The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-05-05
CHAPTER XI.
Continued.

venetian udS the oTlo MdilpietiO hept
her course A light breeze was blow
ing. contrary for the Turks, but favor
able for US, so that we approached
each other but slowly. The Turks had
fred only four times. and our vessel
had not been touched. Armed with
pistols and cutlasSes, our little band
lay upon the deck close to the side
awaiting whatever might be in store
for us. and as we so lay could not
dismiss the hope that no harm was in
tended to us. that our alarm was i'll
founded, and as minute succeeded min
ute. and still the Turk did not open
fire upon us, 1 expressed my opinion
to the captain. who lay at my side, but
he vouchsafed me no reply.
The left horn of the crescent of
Turkish ships being now quite close,
the intention of the Turks was per-
ceived. for the foremost vessel left
her fellows and bore right down upon
u.s. still, however. without firing.
They hope to take our property and
lives uul
death. not captivity" These were the
last words heard the noble captain
speak. After few minutes of almost
.breathless silence the Turkish frigate
fouled the lee side Of the Orio Mali
pietro and, with wild shout Of
triumph, an overwhelming force Of
Turkish sailors leaped aboard the fri
gatoon. And then ensued a most
bloody hand.to-hand fight, of which.
at first. the Venetians had much the
better. Our enemies were too close
upon US to permit OF the employment
of any weapon but the cutlass, but Of
that we made very effective use, for
being close to the side OF the vessel.
and our whereabouts unknown to the
first party of Turks who boarded us,
they leaped as it We're upon the points
of our blades. and so suffered great
loss. But the odds against us were a
thousand to one, and with fatal effect
the Turks hasted TO avenge the defeat
of their fellows. Captain Perugia fell
dead at my feet. his heart transfiXed
by the broad blade of Il ferociouS Turk
whom he had partly disabled; nearly
all our little band were dead or dying,
and above the din of the fight resound-
ed the shrieks of the women i'm
priSoned below.
l felt faint and sick. and was besides
bleeding from 4 wound in my Shoul-
der. yet miraculously. in some way
which am unable to describe, 1 con.
trived TO back out from the fight ana
fee below to the women, whose condi-
tion was truly pitiable. l did so not
because of cowardice. for l believe I
fought as we'll as any man. Venetian
or Turk, that memorable day, and GER
tainly from the moment the frigatoon
was boarded had abandoned all hope
OF escape, but the warning of the no.
ble Perugia, Death, not captivity"
still rang in my ears, and l resolved
that my last minute should be spent in
an endeavor to save these unhappy
creatures from so horrible fate. l
reached my cabin, and with mighty
effort pulled away few of the bales
so as TO allow the door to open wide
enough for me to enter sideways. but
I had to contend with the strength Of
the women within, who. not knowing
but it was the enemy who sought ad.
mittance. pulled the door the other
way with all their might. AS l en-
tered the cabin, and before could
speak TO its frantic occupants, the
Turks rushed down the companion and
began TO remove the bales. I stood
close by the side Of the door, and the
first who entered I laid low with pis-
tol shot in the head. NY triumph,
however, was short. for the next in
stant a fearful blow from mace
stretched me at full length on the
floor. yet was only partly stunned,
being conscious o. yelling Turks all
around-of Anita and her maid being
bound and carried out, and Of my own
ankles and wrists being bound in such
brutal fashion that the blood started
from my flesh. And then kind nature
came to my relief and remembered
no more.
November 19.-I was never able to
ascertain how long l remained uncon-
scious, but this I know full well. that
when l came to myself again I was a
prisoner aboard Turkish frigate.
The wound in my shoulder had been
cleansed and dressed, and my wrists
and ankles unbound, but my limbs
We're hugely swollen by the barbarouS
usage to which they had been sub
iected, and the least movement occa
stoned ME acute pain. Two young
Turks, hardly more than boys. sat
watching me intently, conversing soft
ly in their language. of which I COM
pretended not a word. l was lying in
a rudely furnished cabin, not unlike q
diSmantled gun-room, and looking
around me 1 perceived nothing Of my
own: companions. my girdle contain
ing my money and papers, the Fene-
tian merchants chests of sequins-
everything was gone. The terrible in