On a winter’s morning in the year 1820 a ship was on the point 
of setting sail from the island of Kuluri, Salamis of old and scene 
of Athenian valour. It was a Greek merchant vessel which with its 
large crew had brought to Athens mastic, gum arabic and the like, 
but more especially Damascus blades, cedar-wood and fine cloths 
from Asia. 

Ashore all was activity. The captain was moving among the 
sailors at their work, seeing that everything was done properly, 
when one sailor whispered to another in Italian: 

“Philippo, do you see that young man standing over there? That 
is the new passenger the captain took on last night; he wants him 
to join us, and if he refuses, he'll be sent to the bottom of the sea, 
for he shall not reach Stamboul, as he intends.” 

“But,” said Philippo, “what manner of man is he then?” “I do 
not know, but the captain doubtless will.” Just then a shot rang 
out from the ship and all made for the boats. The captain boarded 
the sloop and cried out: “Young man—ahoy, why are you 
dreaming? Come along. We want to be off.” The young man to 
whom these words were addressed and who had hitherto stood by 
a column in silence, looked up: “Ah yes,” he called, “I’m coming,” 
and strode rapidly toward the boat. He got in, and the vessel 
pulled away from the shore with quick strokes of the oars. The 
ship was soon reached, and after a cannon had been fired, the 
ship’s crew assembled on board, and soon the anchor was weighed, 
the sails set, and like a giant swan the brig flew swiftly out over the 
blue-tinted sea. 

But the captain, who had hitherto directed the work of the 
crew, now approached the handsome youth, who was leaning 

sorrowfully as before on the rail of the ship and gazing gloomily at 
the peaks of Hymettus as they sank ever further into the distance. 

“Young man,” he addressed him, “come down to the saloon, I 
have something to say to you.” 

“Gladly,” the other answered and followed in the captain’s 
steps. 

When they were below, the captain bade him be seated, and 
having poured each of them a glass from a bottle of Chios wine, 
he said: 

“Listen, I have a suggestion to make to you. But first, what is 
your name? And where are you from?” 

“Leon Papon is my name and J am from Athinai. And you?” 

“Captain Leonidas Spezziotis (from Spezia). Now listen! Doubt- 
less you think us honest traders? We are no such thing! Have a 
look at our cannon, both exposed and concealed, our ammunition, 
our armoury, and you will easily see that we carry on such trading 
merely as a guise. You will see that we are different, better men, 
true Hellenes, men who still have a taste for freedom —=in short, 
corsairs, as the infidels, whom we harass sorely, are wont to call us. 
And now to you, for you are to my liking and remind me much of 
a dear son of mine whom the infidels shot before my eyes last 
year, I would propose that you should join us and help fight for 
the freedom of the Hellenes and harm the infidel cause, to whom 
Homer’s lines could well be applied: 

“Eogetat jpap, bt’ dy mor’ ohddy “Theos tpn, 
Kat Wptapoc, xat hace eoprehio MMoraporo. * 

But should you be disinclined to do this, I cannot answer for the 
consequences; for when my men hear what I have revealed to you, 
they will most certainly demand your death, and I shall not be 
able to save you.” 

“What’s that you say? Corsairs? Will I join you? Straight away! 
To be able to take revenge on my father’s murderers! Oh gladly, 
gladly will I join your ranks, with fury will I fight the Moslems 
and slaughter them like cattle!” 

“So it is agreed! Leon, thus you are to my liking! Let us drink a 
bottle of Chios wine to the new alliance!” And the old imbiber 
poured the wine briskly and many a time exhorted his more 
moderate comrade with a merry “Drink up, Leon,” until the 
bottle was empty. 

