| LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 253 |
|
“Another proudly clad
In golden arms, spurs a Tartarian barb
Into the gap, and with his iron mace
Directs the torrent of that tide of men.”
|
I was told some time after this that Odysseus was corresponding with Omer Pasha of Negropont, and fearing that he might resort to some desperate
measures in his present difficulties, I left the cave one night in a snow-storm, and with a
trusty follower who knew the country, we descended to the plain, threading our way through
the rocks and pine-trees. We mounted two swift Arab horses, gallopped along a hollow
valley, crossed a deep stream, the Sperchius, and proceeded towards the town of Livadia,
where we arrived the next day. I was surprised to see Turkish Delhi cavalry, known at a
great distance by the immense height of their head-gear, careering on
| 254 | RECOLLECTIONS OF THE |
I knew it was a common practice of the military leaders in Greece to make
treaties with the enemy in the provinces they governed, for especial objects, on their own
responsibility—yet I saw at once the chief had made a fatal error in doing so on the
present occasion. I told him that, although his family had ruled in Livadia for three
generations, the Turks in the Morea had been dispossessed after four centuries of
possession; that now the Greek government were strong, and would direct all their forces to
crush him. If he took refuge with the Turks, they would betray him, and send him or his
head to Constantinople. “I know
| LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 255 |
The hollowness of this armistice was apparent—Odysseus and the Ottoman Bey, suspecting each other of treachery, used every precaution to avoid being ensnared. The Turkish horse stuck to the level ground, the Greeks clung to the hills; Odysseus skirted them, his best men and swiftest runners dogging his steps, and keeping him from being cut off from his guerillas.
The Delhi Colonel was selected from the Turkish host at Eubœa, as the only soldier capable of contending in arts or arms with the wily and able Greek chief: he was the best specimen of an Eastern warrior I had seen,—calm, vigilant, and dexterous in the disposition of his troopers. Our chief knew the country better than any man in it. I urged him to give the enemy the slip, and to come to the cavern. His answer was, “Stay, not yet!”
It was early in February we stopped at Talanta on a wet stormy night: in selecting his quarters, our chief with his usual sagacity fixed upon the ruins of a Greek church, situated as the Greek churches, chapels, and monasteries usually are, on an elevated and defensible site—the town was abandoned and in ruins. After we had supped and were smoking our pipes, some of the Greek patrols came in, saying they had captured two Franks. They were ordered to bring them in. I told the chief to make no allusion to me, but to question them through his secretary.
As they entered, one of them observed to his comrade in English, “What a set of cut-throats! Are they Greeks or Turks?”
“Mind what you say.”
“Oh! they only want our money,” answered the other. “I hope they will give us something to eat before they cut our throats. I am famished.”
Certainly appearances were against us. At one end of the building,
Odysseus, the Greek chief, the
| LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 257 |
| 258 | RECOLLECTIONS OF THE |
“If they are robbers,” exclaimed the Major, “they are damned good fellows, so I drink
success to their next foray.” Soon after, one of them lay down in a dark
corner. Turks, Greeks, and all Orientals, consider it the greatest possible insult as well
as an outrage on decency, for any one in public to change his garments or expose any part
of his person below the waist. The major was a remarkably tall, gaunt, bony man: after
finishing his wine, he set to work to make up a comfortable bed with horse-cloths, slips of
carpet, a bag for a pillow, &c.; when he had done this to his satisfaction, we supposed
he would lie down, as his companion had done. On the contrary, he deliberately, as is if in
his own barrack-room, utterly regardless of our presence, took off his boots, socks, coat,
waistcoat, trousers, and shirt, folding each article carefully up and placing it by his
bedside. Thus exhibiting himself in all possible attitudes stark naked, he leisurely filled
the
| LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 259 |
The two chiefs at first looked on the major’s novel proceedings with curiosity, as visitors in the Zoological Gardens do at the hippopotamus; but as the process of stripping advanced, they looked serious; the shirt scene took away their breath; their pipes went out when the major advanced towards them. The Turk started up in horror with his hand on his sword. The major, supposing he was making way for him from civility, and unconscious of giving any offence, made a very polite bow to us generally; and, in a gentle and conciliating tone, said, in his own language, “Pray, gentlemen, keep your seats, don’t let me disturb you;” bent his body into a sharp angle, so as to draw a light from the burning embers. The position he stood in was so ludicrous, that Odysseus and I could not resist laughing. The major considering this a token of good fellowship, insisted on shaking hands with us, saying, “I am sure you are both good fellows—Good night!”
