The Case Of a Pipe.

Otago Witness, Issue 1005, 4 March 1871, Page 20

The Case Of a Pipe.

BY ALBANY DB FONMLANQUB.

" 0, Katey ! the idea of keeping a pipe on your drawing-room table !" The speaker was a bright-eyed girl of seventeen, who was enjoying the great delight of lookipg over her married cousin's pretty things ; and the lady, who had the greater one of showing them — a bride of two months, just installed in her new home— replied, with a happy dignity worthy of the situation.

"It is not a pipe, May ; only a pipecase."

" But," persisted the first Bpeaker, "the idea of keeping the nasty thing in such a lovely crystal casket, and amongst all your wedding- presents !" " If it had not been for it I should never have been married, May, and consequently should have had no weddingpresents. There is nothing in the house, until Fred comes home, that I prize so much as the old broken pipe- case." " 0, Katey, do tell me why !" " Well, dear, take off your bonnet and ring for tea, and if I have time before Fred returns, I will tell you the story." The reader shall have it in Mrs Katey's own words.

"When you were abroad, dear, the year before last, papa was obliged to g© to Constantinople to make the Turks pay him some money they owed him. They had hired one of his steamers to carry soldiers and Btores to Crete, and after knocking her. about, and half-spoiling her, they said, she was not what they wanted, and refused to pay, and this after papa had spent I don't know how # much in fitting her up according to theii own orders. It was horridly unjust, of course ; but I think it served papa quite right for helping to oppress those poor Cretans. "^ " Cretans are people who live it Swit* zerland, and have goitres, are they not, Katey ?" [No ; Miss May's education had not j been neglected. A lady of great expert* ence in tuition, and half-a-dozen masters, had been at her for the last two yean, " finishing" her, at the rate of about two hundred guineas a year, and ahe pasied a* highly accomplished.] "You gooße !" replied the young wife (who but for her chance visit to the Bast would, perhaps, not have known any better), " you are thinking of cretms. The idea of papa's steamer going up into the mountains of the idiot§ ! Cretans are the people of Crete. May, you ought to remember Crete ; St. Paul passed it.' " Yes, I know, and loosed the rudderbands. But please go on about the pipecase." x Well, after a good deal of persuasion, I got papa to take me with him, and, O, it was so delightfully strange and new ! Our room at Missieri's Hotel had a bay window looking out into the Grand Bue or Pera, and when papa was away on business I have sat there for hours watching the people— people, as it seemed, of every nation in the world, asd. every class of every nation— as they passed by in their picturesque dresses, fi I were to talk for an hour I could not give you a list, much ]eia a description, of the c^uew living flood vHish tan up •»* 4o*n that n*r«

»w street TheVe fa only <nw twtte* place for gape-seed, afld" tlla* itf o» the bridge over the Golden Horn ; but tflere a lady cannot stop to lodk about her, the throng is so great. , „ . " !«• -*■•• ** Miisieri's Hotel that I first met my husband. He sat next to papa at the table cPhote, and, being able to speak a little Turkish, went with us sometuned to the bazaar, and to see the mosques, until we became quits intimate. Papa used to go down to the Porte (the government offices) twice a week (and the oftener he went the farther he seemed to bo from the end of his business, although he had a dragoman from pur Embassy io back him up), until the hot season came, and w migrated, as all who can do, to j the" Mosphorwt. May, dear, I have read almost all the books about Constantinople (one enjoys books of travel, 1 think, most after one has visited the places deicribed), and as cleverer people than I have tried and failed to do justice to that lovely Strait, I will not attempt to pioture it for you. We came back via Trieste, saw Naples, the best of the Swiss lakes, and the Rhine ; but the Bosphorus, the beautiful blue Bosphorus, when the Judas-tree is in full bloom amongst the dark cypress, and Mount Olympus has not yet lost his crown of snow, ia, to my mind, the gem of all, although associated with the terrible adventure 1 am going to tell you. « We put up at the Therapia Hotel, at the Black Sea end, near Bayakderie, where most of the European ambassadors have summer-houses, and nearly opposite a place on the Asiatic shore called Unkiar Eikellasie (the Sultan's valley), a favourite spot for picnics. There is no village there, only a preposterous marble kiosk, built by a viceroy of Egypt, principally, I believe, to show how much money he could waste ; but the valley is very pretty, with turf almost like an English lawn, shaded by great trees, and watered by a little tinkling stream full of homelike ferns and water-flowers.

"We went to the first picnic — rather an overgrown affair — and when we had done dinner, the English division went wandering about into the country. At six o'olock Fred and I found ourselves alone, somehow or other, on the banks of the little rivulet. I cannot think how it was that we did not notice the disappearance of papa and the rest of our party, and that it was growing dark. There is no twilight on the Bosphorus. It isbroad daylight now, and night in ten minutes. Time passed on rapidly, and yet we were not talking about anything very particular — at least, not then. 0, May, how shooked wo were when we returned to the landingplace and found all tho boats gone !" (t It was shocking of them to leave you behind," said little May, with indignation.

