The boys remarked about the Bulgarian’s sad demeanour; and Jack, who spoke French fluently and had a smattering of German, said he would try his host in both languages to see if he could discover the reason of his trouble.
To Jack’s questions in French the man answered, but with a large admixture of Bulgarian words. By constant questioning and repetition, however, Jack learnt the trouble of their host. It appeared that early in the morning a band of Bashi-Bazouks, unscrupulous ruffians of all nationalities who had been enlisted by the Turks, had ridden up to the village, seized all they wanted, beaten the headman, insulted several of the villagers, and then seized their host’s two sons and the daughter of another villager, demanding a large ransom for their release. The villagers being unable to pay, the Bashi-Bazouks had carried off their prisoners, and were then supposed to be in a wood some mile or two away. The poor Bulgarian said that such outrages were often committed, and that the Turkish soldiers, far from trying to prevent these deeds, winked at them, if they did not indeed lend active assistance. Unless the ransoms were paid the rule was for the captors to send in to the parents the hands, ears, or perhaps toes of their prisoners; and this failing, their heads would be thrown into their houses at night, and the marauders would move on to commit further depredations somewhere else.
‘And these are the hounds we’re going to fight for!’ said Will. ‘Why, it makes one’s blood boil to hear of such things!’
‘Begorra, bhoys, we ought to have a worrd or two to say in this matter,’ cried Larry, jumping up. ‘Who’ll follow me to find out these skulking cowards?’ and drawing his sword, he flourished it round his head.
‘Steady, Larry, or you’ll frighten our host; he’ll think we’re thirsting for his blood,’ said Jack.
‘But we must do something!’ cried the excitable Larry, slamming his sabre back into its scabbard.
‘Yes, but what?’ said Jack. ‘Let’s consult.’
They were starting to do so when a loud English voice outside was heard exclaiming, ‘Hi, Tom! let’s pull up here and see if we can get a drink; I’m parched.’
‘Hurroo!’ cried Larry; ‘friends.’
They all ran to the door and saw a party of men of the 23rd Regiment and some artillerymen who, also enjoying a day’s leave, had wandered as far as the village.