Girl Efe

When they reached the top of the Karadag they saw the sunrise. Kumkuyucak village was below. There was a stream dividing the village in two. The cows were let out after being milked. The elderly people were gathered at the town squire.

One of the horsemen already went ahead and let them know that Halit was on his way. The Mukhtar’s room was ready for the visitors.

Halit was well respected there, everyone came to greet him.

They noticed that all the villagers here were armed to the teeth like the people they had seen in other towns.

The officers were happy when they realized that Halit was indeed capable of delivering a thousand horsemen and a thousand infantrymen.

Halit knew the villagers by name. He greeted all of them. He had the authority but his actions were not pretentious at all. He was acting normally as if nothing was extraordinary and he was there on a hunting trip with his guests. He asked the Mukhtar his usual questions regarding crops, the animals, and the equipment. He talked to the Mukhtar privately. Then he ordered Ali to supply all the things needed for the village from his own ranch. Then he changed the subject. He inquired about the Greek villages in the area.

The Mukhtar said even though the Greeks were armed, they hadn’t done anything wrong so far. It looked like no one was willing to fight before the harvest. They informed Halit that the Greeks had dug trenches around their villages and had guards on duty day and night. Halit asked, “What about you?”

“It is the same for us. We are on guard.”

“Trenches?”

“We dug some trenches as well. We have secret guard posts. Our guards let us know that you were coming before the morning prayers. They told us how many men you had and that all the men were carrying guns. They weren’t sure what was in the carriage. However they didn’t recognize you in the dark.”

“That’s OK. You will be informed in time. Did you have any news of the Greek Army?”

“We heard that they were around Menemen. Local Greeks in Menemen plundered the army depot. They distributed the guns to the villages. The Commander even gave them the machine guns.”

“That may be so, but I don’t think they would know how to use a machine gun.”

“You know better than me on this subject, Sir!”

“That’s bad news. Don’t you agree, Commander? I suppose they sent a machine gun operator as well”, Halit remarked.

“I agree. That’s bad news!”

“A Mauser is useless, compared to the machine gun. We need to get a machine gun ourselves. Do you have any men with experience with machine guns?”

The Mukhtar was silent. Everyone looked at a tall blond man who was sitting by the fire; the man was surprised at the attention. He was thinking and then he looked like he was going to stand up. Halit asked him, “Were you a sergeant in the military, Suleiman?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Is there anyone who knows how to use machine guns in this village?”

“The late Haydar had used them, but unfortunately he is no longer with us.”

“Do you think we can find someone from one of the neighboring villages?”

“Yes, we might find someone.”

“Mukhtar, please send some messengers to all the villages around here. Tell them that if they have horses they should get here right away. The others can come later. Let’s not lose time by waiting for each other. They have to come here as soon as possible. Tell them that, I will notice the ones who come first. They will be in my good books. Tell them to bring whatever guns they have. If they don’t have rifles tell them to bring their pistols. If they bring horses we will pay for the horses. The foot soldiers will be given horses in time. The ones who came before sunset will have special gifts from the Sultan. OK, boys. Get on your horses. We are waiting for good news.”

The men in the room hurried outside. There was only Mukhtar and some elderly men left in the room. Halit ordered Mukhtar, “We haven’t slept all night. We are hungry as well. We would like to have some soup and rice pilaf with meat. Bring us some hot water; and while we clean up get the meal ready. Prepare the beds as well. As soon as we finish dinner we want to sleep. Don’t let anyone make noise in the morning. We need our rest. We will have to take care of important business tomorrow afternoon. Get the guards on duty around the village. If there is bad news from Manisa wake me up.”

When they were awoken by the gun shots it was past noon already. They hadn’t changed their clothes for bed so they were able to run out by grabbing their rifles. Shaban came running up to Jamil asking, “Did we get ambushed?”

“No, Sir. “ He was out of breath. “The troops are approaching.”

“Which troops?”

