large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_60
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
No attention was paid to our requests that we be allowed to return to our homes for a final visit. That same morning we were on our way to Saffêd  a motley, disgruntled crew. [ILLUSTRATION: SAFFÊD] It was a four days' march  four days of heat and dust and physical suffering. The September sun smote us mercilessly as we straggled along the miserable native trail, full of gullies and loose stones. NO ATTENTION WAS PAID TO OUR REQUEST THAT WE BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO OUR HOMES FOR A FINAL VISIT THAT SAME MORNING WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO SAFITH A MOTLEY DISGRUNTLED CREW IT WAS A FOUR DAYS MARCH FOUR DAYS OF HEAT AND DUST AND PHYSICAL SUFFERING THE SEPTEMBER SUN SMOTE US MERCILESSLY AS WE STRAGGLED ALONG THE MISERABLE NATIVE TRAIL FULL OF GULLIES AND LOOSE STONES
. Together with twenty of my comrades, I presented myself at the recruiting station at Acco (the St. Jean d'Acre of history). We had been given to understand that, once our names were registered, we should be allowed to return home to provide ourselves with money, suitable clothing, and food, as well as to bid our families good-bye. To our astonishment, however, we were marched off to the Hân, or caravanserai, and locked into the great courtyard with hundreds of dirty Arabs. Hour after hour passed; darkness came, and finally we had to stretch ourselves on the ground and make the best of a bad situation. It was a night of horrors. Few of us had closed an eye when, at dawn, an officer appeared and ordered us out of the Hân. From our total number about three hundred (including four young men from our village and myself) were picked out and told to make ready to start at once for Saffêd, a town in the hills of northern Galilee near the Sea of Tiberias, where our garrison was to be located.  FIRST DAY OF GARRISON LIFE TOGETHER WITH TWENTY OF MY COMRADES I PRESENTED MYSELF AT THE RECRUITING STATION AT ACCO THE SAINT JEAN DARCARO OF HISTORY WE HAD BEEN GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE OUR NAMES WERE REGISTERED WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME TO PROVIDE OURSELVES WITH MONEY SUITABLE CLOTHING AND FOOD AS WELL AS TO BID OUR FAMILIES GOOD BY TO OUR ASTONISHMENT HOWEVER WE WERE MARCHED OFF TO THE HAN OR CARAVANSERAI AND LOCATED INTO THE GREAT COURTYARD WITH HUNDREDS OF DIRTY ARABS HOUR AFTER HOUR PAST DARKNESS CAME AND FINALLY WE HAD TO STRETCH OURSELVES ON THE GROUND AND MAKE THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION IT WAS A NIGHT OF HORRORS FEW OF US HAD CLOSED AN EYE WHEN AT DAWN AN OFFICER APPEARED AND ORDERED US OUT OF THE HAN FROM OUR TOTAL NUMBER ABOUT THREE HUNDRED INCLUDING FOUR YOUNG MEN FROM OUR VILLAGE AND MYSELF WERE PICKED OUT AND TOLD TO MAKE READY TO START AT ONCE FOR SAFEYR A TOWN IN THE HILLS OF NORTHERN GALILEE NEAR THE SEA OF TIBERIAS WHERE OUR GARRISON WAS TO BE LOCATED
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