Now he went with his new comrade through the ship and 
showed him the stores. First they went into the armoury. There 
hung magnificent garments of all kinds, close-fitting sailors’ 
jackets, capacious caftans, tall hats, small Greek caps, broad 
turbans, close-fitting western breeches and baggy Turkish trousers, 
gaily embroidered Persian waistcoats, Hungarian Hussar jackets, 
and Russian fur coats, all paraded in motley array in large 
cupboards. The walls were covered with the weapons of all 
nations: every type of fire-arm from small pocket pistols to 
triple-barrelled heavy muskets, swords of every description, 
Damascus blades, Spanish rapiers, German broadswords, short 
Italian daggers and curved handjars, all carefully ordered in their 
places. In the corners were spear-stands, so that the whole space 
of the room was used. Next they entered the powder-magazine. 
Fight large barrels, each with a hundred pounds of gunpowder, 
and four small ones of ten pounds stood there; there were three 
barrels of bombs, and two larger ones of shells; the cupboards at 
the sides were full of jars and pots containing powder mixed with 
pieces of lead, stones and pieces of iron. Then they entered the 
room in which Leonidas showed him several sacks full of cannon- 
balls. They went up again to the cannons. On each side stood 
twelve cannons of large bore, and on the quarter-deck another two 
forty-eight pounders. Dotted about everywhere stood swivel guns, 
some thirty pieces of ordnance in all. In the saloon, to which they 
returned, Leonidas showed Leon three cases of musket-balls and 
two of mixed shot. 

“Our ship is in good shape, is it not?” he said to him. 

“Splendid,” replied the other, “it could not be better. But now 
let me look around on deck a little: more.” 

He went up. However it was not long before he found him 
standing once more at the rail. They were just passing Cape 
Colonae, ancient Sunium, and Leon was again looking despond- 
ently back at the peaks of Hymettus just as they were disappear- 
ing from view, when Leonidas addressed him as follows: 

“Now, lad, why so melancholy? Come on to the quarter-deck 
with me and tell me about your life.” 

And Leon accompanied him and told the following tale: 

II 

I shall soon be 16 years of age. My father was the merchant 
Gregorios Papon; my mother was called Diana; I am called Leon, 
my twin sister is called Zoé and my younger brother Alexis. It is 

some three months since the Pasha of Athinai saw a young 
slave-girl that my father had brought up with us. He asked for her 
at once, and when my father refused to let him have her, he swore 
to be revenged and kept his oath, to our undoing. For as we were 
sitting quietly together one evening and I was singing songs to the 
cithara with Selima, the slave-girl, Zoé and Alexis, the ‘Pasha’s 
Arnauts entered, seized our dear father and Selima from among 
us and took them away; and we were turned out and left with 
nowhere to turn for help. We departed thence and at length 
arrived at the place before the gate where the old Macedonian 
fortress stood. There we found shelter in the house of compas- 
sionate peasants who gave us bread and a little meat. From there 
we made our way toward Piraeus. But alas! My sister’s strength 
was exhausted and she sank down half-swooning beneath an 
olive-tree. As for myself, I wanted to return to the city and seek 
help of our relatives. I went despite my mother’s entreaties and 
when I reached the Acropolis and was about to ascend, I 
found—imagine my joy—my father. I cannot tell you how 
joyfully I embraced him and how I pictured our happiness and 
my mother’s joy. Alas, all too soon I was to be disappointed! For 
hardly had we gone a few steps when we saw coming the 
commander of the Pasha’s troop of Arnauts. He recognised my 
father, drew his sabre and fell upon him. My father took the 
gnarled stave which he had picked up earlier in his right hand 
and held his ground, the Turk struck and cut the stave in two; the 
blow fell upon my father’s shoulder; the Turk struck again and 
caught my defenceless father about the head so that he sank to the 
ground. I seized the fallen stave and threw it into the Turk’s face; 
in his fury he dropped his sabre, but drew a hammer from his belt 
and dashed it against my head so that I fell down senseless. 

