Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-05-19

was written, and he was perfectly sat
isfed that it would fetch the cash in
| reply. 1t was sent off by a messenger,
who would be gone at least ten days,
and then we went into retirement"
Il is the rule with all brigands who
have prisoner on hand 10 lie low and
take no chances | thought it well to
l'prepare tiIis gang for disappointment,
and when the messenger had departed
| told them that he would only lave
the journey for nothing.
1T cannot be for nothing" grimly re.
piled Bo5etto as he brought out a knife
and felt of its edges IF no money
comes, then your ears 90 to Athens. IL
they fail to bring it, then we viii send
on your headsr'
Sentinels were posted on the hills
around to prevent a surprise. and we
had nothing to do but loaf about Bo-
betto thought he knew the game Of
poker, and it was for us to undeceiye
him. La three days Gillian and | had
won every cent he had We offered to
put up $500 against our ears, but the
brigand assured us with great dignity
that it wasn't regular. About once n
day I thought it my duty to inform
Bobetto that we were moneyless Amer
leans and that there was nothing in 1t
for him, and he always replied to me
with lift Of the eyebrows and a shrug
of the shoulders and the words:
'"rime will tell, my lord; time viii
tell. 1t has happened that / have had
to send ears and head to Athens be-
fore"
For the first five days Of our cGptiyi-
ty we We're closely guarded. and there
could be no thought of escape. Then,
as we appeared TO make ourselves at
home, the vigilance of the brigands
was relaxed. While only four had been
concerned in our capture, there were
really six in the band. One of them
had a broken leg, and the other was
acting as n nurse. Two sentinels were
always stationed at points half a mile
away, and occasionally brigand fell
asleep during the day. | think it was
on the eighth day and at about 3
o'clock In the afternoon when the bril-
gand nurse was sent for provisions.
AS two were acting as sentinels and
third was lying helpless, this left
only two men to deal with. One of
these was Bobetto, and he sat with his
back to a rock doing with the heat
of the day. Gillian was lying on his
back, while I was looking earelessly at
a Greek newspaper. All of sudden
the artist sat up and whispered to me:
Lets end this right here and now!
You tackle the leader, and I'll go for
the other fellow
The 'other fellow" was at the fire
heaplng the brands together. We rose
up in unison and made the attack.
gave old Bobetto a kick ON the jaw
which knocked him over and caused
doleful howls and Gillian hit his man
such a blow on the neck as to render
him unconscious for half an hour.
There were two guns in camp, and we
seized them and made for the high
way, only a mile distant. Before de-
parting | gave the leader tap on the
head to quiet his yells, and so far as !
know we were not followed a rod. We
reached the highway just in time to
get lift in a passing cart and in cou-
pie of hours were in Marathon. As to
the letter. il was delivered at the con-
sulate, bat was looked upon as joke
and the messenger sent off empty
handed. We might have lost our ears
on his return, but were not there to
have them sliced off Bobetto died
two years later, as | read in the pa
pers, and it is said that he was badly
disfgured by a broken jaw-the one
my lord" gave him with an American
calfskin shoe. NJ. QUAD.