The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-04-04

q y steel-blue eyes ana DeaVy
Y ~ " moustache. A rough man
&3skKx@2 was Cosma. ever on his
horses back, rife across
his lap. and long knife stuck in his
belt.
am an old man, and have Travelled
through many a land and seen much,
but the like of Cosma Racoare never
met. He was of medium height, bony.
sunburned, looked like the average
man, yet was unlike any Of them.
In those days our country suffered
many trlbulations, Turks and Greeks
devastated our Rumanian land, and our
people lived in misery and fear. Sor-
rowful times they were! Cosma
seemed the only human being exempt
from suffering, going and coming with
out thought of tomorrow. All fed
before the enemy, but not so did he
Taken prisoner, they put him in chains;
these he cast off, as by magic, jumped
on his horse and fed. 1t was written
In the stars that none but silver bull
let could harm him. No such man
lives in our time; these were the good
old days. You may have heard Of
the other hero, the son of the Maid
with the Golden Hair? Well, he stole
In Wallachia, on the other bank of the
Milcar River while Cosma plundered
In the Muldan. At nightfall they
would meet and exchange their booty.
No gendarmes ever caught him, for his
horse was the fleetest of the feet, and
their bullets whistled powerless about
his ears. He lived in the forests, knew
neither pain, fear nor love. The hour
when he should know the latter was
drawing near.
At that time the estate Vulturesti
belonged to Greek. Nicola Zamfride.
Nearby, at Frasini, lived the beautiful
Rumanian, the widow Sultana. Nicola
vowed she should be his, but all efforts
seemed futile; neither soothsayers nor
witchcraft We're powerful enough to
help him. Was he unsightly mis-
shapen? On the contrary, he was
proud Greek, brown-eyed, black
bearded, tall and handsome; yet in
spite Of these physical attractions, she
would none of him.
One day Nicola sat in his room cogi-
tating. He was thinking of the young
widow. Why did she reject his WOO
ing2 "a few nights ago l hired a
gypsy who sang touching serenade
under her window, but the house re-
mained dark and silent. What must
l doT' Nicola reflects: II am well to
look at and have clear mind; why
then does she scorn me? She has no
lover, for I have had the house
watched, but no one has been seen
to enter" Nicola loses his temper.
As he steps into the courtyard he sees
a groom currylng n horse. "Do you
call that well-curried horse?" he bel
poor fellow with his whip. The gar
dener. whom he finds resting in the
shade, fares no better.
But what avails venting ones fury
ON innocent parties?
He strolls into the garden and lies
down under Il linden. Sadly, autumn
winds are signing and golden leaves,
like butterflies, flutter to the ground.
An old man enters by the garden gate.
"Vasili, Vaslli, come herer
What would'st thou, master"
"Vasili thou hast ever been faithful;
neither the old soothsayer nor the
gypsy wench have been able to help
me; have but you TO look to. Vasili,
the Sultana must be mine"
II might counsel, but l dare not"
replied VasiI.
Here Is q ducat; speak"
Il know my master will find my
counsel worth two, yea, three ducats.
My advice Is that the master ride TO
Frasini and carry the Sultana off by
force"
81 will do as you say, vasih. Here
are two ducats."
That very night Nicola, accompanied
by six sturdy young grooms, reaches
Fraslni. The castle seems shrouded
in gloom. BY means of rope ladders,
Nicola and his followers scale the outer
walls. AS they enter the open gate.
cries of "Helpp' are heard. A door
opens, and there appears the Sultana
radiant in flowing hair and soft white
garment. She turns her glowing eyes
on Nicola, who, beside himself. at
tempts to throw his arms around. her.
How dare you! And now see 1t
Is only the worthy Nicola, when l had
feared to face band Of robbers"
Suddenly she strikes Nicolas head
with the fiat of her scimtar blade. He
is stunned. His men rush to the res
cue. One is wounded. the rest take
to their horses. BY this time the alarm
Is sounded and the Sultana's servants
come rushing In. Nicola gains his
horse and reaches vulturesti more dead
than alive. All that night he tosses
and means: wretch that l am! All,
woe, ah, woe is me! Such womanl
Such eyes! God have mercy on mev'
He calls vasili "Vasili, my faithful
one, ! have come back covered with
shame and disgrace. Vasili, I'll give
thee three ducats IL tbou'lt counsel
me once more''
Yea, master, know 1t all. A su
pero creature, the Sultana; but I also
know that my second counsel Will be
worth five-slx ducats."
Speak, vasiii. speak"
A.