When I came to myself again, my father lay beside me breathing 
his last. He said, “Leon— my son— flee — flee from here! You are 
not safe! Is your mother free?” When I confirmed it, he said: 
“Oh, go to Kuluri, and from there to Nauplia—I have friends 
there.” I asked: “Father, what is the name of your murderer?” 
“Leon—his name is— Mustapha— Bey —God have— mer —cy— 
on my poor—soul,” and with these words he departed. I em- 
braced the body, cried, lamented and shouted for help— but 
he remained dead and no one came to my help. At length 
I rose weeping to my feet, girt my good father’s belt about 
me, thrust the murderer’s sabre in it and swore to discard neither 
belt nor sabre—until my father’s blood had been washed by 
Turkish blood. 

Now I went out of the city gates—but—oh misery, my loved 
ones were no longer there! A bloody dagger, my mother’s 
blood-stained veil and Alexis’ cap lying there testified that violence 
had been done here also. This is the cap I am wearing now; this is 
the dagger (he pointed to a fine Turkish dagger in his belt), and 
the veil I have been wearing since then next to my heart, beneath 
my chiton.* 

Only now did I give thought to my wound. It was beginning to 
pain me; I felt it and pushed my cap back—the blood poured 
afresh over my face. I lay down beneath the tree and bound a 
cloth round my head. 

I fell asleep; and in my sleep I fancied that I saw my father 
coming towards me, fresh and blooming, and my mother at his 
side, and Zoé and Alexis with them, and they lifted me up, but 
then the Turks came, and my father’s murderer fell screaming at 
our feet—I awoke and found myself lying on a cart—an old man 
stood before me and told me to be calm, and drove me away. 

He took me to St. Nicholas, where he restored me to health. I 
stayed four weeks with him, then he gave me money and took me 
to Kuluri in his own boat. There I parted from him, and we 
divided a piastre as a keepsake. I remained here several days, 
there being no opportunity for departure. The rest you know. 

Ill 

Such was the burden of young Papon’s tale. Leonidas at once 
took him by the hand, went with him into the armoury and bade 
him select his outfit. For clothing he took some light Greek 
breeches and a short blue coat. For arms he chose a short 
double-barrelled rifle, two brace of double pocket pistols and a 
hammer. Leonidas said, “Well, take a sabre too! Or at least a 
scabbard for it.” “No,” he said, “I shall not be parted from this 
sabre! And it will remain bare until I have won myself a scabbard 
for it.” 

Meanwhile it began to grow dark. They reached the isle of Ceos. 
They did not land, but nonetheless they took in all sail and sent a 
rocket up from the top of the main mast. At once a boat with a 
cross upon its prow drew near. In it sat six armed men who 
moored the boat at the stern and boarded. Leonidas introduced 
the new comrade to them, and they welcomed him heartily. 
Thereupon Leonidas said: 

* Tunic. The undergarment worn by the Greeks: yit@v or xidudv.— Note by 
Engels. 

“Well, Stephanos, what have you hunted out?” 

Stephanos: “There in the city harbour lies a Turkish merchant 
ship. I was there disguised as a tradesman. But whom do you 
think I saw, Leonidas? Just imagine, our old comrade Dukas was 
there as a slave. I got him out in a chest. The ship has only three 
cannons, but the crew is large and well armed; there are some 
thirty Turks aboard. But I have won over two Greek passengers, 
who are travelling to Athinai. They will occupy the powder- 
magazine.” 

Leonidas: “Ah, splendid! You stay here and wait a little.” 

He hurried down to the saloon, returned with three bottles of 
wine and emptied them with Leon and the six newcomers. In the 
course of this he said: 

“We are now—wait—you six, twenty men on board, Leon, 
myself, that makes twenty-eight, two Turks as passengers to 
Serpho, one of whom is a Janissary.— Notos!” 

The man thus summoned came. 

“Take Protos and Taras with you to the saloon, disarm the 
Turks and bring them up.” He went. 

Leonidas called again: “Mykalis!” 

“Here,” cried the latter, at the double. 