I now saw by the light of the fire that he was not absolutely naked, for
he had a leather waistcoat and
| 260 | RECOLLECTIONS OF THE |
Expecting to be surprised by Turks or Greeks, and distrusting those with us, we could not sleep; so our chief, to conceal his own anxiety, and to wile away the time, recounted to the Turk the marvellous things he had seen done at Yanina by the Franks whilst he was serving with Ali Pasha. Odysseus then questioned the Osmanlee about Paradise and Mahomet, very profanely. The Albanian Turks are by no means bigots: our bey had evidently very little faith in anything but his sword. At length we dozed as we sat.
Before daylight the major got up and went out; I followed him, accosting him in his native tongue.
“How well you speak English, my good fellow,” he said.
The frank and cordial manner of the major so impressed me with his honesty, that I hurriedly explained who I was, the critical state of things with us; and my anxiety to extricate Odysseus from the peril that encompassed him.
| LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 261 |
The major instantly and earnestly entered into my views, saying, “The vessel we came in will remain two or three days in the port; it will take but a few hours to reach her. I will return and stop by her for Odysseus, detain her as long as I can, and go with him to the Ionian Islands.”
I told the chief our plan, he eagerly accepted the offer,—I pledging
myself to keep possession of his mountain home, and to protect his family until altered
circumstances permitted him to return to Greece. Hastily making the needful arrangements,
the good-hearted major departed on his mission. The chief having much to say to me, and
thinking it probable I might be in danger on my return to the cave, convoyed me with his
whole force. On our parting, he called some of his principal followers, and said,
“I call you to witness, I give this Englishman the cavern and everything of
mine in it.” Then turning to me, he said, “Do what you think best
without referring to me.” As we sat on the turf by a broken fountain, he
placed his rough hairy hand on my bosom, saying, “You have a strong heart in a
strong body: you find fault with me for distrusting my countrymen,—
| 262 | RECOLLECTIONS OF THE |
Either from the vigilance of the Ottomans at Eubœa, or of those with
him, or from some other impediment, the chief did not reach the port he was to have
embarked from until after the vessel had sailed with the major, although he had detained
her as long as possible. I then expected the chief would make for the cave; we kept a sharp
look-out, and posted men at the several passes; he wrote to me from time to time, but
nothing definitively; and we passed months in this state of suspense. Fenton came from the Morea. I was in the daily habit of
sallying forth to gather news, though warned against it. Early in April, when I was some
distance from my den, I was startled by a shot; the red-capped Greeks were dogging me
behind the rocks and pine-trees: I hastened up the steep ascent, gained the lower ladder,
mounted slowly until I recovered my wind, then faster, the musket-balls whistling by me
right and left—above and below. I should have
| LAST DAYS OF SHELLEY AND BYRON. | 263 |
Shortly after this occurrence a large body of Greeks came to Velitza, a village at the foot of our mountain, a detachment ascended towards us; on coming near, one of them advanced, holding a green bough as a flag of truce: he said, Odysseus was with the troops below, and that he had brought a letter from him to me. It was to this effect, that he—Odysseus—was now with his friend Ghouras; he intreated me to come to him to confer on matters of great importance; saying that hostages would be given for my safe return, &c.
I merely answered, “If what you say is true, why don’t you come here? you may bring Ghouras or half-a-dozen others with you.”
Several notes of this sort were exchanged. In the last, our chief urged me
to capitulate as the only means of saving his life; telling me that I might now do so on my
own terms, for those with him were Romeliotes favourably disposed to him
| 264 | RECOLLECTIONS OF THE |
| ≪ PREV | NEXT ≫ |
