The Washington times., 1918-11-17

Will not Ahmed Bey suspect you II you returni asked
vsrtabed too old to live In the desert and then
who would care for my sheepi" vartabed replied
Poor dear vartabedl Ahmed Bey had him killed in
the morning.
ran along the path the shepherd pointed out to me
until after many hours came to the hut of the friendly
Kurd They shepherd Kurds and had great respect
for Vartabed who had told them the daughter Of
his one-time master in the Mamuret-ulAziz They ex.
pected me and were very kind -
When remembered Yartabed going back to his sheep
and to the mercy Of Ahmed Bey cried The shepherd
self down toward the plain In which Ahmed house
Stood to learn If Vartabed still tended his sheep That
night he back In great distress He had learned Of
Vartabed fatenone but the shepherd could have helped
me escape Ahmed Bey had been sure He had summoned
Vartabed before him and the shepherd had confessed
there other way Ahmed Bey sent for his Zap
heths- Vartabed was led out to where his flock was
waiting to be taken to the pasture There shot,
and old Vartabed had paid with his life for his kindness
% the little daughter Of his one-time master.
The Kurd was much alarmed for me Ahmed Bey had
his Zapteths to search In the plains and hills for
Perhaps they would soon be at the hut =
They would not send me away but knew that must
GO The hut TOO close 10 the house of Ahmed and
the zaptisths might when least expected So they
gave wooep stockings the best they had great loaf
Of Winter bread gourd in which to carry water and
blanket TO wrap about me at night Then went out into
the hills
Of grass and sand with hills and mountains everywhere
For many many miles in each direction lived but
the Dersim Kurds in little villages in rowing
bands On each side of the Dersm lived the Turks Once
Armenans lived In the cities Of the Turks but now the
Armenians we're all gone-only Turks were left.
The inhabitants Of the Dersm deserts and wastes are
not the vicious type of Kurds who live in the south in the
regions which had been deported from our homes
The Kurds In the south nomadic tribes harsh and
cruel The Dersim Kurds mostly farmers and often
rebel against their Turkish overlords They are fanateal
MosIems and have their racial hatred of all unbeev.
ers - az they look upon Christians
But the Dersim Kurds do not have the lust OF killing
that is with the tribes of the south To this
owe my life
For more than year ] was . captive wanderer
the Dersim For many days after left my friends AZ
the Of old Vartabed fate hid in the daytime and
travelled at night walking, walking always walking
somewhere and yet nowhere When settlement doomed
up before turned the other way, trudgng amlessy
the wide plains through the hills OF over deserts
My bread soon gave out and water was hard to get.
for wherever there well or spring settlement
of Kurds close Near well hid throughout one
whole day waiting my chance to slip up unobserved and
cool my parched throat There was no opportunity IN
the daylight and when night and gathered courage
creep to the well the dogs from the houses ran out
and barked at me- was exhausted TO run when the
took into the settlement and shut IN cave for
the night In the morning the chief Of the settlement
took me as his slave and commanded me to obey the
orders of his family.
They made me do the work would do. tended
the stock carried the water and worked in the fields
When did not do enough work the Kurds would beat
with their long, thick sticks and refuse food When
did enough work to please them the women would throw
to piece of bread AT night slept the ground
outside the huts with rags and torn blankets to Keep out
the cold
After weeks had passed was too weak to work any