Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-01-30

'Cuupuk! kQulch, qulCh ~ huu VI
which they invariably replied by say.
ing, "Yawash, Yawash !" meaning,
"No hurry, all in good time"
Antonio, as We progressed, gradu.
ally transferred his conversation from
myself to the boatmen. At that time
l knew very little OF their sweet.sound'
jargon, and naturally feeling uninter-
ested, l closed my eyes and sank into
n reverie, to be aroused therefrom by
one of the boatmen using Turkish
phrase, the meaning OF which was
known to me, IN tones of the deepest
disgust. Their fierse and furtive
glances, together with the frequent
use OF that one phrase, which might
be translated thus: "Dog Of an inf
del," confirmed sudden suspicion
that was in serious scrape. 1 was
60 seated that, although my face was
not seen by them. could discern their
features aud gestures plainly.
"Chapuk" l cried imperiously,
knowing that it is generally best to
show no white feather. "Yawash,
yawash !" returned the boatmen de.
tiantly.
"No hurry. sare," said Antonio,
lighting his chibouk and putting away
com placently.
How regretted having left the Pera
Hotel at that unseemly hour to see
parcel of Circasslan ra3amuffins, who
were perhaps not worth seeing! How
roundly swore that, if it were per.
mitted me to issue scatheless from that
scrape, I would never be out again
after dark in Turkey. Past the Maiden's
Tower, n sort of legendary lighthouse
that stands on rock at the entrance
OF the Golden Horn, opposite Scutari;
past long lines of vessels and rows OF
dark red wooden houses with broad
brimmed fiat roofs, and cellarlike
boat houses; past plane trees and cy-
presses, silent caiques and coffee
houses, and here and there q dread
lump of carrion, bobbing like float
in the moonlight, swollen and horrible
we reached at last the Sweet Water
meadows, where the caiques were
gathered thick as carriages round the
door of the Theatre Francais.
I had mind to make those two
villainous boatmen row me back again,
because as we were near one of the
Sultan's tinselly Italian palaces,
neither they nor the audacious
Albanian dare attempt violence just
then; but, unfortunately, 1 was
troubled with u weakness called pride,
which troublesome infirmity l should
advise my readers, if ever they are
placed in similar circumstances, to
conquer right away. Although I felt
I thereby p'acel my life in jeopardy,
l could not for the life of me take the
certain way of escape that offered it.
self, and determined to pursue at all
hazards the object for which I had set
out.
The two boatmen jumped on land,
and drawing the caique almost high
ard dry, SO that we should not wet our
feet, stood with ready palms held out
to receive their pay. 1 gave few
piasters to each and then an animated
conversation ensued between my
dragoman and them, conducted in
Turkish, and in which the constant
repetition of the phrase before trans
lated again occurred.
"Dey will wait, sare," said tho
Albanian, ut its conclusion.
"All right" l returned. affecting
more GOODNESS than felt, for had no
arms with me bigger than penknife,
aud had seen them produce, during
tho palaver, bright, ugly.looklng
knives from their voluminous sleeves.
"Chapuk! I want to get back soon."
Antonio uttered valedictiol to
his-ss supposed them -accomplices,
and we entered detile whose quickly
Tightening sides were topped with
regular rows of cypress trees. In a
little while, on either side, before and
behind, there was nothing but i'm
penetrable darkness visible, and
above, tho sky, now overcast with
clouds, was starless and gloomy. The
dragomau led the way, stealing on
with 1.-THE, sure step, and waiting
clouds of perfume from his chibouk.
Trying to divest myself OF the con-
viction that I was about to become
the victim Of an already concocted
plot, bringing forth a whole array Of
arguments to justify that attempt, and
yet peering norvously into the dark
ness right and left, anon in the dlrec-
ton of the Albanian, and then shrink
ingly behind me, followed, without
protest, in his footsteps, just as a
lamb goes to the slaughter house.
He carried lamp, such as all drago-
men carry in the night time, and sud-
denly bethinking myself of this, 1
asked him to light it.
presently, sare," he said; 1--WE
shall come into plenty light Soon"
To the best OF my belief We had now
gone about half mile. Once or twice
fanoied heard a football in our rear,
and with contraction of the heart,
half turned to face an anticipated as.
sailant, but nothing emerged from the
darkness, and resumed my journey,
perturbed and painfully suspicious.
Tho clouds suddenly thinne1 before
the watery moon, aud the irregular
walls of an old tumble.down ruin for.
merly q mosque of much repute, but
now q playhouse for all the little
| lurks III Tue villages Iouuu aoott,
loomed directly before us, the defile
abruptly ending at the mouth OF a
rude road on the right.
The Albanian proposed lighting the
lamp in this ruin, as, on account Of a
gusty wind. it would be difficult to
light it outside.
thought his proposal rather un.
called for, since we had the moon, but
acquiesced quietly, and followed him
in the mosque, which had been built
in that semi Oriental byzantine style
that, back through Venice, spread
throughout Europe, even in Canute OF
England's time. l was interested in
this relic of another age, and momen-
tarily forgot my suspicious. Antonio
stepped into vault, which was still
almost entire. and which had once. in