Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-10-21
VIII.
I'M of WAR.


into the work, and when they went
down to the station at which the train
bearing their fellow countrymen were
expected, they found the platform al
ready filled by a throng Of excited
Greeks. No sooner did the train steam
In, than loud shouts of welcome pro-
ceeded from every throat. Vaughan
stepped forward, as in duty bound, to
welcome the little troop. If the men
sent out by Mr.. Calcraft were not nu-
merous they were, at all events, care
fully picked. Among them were. two
six-footers, who lowered over the small
Greeks like giants, and aroused the ut
most enthusiasm,
Falling into line the little band
marched through the streets to the Stu
dents Club. where they were brought
In and seated at a table on which re-
freshments had been provided by the
thoughtful hospitality of the commit
tee.
While the newly-arrived men, most
served as privates in the British Ar
my, sat round Shaking their pipes and
drinking the Greek wines, the Chair
man of the club addressed them in an
eloquent speech, the only drawback to
which was the fact that it happened to
be in the Greek language, of which the
listeners did not understand a syllable.
Vaughan was called upon for a rply.
which he made in English, his words
being interpreted by an English-speak-
ing member of the club. Then follow
ed a retaliation. A gentleman attired
On a faultless English costume, stand
ing upon a chair, recited a long poem,
apparently of his W composition,
also in Greek, which was understood to
deal with the former exploits Of his an
cestors in the time of the War of In
dependence.
The spectacle of Mr.. Thomas Atkins,
sitting with mis- pipe in his mouth, lis
tening to the perfervid utterances of
the Greek poet, as he emphasized his
stirring stanzas with every gesture at
his command, was one which amused
Vaughan not a little; but it was evil
dent that the soldiers appreciated the
compliment which was being paid to
them. Their behaviour was exemplary,
and when they learnt that they were to
pass the night as guests on the premis-
es of the club, their pride and delight
knew no bounds.
The next day they were formally en-
listed in the Legion, and entered upon
immediate receipt of the munificent
pay, fixed by the Greek Government at
a lepton a day. AS the value of a lep-
ton is somewhat less than a quarter of
a farthing, the money thus lavished
did not procure many luxuries for the
volunteers, who would have been griev-
ously disappointed if they had come
out in the hope of making a pecuniary
profit by their enterprise. But what
was lacking in money was made up by
the private hospitality of the Greeks.
Wherever the English volunteers pre-
scented themselves they lived practical
ly at free quarters; the restaurant
keepers supplied them with free meals
and the cafes with free drinks, and
before many hours passed over their
heads one hero had unfortunately ia
ken such advantage of the circumstan-
ces in which he found himself that the
Greek officials were compelled mildly,
but firmly, to confine him to the bar
racks.
BY this time Vaughan had fully
made up his mind not to enroll himself
in the Foreign Legion.
To begin with, n of the newly-ar-
rived detaohments sent by Mr.. CAL
craft was an ex-sergeant of the British
Army, and Vaughan did not altogether
look forward to placing himself under
his orders in the absence of any British
officer OF higher rank. He shrank
equally from the idea of taking the
oath of allegiance to King George. AL
ready the Inns had begun to circu-
late In Athens that the Foreign Legion
was not destined for active service in
the country, but that it was the inten-
tion of the Government to retain it in
Athens to keep order in the excited
state of the public mind.
about this time it was that Vaughan
made the acquaintance of a man, of
whom he was destined to see a good
deal more during the next few weeks.
Ono day as he sat on the terrace in
front of the hotel, a short, soldierly
man, whose ruddy complexion marked
him out Enthusiastically as an English
man among the sallow faces of the
Greeks, aecosted him, and introduced
himself as Major Cheriton, late of the
British Army.
Major Cheriton proceeded to explain
that he had been travelling on the Con-
tinent, and that, hearing OF the arrival
of British volunteers in Athens, he,
too, had determined to cast in his lo|
with them; but, unfortunately, the WEI
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