in common with red Indians.

"Jingaan," he said, "are people who lurk in shadows of the streets
to rob belated travelers. That is not my business." He looked very
hard indeed at the Persian, who decided that it might as well be
supper-time and rose stiffly to his feet. The Persians rob and murder,
and even retreat, gracefully. He bade us a stately and benignant
good evening, with a poetic Persian blessing at the end of it. He
bowed, too, to the Zeitoonli, who bared his teeth and bent his head
forward something less than an inch.

"They call me the Eye of Zeitoon!" he announced with a sort of savage
pride, as soon as the Persian was out of ear-shot.

Will pricked his ears--schoolboy-looking ears that stand out from
his head.

"I've heard of Zeitoon. It's a village on a mountain, where a man
steps out of his front door on to a neighbor's roof, and the women
wear no veils, and--"

The man showed his teeth in another yellow smile.

"The effendi is blessed with intelligence! Few know of Zeitoon."

Will and I exchanged glances.

"Ours," said Will, "is the best room in the khan, over the entrance
gate."