“Ours. The gang is headed by ‘Girl Efe’.”

“Son, you have to stop thinking about ‘Girls’. What do you mean by ‘Girl Efe’?”

“They call her Girl Efe, Sir.”

The sounds of the guns were approaching fast. The gang was firing shots, taking a break and saying a prayer in a loud voice. Halit showed the newcomers to the Commander and explained. “They are coming from Belence, Girl Efe is leading them.”

“Is that right? Is she really a women or are they calling a man ‘Girl Efe’?”

“Yes, Sir, she is a woman who lost her husband in the war. She got on a horse and started carrying the flag and leading the way. People figured after losing her husband she went mad. People are used to her now, no one cares that she is an Efe now. That’s her! She is carrying the flag and leading the way!”

The flag was half red, half white, and there was Arabic script on it with gold letters.

The flag post had a golden Crescent and star and green ribbons on top. Girl Efe had a big dagger on her belt and a beautiful embroidered scarf on her Fez. She had an embroidered vest and Efe pants as well. She was looking good in that outfit.

Her men had new guns and their cross holsters were full of ammunition. The other men who were on foot were also carrying different types of guns. They looked strong and agile.

The Flag barrier came and stopped by the mosque. The men who came earlier and had been waiting around came by her side. The Officers were happy. After Halit’s call, two hundred men had come to join their forces already.

Bekir Sami looked at them. He was trying to estimate the capability of those irregulars. Halit looked proud with his knitted eye brows. The Commander asked, “Is that all we have?”

“No, Sir. There are some more horsemen by the river; many arrived at night when we were sleeping.”

There were about 35 horses under the willow trees by the river that were busy eating their food that they brought. Jamil elbowed Selahaddin. “We gathered sixty horsemen already. We should start heading toward Manisa. What do you say?”

“You are right. We should start going. The others can follow us. Let me go talk to the Commander.”

He went to Bekir Sami and whispered. The Commander said, “Yes, that’s what we should do. I will talk to Halit. Farouk should be on his way with these men. There is no need to wait.”

On the signal from Girl Efe the men started singing a song that was popular during the Crimean War.  Omer Pasha was mentioned in the original. This was changed to Halit Pasha by his men. They were waiting for Halit to give the attack order.

The women started to cry already.

They gave Mausers to the horsemen. Farouk was on his way to Manisa leading 83 cavalry men. Farouk was ordered to invite others. He ran into on his way to join his forces and try to go to Manisa as soon as he could. Once there he had to load the ammunition and the guns and transport them to safer locations.

Both Bekir Sami and Halit were deceived by the fact that the first group was assembled so easily and up and running already. When all the other horsemen from different villages came and filled the town square the Officers faced some difficulty in forming units and sending them on their way. Nobody wanted to be separated from the people of their own villages. It was the same with the foot soldiers. The situation turned into chaos. The men didn’t obey the orders. They were gathering in one place and going to different places a while later. Everyone was talking. There was so much noise. In spite of the fact that they had all completed their service in the military they were acting like they hadn’t had any training at all.

Selahaddin was tired and his voice was hoarse from yelling all day. He got his sulphate medicine and went to rest. The Coachman from Akhisar wanted to return home. Jamil distributed the rifles to the men that had proven that they had already finished their military service before. He kept one box of ammunition for their own use and he give the other boxes to the men. They were happy to be given the free rifles and the ammunition however, their joy didn’t last long. They were hoping for more since the situation was so precarious. Everybody wanted horses. They all claimed to have been in the cavalry units in the past. They said they could be more helpful if they each had horses. Some pessimists among the villagers were warning them that if things were dangerous the horses would run away easily and asking them what would they do without animals. So they were worried. They were happy before because of the new rifles and the ammunition but now they were not willing to go and they wanted to give the rifles back.

Bekir Sami promised them that the horses would be given to them in Manisa, but they didn’t listen. Halit was angry. The villagers were running away and hiding when they saw Halit coming. So he sent the village elders to convince them, but it was hard.

