The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-05-13

"I am Ida, daughter of Markus Kali
makis, whom thou knowest well. The
Osmanli have been to our house. They have
slain my father and Papa Demetrios, and
carried me away. By the miraculous help
of Our Lady and st. Titus have made my
escape Thou wilt not refuse thy help when
they have given it so wonderfully. Open at
once, or / am lost"
She sank exhausted on the ground.
The monks had forgotten their devotions,
and were crowded around the wicket listen
ing intently to what she said. Rage and
CONSERVATION seized their pious souls. Papa
Demetrios best loved of their house. slain!
Markus Kallimakis, pillar of the church,
and of the Cretan community, murdered! !!
His queenly daughter fugitive at their
gates, with the hateful hounds of the
seraglio on her track!
Shaven crowns, coarse garbs and the rigid
austerities of the Monastery Of the Prophet
Elias had not been able to extinguish the
fire of manhood in their monkish hearts.
Many of them had fought in the sphakiot
bands before they put on the cowl, and
vowed themselves to peace, humility and
abject service to God. The Superior himself
had been out in the last insurrection, osten-
sibly as Chaplain, but there were tales as
to the identity of the man in monkish habit,
who had led the Cretans in through the
breach in the Castle at Almyro, when all
the Turkish garrison was slain.
The gates were unbarred, and the monks
swarmed out.
THE birds have been very bad among
our cherries of late," said the Superior, as
he lifted Ida in his strong arms. "Spiri-
dion, take five or six with thee, with fowling-
pieces, and 90 down into the cherry-0rchard
and drive them away"
No one seemed to notice when Spiridion
and his fellows came from the armory that
all in their haste had picked up rifles instead
of shotguns, as their Superior had hidden.
A little after daybreak Iskander, eau
tiously approaching the monastery, heard a
heavy bullet sing very close to his ear.
Looking over among the cherry trees, he saw
several monks with guns in their hands,
very intently studying the tops of the trees.
by the Prophets beard he said to Ali,
"those monks use heavy ammunition with
which to kill sparrows. We had best give
up the hunt, and get to Suda Bay as quickly
as possible. Ibrahim and his men may be
around here. We do not want to meet
them"
::..Bearing Ida in his strong arms, the Superior
strode rapidly through maze of lemon trees
and thickets of oleanders. The way seemed
familiar to him, though he would have been
lost to anyone following at two rods distance.
He ascended little rise, disappeared behind
clump of high rose-laurels, and entered the
mouth of cavern.
In all ages Crete has been famous for the
number and extent Of her caverns. Every
school boy and girl recalls the story Of the
Labyrinth Of Crete, in which the monster
Minotaur was confined. Ariadne, falling in
love with Theseus, gave him the sword to
kill the monster, and the silken clew with
which to find his way through the maze.
Learned antiquarians have insisted that
the Labyrinth was ore of the great caverns,
and have held fierce disputes as to which
one best fits the classical descriptions.
The caverns, which abound in all parts of
the island, have been the refuge for the peo-
pie from their conquerors and prosecutors for
thousands of years. Though the Turks
have been lords of Crete for over 200 years,
they have never attempted to explore these
places, partly from incidence, partly from
Mahometan indifferencet to scientific research,
and partly from fear, for the Christians have
cunningly spread tho belief that there are
inscriptions and signs on the walls which