The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-03
WALTER BLOOMFIELD

| to present the necessary youthfulness
and beauty were sent to the slave mar
ket and sold. He promised to institute
an inquiry concerning them that same
day, but warned me that he was un-
able to afford them any protection in
| whatever circumstances they might
be placed. as they were neither OF
them English subjects.
The house of Sir Thomas Roe was
large. square and low. with wide YER
andas on every side. 1t was in the
middle Of a garden on the side Of a
hill. and overlooked the sea. The de-
mesne was surrounded by thick wall
SO high that the house could scarce be
seen from the outside. We were no
sooner entered within the gates than
a swarm OF slaves crowded about us,
and our jaded horses were half led.
half pulled. toward the house. / was
about to dismount when a stalwart
negro threw himself upon the ground
right In my way. his legs and arms
doubled under him in curious fashion.
and the surface Of his back presented
upward. Hesitating for O moment, In
doubt what this might mean. I no.
ticed another slave behave in similar
manner in front Of my companion.
who proceeded ut once to dismount.
using his slave as We In England use n
stepping stone. I copied his example.
but with an Ill grace for Sir Thomas
smilingly observed. II perceive by
many signs that you are newly ar
rived in Turkey"
As soon as we had refreshed our-
selves with sherbet and fruits. Sir
Thomas Roe himself conducted me to
room. where I saw, standing one
upon other on the floor. the ten black
chests, each bearing my name. appar-
entity In the same state as when I last
saw them In my cabin aboard the Oric
Malipietro, and there also was my
girdle full Of money. my. papers. and
the pistols wnich Signor Slmona had
given me.
"Mr. Trueman." said my host. III
the contents Of your chests had been
known to your 'captors, fear nothing
/ could have done would have saved
them from confscation. As It was.
my knowledge Of you was acquired
barely in time to help you. for the
public disturbances having now sub
sided, your effects would soon have
been examined. with what result you
may guess. On learning that your
usage was the best which the Porte
allows to any prisoner I thought 1t pru.
dent to make your property my first
care. and accordingly obtained last
night an order from the Grand Vizier
that 1t should be placed in my charge.
and behold II before you as received
II. Examine it all carefully at your
leisure, for I must now to Seraglio.
where / will inquire concerning the
two Venetian ladies. your fellow pas
sengers, and Of the Venetian merchant
whose sequis you say these are. Mean.
while you must consider my house
and servants as your own" At these
words my noble benefactor left me.
and l proceeded to carefully scruti-
nize each chest. None Of them had
been tampered with In any way; they
were all of the proper weight, and the
reslnous black paint with which each
was covered had scarce received q
scratch. My money, too. was equally
safe and correct, nine hundred and
forty-four pounds, all told. showing
that my expenditure since ! left Eng.
land had amounted to no more than
ffty-six pounds.
After an absence Of several hours
Sir Thomas Roe returned, and per-
ceived at once from his couEtenance
that he bore no good news. "The two
Venetian fadies." said he, you are not
likely to see again. I have spoken
with the chief eunuch. who las con-
ferred with the Mistress Of the Ha-
rem. and I learn that both ladies were
rejected as unworthy Of the Sultan.
and sent to the slave market for sale.
l have been to the slave market. and
talked with the merchants there and
am told by them that the younger Of
the two ladies was bought by an old
merchant from Aleppo for two hun
dred sequins. but that she protested in
dumb show SO pathetically against
being parted rom her mistress, the
only human being near with whom
she was able to speak. that her new
owner bought the other lady also for
seventy five sequins. to be the servant
of ibis first purchase. and thus. both as
slaves. and with their respective posi-
tions reversed, they have been carried
away to Aleppo."
Poor Anita! I was too dazed by
contemplation Of her miserable and
graded fate to offer any remark. Sir
Thomas Roe continued:
"Signor Mario Battista is dead: he
was killed q full month before you
came to Corstantinople. He had
amassed large fortune by trade. and
being a shrewd. clever man he lber-
ally feed an influential pasha, from
whom he received In return intelli-
gence OF State matters. In this way
the unfortunate Battista learned in
advance Of the Porte's alleged griev-
ancc against the Venetians. and cor
rectly estimating the incident he closed
his affairs here with rs much secrecy
and despatch as he could. and. accom-
panied by his wife and his two sons.
embarked one night aboard 4 vessel
he had purchased. taking with him
an immense treasure Of money and
Jewels. But his flight was noticed