Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-03-22


day after our departure from Venice
when we put off from Lemnos, and
all had gone well with us in that time.
Our journey being almost accom-
plished sat in my cabin cogitating
how might with the least harshness
return Anita to her father, for l had
gathered from her discourse that she
entertained the hope Of my returning
with her to Venice in the OriO Malipie-
tro, and that, If disappointed in that
expectation, she was prepared to ac-
| company me for so long as I chose to
! travel in the dominions of the Great
Turk. Now was fully determined
! neither to do the one nor permit the
| other, but concerning the manner OF
acquainting Anita with my resolve l
stood In pause. Weakness Is fatal
thing. and cursed my folly in leaving
Venice in circumstances such as to in
volve me in this dilemma, and saw
clearly, now that it was too late, that
my proper course was to have plainly
told Signor Simona that had no feel
Ing for his daughter other than that
of common friendship, and to have
left Venice as had entered it-alone.
There is no practical use in perceiving
| good courses after the occasions to
which they apply are past, yet to rec
ognize ones self as fool Is the first
step towards wisdom, and this l did
very fully. albeit with much chagrin.
Suddenly, and without any warning.
my reverle was dispelled by the deep
boom Of a cannon. and the next min
ute Captain Perugia entered my cabin.
very pale, but quite calm and self
possessed. 1--WE are lost" said he;
mo earthly power can save us. but
we will die like men," and with great
deliberation he made the sign Of the
| cross upon his forehead, and for
few moments his lips moved as If he
were speaking, but he uttered no
sound. "Lostw l echoed, for I was
downright amazed; chow lost? The
| ship Is sound, the weather fair and
Venice at peace with every State"
At this moment three terrific cannon
charges rent the air. Captain Perugia
shook his head sadly. ''rhe Turk is as
deceitful rs Satan" said the captain;
"thous speakest truly, yet stand mat
tiers as I have said. To the northward
ride thirty four Of the frigates in the
figure of a crescent, and presently they
will enclose us, If they do not sooner
sink us with their guns" "But Venice
and the Porte are at peace" / retiter-
ated. What of that?" retOrted the
captain warmly; at may be that the
Admiral Pasha desires sport, or the
Sultan needs Christian slaves, and no
Venetian vessel within a hundred
leagues Of us to tell the tale. have
said 1t; the Turk Is more deceitful
than Satan, and you may prepare
either for immediate death or to be
chained to an oar in the galley Of the
infldel. Do as you will; 1 and my men
elect to die" He turned and again
assembled to the deck. Hastily snatch
ing a brace of pistols from locker
followed the captain up the compan-
ion-way, thinking Of the remark Of
Signor Simona when he presented
them to me- that should certainly not
need to use them while aboard the
Orio Malipietro.
On reaching the deck I saw the for
midable Turkish fleet, distant not
more than half an English mile. and
disposed as Captain Perugia had de-
scrbed. The captain himself / could
nowhere see. but after 1 had stood a
minute or so gazing in silent wonder
at the grand spectacle before me. and
wondering whether the Turks intend
ed to do us any mischief or not, he ap-
preached me from the after-part Of the
vessel, leading Anita and her maid.
Both the women appeared dazed with
fright. but they obeyed the captains
orders queter and with greater eXpe-
dition than l should have expected of
them. The stern OF a frigatoon being
large and square, 1t affords better
mark for an enemy's guns than any
other part of the vessel, and in the
captains judgment it was safest for
the women to be concealed in my
cabin, situated in the fore-part; where
they were accordingly placed with all
haste, and the door barricaded on the
outside with bales of merchandise.
these arrangements being speedily
made the captain addressed himself
to ME and his men rs we stood In
groups round about him helplessly
gazing at the huge hulls of the Turk
ish vessels as they approached us:
Comrades and fellow-citizens! - the
enemy of your State and Of all Chris
tendon is about to add to the many
proofs Of his treachery and cowardice.
Behold, Venice and the Turks are at
peace; ours is small vessel, built for
trade and not for war. And 1t seems
that the tremendous sea strength OF
the Great Turk is to be debased to
doing the work of cOrsairs galley,
we being the victims! We have but
! one brass cannon aboard, and that
good for nothing but signalling, while
the thirty-four Turks are well armed,
and the lightest of them Is three times
| as heavy as we. Escape is impossible,
but though we number only eighteen
men, we can avoid being taken alive.
Let us fight with all our strength, and
SO die, remembering that life with the
Turk is worse than many Deaths"
| Though second to none in valOr 1t
was but feeble cheer with which the
Venetian sailors greeted this speech.
Had they been about to engage In
fair battle, none would have been
more enthusiastic than they, but an
execution excites no enthusiasm. es-
pecially in the victims, and such 1t
seemed was to be the character Of the
| oop,;nr apoountor