struggling tumultuously into the
pass; the grandfathers recount the tales
of the robber raids in the olden days, and
wait for the coming of death.
In the mid-stream before the village a
solitary rock rises above the water. one
spring evening l sat upon the inn porch
watching the current eddy around it.
That rock must be dangerous TO boats"
said 1 TO the host who was standing by
WY g do you ~ not blow It qp?'
might as well blow up some of our h0ilses
That rock keeps the peace of more than
one poor soul Why If a mans wife takes
o.
ward tnat rock and she is a lamb forth
with"
Il pray. you, sir, by all means, explain
The landlord rubbed his thumb across
his eyebrow, gloating over something, like
rat with his stolen cheese. Then he be-
In my fathers day, all alone in a little
house lived q little cobber named Josef
Milhacz hop-o'- y-thumb-chap with
big moustaches. He had a passion for
q FNrT h lie ,srls
dropped in, down went the work on his
bench, and they fell at once to the game
and hot dispute. Poor Josef was a great
daft. He had the notion that the Turks
still looked with enVious eyes uDon the
Danube lands and were preparing to re-
claim their old possessions.
But, josef his friends expOstulated
the turks nowadays would run from an
army OF balloons. They have not shown
their noses up mere for a hundred years
All my friends answered he
strengthening up to his full hight of scant
five feet, you don't know the Turks as I
do. l have two grandfathers killed in the
battle of Mohacs And he tapped his
breats with pride and nervously twisted
his moust9ches.
And if they come. Josef, what will
DO? Do? said he, gritting his teeth
and speaking way down in his throat ri
night TIL they hack me to a skeleton
" Bah, bah, josef Be careful TO lock
your doors fast at night. Don't let them
The poor fellow had the idea he was
the protector of the village Night after
night, when the htful mood struck him,
sword in hand, on watch against the en-
envy he paced the cliff yonder.
Well, Josef, any news Of the Turks
YETI the men would ask him.
" No, no; not yet he said seriously
He felt himself every inch a soldier
and the illusion tickled him, as a child
! is pleased with toy. 1t did him no harm
so the people nourished the Illusion and
let him run At will. ~ was fu ba villa or.
a favOrite and a pet.
AT thirty, he fell in love The girl liv-
ed IN neighboring village, and every
sunday night prompt as the village clock.
| he locked his door, left his house at the
Turks mercy, and, spruced in his church
clothes. a stick in his hand, off he truged,
@"suddenly,. one day, he gave orders to
make over his house.
"-Hey-day, Josef, what's this?' said
neighbor.
"'5Oh' said he. pleased and proud, I'm
to be married And he stuck his hands
in his pockets and began careless whis-
d" Now. Josef. by the bones Of Johann
Hunyadi, what will you do with a wife,
-, Pray, SIR, answered he, swelling up
ike blown bladder, what do you with
a wife?'
The news caused a commotion in the
village. He wants to raise an army of
Turk fighters, said one sly rogue, and the
| laugh went from house 10 house
sure enough, one bright spring day.
home he came with his bonny bride a
short, thickset woman with brawny arms
and a wicked eye.
If he hasn't got hold Of his first Turk
cried someone pray God 7 may die of
FOR while they lived happily. Then
something went wrong. The nelghbors
voices was slenced After a time JOSEF
grew lazy, snirked his work ana went or
with his cronies 10 cards and drink
Come my man. the men would say;