The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-12

nothing. If 1t did not we we're justified in
Smelling defeaseless citizens. What would
the Greek fleet do?
But the question solved itserr ike all the
other questions of this wonderful war. We
strolled on, and the Greeks went away.
We went in steadlly-the flags OF the great
powers in an aureole round the nag OF the
Sultan's aide-de-camp and three cor
respondents, two Albanian caVaseS ana a
see the fun, riding behind like the general,
and staff, and army. 1t was the most
ridiculous and yet the most sublime thing
in the world. For absurd as we were, we
carried with use the life or death of
town. And as we drew near TO 1t this be-
came very clear. The outskirts or Nolo are
obscure. and as you ride in there are gas
works on the right-hand side; but beyond
this | am bound TO own l noticed Nolo
very little. 1 was looking at the people;
For as we got into the town we passed
through lanes of them-shaggy dirty,
dumpy people, banked up on che roadsdes
with obsequiousness in their miSn, ana ter
about IT. the people Of Volo were most
horribly afraid. ] don't know what tales
they mad been told put l am preIly sure sure
they would have left if they could; only
they were at the end of their tether in a
corner Of their country, and they had TO
wait there for their fate
So we went on towards the center of the
town-always the same grotesque mixture
with hve-sevenths of the invading army
made up Of correspondents and their sCrV-
ants. AS NE got towards the central streets
the populace seemed treasured: we had not
massacred anybody so Tar, and they began
to think they had chance. Ihey sun
took off their hats most obediently Many
had bought fezzes for the occasion, and l
saw one unfortunate-so untnstructed IN the
use of that symbol of victory as TO take 1t
Off which the Turk never does, indoors or
out Women appeared presently on the pal
comics with smirks OF welcome Inc SUB
stantial inhabitants began 10 meet uS-that
is to say, the inhabitants not quite sub
stantial enough to command passage to
Athens. They also smirked uneaslly.
BOYS WERE HAPPY.
AS we passed each group of kow-tow it
fell in behind us till we were the head of a
procession half mile long. 1t looked like
a great festival. But except the invading
seven L don't think anybody quite enjoyed
it except the boys. They trooped in and
scuttled on with will-brush-haired, SNUG
faced little ragamuffins with no school
open to-day Through war and panic, blood
shed and ruin, the boy, thank God, still
remains the boy. The pity was that they
could only grow up into Greeks after ALL
And SO, the center Of a scraping, quak-
ing city, we arrived at the town hail. We
jumped down carelesSly off our horses, ana
flung the reins into crowds that competed
for the honor of holding them Then up into
the council chamber, or whatever they call
it? There was a crowd OF jabbering Greeks
inside; we pushed them out of the way
Who cared what conquered Greeks had to
us the mayor here?" Not he "Where is
the representative of the mayor? Now they
comprehended that there had to be repre-
sentative OF the mayor = on. NO, you.
AT last they produced a bald-headed gray
bearded, qualfing little man, and he trem-
bled up to the table. Listen to this: The
town Of Volo is now under the humane and
powerful protection Of his imperial Majesty
the Sultan Abdul Hamtd.' And SO on.
'Does the town submit" The town sub
mits. Then sign your name there" Then
the bald-heads began to wag again. ~ ou
sign" mo, you" At last they produced
a man to sign. don't know who he was,
and I'm sure nobody cared.
Now on the balcony. Here is a gray
bearded elder; no doubt he is a leading citi-
zen. do you understand French2 Very
well; then translate this aloud to the peo-
pie. The town of Volo is now " and so on.
| looked down arrogantly at the people as
he translated. Louder" said /, as If |
were the governor of the town, and ODE
looked UP timorously; there were only a
thousand of them, and there We're four
fezzes on the balcony. But as they listened
their cowed faces lightened; they We're
spared; they lived again. And then Greek
on the balcony called for three cheers for
the Sultan. How they rang! All the Greeks
morning emptied their lungs with a relish.
Faugh! All the same, / suppose conquered
townsmen have their feelings, and it is a
relief to hear that you are to be neither
robbed nor killed. But you can't expect
the conquerors to think much of that. To
us 1t appeared Just despicable sycophancy.
And then a shutting rattle down the
street, and in came the Turks. They had
not waited to hear whether the town
capituated; why should they? The Greek
admiral had tried to bluff it out, but al
ready his smoke was trailing behind him.
And in came the Turks. One battalion only
but what a battalion! Dusty, ragged,
probably hungry, they strobe IN with shut
fling strides, but very long ones, looking
neither to left nor right desiring no pillage
nor ravishment, doing what their officers
told them. They had marched through
Thessaly at the word of command; at the
word of command they would march
was man who could step. Were they
elated, triumphant, arrogant, intoxicated,
like us? Dear, no! They just shambled in
as always. They had conquered, but what
of that? How should they do else than
conquer?