After a while the horsemen dismounted their horses, saying that they were not going anywhere if their friends were not given horses. They reminded the Commander that these men had served the country during the war as cavalrymen.

Jamil thought about getting a stick and yelling at those men but he thought better of it. They might leave. When he asked for sergeants almost all of them ducked. The ones who didn’t hide were not any good either. After getting permission from the Commander, Jamil went in front of the mosque and stood on a bench. He raised his hand and addressed the crowd, “Friends!”

Everybody was quiet.

“Friends! Where are we? We are in the Efe’s land. Your fathers were brave Efes as well. Your men are lions and your women are lionesses. Girl Efe has come to join us. She wants to fight in the name of God. We had difficulty in persuading her to go back home. Some among you are asking for horses. They want that because they want to attack the enemy sooner. Halit and the Commander appreciate your courage. But you have to understand something; we are not fighting the enemy today. You are going to Manisa to guard the artillery. It is possible that our friends have already got the artillery pieces out of Manisa. I think the horsemen should start going to Manisa right now and the foot soldiers should follow them. The platoon that left earlier has orders to provide horses when you go and join them to guard the artillery. You all served before. You know that the artillery guns are very important for any army. They are the pride of the army. We cannot let the enemy confiscate our guns. You should be on your way. We are not starting to fight right away. Do you understand?” He waited a while then asked again, “Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good! I wish the best to the ones who decide to go. And the others, if you stay, keep quiet!”

Somebody asked timidly, “Are you sure we will be given horses if we go there?”

Jamil knitted his eye brows. “I can see that you are not willing to go. I can understand that from your voice. We have 500 good horses in Manisa. Of course we are going to give you horses.”

Jamil made his fist and ordered. “Get on your horses! Toward Manisa!”

There was a sudden commotion in the town square. Men got on their horses. Soon, they were on their way proudly. Foot soldiers were following them, first running then walking.

Some of the men who were not ready to go went back to their homes or vanished in the shadows of the trees. Some had a change of heart and left their friends and returned to the village.

The town square was bright with the afternoon sun. There was no one to be seen. Everywhere was silent.

Jamil got down from the bench where he addressed the soldiers. He was walking with the sun in his eyes. He was surprised by his own ability to deliver a good speech. The fact was, he was always good at that. He always wondered how he came up with the speeches. He even questioned his own sincerity. “Sir, those cowards who declined to go with the troops still have our rifles. Should we go and get the rifles back?” Shaban asked.

“Why do we need to take the rifles back?”

“We gave them the rifles and then they didn’t go.”

“Shaban let them have the rifles. Don’t worry about them. You go watch our ammunition boxes.”

Selahaddin was feeling better. He didn’t have another malaria attack. He just had a fever then he was all right.

Jamil added some brandy to his tea. He asked his friend Selahaddin. “How did you like my speech?”

“You are good at this, brother. You will be elected to the Parliament one day, and then you will have plenty of opportunity to deliver speeches.”

“Oh! Please. Actually, I know how to handle those kinds of people.”

“What would you have done?”

“We should have conscripted them by force and whipped the ones that didn’t obey the orders…”

“You are just like ‘Hasan Pasha the Seven- Eight!’ ”

7-8 Hasan Pasa

“No, I am not like him. We should have used the War Measures Act. We gave them the rifles and the ammunition. They wanted horses and we promised them. But they still didn’t want to go. They were almost going to ask the Sultan to issue a Firman giving them what they want. It is hard. They are not willing. I know what to wish on them but I can’t.”

“What?”
“If the enemy attacks their villages only then would they understand how serious the situation is. I don’t want that to happen.”

“Never mind them. We haven’t heard from Farouk yet.”

“Yes.  It is on my mind also. I have been worrying for him. If he had some trouble he would have sent a messenger to us. Don’t you think?”

