RESCUED FROM BRIGANDS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 49, 5 December 1891, Page 647

RESCUED FROM BRIGANDS.

M. DE Raymond, a French farmer was captured by brigands at Omourdga in August last, and on his head a ransom of five thousand Turkish pounds was set. Two dragomans, with a guard of twelve gendarmes, accompanied M. Huffier upon his mission to convey the ransom to the bandit chief. One day at noon, a strange peasant presented himself, and asked to see the leader ot the party. He proved to be an emissary of the brigands. With a good ileal of mystery he produced a letter, remarking that he had been ‘enjoined by those who held M. de Raymond captive to bring you this under the pain of death. Be so good as to read it privately and say nothing about its contents to anyone, especially the gendarmes. lam charged in the event ot your desiring to release M. de Raymond, to act as your guide to the spot where he is confined. You may bring three men with you. The brigands await us at an appointed rendezvous. Should you utter a single word calculated to compromise me, yon will only compass my ruin without saving your friend. Decide quickly, for there is no time to lose. I will await you 200 paces from this place.’ Having delivered this message, the man disappeared. M. Ghilbert then opened the mysterious missive, and found that it contained a communication in pure Greek exactly corresponding with tbe peasant’s verbal announcement. At the foot of the note, which was in the handwriting of Thomas, the brigand chief, was a postscript written by M. de Raymond to the effect that he was quite well, ana was anxiously expecting the ransom which was to set him free. M. Ghilbeit thought it prudent to act in accordance with the peasant's warning. He told the man to wait for him at the place he had indicated, and without saying a word to any member of the party at the farm, he mounted his horse and galloped as fast as the animal could carry him to Rodosto, in order to seek the advice of the French Consul. That officer urged him not to lose a single moment in availing himself of the peasant’s guidance to send the ransom to the robber chief.

M. Tackhella, another dragoman of the Consulate, a man possessed of great physical strength, and his servant, a sturdy peasant, were selected to carry out this critical mission, both of them being familiar with the country. It was evening before M. Ghilbert, accompanied by these agents, got back to the farm. The £5,000 required for M. de Raymond's ransom were then handed to M. Tackhella and his servant in two sums of £2,500 ; and shortly before ten o’clock at night they set out on foot upon their expedition. After nearly fourteen hours’ hard walking they arrived at the outskirts of a forest. It was now noon on the Saturday. The guide, who throughout the journey had kept from two to three hundred paces in front of M. Tackhella and his servant, here stopped until they came up. He requested them to envelope their heads in white handkerchiefs, andTo continue to follow him. They complied with these directions, and the party then entered the forest. They had not proceeded far when they suddenly found themselves confronted by three brigands armed to the teeth, who appeared to spiing out of the earth. Covering the travellers with their rifles they demanded whether they had brought with them M. de Raymond’s ransom. Receiving a reply in the affirmative, the bandits declared they were ready to escort the messengers to the headquarters of the gang. While one of them went on in advance to announce their approach to the chief, the other two guided the party through the brushwood by devious paths. In this fashion the journey was continued about two hours longer, and then a halt was called in an extremely remote and picturesque retreat. A few minutes later the brigand chief, Thomas, attended by five of his gang and accompanied by M. de Raymond, appeared. M. Tackhella and his servant then each produced his quota of the ransom, and the bandit leader sat down to count it, examining the coins with great care and evident suspicion. When he had finished, M. Tackhella informed him that he was the dragoman of the French Consulat, at Rodosto, and that in addition to the £5,000 which lie had brought as M. de Raymond’s ransom, he had with him a sum of £lOO intended to cover the expenses of the journey back to Rodosto. He expressed a hope that this money would not be taken from him. To this the chief replied in the most affable manner, ‘ Why, of course not. You shall keep everything you have upon you. No one shall molest you. We have no right to anything but the ransom we have exacted. Here is M. de Raymond, whom 1 deliver up to you safe ami sound. You may depart in all security, for you have my assurance that no harm shall befall you.’ Thereupon Thomas took a sheet of notepaper ami began to write out in the most business-like manner a formal declaration that, having received the ransom set upon the head of M. de Raymond, that gentleman was now free, and that for the future he would be at liberty to traverse these regions in perfect security, and would never again be molested or interfered with by any member of the band. Before leaving Thomas pointed out to the party the route they had to follow upon the return journey, although M. de Raymond said he had some acquaintance with the country, having previously made several shooting excursions in the district. The robber chief also insisted upon kissing M. de Raymond, and begged him not to harbour resentment for the trouble ami inconvenience to which he had been put. The brigand who had struck M de Raymond over the head on the occasion of his capture also approached, and besought his forgiveness for an injury which he declared he had only inflicted under the stress of circumstances. He could not, he said, allow the prisoner to depart without thus begging his pardon, and asking permission to kiss him. It was in this manner that M. de Riymond was restored to liberty. Toe brigand chief and his attendants disappeared as mysteriously as they had arrived, and the uarty set out upon their return journey. r