The Innocents Abroad


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around also. The villains came up and searched a bundle Dr. Birch had in  
his hand, and scowled upon him when they found it had nothing in it but  
some holy rocks from Mars Hill, and these were not contraband. They  
evidently suspected him of playing some wretched fraud upon them, and  
seemed half inclined to scalp the party. But finally they dismissed us  
with a warning, couched in excellent Greek, I suppose, and dropped  
tranquilly in our wake. When they had gone three hundred yards they  
stopped, and we went on rejoiced. But behold, another armed rascal came  
out of the shadows and took their place, and followed us two hundred  
yards. Then he delivered us over to another miscreant, who emerged from  
some mysterious place, and he in turn to another! For a mile and a half  
our rear was guarded all the while by armed men. I never traveled in so  
much state before in all my life.  
It was a good while after that before we ventured to steal any more  
grapes, and when we did we stirred up another troublesome brigand, and  
then we ceased all further speculation in that line. I suppose that  
fellow that rode by on the mule posted all the sentinels, from Athens to  
the Piraeus, about us.  
Every field on that long route was watched by an armed sentinel, some of  
whom had fallen asleep, no doubt, but were on hand, nevertheless. This  
shows what sort of a country modern Attica is--a community of  
questionable characters. These men were not there to guard their  
possessions against strangers, but against each other; for strangers  
seldom visit Athens and the Piraeus, and when they do, they go in  
399  


Page
397 398 399 400 401

Quick Jump
1 187 374 560 747