Selahaddin was pensive. He was pulling the buttons on his coat.

The wind coming from Akhisar was cool. There were black clouds gathering in the sky and Manisa Trail looked foggy.

Jamil was drinking his tea. He was depressed on this cloudy spring evening.

Soon after the men left there was no happy sound in the village. There was quiet. The animals returned from the fields and were wondering around. They were occasionally being beaten by the unhappy village women for no reason.

“Do you think they can carry the guns out of Manisa?”

“I trust Farouk to get them out of Manisa, if he is not running into trouble that we don’t know about.”

“Yes, I think he can do it. What kind of a trouble are you talking about?”

They were both quiet and thinking. They were both watching the empty road.

“It is getting cold! Let’s go in. I don’t want you to catch cold.”

“I am not cold. I was thinking. If they were indeed able to save the guns it is not enough. What would we do if there is no man to operate them?”

“First, we should be concerned about the guns. Once we get them we will think about the next step.

“I think it is hard, regardless.”

“If we can gather a large army, we will find artillery men!”

It was getting dark. There was no light on the houses other than the mosque and Mukhtar’s room.  Halit was there with the Commander.

“Look at this weather! It is almost June and we haven’t had nice spring weather yet!”

Jamil didn’t answer. He was still watching the road. “Who is there? Is that you, Shaban?”

“Yes, Major. It is me.”

Jamil laughed at this. He said, “What do you say to that, Selahaddin? Jamal Pasha didn’t promote me because of my fight with a German Officer; however, Shaban here promoted me to the rank of Major.”

“Shaban is not concerned with politics. That’s why he calls you, Major”.  Jamil asked, “What is it Shaban?”

“A group of soldiers are approaching, Sir.”

“Who are they?”

“The Irregulars.”

“Are you talking about the irregular soldiers that have just left or is this another group?”

“I asked them but didn’t get an answer. They are only interested in seeing the Mukhtar.”

Jamil and Selahaddin sprang to their feet. “Were they carrying something?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Do they have rifles?”

“Some do, some don’t.”

The Officers ran down from the hill. It was dark in the village. Mukhtar was talking to a couple of people when he noticed them. Suddenly he was quiet. Selahaddin asked, “Has anyone returned from Manisa yet?”

“No, Sir. These men are from neighboring villages.”

“Why are they here?”

“They were just asking after their friends…”

As they were climbing the stairs they heard horses approaching.

There were five horsemen coming. They were coming from Manisa at full throttle and didn’t even stop by the village.

Officers tried to listen. “There are some more men coming. Who are they?”

“I don’t know. I will go tell Halit.”

Jamil whispered to Shaban, “Go walk around among them and try to learn something.”

Halit and the Commander were smoking and they were looking pensive when he entered the room. “Commander, there are some men approaching the village, some just passed by without stopping. Some are walking. Following them. We asked the Mukhtar but he didn’t answer”

Halit stood up. “Where is Mukhtar?”

“He is in the front yard.”

Halit didn’t even take his rifle with him and went downstairs checking his dagger and pistol in his belt. Bekir Sami stood up as well. He adjusted his holster and his colpack. They all stood in the hallway and listened to the night to hear whether or not there were gunshots. There was a commotion in the village. Bekir Sami was depressed. “I hope Farouk is safe. I hope they have not been ambushed. He is able to protect himself. What do you think, Selahaddin?

“I hope so. I don’t think they have been ambushed. We would have heard the women screaming if something bad happened.”

“What do you think it is then?”

Before he could answer, Halit came back. He was in shock. He had a funny expression on his face. Not only his face, but his whole body was changed. He looked like a proud warrior before, but now he looked like a child who had just been scolded. He rubbed his face and said, “We are finished, Commander!”

“What is wrong?”

“It is a disaster! Manisa fell!”

“When?”

“Today.”

“What time?”

“I didn’t ask. It is over. We are in trouble.”

