The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-04-28
CHAPTER I.


SuARoM the center of the old town
Esd of Brousa. i'll Asia AIinor-0!d
even at the time of our story
about the middle of the fif-
seenth century-rises an Immense pla-
Goau Of rock, crowned with the fortress
whose battlements and towers cut their
clear outlines high against the sky. An
officer of noble rank i'll the Ottoman
service stood leaning upon the para
pet, apparently regaling himself with
the marvellous panorama of natural
beauty and Historic interest which lay
before him.
But the Turkish officer was thinking
of. neither the beauty of the scene nor
the historic impressiyeness Of the place.
His face, Shaded by the folds of his
enormous turban, wore deeper shadows
which were dung upon it from within.
He was talking to himself.
'"The sultan has nobler capital now
than this-across the sea there in Chris
tan Europe. But by whose hands was
1t conquered? By Christian hands! BY
hand'-he stripped his arm bare to the
shoulder and looked upon its gnarled
muscles as he Kissed the words through
his teeth-"this hand has cut wider
swath through the enemies Of the OF
toman than any other mans, a swath
down which the padishah can walk
without tripping his feet. And this
hp;c Non
I believe the story my old nurse 50
often told me-that when the priest
was dropping the water of baptism up
on my baby brow this hand seized the
sacred vessel, and it fell sheltered up
on the pavement. All, well have full
filled that omen!'
The man walked to and fro on the
platform with quick and jarring step,
as if to shake off the grip of unwelcome
thoughts. There was a majesty in his
mien which did not need the play of
his partially suppressed fury to fasci-
nate the attention OF any who might
have beheld him at the moment. He
was tall of stature, immensely broad
at the shoulders, deep lunged, compare
the close drawn sash beneath the en-
broidered jacket revealed; arms long,
hands large. He looked as If he might
wrestle with bear without a weapon,
and his features We're not less notable
than his form.
The peculiarities Of the man were OBJ
served and commented upon by two Of
No CIT in Qt11-
brasure Of the parapet at the farther
end of the battlement. The elder of
the two. who had grown gray in the
service, addressed his comrade, young
man. though wearing the insignia Of
rank equal to that of the other.
The veteran warmed with enthusiasm
as he spoke. 81 well remember him as
a lad when he was brought from AL
bania. He was not over nine years Of
age when Sultan Mahomet conquered
the lands Of Epirus, where our generals
father, John Castriot, was duke. AS a
hostage young George Castriot was
brought with his three brothers to Ad-
rianople."
"Are his brothers Of the same metalT'
asked the listener.
"Allah only knows what they would
have been had not state necessity
The narrator completed the sentence by
significant gesture, initiating the
swirl of the executioner's sword as he
takes off the head of an offender.
But George Castriot was a favorite
Of the sultan, who fondled him as the
Roman Hadrian did his beautiful page,
Antinous. And we'll he might, for a
lad more 1.-THE Of limb and of wit never
walked the ground since Allah babe the
angels worship the goodly form of
Adam When he was scarce nineteen
years old he was at the siege Of Con,
stantinople, in 500 Of the hegira, with
Sultan AMurath. His skill there Won
him o. high command. Since that time
sou know the career of Scanderbeg
the Lord Alexander" o.
AYE; his squadrons have shaken the
world"
"He has changed of late, however;
grown heavy at the brows. But he
comes this way"
As the general approached the two
bashaws bowed low to the ground and
then stood. in the attitude of profound
ebelsance until he addressed them. His