large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_04_aaronsohn_64kb_7
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_04_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
On my way back to Zicron Jacob, I passed through the town of Sheff'amr, where I got a foretaste of the conditions I was to find at home. A Turkish soldier, sauntering along the street, helped himself to fruit from the basket of an old vender, and went on without offering to pay a farthing. ON MY WAY BACK TO ZICRON JACOB I PASSED THROUGH THE TOWN OF SHEFF'AMR WHERE I GOT A FORETASTE OF THE CONDITIONS I WAS TO FIND AT HOME A TURKISH SOLDIER SAUNTERING ALONG THE STREET HELPED HIMSELF TO FRUIT FROM THE BASKET OF AN OLD VENDER AND WENT ON WITHOUT OFFERING TO PAY A FARTHING
and in less than two weeks I had bought half a dozen officers, ranging from corporal to captain, and had obtained consent of the higher authorities to my departure, provided I could get a physician's certificate declaring me unfit for service. This was arranged in short order, although I am healthy-looking and the doctor found some difficulty in hitting on an appropriate ailment. Finally he decided that I had "too much blood"--whatever that might mean. With his certificate in hand, I paid the regular price of two hundred dollars from funds which had been sent me by my family, and walked out of the barracks a free man. My happiness was mingled with sadness at the thought of leaving the comrades with whom I had suffered and hoped. The four boys from my village were splendid. They felt that I was right in going home to do what I could for the people, but when they kissed me good-bye, in the Eastern fashion, the tears were running down their cheeks; and they were all strong, brave fellows. KEY I SET TO WORK AND IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS I HAD BOUGHT HALF A DOZEN OFFICERS RANGING FROM CORPORAL TO CAPTAIN AND HAD OBTAINED CONSENT OF THE HIGHER AUTHORITIES TO MY DEPARTURE PROVIDED I COULD GET A PHYSICIAN'S CERTIFICATE DECLARING ME UNFIT FOR SERVICE THIS WAS ARRANGED IN SHORT ORDER ALTHOUGH I AM HEALTHY LOOKING AND THE DOCTOR FOUND SOME DIFFICULTY IN HITTING ON AN APPROPRIATE AILMENT FINALLY HE DECIDED THAT I HAD TOO MUCH BLOOD WHATEVER THAT MIGHT MEAN WITH HIS CERTIFICATE IN HAND I PAID THE REGULAR PRICE OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS FROM FUNDS WHICH HAD BEEN SENT TO ME BY MY FAMILY AND WALKED OUT OF THE BARRACKS A FREE MAN MY HAPPINESS WAS MINGLED WITH SADNESS AT THE THOUGHT OF LEAVING THE COMRADES WITH WHOM I HAD SUFFERED AND HOPED THE FOUR BOYS FROM MY VILLAGE WERE SPLENDID THEY FELT THAT I WAS RIGHT IN GOING HOME TO DO WHAT I COULD FOR THE PEOPLE BUT WHEN THEY KISSED ME GOOD BYE IN THE EASTERN FASHION THE TEARS WERE RUNNING DOWN THEIR CHEEKS AND THEY WERE ALL STRONG BRAVE FELLOWS
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