" They did not mean any harm ; it was one of those mistakes which so often make big picnics end badly. Papa, who was nearly loft behind himself through hunting after us, was told that I had gone off in the first boat with the Consul-General and his wife; and so he took a passage with the captain of the Stationnaire, who was going to land a friend at Bebeo, and then return to his ship at Therapia,

" Every boat had left ; there was not even a caique in sight. There was nothing to be done but to walk to the nearest village— a distance of two miles — and hire one.

"On the road we met two Arnauts, wicked-looking creatures as ever I saw ; and Fred, not feeling sore of his tray, asked them if we were going right. 'E vet, •ffendi,' (Yes, gentlemen) said the smaller and better-looking of the two ; and so we hurried on. We had not gone more than three or four hundred yards, when we heard some one running after us, and shouting for us to stop. It was the other man, who, half in words, half in gestures, told us that his friend had not understood Fred's question ; we were going wrong ; we must return a good distance and take a path leading to the right Not the shadow of a suspicion that we were being deceived crossed our minds. We thanked the man for hia civility, turned back, and followed the path he had indicated. It led into a narrow rocky gorge, with woods on each side, and there we oame suddenly upon four men, two of them our old friends (?), who stopped the way. 'Let us pass/ said Fred in Turkish,

"He had not finished the sentence before one of the Araauts stepped forward and snatched my wa'ohchain. The next instant I heard a dull thud, and he fell stunned against the rocks. Ido not know what Fred whispered in my ear, as he placed me behind him, and stood at bay, looking O so splendidly handsome ! What followed seemed to my dazed mind like magic I saw the three ruffians make their rush; I saw Fred put his right hand into his pocket, draw it out again, and hold it towards them. As he did bo I. heard a slight click. At that sound and action our assailants fell back, just as the bad spirit* in a pantomime quail before a

ttr»T» of the good fairy*! wand. What do yon think the dear clever fellow had done ? Snowing that with one to support (lor I was foolish enough almost to faint) he could not struggle against three, he dropped the Ji<ra and assumed the fox, drew out his pipe-case, snapped it to imitate the cocking of a pistol, and held it at the first Arnaut's face, saying that if he advanced one step he was a dea4 man. Luckily it was dark, to the stratagem suceeded to perfection. Fred lowered bis hand, for fear the trick ought be detected, and retired in good order, hatf-oarrying me, until we got into the open road again, I know that he whispered in my ear tbeny and it gave me heart and strength. " The Arnauts followed us for a little way, and then struck into the wood and disappeared, cowed, poor wretches, by a leathern pipe-case." " Ah, Katey ! Now I see why you put it amongst your treasures," said May. — " Dear old flntelly thine, I beg your pardon," she continued, addressing the object of her former disdain. "You have only heard half what it saved us from that dreadful night,'' said Mrs Katey. " 0 dearie ! did they attack you again?"

JNo. That danger was at an end. We had another, perhaps greater, to encounter.

" 0 go on j please, go on ? "

" Following the road, which we knew now must be the right one, as we had been lured from it to be tho more conveniently robbed and perhaps murdered (for I heard that these Arnauts were capable of killing a man for a charge of powder), we arrived without further adventure at the village, where, moored to a riokety platform in front of the usual cafe", we saw four or five caiques. We chose the best looking, and the caiquejee was in the act of casting off the rope which held it to the pier, when a roan rushed out of the cafe with a long knife in his hand, and dared him to take us. A violent altero&tion, which, from the expression of their faces and the ges ures they used, I thought would any moment end in murder, ensued. At last an old Turk in a green turban interposed his authority (he was the scheik of the place), and it was explained to Fred that the man he had chosen must not take us, ; he did not belong to that landing ; it was his adversary's turn ; we must hire him. Fred did not like his looks ; he had the eye and the voice (as I was told afterwards) of an opium-eater; he was very dirty, too ; whereas most caiquejeea are quite pictures of neatness and cleanliness, in their white trousers and Broussa-silk shirts. I felt a horror of him from the moment I had seen that long, cruel knife glittering in his hand ; but there was no appeal, no alternative ; it was Hobson's choice — his caique or none — and so we took it.

