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
"The oranges will help us very much," remarked the Capsina, but the owl
still sat in Mitsos's eyes.
"For thus," he continued, "even as in the days of the mill fight, I
will go into Patras and find Germanos and speak with him."
"But how are you to get to Patras?" asked Kanaris.
"I have in my mind that there is a place called Limnaki, three miles
this side Patras, and the foulest spot God ever made, being one
pestilent marsh. Now my thought is that our brig could sail close in
there, while the other waited about on the alert. That shall be this
afternoon, and before it is dark I can be with Germanos. Then he will
tell me where these Turks are in the gulf, and before morning I shall
be at Limnaki again. So far I am with the Capsina, but then let us do
as Kanaris says, and pass the guns of Lepanto at night."
"Hoot, hoot! so the owl speaks!" said Sophia; "and I think the owl is
right. You know Germanos, do you not, little Mitsos?"
"Surely. I was at Tripoli."
It was so arranged, and Kanaris returned to his ship, while the
_Revenge_ put about, and in an hour's time had got close in to the
shore opposite Limnaki. It was a starved little village, feverish and
unhealthy, and the chance of Turks being there was too small to reckon
with. Mitsos got into peasant's dress, and as time was short, omitted
the oranges and the mule, and after being landed quietly, set off an
hour before sunset over the hill towards Patras. Barefooted, and with
a colored handkerchief for a cap, he passed without remark through the
gate of the town, and mingled with the loiterers in the market-place.
The citadel of Patras was still in the hands of the Turks, and the
Turkish garrison there, and the Greek revolutionists who held the
monastery hill both lived in a state of semi-siege, while meantime the
rest of the Greeks and Turks in the town continued to pursue the usual
trade, finishing up six days out of the seven with a little mutual
massacring in the streets; and Mitsos's object was to get to the Greek
camp without involving himself in any street row. The monastery was
but a quarter of an hour's walk from the square, and he reached the
outposts of the Greek lines in safety, and demanded to be taken at once
to Germanos. He gave his name, and stated that he was on the business
of the Capsina.
Germanos received him immediately with kindness and courtesy, though
the little Mitsos, remembering the affairs at Tripoli, was as stiff as
the soul of a ramrod. But, to Germanos's credit be it said, his manner
suffered no abatement of geniality, and when he had heard Mitsos out,
he spoke:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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