Page:The promises of Turkey.djvu/13

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9

Bulgaria, arrived in the village of Brankortsi, in Bulgaria, on last Christmas Day. He wished to be quartered upon one Petko, because that man had two young and pretty daughters who would be obliged to wait upon him. But the cmet the village head-man, said this could not be, as two Albanians had been already placed in Petko's house; whereupon the zaptieh beat the cmet which was received as in the ordinary course of things. But the zaptieh did not stop there.

"He stabled his horse, and came out with bridle, saddle, and saddle-bags, and actually bridled and harnessed and then mounted the terrified and unresisting cmet. The wretch rode his 'man-horse' up and down the street, forcing him into the puddles where the mud was deepest."

When they came to the house which the cmet had destined for the zaptieh's residence, the rider

"Pulled up, alighted, and was soon surrounded by the villagers, all aghast at the sight of the strange equestrian group, yet never daring to interfere or remonstrate. The zaptieh bade the landlord bring out an armful of hay, and as the man ventured to intercede for the poor cmet, the zaptieh struck him in the face with so heavy a blow as to stretch him almost senseless on the ground. The 'man-horse' was brought up, tied by his rider to a post outside the door, and, whip in hand, bidden to eat the hay. The poor man, now thoroughly unmanned, and bathing that forage with his tears, tried to comply with the brutal order, and took some of the hay between his teeth. … The cmet, a person of importance in the village, and to whom the Government entrusts the collection of taxes to the average yearly amount of 200,000 piastres, would never dare to lodge a complaint of this ill-treatment, as nothing would save him from the policeman's vengeance, or from that of the body to which he belongs."

That is the tyranny, such are the instruments, which Mr. Gladstone demanded, in the name of humanity, should be turned, "bag and baggage," out of Bulgaria. This foul and shocking degradation follows