The Capsina: An Historical NovelBenson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
History
The Capsina: An Historical Novel
Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
Greece -- History -- War of Independence, 1821-1829 -- Fiction
At length, on the morning of the 6th, the end came. When day broke
it was to show the long bright lines of Albanian mercenaries who
formed the advance-guard of Dramali's army, marching across the plain
northward towards the guarded hills. From Lerna, lying low, they were
only visible when they began to reach the foot-hills of the range
towards Corinth, and by that time the cavalry had begun to leave the
north gate of Argos. Instantly in the camp there was a sudden fierce
outburst of joy and certain vengeance. The hills were guarded, the
Turks in a trap; it only remained to go.
The hills between Argos and Corinth were rough and bowldersown.
The main pass over them, called the Dervenaki, lay due north from
Argos, and was that over which the Turks under Dramali had come.
This, however, had now been occupied five days before by a large
body of Greeks from the villages round--hardy men of the mountains,
as leaderless as a pack of wolves, and fiercer. They had taken up a
senseless position too near the plain and below the gorge through which
the road passed, and which was narrow and easily held. The Albanians,
therefore, the advance-guard of the force, seeing that the pass was
occupied, turned westward towards the village of Nemea by another
road, which joined the Dervenaki again, after a long détour, beyond
the gorge. Kolocotrones with his son Panos and some eight thousand
Greeks were in possession of Nemea, and news that the advance-guard,
consisting of about a thousand Albanians, was approaching was brought
him as he sat at breakfast in his brass helmet.
Now the Albanians were not Turks, but Greeks serving as mercenaries
under the Sultan. Many of them had relations and friends among the
Greeks, and a year ago, at the siege of Tripoli, a separate amnesty had
been concluded with them, and they had not been prevented from going
home. Moreover, they were excellent men of arms and poor. All these
things Kolocotrones considered as he debated what to do. While he was
still debating the first rank of them came in sight. He looked at them
for a moment, and then turned to the scouts who had brought the news.
"May hell receive you!" he snarled. "They are Greeks."
They were Greeks; every one knew that. They were allowed to pass
unmolested. They were also poor, and that Kolocotrones knew.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account