The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-10
BELIEF IN VAMPIRES.
SURVIVAL OF A WEIRD UPERsTI-
TION.

a
ciOus DOG-The Potency of Fire as
Charm Agaist the Blood-Suck-
ing Misunderstanding n Demon in
the Island of MyconOs.
Amherst Letter in New York Post
Some years ago the writer. accompanied
by a friend. was travelling on foot in
Greece. One day, after sunset, we reached
an isolated farm house, situated on the
edge of what was then the great Copac
morass, Immediately north of Orchomeuus
We had been tramping through Greece for
seven weeks; we were very footsore, and
a long walk had made us unusually tired
and hungry on that particular day As we
approached the house, we were greeted by
the barking of a huge. and apparently
very savage, dog, who made frantic efforts
to break his chain in order to crafty his
burning curiosity in regard TO the two for
lorn travellers. Had we known what was
to follow, the dog would have inspired us
with more respect, but we had seen many
Grecian ours masquerading as lions.
though at heart they were as cowardly as
hares. So, trusting to knowledge born of
experience with other dogs, we scarcely
deigned to notice the vigorous protests of
this savage beast. Arrived a the door of
of the farm house, we knocked once and
again. Apparently the house had no in
mate. But after time the door opened
cautiously, and a burly Albanian peasant
appeared al the doorway extending toward
us pair of longs in which was held
live coal of fire The extraordinary per-
pea II no
speeches. with establishment The peas
anE, pale and apparently quivering with
terror stood but for a moment holding
the coal of fire toward us. Then, without
having uttered one word, he hastily closed
the door in our faces and boiled it with
care
This behavior was as inexplicable to US
at the time as it Is no doubt, TO the read
er now. But at any rate one thing was
certain; the man had given us the strong
est assurance that he regarded our room
as better than our company. We were
confronted by a condition, not a theoryi
we We're literally worn out we knew that
the nearest village was about five miles
distant it was now dark, and we longed
to be housed and fed So we knocked at
the door again, and yet again, but all
within was as silent as the grave in
striking contrast with the deep-voiced bel
iowings of the dog behind us. But our
friend of the tongs could not be induced
to come forth second time and parleY
with US. Finally, we gave up in despair,
and, wandering away past the uproarious
cur we sat in sadness upon a neighbor-
ing bank to determine what was to lie
done under the distressing circumstances.
To our great relief we soon deserted a
hGif-groWn boy approaching on a donkey,
but to our queries as to the possibility or
finding lodging for the night in the house
he answered with a decided no, stating
that he was the only Greek on the premi-
ses, and that the IIs---5---- We're Albanians
who were in no wise likely to entertain
strangers. But" said he, pointing to a
hut of considerable size, there is the
dogs house. You can sleep there If you
want to. But they always turn the dog
loose at night, and if he finds you, he viii
eat you up, as sure as fate" Thus saying
he left US to confront an unameE grated
condition; the door of the house opened 70
allow him to enter, but was closed and
osrentatiousy bOlted after him.
In the course of our wanderings we had
frequently been compelled to spend the
night in the open air as best we might
but on former occasions we were not so
tired, footsore. and hungry as we were on
that particular evening. 1t was, there
fore, a real hardship to he treated with a
rude inhosptality that was wholly mex
plicable TO us because, hitherto, we had
received not merely hospitality. but mark
ed attention even. However, under the
circumstances. the only thing left for us to
do was to take possession of the dog =
house as the sole protection within our
reach against the chilling dews of a Gre
clan spring night. That dog was some
thing of an aristocrat. and his house was a
veritable palace-for a dog; better, indeed
than many houses that are occupied by hui
man beings. Upon entering we found, to
out great regret that the door was off its
hinges, and, in spite of anxious effort. we
could not adjust il in the pitchy darkness
The dog had been set free, and was now
rampant, roaming to and fro and calling
for our blood with deep-mouthed below
ings that gave US concern, as / am free 10
confess Taking all things into consider
alton we had come to respect the dog, and
it was with pain that we realized that We
could not debar him from impertnent in
trusion upon our privacy. We propped The
door up but had the powerful dog 50
wished, he could have entered without
difficulty. In our unarmed condition. there
fore we were not wholly free from anx-
ioty lest he might find an opportunity to
eat us. according TO the reassuring pr0ph-
ecy OF the Greek boy.
But WEAKNESS bore heavily upon us, and
wedding 10 necessity, we laid US down.
lust as we were. in the dust that was an
riety produced by the action of innumer-
able tramplings. The whole night through
the dog never once ceased his search for
US; we coud hear him now near at
hand and now in the distance but ever
making night hideous with his bayings
which did not have for us The soothing
nerve-ca mng effect uron which Byron
dwells. We mad been reading that poet as
we iourneyed through Greece, and we were
keenly alive 10 The irony of the words:
"'Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's hon
est bark
Bay dc. p-moutbed welcome as we draw
near home"
Fortunately for us. II did not occur TO the
dog TO .ook for us in his own house though
he often came uncOmfortably near, and so
we dragged through the weary night with
out visit from our canine friend, OF
whom, by this lime, we stood Ia absolute
terror.
We arose at the peep Of day. selecting
for our exit a Moment when the dog SEEM
I'd to be baying in the distance. and al
tempted 10 gain the open country before
he could discover US. Vain delusion for
we had not taken many steps before the