The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-09-14

u:crs II Sto;ak had quietly marched
~ to Spa,ivo and surrounded it. Then
4 search party entered the village and
began searching the houses. Tile AL
banian shepherds. who had heard the
barking of the dogs. joined them. The
soldiers were now doubly assured that
they had ApoStol and his band sur
rounded at last.
Meanwhile, tie pounding ut the doors
las tie Turks demanded entrance to
the houses. alarmed the village. For
tunately. tie search began from the
side opposite to that where the bands
men were quartered. Now, it IS Il
standing law of the committee that the
bands must never fight in the villages.
unless absolutely cornered. 50 Apostol
and his men, still half clothed, gath
cred themselves together. and deter
mined to break through the ring. -
is probable that the traitor, who, as I,
Greek. hated the Turks only Il little
| less than the BuIgars, had minimiZei
the number of the band. and that the
Turks thought they had only a bard
o. ordinary size to deal with, of from
fifteen to twenty men. At any rate.
ApoStol and his men had no difficulty
in walking through the circle. They
retreated quickly up the pass through
which the river runs until they could
so no further. Behind them the bluffs
| descended abruptly into the Vardar;
on one side rose cliffs, Oh the other.
| below them, ran the river. a wide,
swift stream just then, for the SHOWS
were melting. Before them the rock.-
| ground descended toward the village
From Il military point of view, it was
an ideal position for defense-and
| death. for no escape vas possible.
Day was dawning then. as the
bandsmen hastily threw up three lines
CT trenches with loose rocks and
boulders that had once t'lmbled down
from the heights above them. AS
soon us the Turks were able to
locate their positions by the growing
! light. they spread out in fan formation
below, and began to fire. The bands
men numbered just thirty-eisht. for in
the hurry there hai not been time to
gather in the :wo men who were in
the hut with the ammunition. AS
was found later. they continued sleep
ing undSturbed, for the turks had
not considered the hut worthy of
search. and there the ammunition and
| its two guards remained in safety dur
| ing the whole day. The first line of
trenches in the rass was defended by
Save MicnaeloT and eleven men.
Fifty yards beyond and higher up
fifteen men were stationed. and still
higher up were Apostol sad twelve
men.
| Meanwhile the firin. had begun to
attract TO the spot the vultures of the
| Turkish army, the baShi-b:Zcuks.
These are disorganized. irresponsible,
rabDle, who seldom fight but are al
lays on hand to share the plumber.
On occasions. they will sometimes sup
port the troops in a charge. for thy
:re we'll armed. These began to gather
in great numbers now, and took up
positions with the regulars. When the
fight was two ho-:rs old i Greek band
of thirt! men. commanded by all officer
in the uniform of the Greel: army, ap-
peared and Joined the Turks.
Evidently the Turkish officer in coin
mand had recognized the strength Of
Apostoi's position. fo- hitherto he had
ordered no attack. Meanwhile it had
been telegraphed to Salonica, two
hours away. by train, that Apostle!
was cornered ard more troops were
needed. But, anxious to gain the big
reward on ApoStors head. the Turk
sh officer determined to get him
before his superiors arrived. En-
forced by the hashi-bazouks. the Al
banians ard the Greeks, ila ordered
4 general charge. The bandsmen al
lowed the charging throng to come
halfway up. Then four hand gren
AIDES We're thrown and as many volleys
fired. They also rolled down huge
| pOuluefS mo lHe I)duiC-StElcheu 1 III AS
The destruction by the bombs was ter
rife. for even the Turkish regulars
fierce fighters as they are, poured down
in Scrambling retreat.
Having lost heavily, the Turks made
no further efforts then TO Storm Apos-
tol's position. But in three hours the
reintorcements from Salonica began to
arrive BY noon twenty-five carloads
had come. two thousand soldiers in all.
Meanwhile the bashi-baZouks had
streamed steadily in from the sur
rounding villages to the number OF
five thousand. some reports say. That
is probably all cxaggeration. and then,
too, as far as actual fighting was con-
cerned, most of these fellows prob
ably took up the passive attitude O:
expec.ant spectators.
-. Upon the arrival of the general officer