"It was what they call on the Bosphorus a two-oar caique ; but we" (Mrs Katey had a brother at Eton, and was learned about boats) "should say it was rowed by double sculls — the stroke pair steer, and the dirty man with the long knife rowed Btroke. And very well he pulled for the first ten minutes — so well, that most of my nervousness depart 3d, and I began to think how soon, at tha rate we were going, I should relieve poor dear papa's anxiety. But all of a sudden our stroke stopped rowing, gesticulated violently for a few seconds, and then, burying his face in his hands, burst out crying. The man in the bow rowed on quietly, and took no notice of his partner. He was probably accustomed to such outbursts. We were now in mid-stream, where the current runs with great violence, and it was with difficulty that the one rower could keep the head of the caique straight. Fred, seeing this, leaned forward (we don't sit in caiques, you know, we lie down on cushions) and told our stroke, kindly enough, to rouse himself and row. A few words hissed out between his oleuohed teeth was his reply, and I felt Fred's hand, which (there is no harm in saying so now) clasped mine, tremble a little in spite of himself. I now know what those words were — ' Cursed for ever be these Giaour dogs, who defile their women, bringing them unveiled unto publio sight ! " "Then he knelt, and began to say his prayers. There was no doubt about it now. We were in the middle of the Bosphorus, at night, in a crank caique, at the mercy of a man rendered fanatically mad by opium. "In the midst of his devotions he seized his sculls again, vowing that he would not serve Giaours, turned the boat round by sheer strength, and made for the Asiatic shore. We were absolutely helpless. Violence was out of the question. It requires some practice to sit safely in a caique ; to struggle In one is simply to upset it. Poor Fred, on whose forehead I -could see the cold perspiration standing in beads, tried persuasion. He wou^d giye him double the promised

fare if he would go on to Therapia. No answer. ' Very well,' said Fred, 'go back, 5 an<3 I will take the other caique. I have a right to do so now, as you will not keep your contract.' This mention of his rival was too much for the madman. He sprang up and drew his knife. 0, the agony of that moment ! You have never been in such deadly peril; May dear, and cannot imagine what strange i noughts crowd one's mind. We were in peril perhaps half a minute; but it would take me twenty times that space to tell you what I thought. I gave up all hope. I wondered where he would stab poor Fred ; if I should die at onca on his kni'e, or he I drowned, wounded to death ; I wondered where our bodies would be found ; if they would be found together, and what they would look Jike j who would find us ; how the newß would be broken to papa ; where they would bury us j and a dozen other conjectures ! whilst the madman, balancing the boat as only a madman* could, made three cat-like steps towards Fred. Fred, taken entirely by surprise, had only time to half raise himself and puah me back, when at the third step the wretched maniac stumbled. In a. moment Fred had him by the ankle, and with a dexterous twist threw him overboard. But this sent the light boat gunwale under, and filled her three parts with water. In his fall the wretch dropped his knife, which Fred seized. He says I behaved beautifully ; did not move or scream, and baled out the water with his hat, as he bade me, Ido not know what I did, May ; I was too terrified to scream. I saw him crawl forward and take one of the sculls, and felt him crawl past me aft again with it I knew what he must be doing — keeping off the madman, who was swimming like a fifth after us as we drifted. If he had ever got hold of the boat he would have drowned us all. I saw the other man leave his oars, and crawl aft, with a knife in his hand, to help hia fellow countryman. I felt that the utmost I could do was to die first ; for Fred muat have his back to one of his enemies, and, opposing the one, the other must prevail. I was in the act; of throwing myself on the second caique jee, when I heard the sharp swish and steady rumble of oars, real oars, such oars as men-of-war's men pull, t knew it was the gig of the Stationnaire. " Then I screamed. May dear, I did scream then. " When I came to my senses the caique was lashed alongside the gig, and baled out quite dry. The first thing I remember hearing was Captain Roberts shouting, c what on earth are you doinj? Perry 1 Do you want to drown the man ? Perry was the bow-man of the gig—a bright-eyed sea-boy of twenty. He had hitched the boat-hook in the waistband of our chief opponent, and was holding him under water.

• Please, sir,' replied Perry with a grin, * I was only washing of him a bit before hauling of him in.' "It would have been a service of danger to move me into the gig, so they towed the caique into Therapia ; and there we discovered what had caused the madman to stumble at the critical moment. It wbb our old friend the pipecase, which Fred had dropped as he helped me in when we started from the Asiatic shore.

" Papa was awfully an^ry with Fred ; said he had behaved dishonourably in making me miss our party at the pionio, and a great deal more. Fred behaved beautifully, and only said he hoped to be allowed to explain in the morning. Before the morning, however, I had talked papa quite round, and he ended the discussion with one of his grunts, and a 'Well, I suppose I know how it will end!'

" You know how it has ended, May. I am the happiest little woman in London, dear ; and if I had the Queen's palace, that old pipe-case should have the place of honour in its best room. But hark ! that's Fred's^ ring. Bun up and dress for dinner, birdie — he likes me to meet him in the halL"

Some Mobiles in the department of the Marne recently stopped a train, and captured its contents after a fight with the guards. Among the booty they thus obtained were some comforters sent by the Queen of Prussia to her husband. A number of deaths have taken place in Versailles from starvation. Most respectable persons are in great distress, selling plate and valuables for the meads of buying mere necessaries of life. Families accustomed to every comfort are in the depths of indigence. The shooting of sentries, says Dr Russell, is apparently carried on to a horrible? degree in the lines before Paris. They take pot shots, and kill and wound all they can at the outposts on both sides. They ore at it all day and night long,