Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-22


In contrast with the struggle ass Ssfs
open. The time the men wasted 80. us
ed interminable. and all were r., ~.
when it was over. Then eaeb
advanced as quietly as possible .s 'v
ing that part of the house to no go. .'T-
ed as appointed. Last earns Alsva-sN
and his six men. four of them 80, -..sef
the heavy timber. Placing one 49,
the door of the house. they first So =. y
it back. then drove It forward. AZ -
stiffness was broken By a loud ~.
against the door. wa
Again the timber was SWIM,
and thrust forward. the contas. 80
sounding in the still night No I,,s,
appeared in the village. TIA facs -.
at any window it could not ha -
Doubtless citizens in their beds 49,
realized that something was in CO.
for the men who had been terror,,,.s
them and offered a silent prayer a.
the end of their sufferings was shr-.
to come The women Rugged tbel,
children to their breasts and sbrs
dered.
The door was well barred. and u
CURED dozen blows of the batterin,
ram to force it open. When the ~
sired result was obtained and tbers
was nothing to obstruct a passage ssv.
eral of the attacking party entered. b,,
they were received by a fire from vi,h.
in and retired.
And now the besieging party began
to discover that, though they wsr.
very near the house, the robbers found
ways of bringing their fire to bear
upon them. Several were picked on
when Alexander ordered his men m
withdraw behind any article Of dA
tense they could find. Then for a time
there was a desultory firing between
the two forces, with no definite ~.
suits. at last Alexander directed one
of his men who had remained in TIE
rear to bring forward combustibles.
Several men took kindling saturated
with kerosene. ran swiftly to part Of
the house where it was most difficult
for the robbers to shoot them and
crouching on the ground, placed Ii.
kindling against the house and ignit.
ed it.
The besieged now saw that their
doom was sealed If they remained
where they were they would be burned
or suffocated; if they surrendered they
would receive no quarter. They could
only sell their lives as dearly as pos.
sible. But there was nothing to shoot
at, for the attacking party were all
screened. Presently a flame began to
crawl up from the kindling. growing
brighter and brighter, crawling higher
and higher. till it cast a light on The
surrounding houses. Then the Turks
could better discern the positions Of
their enemies and RECOMMENDED their
firing.
And now faces began to appear at
the neighboring windows. But the NAL
ice of the Turks. who, since they must
die. were ready to kill even women
and children. drove away these inof-
fensive persons. Not a shot was fired
by the attackers, though the Turks eI.
posed themselves. hoping to die rather
by the bullet than by fire. They bad
shown no mercy TO the Christians
whom they had robbed, murdered and
tortured, and now their destroyers
would not grant them the boon OF LEAD
instead of fire.
BY this time the house was enyf
oped in flames. A Turk ran out. nop
ing to be shot. He was filed with puf
I1%- oh
that he should not be struck in WIZ
part. He fell. and one of hi' enemies
the man whose wife and daugnta
had been carried away-r:cSed himup &.
and threw him into the flames.
The cries of these miscreants wno
had long terroriZed this region grew
less and fainter till at last they ceased
Then and not till then tue
people of the hamlet came out OF tneir
houses. many of them in their ngDt
clothes. and. wild with joy. dancer
around the building. from which sun
issued fitful flames 1t may seem par
barous to US. living in land OF ias
and order. but when the oppresseu
turns against a barbarous oppress@,
the Christian virtues are not TO De eA-
pected.
When il was all over the seVefai
withdrew each to its OWL
ocaIity. while the older persons OF .Ds
town went back TO bed. leaving .ns
TO dance about the smos'us
'uins The struggle for the lreeoVu
If the Balkans from Turkish oom'n1
ion grew in magnitude till II Deea"e
great war The Turk was arn.~
o Constantinople, aud 1t lookeu ~
while as If the states would De INV
rom Turkish rule. But the ba'A1s
re composed of different races. spea.
NJ different languages. and. hA,ms
chieved their purpose in getting rus
he Turk. they began to quarrel alD0n'
Then their ancient
my came back to tyraunize over lne-
S of yore.
But the Turk Is not the only QUE
AXE advantage of their dinerehs
lore recently the fame OF war p'V-
ut all over Europe for the disp'~
of these little mountal'V
tates that seem intended especiai't
e In perpetual warfare thenise
nd u reason for war in others.