“Don’t get discouraged. Why are you talking like that? Get a hold of yourself! Did the troops fight in Manisa?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

“Were they able to retrieve the artillery? What happened to the soldiers? Did you hear from Farouk? Where are the horsemen that we sent?”

“They didn’t go as far as Manisa. They got separated on the way.”

“Farouk?”

“I don’t know. It is over, Commander! I am sorry.” He scratched his face again. “I am going now.” He went to grab his rifle. “You do as you wish.”

“Wait a minute! Have you lost your mind? Is the enemy coming towards us?”

“No. But they sent us word from Papazli.”

“Who are you talking about? Where is Papazli?”

“It is a Greek village adjacent to our farm.”

“Yes? What are they saying?”

“The Papazli residents know why we are here. They have been spying on us since this morning. The Greek Priest sent a messenger to Mukhtar saying that; ‘we know the villagers are helping the Unionist Officers. We know that Halit is leading the irregular troops.’ He warned us, ‘You are doing wrong. Manisa has already fallen. We are expecting the Greek army. Send the Unionist soldiers away and surrender the weapons. Or else the Greek Army will burn your village.”

“Tell Mukhtar not to tell the bad news to the villagers,” The Commander interrupted.

“The villagers heard this before Mukhtar; everyone is talking; people are angry.”  He went in the room and took his rifle. “I am leaving now, Sir. With your permission.”

“No. Don’t leave yet! Wait a little while. I am surprised to see you so discouraged. You are acting on a village priest’s words. Put down your rifle and listen to me.”

“We have discussed enough. You see Manisa had all the ammunition and the artillery and they had troops there as well yet they surrendered without firing a single shot! What can we do with these irregulars? My advice to you is just to leave. Mukhtar also said the same thing; he wants you to leave. The villagers are gathering around here and Mukhtar is worried about your safety. I can’t control them. Take your men and go. The people here are saying that they won’t let the enemy burn the village; they won’t risk it for a couple of Unionists. They are determined not to let any Officers come to the villages. They also said that they won’t lead the way either. Some are mad. They’ve even thought about kidnapping you and giving you to the Greeks. They are afraid for the women’s honour in the village; they want to protect them from the Greeks. The Mukhtar says he is sorry. The enemy is hanging the Officers as soon as they locate them. He is begging you to leave.”

“Don’t worry. We will leave. I think you are safe here. You don’t need to hurry. Let’s wait for our men to return from Manisa. We can’t leave them and go in the middle of the night. Tell them that we are going to leave soon. We are just waiting for a friend here.”

“I will let them know.” He was quiet for a moment. He was in despair. “I don’t have time to spend here. I am in danger. This is the first time in my life that the villagers are not listening to me. The Greek priest sent me a messenger to warn me because we are neighbours. The Greek notables in Izmir are offering a prize for my head. They will give thousands of gold Liras. The Priest said that we were old friends. We had good and bad days. He is not after revenge. He wants me to leave here as soon as possible for my own safety. He also warned me not to go to the ranch for the roads are not safe. There are men ready to ambush me.”

“If you are not able to return to your Ranch, why don’t you join us?”

“I can’t, Commander.”

“Maybe we can travel together. Where are you going?”

“I don’t know? Where can I go?” His lips were quivering. “Where? I have family in Istanbul! Yes, I should go to Istanbul! He was talking to himself. “I have no choice. I have to go to Istanbul. They won’t let me stay here. I am a big deal. They warned me before. They told me to stay away from the politics. They said, ‘you are rich, enjoy your good fortune.’ I didn’t listen to them. Why did I ever join the Unionists? The Government in Istanbul wants me. The Greek notables in Izmir want me. If the villagers are no longer supporting me, I am in trouble. I am a landowner, an Aga here. I should have good relations with the Government and the villagers. At least one or the other. If you are in trouble with one side you should be safe with the other. I am not safe. I don’t have any future.” He went to the stairs. “I am sorry, Commander. Everyone knows that I am no coward. But…”

“I know that. I know you are not a coward. Listen to me; your men also went with Farouk. They will return soon. You take two armed men so you will be safer on your way to Istanbul. We will travel together until we reach Istanbul junction. I will give you a message to be given to the Minister of War in Istanbul to help you. They will protect you in Istanbul.”

