Home life in Hellas, Greece and the Greeks - eBooks4Greeks.gr

THE GREEK MAINLAND 51there was most booty.Daveli's followers variedin numbers, sometimes they were sixty strong,miscreants of the blackest dye. One of theirhabits was to plunge the feet of their captives intoboiling oil to make them divulge the whereaboutsof their treasure. The threat was usually enough,however. They acted with cynical effrontery andfor a long time with impunity. Even so far off asChalcis, inEubcea, they carried off a young girlof a well-to-do family in broad daylight. It wasone Christmas Day, and her parents were payingvisits. Her shoes were cut to pieces by the rocks,and one of the band walked calmly into Livadiato buy another pair. They sent down to thevillage of Kastri (Delphi) for a priest, takinggood care that the worthy cleric obeyed thesummons, in order that the young lady shouldnot lack spiritual consolation. Pending negotiationsthey frequently displayed her on points of therocks visible from below, in order that her friendsmight know she was alive and well. They wereplaying for a heavy ransom, and they got it.Eventhen, Daveli was not sure of his own cut-throats,and sent her under the care of a shepherd, byanother way down the mountain. He did notwish to lose his reputation and the chance ofanother rich capture. But things did not alwaysend so pleasantly. The band had many murdersto its account. Did the slightest suspicion reston any peasant as to betrayal of their hidingplace,however groundless, he was made away