“Load the cannons for firing, prepare the swivel guns, load 
three with shot and balls, and the rest with lead, glass, stones and 
iron! Fetch up sixty shells, two bombs and a case of balls! Every 
man is to arm himself!” His command was carried out. “And now, 
my son,” as he turned to Leon, “now you will have the chance to 
try your first battle with us. Fight bravely. As soon as the ship 
engages with us, stay by me and do as I do. Do not venture to 
board before I do; it could well cost you your life.” 

“Yes,” said Stephanos, “I know that. Imagine, Leon, I jumped 
on board the enemy ship with two young fellows like yourself; the 
enemy chopped off the hooks and there we were in their hands. 
We fought, but after my two companions had died, I was all but 
crushed in the throng and took a sharp blow on the head; the scar 
is still visible; and I would certainly have lost my life, if our side 
had not meantime again grappled fast.” 

Then Notos came with the two Turks, one of whom wore his 
arm bandaged. Notos said to Leonidas: 

“Here, I have them now. They fought desperately. Our Janis- 
sary here dealt poor Protos a blow such as he will scarcely recover 
from. He was repaid by me with a broken arm, while Taras seized 
the other Turk around the body and threw him to the ground.” 

“Yes,” said the Janissary, “that was a skilful feat indeed, 

overwhelming us as we sat peacefully in the saloon! But they paid 
dearly for it and that consoles me.” 

“Oh,” answered Leonidas, “I never doubted your bravery. But 
you shan’t be without your reward; if you wish, I shall disembark 
you tomorrow morning on Thermia; but each of you shall give me 
fifty piastres ransom.” They were glad to do so and were escorted 
back to the saloon, where they stayed under Notos’ guard, while 
Leonidas went to Protos, who was lying in a hammock. He 
examined the wound and saw it was a blow from a handjar right 
across the skull, which had been damaged in one place. It was a 
deadly wound; yet there was still hope. He applied a plaster and 
retired along with Leon to bed. To the latter he allotted a couch 
alongside his own. 

In the middle of the night they were woken. Stephanos was 
standing before them. 

“Make haste, arise, there is a sail in sight to the north. You may 
see it by its lamp.” In a moment both were armed. Leonidas 
opened a cupboard and gave Leon a bag of musket-balls, one of 
shot, and a fine large powder-horn. He also furnished himself 

with ammunition and both went on deck. . 
“Mykalis,” said the captain, “where are the swivel cannons?” 

When these were pointed out, he placed himself by one, Leon 
by the second and Stephanos by the third. 

The crew gathered on deck. Leonidas bade them assemble and 
numbered them off. Counting himself there were twenty-six. He 
ordered Notos to be relieved, and the latter came and placed 
himself by one of the forty-eight pounders, Mykalis by the other. 
The swivel guns were hard by. 

All eyes were directed at the lamp. They were drawing nearer to 
it. Then it went out, and they had to steer on in the direction they — 
had taken. Several times it reappeared, but eventually they quite 
lost it. 

Day came. The sea was covered with fog patches, which 
gradually dispersed. Then Stephanos, who was up the mast, cried 
out: “I see the ship! It is the same one as I saw in the harbour at 
Ceos.” 

Leonidas also saw it through his telescope. Stephanos came 
down. At once all sail was raised to catch it, and soon it was visible 
to them all. They ran up the Turkish flag and drew near to it. 
After some three hours they were so near that it was only a little 
out of firing range. Then Leonidas ordered the Turkish flag to be 
taken down and the black and red one with the white cross run 
up. The Turkish ship had however already turned to the north- 

west and put on all sail to gain Makronisi. But soon Leonidas was 
hard upon it, and a cannon-ball sped at his command through the 
enemy rigging. The Turks replied at once, but then withdrew. 
Then Leonidas called: “Here, Mykalis with your fifteen men, go 
and row your hardest! We must have it! Notos! You go to the 
bows and fire on the enemy when we are at half range! eau and 
his five men are to stay here.” 

