written in it reports on what it is proposed to do to infidels at
the time ye know about. I tell you those men are all spies--one
is as bad as the other. They work on behalf of Armenians, to bring
about interference from abroad."

That he had already produced an atmosphere of danger to us I had
immediate proof, for as I crossed the yard again I dodged behind
an araba in the nick of time to avoid a blow aimed at me with a sword
by a man I could not see.

"All your charming is undone!" I told Fred, bursting in on our party
by the charcoal brazier. Almost breathless I reeled off what I had
overheard. "They'll be here to murder us by dawn!" I said.

"Will they?" said Monty.

We were up and away two hours before dawn, to the huge delight of
our Turkish muleteers, who consider a dawn start late, yet not too
early for the servants of the khan, who knew enough European manners
to stand about the gate and beg for tips. Nor were we quite too
early for the enemy, who came out into the open and pelted us with
clods of dung, the German encouraging from the roof. Fred caught
him unaware full in the face with a well-aimed piece of offal. Then
the khan keeper slammed the gate behind us and we rode into the unknown.




Chapter Four
"We are the robbers, effendi!"