The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-19
THE DYING TURK
BY HENRY SMITH.

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Tash-Kishla hospital is not pretty /
place at best; and ward % was the
dreariest and busiest of all. The long |
| dormitory was nearly empty, and the /
waving shadows Of trees outside foat- !
ed quietly to and fro on the grimy
walls and the floor, still damp from It's
morning cleaning For 1t was very
bright outside, and most OF the men
were in the courtyard or visiting
friends in the SUMMER wards.
On one dirty bed a shall group was
engrossed in a quiet game of scam
bile" forbidden to soldiers like all
card games, but winked at In the nos
pital. Players and onlookers were 81
lent and intent, for the Turk takes lire
and its scant pleasures seriously. VI
another bed a young man whose ilnea
face showed the recent agonles OF
tetanus lay dreamily gazing at req
rose and singing to himself the refrain
Of an Anatolian love song. Bed No.
81, too, was occupied by something
! that stirred uneasily and groaned.
! A nurse came in with large screen;
: the men glanced up from the game
. moment. They understood. Then
A PLAYER snapped down his card and the
4 game resumed.
!. No. 81 did not understand why the
n scraen was nut around his bed, for the
hospital and its ways were strange "
I him Perhaps he did not see 1t, his
s ewes stared upward so fixedly
q allah! Allah" he murmured SOFT
e " again and again.
A "He will die in few minutes, whls-
! pered the nurse. "Hassan, little wa
l. ter"
n The one.eyed orderly limped on his
d errand, while she famed the mes
.e away. When the water came sho
d,pped a towel and wiped the sweat
~ drops from the gray forehead.
a rs there anything we can DO!
e, asked
q mo He wants nothing. In few
moments he will die"
in Then a paroxysm Of pain seized upoi
In him and shook the wasted frame. III
Ill mumbled words were almost inaud1ble
hut one word was repeated over AM
lg over again, "rahat" He was praVln
a for peace, for rest. And so he lay
ey long time.
From the courtyard came sons
The soldiers were singing. II was IN
Silistria march, the song OF fouh
Turkey. the song that Hamid the he
81 forbade on pain OF death lest its ma
4 tial strains should remind his supJec'
n that they we're free Osmanli, SWIM
81 ing song of hope and idealism and q
votion to the Ottoman empire OF the
81 hone. AS we listened to the ait
4 verse our own pulses beat stronge
But Ibrahim did not hear the refral
"a "Feda olsun janumiz.
\ "Feda olsun janumiz," translated Il
nurse, For our fatherland our sou
shall be sacrflce!"
'Ibrahim, where is your home!
n "Yeni-Shehir."
nj Are you married.
Eyes"
. "And children?"
1.-TWO effendim. boys. One twel
and the other eight" There was
the ring of pride in the faint voice.
the "Ibrahim bahia, haven't you a
other children"
1t Eyes, effendim, but the others
just girls"
4 it. "Can we do anything for vou?"
ries Nothing"
had Would you see hodja?"
Rob- Yes"
sur So the priest came-a little pu
hob- man, in a white turban and a p
} lit robe. and helpless expression
mere last he spoke. .se~~s rr ~.
)ush "Ibrahim." "s%a FEF5' b ~
'tled "Effendim?" t'"FA'7J' ''''S
aped Have you any money!"
about fifteen piasters."
and GIVE It to me. will take care
pped 1t for you"
light, The diving man raised his eyebro
and the eastern gesture Of scornful refu
lines and turned his head. The priest wal
had away muttering.
me For a long time Ibrahim lay
ittle still. At last he drew his hands I
the under the blanket and stared at tn
which o,o,ol,r a,,,ly for a long time. 7
and ~ dro,no5 them nfelesslv ant
DE- strange light came into the sur
eyes.
>, "Ulujem, ulujem," he repeate
SlNG score of times. Il shall die, | {
die. shall die"
It for Don't be afraid" said the nj
lat 1T will be all right soon"
He looked at her reproachfully
answered one strong word, "kor
o the Drum" Q'm not afraid),
Presently he grew uneasy. No
oi .he ton could bring relief. Then cam
ut loi 'irium; and through it all he pr
lis Id for peace Once he softly spo
woman's name.
la'he' lie calls to his mother" whisl
he nurse.
-. T. Te-ond the screen the card pl
'ad become noisy: the one-eye
derby tirtoed out and everything
marc still again. Ibrahim was very
lHlGS now; he seemed to sleep. Slowe
slower aid slower came the ga
F., said ,reatls. Then suddenly the
use .,,,. ,,,,l ~