The National tribune., 1897-06-03

primeval forest of hOlm-oak lentinsk, and
myrtle. Those Dolopes. OF whom Plutarch
said that they were poor husbandmen,
but eminent pirates, now live in sequestered
valleys and fight among themselves. Truly
there has been but little change in Skyros
since Achilles welded Deidamia there, or
Tneseus was cast down from its rocks.
| While the Chumpa, with everything close
reefed. wallowed and plunged along to lee
ward of Polyandros Paros, and Lyra, the
Aglae's crew riding at ease in a secure nook
of that fantastically shaped little PENN
! sula on its SOUTH which looks like one of the
finals on Gothic cathedral, listened to the
levanter booming overhead and only re-
| GREETED its violence because il would delay
their enemy's approach, which, nevertheless,
was not now far distant. The furious gale
subsidized into moderate breeze and when
the sun came out, it cleaned on the Chumra's
unfurled topsails far down upon the skyline.
Then, as her hull was fast risiug into sight,
their own vessel stretched out into the
/, channel. There were some among these
Greeks who made VOWS or prayed, while
Others blasphemed, but not man was capa-
| BILE of shrinking or ignorant Of what he had
| to do; which latter fact, be it remarked,
-
pared enemy.
Zagros tackled across the strait, and then
steered straight for his foe. But this was
not the trim and saucy Aglae we have seen
before. Mehndi Ali, as he stood watching
her draw near, and cursing the man at her
wheel for not altering his course. saw only a
disorderly looking trader, with a row OF
swabs hanging over the port side. her main
yard not swayed up, and jib set in such
lubberly fashion that it told of the long
shore sailor" as far as one could see. He
thought this Tartan wanted to trade, and
having become enough of Mussulman to
care nothing for time, backed his topeails.
Fatal mistake for the Greek sloOp coming
! up on his starboard bow, and conned to .
hairs breadth, slightly shifted her helm, let
go everything at once, and as both vessels
lost way and gided alongside.
/ What followed at once was like some
tragic transformation scene. Those apa-
thetic figures on the Aglae's deck started
into sudden and fiery activity. Graphing
irons were flung over the Chumpa's bull
warks fore and aft, while her assailant's
open hatch belched forth a crowd of fierce
| Sphakiots, who threw themselves on board.
No men taken by surprise could have stood
! before the swing and dash of that assault
Several were killed or wounded before the
Turks fully realized their situation. Then
they drew together in front Of the deck
house, prepared to fight till the last man fell,
for, whatever else they may he. these Mos
linn are not towards. As for the crew, when
they saw Kanaris leap down and sweep
their Maltese Mates head off with his heavy
sword, all, but the -renegades, who knew
| there would be no mercy for them, ran
below; and then. as the Cretans gathered
and came on there rose from Suleiman's
soldiers that deep, stern battle-cry, ominous
and terrible in every land to which the
Turk has brought tears and blood and
mourning: ALA hu Akbar! Victory to
Mohammed!"
No one stopped to reload-there was no
time for that. The adversaries closed, steel
in hand, reeled and swayed in the eddies Of
| one of those desperate close fights SO often
called series of single combats. Absurd |!
In scene like this no duel can take place
until the conflict is almost over. Before
that the struggle is like a grim and bitter
riot, where men strike, parry, and stab in
discriminatory, as their opponents change
at every instant.
After their first recoil the Turks never
yielded foot of that rocking deck. They
fought and fell, each man where he stood,
but fell by far the fastest, for in these Spha-
kiot hearts ranked an immemoral hate,
and gratiied vengeance possessed them like
a madness. Few Musselmen were left where
Mehndi Ali dropped dead cloven to the
teeth, and these soon shared their compan-
ions fate. Those who lay wounded on deck
were massacred the Cretans drew their long
knives, aud, with some gasping, sobbing cries,
| all was, indeed, over.
At length Ida, who, in inexpressible dread
and anxiety, had listened to the din Of what
she knew must be an attempted rescue, saw
the cabin door thrown open, and, with one
long cry of JOY, was clasped in her lovers
arms
When their disabled comrades had been
carried on board the Aglae her prize was
thoroughly plundered. The Tartan was lit
terally ireighted with spoil.
By this time evening had come, and Zasros
noted shift Of wind northward; indeed, the
| first gusts of what promised to be a heavy
tramontane gale were already blowing down
the Archipelago. He knew his light vessel
could not lie alongside such a ship as the
Chumpa during stormy weather without
grinding herself to pieces; so her grapplings
were cast loose, the canvas reefed, aud she
headed for that harbor from whence they
| sailed.
1t was tempestuous night, but the Aglae
buoyant as gull nesting on the waves
floated along her course and in the COM
Portable little cabin Kanaris and Ida sat side
BIZ side. What did she care then for the
hooting of the storm or their little bark's
swift rush down watery declivities. Her
heart rose exultant as it scared again to ach
pillows crest. The light of happiness re.
kindled itself in her glorious eyes, for her
lover and her father were once more safe
with her.
The second night wore away, and as the
sun rose red out of the eastern sea the
third morning the Aglae pointed merrily
toward a familiar mouDtain-p peak in Crete.
The little vessel to cover her tracks had
kept away TO the west, Capt. Zagros in.
tending TO round the farther end of the
island and strike the southwestern side q
hundred miles from the point where the
Cretan party had been taken on board
Basil Kanaris and Marcus Kalimakis had
counseled long during the night with Zagros
and they had come to this decision. II
would become known TO the Turks sooner OF
later what had happened TO the Chumpa
The rage of the Turkish Governor would
naturally arouse him to renewed activity II
recapture Ida and vent his spleen Oh Basi
, Kanaris and Marcus kallmakis. Should
, they not go back to their own neighborhood
they would have time to secure safe quarter.
IN the mountains under the protection O
| hxa IL