The National tribune., 1897-05-06
BY JOHN McELROY.

| BY JOHN McELROY.
stormed he II am amazed at thee. TIL
men have had bastinadoed dozen time
for their base Deeds"
They are the best men we have with US,
| grumbied Ibrahim.
| "Ay, for certain work to kill without
mercy, and to rob without scruple at com
| mand. But not to be trusted out of sigh
| and reaching for so much as one poor plaster
They would rob thee and even me, as they
| have done, as quickly as a Christian. Call
| them back at once, or they will steal the
whole train from us. Go thyself and take
| charge. Turn off at the parting of the ways
| and take the road to Khania. Deliver the
horses, cattle, sheep and goats to my agent
there, Haroun, the Jew, whom thou knowest
well. And be mindful that thou givest him
every head of them. Despite the pain OF
my wound / have carefully counted them,
| and thou mayest not hope to cheat me. 20
! now, and send those dogs back to me. The
| household plunder and the women thou
| canst have for thyself and thy men,"
Sons of Sheytun," said the Aga, when
Islander and Ali presented themselves, g
knew not that ye were with me, or l should
have had care for We. It is fortunate that
y
run those cattle off to thy villain friends in
Paleo- Kastron. Doubtless ye were plotting
that when l ordered ye back. Now go to
the rear, and mind we'll how We bear your
selves. l have the bastinado waiting for
ye when ye return to Retimo Go, dogs"
For space Aga Yusef rode along in
gloomy silence through the hot sun, fo!-
lowed by Ida between two kavasses, and
the rest Of his retinue. From time to time
he would clutch at his bosom and groan
audibly. Then he broke out to the kavass
next him:
by Mahomeps beard, am sure that
knife had poison on its point. Those Christ
ian asps put their venom on their steel. 1t
is an ancient custom in this heather island.
My wound burns like fire. could tear the
flesh from my ribs, it pains so. The virus
seems to be shooting through all my veins.
l shall never live TO reach Retimo unless
can have help, and that quickly"
Near by here is spring that is said to
have marvellous healing powers" suggested
Selim. the kavass spoken to. "They say
that it kills all distem pets in the blood, and
cures wounds very speedily. l tried it once
when was grievously hurt, and my wound
healed quickly. How liiuch was due TO the
waters, and how much to an amulet that a
pious hadji brought me from Mecca, and
which / laid on the wound, presume not
to say. l know that the spring hath ever
been held in great esteem"
How far is it away ?" %
Not half-h0ur's ride.'s
And hast thou thy amulet with thee? ("
"Ay, / keep it hung about my neck
always, for know it hathmuch virtue"
Take me to the spring as quickly as
possible. ] dread may fall from my horse
before get there and die by the roadside"
The spring of Ariadne was o beautiful
gush of pure water from wall of living
rock. Selim spoke the truth when he said
it had ever been held in great esteem for it's
curative powers. It had had that reputa-
ton for far longer time than the ignorant
kayass could conceive. The ruins about the
laurel-fringed glen testified to its antique
fame. There had been a beautiful temple
to Esculapius reared there by pious Greek
millionaire 1000 years ago. to testify his
gratitude to the God Of Healing and the
wonderful spring for the making whole of
his only son. There were fragments of votive
monuments By equally grateful but less
wealthy health-seekers. Then the Christians
had come and bestowed upon the spring the
legend that st. Paul had blessed its waters,
0u0 oAu0iuCA VuCtu IOk tAO AOdliUk VI iucu
forevermore. A monastery had been built
there. where the monks cared for the sick
and the hurt who came to get the benefit of
its wholesome drafts In this monastery q
great number of Christians, including women
and children, had taken refuge during the
latest insurrecti0n in the island. The Turk
ish troops had pursued them thither, laid
siege, burst the walls with gunpowder, and
massacred every one within.
Aga Yusef took possession of the ruined
monastery the stout walls and strongly
built cells of which still afforded much shell
ter, and established himself and retinue
there for the night. Ida was immured in a
cell which the monks had used for prison
for their refractory brethren. Exhausted by
her emotions she threw herself down on the
shelf of stone which had served the prison.
ers for bed, and was soon sleeping the sleep
which youth brings to cure fatigue
While Aga Yusef was having his wound
laved with the healing waters and dressed,
and the amulet applied, his men had i'm
pressed from the neighboring shepherds food
enough for the night, and this was stewing
in the pots as the sun set and darkness came
on.
Iskander, the Albanian, and Ali, the Arab,
old partners in villainy, were seated on a
stone, far apart from their companions, and
consulting earnestly. ISLANDER was plan
ming and urging; Ali on the point of con-
senting.
''It is just as say )" summed up Iskander.
For nearly whole year now not beg
carly plaster of pay have we received. It
has all gone into Aga Yusef's greedy purse
may the pig burn thousand years."
"Ay, more" groaned Ali, he hath robbed
us of our share of all booty taken, and bas-
tinadoed us for seeking to get enough to hold
body and soul together when we are older
and cannot ride at hsi command. Shall a
man waste his manhood for merely enough
every day to fill his belly? Allah does not
30 intend" a-lt
"Ay, and Yusef promises to bastinado us
| again when he returns TO Retimo, to find out
| That Tired FnnIino