The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-22

His strain Of fine Greek blood showed in a
face of perfect oval, with we!l-chiseled fea-
lures, high, rather thin nose, with delicate,
sensitive nostrils, jet-black hair and eyes,
aud SLIM dropping mustache above a small,
firm mouth. His Sphakiot ancestry was in
dicated by stature above that usual among
Greeks, his sinewy, 1.-THE limbs, and more than
all by his free, independent carriage. He was
not Of the Fanariot Greeks-clerks, account
ants money changers, traders, shopkeepers,
and servants for countless generations, but
came Of the free, unspoiled race of the hills
and mountains, whose ancestors had been
famous archers, marchers, and fighters even
in Xenophon's time, and who to-day are
as skilful with the rifle as their forbears
were with the bow.
He was dressed in the best style of young
man of his country. On his glossy black
curls sat a red cap with blue tassel. In the
cap was the peculiar fold affected by the
Greek sailors, and which showed that, like
most Greeks, he considered the sea as much
his home as the land. He wore a shirt of
white cloth, with large turn-down collar,
and no cravat; a gold-embroidered open
vest, a jacket with open sleeves, knee
breeches of white cotton, long stockings with
narrow garters of bright-colored silk, silken
sash about his waist, and below it fusta-
nella (petticoat or kilt gathered tightly in
pleats about the waist. On his feet, and
reaching quite to his knees, were the charaC-
teristic high boots of the Sphakiots, of which
the classics speak. They were of soft, pill
able red morocco, with little tassels at the
pointed toes. Into broad leather belt over
his sash were thrust two large American
revolyers and heavy knife with an inlaid
I, ho( hup ic bro do
handkerchief, purse and tobacco bag. On a
stone near by lay cloak or 'scapote" made
of goats hair, woven SO fine as to be i'm
pervi0us to the rain.
He walked up and down with the light,
springy step of his race, under the venerable
expresses in front of the mill, stopping from
time to time to talk with old Varvoaillya,
the factOtum and man of-all-work.
But whether he walked or talked his eyes
wandered increasingly over the hilltops. 1t
was the Sphakiot watchfulness-the vigil
ance bred by ages Of desultory warfare
His quick ears detected rustlng in
thicket. Instinctively his hands grasped
his pistols, and he bent his eyes in the di-
rection whence the sound had come. He
saw the high laurels shake little, and i'm
medately there sprang into the open road
little ways in front of him young man of
about his own age and similarly dressed,
though much more plainly and roughly.
He carried trim, well-fnished rifle,
strong contrast to the clumsy, old fashioned
guns used by the Turks and the Greeks of
the mainland.
IS Fair day to thee, Cousin BASIL" shouted
the newcomer, tossing his rifle into the air,
and catching it again with easy grace.
"May the Virgin bless theen
"And thou also, Cousin Nikolas," replied
Basil, raising his hands from his pistols and
crossing himself But thou art lucky. l
was on the point of firing into the thicket
when thou leaped out"
L" Think of thyself rather" answered the
other, with taunting laugh. "I was just
testing that famous eyesight of thine.
came over the crest of the hill there fully
half an hour ago, chasing an ibex, which
got away from me. In looking for it /
noticed thee, and saw that thou didst not
see me. I then thought 1 would try my
skill against thine, and see how near could
get to thee before thou dfscovesdest me. /
did far better than hoped Twenty times