WAR IN FAR-AWAY CRETE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1928, Page 8

WAR IN FAR-AWAY CRETE

TEN THOUSAND SHUTS. A delightful story of a, border raid comes from Crete, sounding'like a chapter out of a tribunal lii,story hundreds of years old. The people of a little village with a very long and beautiful name—they call it Karanoseaphidu—had been .squabbling for some time- with their neighbours in the village of Lakkoi. One night the people of the long-named village did not go to bed, They decided Ito bring matters to an honourable issue. While the Lakkoidans slept, they stole across the country in the dark and captured five of their sheep. Unfortunately, one of the sheep bleated, and one of the sleeping Lakkoidans awoke.

In two minutes the whole village was out of bed, in a state of wrath not to he described.. Apart from the fact that keeping sheep is their sole livelihood, the Lakkoidans objected to being caught napping. They fell on the rearguard of the Karanoscaphidans and hurled them into prison ; and then went to bed again.

The raiding party went home with the five sheep and reported the loss of three men captured, whereupon the rest of the’ village turned out, went soft-footed across to Lakkoi, got into the prison, and took their three men away. At breakfast time the Lakkoidan.s found that their prison was empty- “ This is war!” they said, and they got out their guns. The three local gendarmes, on the side of law mid order, suggested reporting to the Governor of Crete. This the vilagers wood not hear of. All the male population, about 400, went out. with the mayor at their head, to besiege Knranoseaphida. They surrounded the village and opened fire. The besieged people joyfully hid themseves 'behind cottages and barns, and fired back. For a whole day the battle went on, and then the Governor of Crete, hearing of the disturbance, sent a mounted officer riding hard to bell the villagers to stop the war. They refused. The ‘officer ' galloped back. In the end the Governor had (•o' bring up a column of infantry and another column of cavalry before the Lakkoidans and the Karnnoseaphidans would agree that their mutual honour had been avenged. The Governor inquired into \the casualties. He found that about 10.000. rounds of ammunition had been spent,, one sheep killed, and .one man and one woman, sightly hurt. The wounded are extremely proud of themselves and the villages are at peace.