The ship flew faster. Nearer and nearer they sipiSuchel their 
prey. Meanwhile Leonidas commanded: 

“Taras, as soon as Mykalis returns, go to the starboard cannon; 
Stephanos is in charge of the stern cannon; Leon stays by me!” 

Then Notos fired from his twelve-pounder, another five can- 
nons roared, and one of the enemy’s sails fell with its mast-top and 
hung from the ropes! A cry of delight issued on the spot; the 
cannon fired once more and the ship’s bowsprit was shattered. 
The Turks could not escape. The ship came nearer, and quickly 
Leonidas and Leon gave fire with their swivel guns. Several men 
fell; yet the shots had achieved but little. Mykalis returned; they 
were quite near the Turks now, with salvoes flying right and left; 
but the Turks were also firing bravely; then Leonidas gave a full 
salvo and moved close in to the enemy. The swivel guns banged; 
as the enemy’s deck cleared somewhat, the Greeks grappled. 
Mykalis and his band, Leonidas and Leon stood by the grappling- 
hooks; they fired their muskets amongst the enemy, hauled at 
the hooks, and in a flash Mykalis and Leon were there with the 
enemy. Leon pulled a pistol and shot down the first comer; his 
cutlass flashed this way and that—and one Turk fell upon the 
other. Then Mykalis fell; but Leonidas was there, and the Hellenes 
advanced; a furious struggle developed, but the Greeks who were 
still on their ship fired valiantly away, and in a short while some of 
the Turks laid down their arms. Then a gigantic Arnaut leapt on 
to the deck, swung his cutlass and shouted: 

“What’s this, Moslems? Do you intend to let yourselves be 
slaughtered by the infidels? Seize your cutlasses and cut down 
these dogs!” 

He leapt forward and cut down one of the Hellenes. “Where is 
your leader?” he called. “Here,” shouted Leonidas and pushed 
forward. They fought. Leonidas remained cool in the face of the 
heavy, furious blows of his enemy. In a blind, mad fury the latter 
rushed forward, struck and managed to hit his opponent’s left 
arm. Leonidas gripped his broadsword hard and shattered his 
enemy’s cutlass, struck again and blood welled up from the Turk’s 
breast. But another Turk rushed up to Leonidas and dealt him 

such a blow across the face that he fell. Leon saw him fall, struck 
the assassin dead, held back the enemy, and the latter now laid 
down their arms. 

But the wounded leader with ten men was just landing in his 
boat on Makronisi. 

IV 

Now he surveyed the scene of battle. Twelve Turks lay there 
dead. Eight were wounded; ten had laid down their arms, and ten 
had escaped. 

But four Greeks lay there dead too; Mykalis lay dying; Notos 
had a shot in his thigh; the captain had his cutlass wound, and 
three more were slightly wounded. Leon too had his head grazed 
by a bullet and a cut on his left arm. 

Stephanos went up to him. “You fought bravely, Leon; but you 
must come to Leonidas. What, are you bleeding?” 

“It is nothing, just a trifle. What vexes me most is that the 
cursed Arnaut escaped us. I would gladly have quite done for 
him.” 

He went to Leonidas. The captain said: “Leon, I now give 
Notos’ command to you until he is recovered. Stephanos is 
commander-in-chief until I can resume my office. Go to Mykalis 
and see how he fares.” y 

He obeyed. “He is very weak; he has a shot in the breast and a 
stab in the thigh. But Taras still has hope.” 

Stephanos returned. “The ship is loaded with cotton for Athinai 
and ammunition for Nauplia. Also dates, coco-nuts, figs and all 
manner of provisions in superfluity, for occasional sale.” 

“Bring over everything that is of value in the ship and order 
course for Porto Raphthi,” said Leonidas. “Leon, go over with 
Stephanos. Question the prisoners; note everything they say.” 

