Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-10-10

/ Adu beeh at SCH 10F years. / DeIleYe
the mans an impostor.''
''3ut Professor Hampstead seems t.
/ be perfectly satisfied with him"
'That counts for nothing. The pro-
fessor may be up on ancient Greece.
but lie is way off on confidence games.
/ believe We are in for some sort of a
skin game, but its nonsense To worry
over it. We have walked into the trap
/ like a lot Of idiots"
| The island was fairly well covered
/ with trees, and yet it did not have a
/ hospitable look. As we made a closer
approach we could see a couple of rude
huts and a primitive jetty. but Mr.. Ia
/ lanti explained that his castle was hid
den by the forest and that he was land
ing NJ that point to save us a long
walk. 1t was as we were drifting in 10
make fast to the wharf that others in
cur party became suspicious. The no
/ BILE Greek was neither crafty nor diplo-
matte. He let the mask slip and betray
him or at least aroused wonder and dis
/ trust, but the most suspicious Of us
We're hardly prepared for the climax
As soon as the craft was made fast
the three eminent friends of Mr. Ia
lanti suddenly produced pistols and
knives and took their stations by the
gangway. The sailors divided into two
/ parties, and, handling their naked
knives in a menacing fashion. they
/ drove the people into line When Pro-
/ fessor Hampstead had rubbed his eyes,
/ scratched his head and got it into his
/ brain that something not down on the
/ programme was going on, Talanti
mounted box and smilingly observed:
Ladies and gentlemen, you are now
| about to pass ashore to behold my Won
derful discoveries. but each one of you
is required to leave behind you all
money and jewelry. I will see that ev-
erything is safely cared for"
but what-what does it mean?'
asked the bewildered professor as he
looked around him.
"It's robbery cried three or four
voices in chorus.
''Do not mar the harmony of the oc-
casion with hard words" continued the
chief villain II simply borrow your
purses and jewelry. The term robbery
does not sound well. AS time flies let
us get to work. Antonio. you may be-
gin with the professor first"
The men cried out in anger, but what
could they do? l do not think there
was firearm among them. while the
Greeks seemed oyeranXious to use their
knives. There were protestations and
threats of the law, but Talanti only
smiled at them and ordered the work to
go on. Each man in our crowd was reg
ularly held up-that is, his pockets
were thoroughly searched, and every
thing of value was taken. The women
were requested to hand over and each
one had her watch and rings in hand as
she moved up. In the course of half an
hour the last one was ashore, and then
Talanti took off his hat, made a sweep
ing bow and sailed away with his pi-
ratical crew. He had no sooner gone
than a gang of half dozen villainous
looking men came down from the huts
They told us they were fishermen. but
| their actions belied the statement
Their first move was to demand cash.
and great was their Indignation and
disappointment ut being told that Ia
lanti.s crowd had taken the last coin.
'
hour later two genuine fishermen came
ashore in their boat. There were doz-
en- vessels within. five or six miles of Us.
and dollar would have been big pay
for them to sail out and notify the
nearest craft of our situation: but, real
izing our helplessness. they demanded
the sum of 500. As there was no mon
ey TO pay them, they were finally pre-
vailed upon TO take an l o L signed by
all the men of the party.
1t was almost dark when a battered
old schooner came sailing up to take
us off, and the terms were So apiece.
to be paid in Athens. We spent a
dreary night on deck and landed in the
city at noon next day. Immediate no.
tice was given to the various consuls
and to the Greek government, but no
one had any faith that anything would
be accomplished. The government
made loud promises and seemed to be
making all possible efforts, but as a
matter of fact Mr.. Talanti was not
even pursued. He never could have
put up and carried through such a job
without a number of officials standing
in with him, and each and every one
of them doubtless shared in the plum
der when it was divided. 1t was said
that tie money and jewelry amounted
to about $4,000, and the only consola-
ton any of the victims had was the
privilege of abusing a country where
such things could be carried out.
The Leather of the Egyptians.
The ancient EgXntians wore skilled