The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-05-23

it. 1t was cluttered up with hanging
silk and linen. He breathed more
easily. This, he said to himself, was
the best that he could do.
Suddenly he became aware of voices
the voices of Dikran and the girl
he loved.
A great peace had come upon John
Baptist and Anna Saratov. Suddenly
all this was changed. Suddenly, they
found themselves in the midst of wild
men, crazed with drink, with re.
ligious fervor, with the desire for
human blood.
Dikran fought like tiger. He had
no weapon, but he improvised one. He
fought for the life and the love of
Anna Saratov. and he fought we'll.
But the contest was unequal. Dikran
was overpowered.
One man laughed a high-pitched
laugh and addressed his comrades. II
know this Dikran," he yelled, hes a
student in the college-the Christian
college. He's Christian. Come on.
He must recant-renounce. Aha"
shrieked this boisterous murderer,
I'VE shall have a merry time"
They laid him at full length upon
the floor. They pricked him with
dagger points and twisted a strong
bow string about his temples.
These Mussulmen understood the
art of torture. 1t was in their blood.
Suddenly one of them had an in.
spiration. "The girl cried this man.
I'VE can reach him through the girl.
What, then" he said to those who
protested. lit is in a good cause. She
is good Mussulman. If through her
this Christian dog recants, it is work
we'll DONE"
Six Of them seized her. The girl
did not utter a sound.
Dikran groaned. "-Mahomet is his
prophet" exclaimed one of the men.
NO, no." cried Dikran.
Suddenly upon the outside air, there
rank shrek upon Shrek of woman
in distress-a woman at the mercy
of six fiends in human guise. The
shrieks grew fainter and fainter, for
they seemed to come each time from
greater distance. Dikran gave one
glance at the faces of his tormentors,
and then uttered groan mighty with
despair.
81 YIELD" he cried, with a loud
agonized voice, God is God and Ma.
homet is his prophet"
They screamed with ghoulish laugh.
ter. They undid his bonds and set
him free. He dashed them aside and
darted out into the fields. They let
him go. They had had their fill. They
went onward, along the road-they
sought other worlds to conquer.
A short time after, Dikran found
what he sought-what he feared was
there. 1t was clump of trees. 1t
was the battered, dishevelled, mutt.
lated thing that once had been Anna
Saratov-one of the first victims of
the vague unrest. He lifted her up
tenderly, carried her to the house,
laid her upon the floor. He knelt up.
on the floor beside her lifeless form.
In the half hour that he stayed there,
he forgot all that the college at Beirut
had taught him, save only one thing.
IAN eye for an eye, and tooth for
a tooth" Dikran knew that from this
time forth, until his revenge was com.
plete, this must be his creed.
In the meantime Tirzan, by an obs
cure route, had stolen from the house
and made his way to Beirut, where he
could find safety. Two days later.
he announced to the college at Beirut
that he, Tirzan, had heard with his
own ears the remuneration made by
John Baptist Dikran.
Ten miles further than the Saratov
home, as the road winds, there was
a goodly village of some fifty houses.
and some seventy strong men. This
village was but stones throw from
the sea. Upon this village marched
the mob, recruiting its numbers as It
went along. The mob travelled by the
road.
Suddenly, into the village a man
propelled himself-a man covered with
blood, maddened with wounds. It was
Dikran. He had come through the
fields while the mob was approaching
by the road.
That day Dikran seemed as one
inspired; more, he inspired the others
with his hatred, his venom vengeance.
He told his story. 1t was enough.
The fighters girded up their loins.
From one Dikran, there grew seventy
Dikrans crying aloud: IAN eye for an
eye; a tooth for TOOTH"
The advancing rabble of Mussulmeni
came up the road. Its laugh died
from its face. 1t saw in the eye
of each man bearing down upon it
grim determination to kill, to exter.
inmate. Silently the well-armed force
approached-Dikran at its head.
Then came the struggle. It was
long and fierce. 1t was only after
many had fallen on both sides that
the Mussulmen were vanquished. But
John Baptist Dikran was among the
dead.
Back in the Brick Church of Boston
the chairman of the Missionary Com.