He went. The gist of the prisoners’ statements was as follows: 
the ship was a merchantman and belonged to a merchant in 
Ismir,* named Murad. His brother Ali had been in command of 
the ship and was the very man whom Leon had wounded. They 
had reached Sykia where they had received news that there were 
corsairs in that vicinity. For this reason they had taken on ten 
more men for Athinai the previous night. Then they had seen the 
ship and been attacked. To the question of where the Greek 
passengers were, they said one had fallen into the sea and the 

* Smyrna.— Note by Engels. 

other had been killed by Ali when the corsair ship had been 
recognised. 

Then the ship was searched through. Besides the goods already 
cited, much weaponry and ammunition was found, along with 
cloth and clothing. Best of all were three bags of gold, with 5,000 
piastres in each. These were brought to the saloon of the Greek 
ship. 

Beech Sunium and the Argolis peninsula lies an islet,* rocky 
and deserted. To this Leonidas steered. They landed the following 
morning. But as they wanted [to secure themselves] against Ali 
and the Turks, who would certainly persuade the Pasha of Eyribos 
or Athens to send a ship against the pirates, they set down the 
Turks there, gave them some provisions, two cutlasses and a 
musket with ammunition, so that they might provide for them- 
selves by hunting hares and the like, which abound on such 
islands. 

They were about to depart—but Leon was missing. He had 
gone off to hunt; they searched—then a shot was heard, they 
hastened in that direction and—there lay Leon in his own blood, 
beside him a Turk who had been shot dead, and another with 
Leon’s bloody cutlass in his hand stood by. Stephanos, who was 
there first, leapt in and attacked the Turk. After a short struggle 
he dashed the cutlass from his enemy’s hand, hurled him to the 
ground and struck off his head. 

Then several others appeared. Leon was laid upon a stretcher of 
boughs and carried back. Taras, who examined the youth, found 
that the Turk had dealt him a blow across the head, another 
across the thigh and a slight scratch across the arm. 

At length the wounded man regained his senses. “Where is my 
cutlass?” was his first question. When it was shown to him he said, 
“Where is the Turk’ who struck me?” 

“I have killed him,” said Stephanos. “But be calm, you are 
dangerously wounded.” 

The head wound was dangerous; the journey by ship could only 
do harm, so it was resolved to capture the Turks and set them 
down on the coast of the Morea; and to leave Leon, Mykalis, who 
was also in danger, Notos and Leonidas here with three men to 
tend them. Stephanos would pick them up again a few weeks later. 

The Turks were again assembled, only one was still missing; but 
as they sighted a Turkish ship in the distance, the corsairs’ ship set 
sail with Stephanos. Apart from the wounded and Taras with his 

* Called San Giorgio di Aspara.— Note by Engels. 

two helpers another five remained behind, who were to get the 
Turkish ship to Epina and departed the following day. 

Leon’s condition improved visibly. After six days he could 
already get up and walk around a little. The following week 
Mykalis too stepped out of the door of the little hut they had built. 
Leonidas and Notos were already almost completely recovered and 
had often been hunting. One day Notos returned and said: 

“I have seen a Turk. But he ran away quickly. Let us be on our 

uard.” 

: The following day he again went hunting with Leonidas. They 
met a wild goat. Then they separated. Notos was walking through 
the woods when a shot rang out, Notos fell, and the Turk, with a 
pistol in his left hand and a dagger in his right, dashed forward, 
bent down, and swung the dagger, at which moment the wounded 
man rose, drew a pistol and shot the Moslem down. Before long 
all the Greeks gathered. The Turk was dead; his shot had entered 
Notos’ breast, but the handle of his dagger had deadened the shot 
and there was no danger. 

Notos was borne home and suffered another week before he 
could rise again. Then they were all recovered; but the provisions 
were exhausted and the isle provided little from hunting. 

