The King of the Mountains

tortures; he licked his dry lips, but he knew not where to commence nor what to choose. One would have said that excess of hunger spoiled his appetite. He struck his

t the coming of the Corfuan, or until Vasile shall speak from the depths of his to

ther absent, and a third wounded. Put up their places for competition. Promise us that those w

at this stratagem. He stroked th

a competition! It is a modern idea, a European idea, that pleases me. To reward thee, thou shalt give

lord's teeth, put a bit in his mouth, and make

he first step. And you others? Tambouris, Moust

g hot eggs under his arm-pits. I tried it

a rock weighing five hundred pounds on his chest. It thru

, and drive thorns under every nail. One sneezes violen

and. He proposed to cook me in front of

," he said, "is too wicked. One can torture milord finely without burning him alive. If you will give him salt meat without allowing him to drink he will live a long time, he will suffer a great deal, and the King will

I will not hinder them. But I would place a sentinel before his mouth, and I would take care that he had neither a drop of water nor a crumb of bread. Weakness would redouble his hunger; his w

camp and take your pleasure out of him. But unhappy the one who kills him by any imprudence! This man must die only by my hand. I intend that he sh

ng which could happen to me would be to end it all with one blow. Something, however, rejoiced me at Hadgi-Stavros' threat. I blessed the e

t. My voice awakened Sophocles on his pallet. He called his companions and made them tell him the news

w unjust men are! My place is up for competition. Oh, well! I wish to compete and to put myself in the race. You will bear witness in my favor and your groans will test

after the other, without any discomfiture. But soon I changed my tune. The scalp, irritated by a multitude of imperceptible lesions, became inflamed. A dull itching began on my head; it became a little livelier; and at last it was intolerable. I would like to have raised my hands to my head; I understood with what intuition the wretch had had me bound. Impatience but aggravated the trouble; all the blood in my body rushed to my head. Every time Sophocles approached his hand to my scalp, a woful shivering seized my whole body. A tho

de, in a corner by the fire, if I can compete wi

p brushwood. He took off the bonds, he stripped me of my clothes, leaving me only my trousers. "Thou sh

, the red cinders fell like hail around me. The heat became unbearable. I hitched along with my hands a little distanc

to feed twenty men. The King will choose the most delicate morsels; he will distribute the remainder to his m

steam of the food. Suddenly he perceived that he had forgotten the seasoning, and he hurried away to find the salt and pepper, leaving the sauce pan to my care. The first idea which came to me was to steal a piece of the meat, but the brigands were only ten feet away; they would sto

bove the sauce pan. He seized me by the arm, looked me straight in

m discouraged.

own something over

ha

os is a greater sorcerer than thou art. I am going to serve his

od may it

attempted to drag myself a little further away from my torture they cried out: "Take care, thou wilt freeze!" And they pushed me toward the flames with heavy blows of the burning brushwood. My back was covered with red spots, my skin was raised in b

r you!" The celebrated poisoner, Locuste, must have passed some very pleasant moments during her life. When one has reason to hate men, it is pleasure enough to see a vigorous being who goes, who comes, who laughs, who sings, while carryin

heels. It was Dimitri, the son of Christodule. Some stones thrown by the bandits freed him from his escort. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "The King! I must speak to the

him, "where dost thou come

I must see Hadgi-Stavros. There is not a moment to lose. Until I come back, suffer no one to do you any harm; she would die

took me in his arms like a sick child, and carried me, without stopping, to that fatal chamber where Vasile was buried. He laid me on his own carpet with maternal solicitude; he stepped back and looked at me with a curious mixture of hate and pity. He said to Dimitri: "My child, this is the first time that I have left such a crime unpunished. He killed Vasile, that was nothing. He would have assassinated me, I pardoned

d my wounds. He sent his pipe-bearer for the balm of Ludgi-Bey. He seated himself on the damp grass in front of me, h

y, or rather, no, you cannot go away thus. I will cure you first. The balm is a sovereign remedy. I will care for you as for a son. Health shall return quickly. You must be able to walk to-morrow. She must not remain a day longer in your friend's hands. In the name of Heaven tell no one of our quarrel to-day! You know that I do not hate you! I have s

who,

o that I could crush you in my hands, grind you together, and scatter your dust to the winds of my mountains! You are all the same, Europeans, a race of traitors, who dare

letter at me. I instantly reco

on board The Fanc

i-Sta

nn Schultz is prisoner. As thou treatest my friend, so shall I treat thy daughter. She shall pay hair f

n Ha

"The good Harris!" I shouted, "I who accused him! Bu

g pirates. He returned yesterday morning, unf

a single day. But where did he kidn

know her, Photini. You have d

was then that boarding-school miss with

the abduction had been ac

Hadgi-Stavros was, at this moment, a fine subject for the study of psychology. He had as much brutality in his eyes as delicacy in his touch. He unwound the bandages from my instep so gent

