extraordinary songs.

During the day we heard of the chicken, as Will called her, somewhere
on ahead, and we spent that night at a kahveh, which is a place with
all a khan's inconveniences, but no dignity whatever. There they
knew nothing of her at all. The guests, and there were thirty besides
ourselves, lay all around the big room on wooden platforms, and talked
of nothing but robbers along the road in both directions. Every man
in the place questioned each of us individually to find out why we
had not been looted on our way of all we owned, and each man ended
in a state of hostile incredulity because we vowed we had met no
robbers at all. They shrugged their shoulders when we asked for
news of Miss Gloria Vanderman.

There was no fear of Ibrahim and his friends decamping in the night,
for the Zeitoonli kept too careful watch, waiting on them almost
as thoughtfully as they fetched and carried for us, but never forgetting
to qualify the service with a smile or a word to the Turks to imply
that it was done out of pity for brutish helplessness.

These Zeitoonli of ours were more obviously every hour men of a different
disposition to the meek Armenians of the places where the Turkish
heel had pressed. But for our armed presence and the respect accorded
to the Anglo-Saxon they would have had the whole mixed company down
on them a dozen times that night.

"I'm wondering whether the Armenians within reach of the Turks are
not going to suffer for the sins of mountaineers!" said Fred, as
we warmed ourselves at the great open fire at one end of the room.