Vv 

They had been on the island for four weeks when Stephanos 
came and took them off. He had sold the Turkish ship to an 
English .nerchant in Thessalonica for 10,000 piastres; likewise the 
cotton to another for 4,000 piastres. The corsairs’ ship was newly 
equipped, three new cannons, ammunition replenished threefold, 
muskets and other arms in abundance. The well-rewarded pirates 
were also in better condition. Now the ship set sail for Candia. But 
when they were within view of Milos, a ship of Turkish appear- 
ance hove in sight. At once Leonidas fell in behind and pursued it 
into the bay of Milos, across the mouth of which several small 
islands are scattered. Here the ship fled, protected by the cannons 
of the harbour naval yard. Now it became evident that it was an 
Egyptian galley. A furious battle developed. The Greeks fired 
away bravely; but then a Turkish ship—a small man-of- 
war — sailed into the bay and attacked the Hellenes from the rear. 
Leonidas grappled with the Turks— sent Stephanos on board, and 
after a short struggle the ship was won. 

Meantime a salvo from the fort had hit the Greek ship and it 
was sinking. So it was hastily steered to the shore on to a sandbank 

where it grounded. But the men climbed aboard the captured 
Turkish ship, pressed the galley hard and grappled. Leon leapt 
across and was followed by others; Stephanos went too, without 
delay, and attacked. Leon, always in the lead, bathed his sword in 
Moslem blood; he laid on furiously, Stephanos followed him, and 
they pushed far ahead. Then Leon was faced by the enemy leader, 
a gigantic Egyptian. He fought with him but neither could 
overcome the other; at length Leon dealt his opponent a rapid 
blow on the left arm; then the latter drew a pistol, fired it, but 
instead of Leon hit another Hellene and fell beneath the blows of 
his valiant adversary. With his fall the ship was won. The few 
Turks laid down their arms and were put on land, where Taras 
approached the fort in Turkish costume to negotiate the restora- 
tion of the ship. The avaricious Pasha was persuaded by a gift of 
three hundred piastres, but secretly sent a boat to Siphanto where 
several ships of the Turkish fleet lay. It found them and at once 
all three sailed up. Notos and Taras had gone out to the mouth of 
the bay in their boat when they sighted the ships and brought the 
news to Leonidas. The latter swiftly dispatched some of his men 
aboard the Turkish ships where he had also sent ammunition for 
small arms and several cannons; most of them, however, he 
ordered aboard his own ship, to which also went some thirty 
newly-hired fellows from Milos. Leon, who was in command of the 
little naval brig, stationed himself at the entrance to the bay. Then 
the Turks came. One ship entered first. Thereupon Leon gave it a 
full salvo at the bows, turned his ship, grappled and boarded with 
his whole crew. But the next ship fastened on from the other side, 
sent in its crew, and a furious battle ensued. Leon fought bravely. 
Many a Turk fell beneath his blows, but many a brave Hellene too 
was made to breathe his last beneath the swords of the Turks, and 
fortune inclined to the barbarians’ side, who, however, were thrice 
as numerous. Then Leon saw his father’s murderer. Rage seized 
him as he saw the big Arnaut, who was at that moment felling an 
old Hellene. “Hunkiar!” (Murderer) he cried, “turn and face 
younger men!” And at once he turned and fought, in strength 
twice the Hellene’s equal but inferior to him in fury. They fought 
furiously. Blow fell upon blow.—Then the Turk dropped his 
cutlass as Leon gave him a blow on the hand. But he snatched the 
familiar hammer from his belt and, raging with fury and pain, 
bore down on Leon, and soon the broad surface of the hammer 
descended a second time on Leon’s brow, and Leon fell beneath 
the Turk’s incessant heavy blows. 

“The devil has him now!” he cried. “Now for the others.” But 
these were already almost all dead, and only a few, deprived of 
their arms, had been taken prisoner. 

Meantime the two other ships had sailed into the harbour and 
were pursuing Leonidas, who threw himself with all his crew and 
the money on to the galley and, escaping the enemy’s pursuit, left 
the harbour safely for the open sea and sailed for Belo Paulo, 
from where he meant to obtain news of Leon and the rest.