ges, he stretched out his clen

re not for children. If they were, they would no longer fear the thunder-bolts and cannon-balls. This John Harris may well laugh at me! What if I should declare war against him? What if I should capture his ship by force? I have attacked many, when I was a pirate, and twenty such cannons did not trouble me. But my daughter was not on board. Dear little one! You know her then, Monsieur Hermann? Why did you not tell me that you boarded with Christodule? I would have asked no ransom; I would have released you instantl

hat M. Hermann is wounded. Photini is not safe in the midst of t

oot of the mountain; you can find, in some village, a horse, a carriage, a litter; I will furnish everything needed. But let him know, tha

ny of my tormentors. I feared that a new obstacle might arise before I was free. I said to the King: "Let u

him and barred our passage. Moustakas, livid as a man attacked with cholera, said to him: "Where art thou going? The German has throw

ge of front; the humiliation of that superb head to the feet of his prisoner; so many events, crowded into a quart

his neck, I begged him to carry me away without delay. "It will redound to thy glory," I said to him. "Prove to these savages that thou art King! Do not reply! words are u

"Let us pass first

dits. "You are fools!" he shouted. "The first one who touches milord will answer to me. What spell

der the weight of his body. He seated himself near me,

you not tell me that

th suddenly failed me, and I felt that I was dying. I had nothing more to hope for in the world; had I not condemned myself, in killing the

out, at last, to be conquered by death. All the ties which bound them to their chief, bonds of interest, of fear, of hope, and of gratitude, broke like the threads of a spider's web. The Greeks are the most restive people in the world. Their inordinate and intemperate vanity was sometimes subdued, but like a steel ready to rebound. They knew how, in case of nee

ng us for their sufferings, the able-bodied grouped themselves in front of their legitimate king, around a huge, brutal peasant, named Coltzida. He was the most garrulous and most shameless of the band, an impudent blockhead without talent and without courage; one of

yonet thrusts: it is the only profit of which thou hast not taken thy share. During the two years I have been with thee, I have received four wounds in the back, and thou hast not a scar to show! If, at least, thou hadst known how to lead us! If thou hadst chosen good opportunities, when there was little to risk and much to gain! Thou hast beaten us; thou hast been our executioner; thou hast sent us into the wolves' jaws! Thou hast then hastened to be done with us and to retire us on a pension! Thou wert longing so much to see us all buried near Vasile that thou deliveredst us to this cursed lord, who has thrown a spell over our bravest soldiers! But do not hope to cheat us from our vengeance. I know why thou wishest to have him g

insolent braggart, whose incapacity repelled them. They urged that the King had not long to live, and that he would appoint his successor from among the faithful who remained around him. It was no ordinary affair. The odds were that the capitalists would more readily ratify Hadgi-Stavros' choice, than endorse a revolutionary election. Eight or ten voices were raised in our defense. Ours, because our interests were one. I clung to the King of the Mountains, and he had one arm around my neck. Tambouris and his fellows put their heads together; a plan of defense

escended the staircase in two bounds, laid him in a safe place, returned, picked me up, carried, and laid me at the King's feet. Our f

the advantage of numbers and point of vantage. We did not know exactly how many able-bodied men they had, but we must expect to meet twenty-five or thirty assailants. I need not describe to you the place of siege: you know it. Believe, however, that the aspect of the place had changed a great deal since the day when I breakfasted there for the first time, under guard of the Corfuan, with Mrs. Simons and Mary-Ann. The roots of our bea

to husband his ammunition, and place, as sharp-shooters, twenty stupid men who did not know how to discharge a gun. Our men were not much more skillful. Better commanded, however, and wiser, they managed to smash five heads before night fell. The combatants knew ea

sharp pain in the upper part of the abdomen. His icy hands and feet were violently convulsed. The pulse was irregular, the respiration labored. His stomach seemed to struggle against an internal execution,

me that they are already dead. Do you believe that this American will have the heart to carry out his threats? What was it you told me a little while ago? Photini loves him! Poor little one! I have brought her up to become the wife of a king. I would rather see her dead, than-no, I would rather, after all, that she should love this young man; perhaps he may take pity on her. What are you to him? a friend; nothing more; you are not even a compatriot. One may have as many friends as one wish

kened, his face flushed, his eyes were blood-shot. I asked him if any one of his men knew enough to bleed him. He tied a bandage tightly around his arm, and coolly opened a vein himself, to the noise of the fusilade and while the bullets dashed around him. He let out a sufficient amount of blood, and asked me in a sweet and tranquil tone, what else there was to do. I ordered him t