“I don’t want any paper. I don’t want anything to do with the Government. Even if they asked me to be the Prime Minister, I won’t accept it. With your permission, Sir.”

“What about your men?”

“I don’t think they will come back. Servants are only loyal to us when we have the power. Even if they come back, I can’t take them with me. I will be afraid of them. They will kill me to get my silver dagger. I know how they are.”

He started to walk. Bekir Sami said, “Wait a minute. Please find us some men to accompany us to Salihli. I will pay them.”

“No, Commander! I can’t find anyone to help. Even Mukhtar won’t listen to me anymore. Nobody will listen to my orders. We are not worried about money now. It is our lives that are on the line.”

As he was descending the stairs, Jamil held his arm, “Wait a minute Halit.”

Halit was surprised. He knitted his eyebrows and he was about to be his old self again as an Irregular Leader, but he gave in to despair and answered, “Yes, Jamil?”

“Go over there. I said go over there. I will get angry. Don’t be a coward. You should see yourself in the mirror. You are in no shape to go anywhere in the middle of the night. You are scared. You shouldn’t travel alone.”

Jamil grabbed Halit’s rifle and pushed his shoulder gently. “Go sit down somewhere. Drink some water. We will leave together. We will leave as soon as Farouk comes. You have to go through Akhisar anyway. We will separate in Akhisar, then you will be free to go wherever you wish.” His voice was calmer now. “If you wish to go to Istanbul you should be on good terms with the Commander. How are you going to live there? Forget about the Government. The Unionists will bother you if you cross them.”

“What can I do? You don’t know the situation, Jamil.  The Greeks in Izmir…They are offering so much money for my head.”

“How do you know that? When Mukhtar didn’t listen to you, you became discouraged. You will feel better soon.” Jamil felt sorry for him. That handsome tall man was as scared as a little boy. “Things like this happen. I have been in situations like this before. I know how bad it feels. You weren’t expecting it. You are sad.”

“I am not scared, Jamil! I swear it is not that! You can shoot me. I won’t budge.  The Mukhtar wanted me to leave. That guy told me to leave. How can he talk to me like that? I am an “Aga”. If the villagers don’t respect me, I don’t have anything to do. It is better to die. My family were the landowners here. It is who I am but one has to earn the respect of the villagers himself. If they don’t respect me I can’t do anything. People think all you need is horses, guns and land to be an Aga, but that’s not true. You need the support from the Government and the villagers. We have to be loyal to the Government. Even if we have disagreements it can’t last forever. The villagers also know that. They believe we will come to an agreement with the Government sooner or later. This job is not like being an officer.” He heard some commotion outside and Halit sprang to his feet. “Jamil, you are an honourable man. Don’t prevent me from leaving. Let me go. You see the commotion in the village. In a time like this, we can’t help each other. Those men can easily capture and surrender me to the enemy for money. Let me go, don’t let me die!”

They heard someone climbing the stairs. The Officers ran to the door holding their guns. It was Farouk. He came in and saluted the Commander.

“Oh Farouk! You are here. Thank God!”

“Thank you, Sir.  I am here but unfortunately I don’t have good news. We couldn’t reach Manisa in time. The enemy beat us. They entered town at noon.”

“Do you have any news from Rasim?”

“No. I think he must be in Akhisar by now.”

“Artillery? The troops?”

“I don’t know.”

“When did you learn that Manisa fell?”

