A NIGHT ADVENTURE.

Evening Star, Issue 15074, 4 January 1913, Page 8

A NIGHT ADVENTURE.

0. V>. Burgm tells, in the 'Evening Standard,' the story of a night adventure in Pera.

At the top of the street four zaptiehs (native policemen) energetically pursued a man, who stumbled arc! fell just as he reached me, whereupon his eapturers proceeded to belabor him with the butts of their guns. "Why this unkindness?'' 1 asked. Their English was limited. "He dam thief. He ran away. We run after him," said the leader of the party. "But why do you whack him?" "He gives nr> the trouble to rim after him ; " said the leader, who spoke English fairly well. "You give one inedjidieh, me let him go." I gave the zaptieh a inedjidieh (about four shillings), and the thkif disappeared in the darkness..

We exchanged cigarettes, and the zaptieh became affable. " You come this way next night we run after some more thief," he suggested as we parted with expressions of mutual esteem, and I continued my walk amid a weird crowd of all nationalities until I struck a mufic hall, with some, sailors (tipsy) laid in a row outside, while a. sober one watched them until it should be his turn to he kept guard ovei\ Inside the music hall were little marbletopped tables, where people of all nationalities sat drinking strange drinks, and were waited upon by lightly-attired damsels,' who took sipe from the custom ere' glasses, then went away and appeared on the stage and sang songs. The singer always "came on wearing one glovp, and carried the other. As she went off she threw the unworn glove to the next girl waiting in tho wings. By the time the girl in'the wjngs had put on the first glove the- singer "got off,"" and the next one entered, wearing one glove- and carrying the one which had just been handed to her. I was told that the management provided a pair of gloves of sufficiently elastic dimensions to fit everybody.

"You come wit' me, Effendi. 1 take you Ichind," suggested a greasy-Loking Ar minian. " dive me tcherik (a shilling).! show you rouge el uoir tables. You win mosh money."

With much inwKid trepidation, b.it feeling that I was "seehg life," T followed my guide down a narrow passage into a big icom behind the stage, where rouge efc noiv was being played. Several scantliyatuied ladies sat round on ragged sofas talking to people of vsi-ion? nations. iSome of them played at the tables. "You play you win mosh money," suid The Tempter as my elbow. I phved, and was allowed to win ''mosh money," at least five medjidiehs, and was about to adventure my winnings on one grand coup, when a tali, hook-nosed Spaniard took me by the arm. "Ate yon the iMons. Bourvegati who left his card on me to-day '." I was ''Then gn hnme io bed. little ry." ''But I don't want to go home to bed." " It is better for you to go inme to bed atid say your prayers than i.o stop h n ie.'' " Rut I want; to see what it's like.'' "You will go home to bed," repeated tie Spaniard, firmly and with a grip ;;!' iion led me to the d or. " Ke'.p to the middle of the. road end go home, little one." " You come round otlri <■ .or w).»n he go front, and win mosh money," said The Te:;.pie-, ('joining me. But I decided to return to my rooms, paid The Tempter another shilling, and started back.