I had been without food for twenty-four hours, and I was very hungry. The enemy, in order to defy us, passed the night eating and drinking above our heads. They threw to us some mutton bones and some empty goat-skin bottles. Our men replied with some shots, guessing at the position of our foes. We coul

ent redounded entirely to our honor. The enemy was badly hidden, and fired their pistols with shaking hands. The game seemed so good a one, that I took a gun like the others. What happened I will write to you about at some future time, if I ever become a doctor. I have alre

ing us so good a turn? Was it prudent to effect a junction and to demolish our barricade? I asked nothing else, but the King believed that it was a troop of the line, and Tambouris gnawed his moustache. All our doubts were soon removed. A voice which was not unknown to me, cried: "All

ros nor me. They only turned around in order to kill a man, and God knows! they did their work well. Our poor champions, astonished, affrighted, were overcome without having had time to defend themselves or to be recognized. I, who would have saved their lives, shouted from my corn

said

esponded

ty, they delighted in the justice they meted out. While running toward the camp, the wind had blown away their hats; their locks were disheveled; their glistening eyes shone so murderously, that it was difficult to decide whether death was dealt by their looks or by their hands. One could have said that destruction was incarnate in this panting tr

and the three fight

raised himself from the rock, looked fixedly at these men who had killed

strain them. There was such remains of greatness in this hero in ruins, that their anger fell from them and gave way to astonishment. They were all three young men, and at the age when one no longer takes arms against a disarmed enemy. I related to them, in a few words, how the King h

a bandage over our eyes. If the rogues performed a good deed before they

th two revolvers in our hands and two more in our pockets, we have each been worth twenty

Maltese; "I am in the humor for it. And to think that one i

ourges who had struck blindly, right and left, among friends and foes; but he decided that either sword or poison must have freed the King of the Mountains. He prudently ordered the men to demolish our defense. We

is Ph

my s

e not ha

taken lessons from you i

erable old dog; pardon me!

her? Now that I have found Hermann, I wi

out r

old b

whether I am

w the passage of the ruler of the infernal regions. There were fifteen or twenty, all armed; not one dared to defend himself, to make excuses, nor even to attempt to escape. They trembled in all their limbs, at sight of the terrible face of the resuscitated King. Hadgi-Stavros marched straight to Coltzida,

empty scabbard. The blade is no longe

they knew not what to do without him. He did not honor them with a word of response. He im

us escape, and that my feet had been badly wounded. We carefully picked our way down the mountain paths. The groans of the wounded, and the voices of the bandits who were discussing matters, followed us for quite a distance. As we approached the village, the weather c

ening before. The musket shots had intimidated him. The King saluted him and passed on. My friends' horses were waiting, with their guide, near the fountain. I asked them ho

mptation. The King, assisted by Dimitri, painfully climbed into his. Harris and h

rris, and he related to me how the Kin

he midst of a general hubbub; I would never have believed that so much trouble could be found in a pastry-cook's house. Every one was there for supper. Christodule, Maroula, Dimitri, Giacomo, William, M. Mérinay and the little Sunday girl, more tricked out than ever. William related to me your story. It is useless to tell you that I made a great uproar. I was furious with myself for not having been i

oot an animal which defends itself. Provide plenty of powder and balls, and to-morrow morning we will set out on a campaign.' William took the bait, Giacomo brought his fist down in a crashing blow on the table; you know what Giacomo's fist-blows are. He swore that he would accompany us, provided he could find a single-barreled gun. But the

the progress he had made. Giacomo could not contain himself for joy; the corners of his mouth went around dangerously near his ears; he crac

we provoked the King of the Mountains. But the girl with the flat nose, the one to whom you gave the name of Crinolina invariabilis, was plunged in grief which was quite amusing

good gir

e lackadaisical glances which she passes around the table. One would say, upon my word, that she is not capable of looking at a carafe without casting sheep's eyes at it. But if you love her, such as she is, there is nothing to be said. She left at nine o'clock for

we started. 'Monsieur Harris,' she said in very good English, by my faith

killed; I wished to know why; at last, at the end of her eloquence, she cried out, as if in the fifth act of a play: 'He is my father!' Upon that I began to seriously

ather lo

than hi

refuses you

that is

ou wanted M. Hermann Schultz would he s

No

bsolutely s

solu

ef to catch a thief. I will carry you on board The Fancy, a

ou,' she said. 'At that price pa

rupted John

oor, young girl who loves you enou

man ought to treat a woman. She wept until we reached Piraeus. I consoled her as best I could. She murmured: 'I am a lost girl!' I demonstrated to her by 'A' plus 'B' that she would find herself again. I m

the daughter of a king. I waited until Monday evening for her father's response; then my patience failed me; I returned to my first p

st speak to

love with John Harris. Fear must have turned my head. I have been talking with him, and I swear to

ated my adventures with Mary-Ann. "Bravo!" he exclaimed. "I find that the romance is not

endship on one side, a little gratitude on the other. But nothing m

permit me to be a wit

l earned it,

in? I would give much to be

urprise her and me

your table, at Christodule's house. Until then, my boy, you must remain on board my ship in order to rec

survived the battle, but she found her father grown twenty years older. Possibly, also, she suffered from Harris' indifference. He delivered her to her father in a characteristic American fashion, saying: "We are quits! You have returned m

nger men must take my place; but I defy them to equal my fortune and my renown. What shall I do with what few years are left to me? I know not yet; but you may be sure that my last days will not be idle ones. I have to establish my daughter to dictate my memoirs.