“I think we were halfway through when we heard that .We stopped by a fountain. I wasn’t planning on resting. But everyone stopped and got off their horses. I didn’t object. Then I noticed that as we came close to the mountain, some other men joined our little group. They didn’t have uniforms. So I didn’t know who they were. I ordered them to mount their horses. Previously, I divided the troops in small groups and appointed sergeants to supervise them.  However, I didn’t know the sergeants well. The sergeants didn’t obey my orders. I asked them what happened. The one with a grey beard said, ’Manisa fell. And he told me that the men didn’t want to go any further. Then we debated for a long time but no one obeyed my orders. At the same time some started to protest. They were shouting and saying that we had deceived them. They accused us of pushing them into the line of fire. I thought about shooting a couple of them but it wouldn’t be of any use. As I was thinking what to do, they attacked me. The bearded sergeant saved me.”

“Did you see people on the road, moving to other cities?”

“No. At least for now everybody is waiting in their own villages. If it was our own army coming they wouldn’t wait like that so carelessly. They must be crazy. I am sorry, Sir. In the same circumstances we all would act crazy. We don’t know what to do anymore.” He looked at Halit and smiled. “One of your servants ran away and left his horse. We brought the horse back. When I had to deal with the others your men didn’t help. I am not bringing this up to complain, but to warn you that you can’t trust these men.”

Halit was already scared. He said, “Did you hear that, Commander? I was right. I know these men. They are not trustworthy.”

Bekir Sami looked disgusted by this kind of talk. He showed his contempt for the first time since Halit became discouraged. The Commander said, “It is time to go!  Farouk, do you think Rasim returned to Akhisar? I think he must have. We have talked about this before. He must be waiting for us at Akhisar. That means we should go there.”

He looked at Halit. “Are you coming with us to Akhisar?”

“I will do as you say, Sir. I will obey your orders, but I would like to travel separately. I will follow you. I should take another road, through Gordes. People don’t know me there.”

Bekir Sami pulled on his moustache and looked at Jamil. He had enough of Halit. Jamil said, “You are coming with us to Akhisar. We are not asking you to come in town with us. You will help us as a noble man.” As Jamil was saying this he remembered how impressed he was by Halit when they first met. Halit looked to the floor.

Jamil mentioned the guns in Kuschu-bashi Ranch when he talked privately to the Commander. He explained that he had transported the 7th Army’s guns to Salihli and explained all the specific details of the guns. Bekir Sami thought of going to Salihli first but then he figured without soldiers the guns would be useless. So he decided to go to Akhisar first.

Lieutenant Farouk realized that something was amiss and asked Captain Selahaddin what was wrong. Selahaddin shook his shoulders.

They heard many people going from one house to another, carrying lights. Jamil called, “Shaban!”

“Yes, Major!”

“Come upstairs at once.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Someone might steal the horses. I have to stay here.”

“Which horses?”

Farouk looked out of the window and said to Halit, “I think your remaining man has left as well. He left the horses with Shaban.”

“I hope the Mukhtar will give our horses back. He might want to keep them as payment for our stay. Do you think he will try to keep them?” Jamil wondered.

Bekir Sami stood. “Let’s go, Gentlemen. Selahaddin and I will ride. The others can walk.” He stopped for a minute. “Jamil, you must have a box of spare ammunition. Do you still have it?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“We can’t carry the box. We should get a couple of bags and fill them. Could you get some bags?”

Jamil ordered Mukhtar. “Bring us two good bags right away. If you don’t return with two bags in five minutes I will burn your damn village!”  They loaded the bags with ammunition and Jamil put his clothes on top of them. They had to leave their suitcases and tents in the village. He teased Mukhtar that he would come back one day and ask for them.

For the second time in recent weeks, they were being thrown out of the place they wanted to protect. It was their own country.  As the officers were leaving the village with Irregular Leader Halit riding in the middle as a prisoner; they heard the muezzin’s call for the night prayers.

 “Allah-u Ekber.”

Manisa Muradiye Camii

The Reluctant Warrior

by Kemal Tahir

Translated by Elif Mat