large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_05_aaronsohn_64kb_32
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_05_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
As we came limping home through the streets of our village, I caught sight of my own Smith & Wesson revolver in the hands of a mere boy of fifteen  the son of a well known Arab outlaw. I realized then that the Turks had not only taken our weapons, but had distributed them among the natives in order to complete our humiliation. AS WE CAME LIMPING HOME THROUGH THE STREETS OF OUR VILLAGE I CAUGHT SIGHT OF MY OWN SMITH AND WESSON REVOLVER IN THE HANDS OF A MERE BOY OF FIFTEEN THE SON OF A WELL KNOWN ARAB OUTLAW I REALIZED THAT THE TURKS HAD NOT TAKEN OUR WEAPONS BUT HAD DISTRIBUTED THEM AMONG THE NATIVES IN ORDER TO COMPLETE OUR HUMILIATION
r of our young girls would be carried off and handed over to the officers, to be kept until the arms were disclosed. We knew that they were capable of carrying out this threat; we knew exactly what it meant. There was no alternative. The people of our village had nothing to do but dig up the treasured arms and, with broken hearts, hand them over to the authorities. And so the terrible news was brought to us one morning that we were free. Personally, I felt much happier on the day I was put in prison than when I was released. I had often wondered how our people had been able to bear the rack and thumbscrew of the Spanish Inquisition; but when my turn and my comrades' came for torture, I realized that the same spirit that helped our ancestors was working in us also. Now I knew that our suffering had been useless. Whenever the Turkish authorities wished, the horrors of the Armenian massacres would live again in Zicron-Jacob, and we should be powerless to raise a hand to protect ourselves. ON CERTAIN DATE A NUMBER OF OUR YOUNG GIRLS WOULD BE CARRIED OFF AND HANDED OVER TO THE OFFICERS TO BE KEPT UNTIL THE ARMS WERE DISCLOSED WE KNEW THAT THEY WERE CAPABLE OF CARRYING OUT THIS THREAT WE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANT THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE THE PEOPLE OF OUR VILLAGE HAD NOTHING TO DO BUT DIG UP THE TREASURED ARMS WITH BROKEN HEARTS HAND THEM OVER TO THE AUTHORITIES AND SO THE TERRIBLE NEWS WAS BROUGHT TO US ONE MORNING THAT WE WERE FREE PERSONALLY I FELT MUCH HAPPIER ON THE DAY I WAS PUT IN PRISON THAN WHEN I WAS RELEASED I HAD OFTEN WONDERED HOW OUR PEOPLE HAD BEEN ABLE TO BEAR THE RACK AND THUMBSCREW OF THE SPANISH INQUISITION BUT WHEN MY TURN AND MY COMRADES CAME FOR TORTURE I REALIZED THAT THE SAME SPIRIT THAT HELPED OUR ANCESTORS WAS WORKING IN US ALSO NOW I KNEW THAT OUR SUFFERING HAD BEEN USELESS WHENEVER THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES WISHED THE HORRORS OF THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES WOULD LIVE AGAIN IN ZICRON JACOB AND WE SHOULD BE POWERLESS TO RAISE A HAND TO PROTECT OURSELVES
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