Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/171

Rh the walls telling that "near Alashehir the Moscows suffered such a defeat before the Ottoman braves that the blood of the enemy formed a river so deep as to reach the breasts of the horses of the Ottoman cavalry." And the large-turbaned Turks, who thought the telegraph to be a devil's operation, were heard by this time reporting that this news was produced by itself all over the country, while the secret dispatch was passing frown Constantinople to Mecca.

3. Commencement Services in Turkish High Schools. It is the "Prize day," as they call it. In one of the largest halls of the town, teachers, students and their friends, and many invited persons, are crowded; the service is not yet begun, though the announced time has already passed one hour; the air in the room is almost unbearable; a great many are smoking, walking out and in, talking with a tremendous confusion and noise. Some are going out to drink and bringing a pail of water in for their friends, others calling for "a drop of that water," some trying to reach the pail, laughing, cursing—everything but order. Later on, the pasha, the chairman of the service, comes in, followed by a dozen well-armed soldiers and about all the officers and influential men of the town (there can be no woman in this assembly). By this time the whole congregation rises, as an homage to the pasha and his followers, and a military band begins to play the "Hamidieh March," at the close of which, all being seated, the chairman comes forward, and taking a paper out of his pocket begins to read it as the