The Eye of Zeitoon

awaited r

crown! Since

y for the

eap the wra

show the da

d vainly in

ut salt of D

r on my lip

sinews, when I tr

could not tire, atr

inner man than f

n Kara Dagh and di

lear to me as sta

eternal hills, I sa

foot at dawn, ob

as no avail-advice

ss talking by the he

e trade-bales-among

he godowns, where the

mers; when I faced

head, but still the

e mockery, by no

holes, abiding dar

aining to the task

y waiting, while

ot the stuff ye wou

pty agony when, h

for the crops from t

at should prove at

oming! I had labo

ad suffered. Ye had

hanged me just to pr

was promises, th

r sacrifice, and I

e! I squandered body

showed the way, I pr

leader, since your

chief ye chose, and

ere I had sown. And

wake at last, ye b

place of

crown! And

y for the

e dregs of wr

et time's f

anew the o

ut slime of

r on my lip

The glare in the distance seemed too big and solid to be caused by burning houses, even supposing a whole village were in flames. Yet there was not any oth

n, and Monty pacing up and down along the roof behind us all. The gipsies seemed able to converse by nods and nudges, with now and then one word whispered. After a litt

gipsy!" vowed Rustum

would have trusted o

aere," said I. "The at

uppose he's

at were a little matter. But when it comes to performance of promises the gitana* is true to the Rom.** It is because she is no gipsy that they follow her now

ng woman. ** Rom-Gipsy husb

grace. He contrived to convey by his manner that he would do anything for Monty, even to the extent of saving the l

t see who co

hib on your head, Rustu

he wen

heard colossal thumping in the kahveh beneath us and presently

houted. "They make sure that an enemy outs

nd the parapet, because for the first few seconds we were not sure the Armenian did not mean murder. His eyes glittered,

glis sportmen shall end

ountable, succeeded instantly by a wave of sympathy. I laughed aloud, remembering how strange dogs meeting in the stree

And that was insolence in Russian, meaning that nobody and nothing could possibly be of less importance. He seemed to keep a separate language for each set of tho

ses, and thundered on it as if they had been shatirs* hurrying to herald the arrival of the sultan himself. There was nothing furtive about their address to the decrepit door,

man who runs before a pe

rg!" he shouted. But I d

in such a hurry through the ni

Turkish, but I could not make head or tail of the

o talked with me at m

time. We eat food.

gh!" s

. These are Turkish officials with me. I have au

life, for any fool could have seen my head to shoot at it aga

s in! I am Hans von Quedlin

tically and in t

this roof. If you don't believe it, try somethin

g together close to the outer door. They had not heard the whole of the conversation because of the noise the owner's sons had made removing, at their orders, the obstructions they had piled against

at Kagig at any rate would counsel defiance. It was he,

effe

Quickly

aning "What petition shall I make?" the infer

terminably with the door fastenings, and we were comfortably settled in our places before the new arrivals rode in, bri

undered Kagig. "If they come too

arrogant?" the Germa

looking head in the manner of the Prussian who would like to make the Turks believe he loves them. Rustum Khan cursed with keen attention to detail at sight of him. The man who had entered with him

name of him who bribed the kaimakam.* on Chak

kam, headman (Tu

rman l

" he answered. "What I say to-night the government officials will c

ly, punning on the name Chakallu

why I had not recognized him sooner-the contractor who had questioned us near the railway encampment along the way, and had offered us directions; but his manner was as differe

ide of the room-no action yet, but a threatening snarl that promised plenty of it. Will was half on his feet to interf

ounts?" He could not be properly said to drawl, because there was a positive subacid crispn

an laugh

lway I have the privilege of prior accommodation at all road-houses in this province-for myself and my attenda

Fred was chuckling in confid

sson in manner

n?" demanded Han

eet without a singl

once this minute from interfering with our

tol. Monty took two steps forward. The German drew the pistol with an oath. Will Yerkes, beyond Fred and slightly behin

d shouted an order in Turkish. Monty returned to his place and sat down. The newcomers at the rear of t

" he said, "that you have inte

the way of manners you may go

Fred laug

red biped!

om the shadows and essayed to warm himself, walking past the German with a sort of mincing gait not calculated to assert

k! Zuruck!"

eek self-effacement of the Turks who had come with him. Peter Measel did not appear to mind being rebuked. He cr

authority to arrest everybody in this place, yourselves included. Fortunately I am able to modify that. Kagig-that rascal beside you-is a well-known agitator. He is a criminal. His arrest and trial have been ordered on t

an escort to safet

ction has been nipped in the bud. Several villages are burning. The other inhabitants are very much incensed, and all f

it?" demanded Fred. "Has he been wri

ings a personal charge against a man named Rustum Khan, who must r

Khan

f a little self-conceit, I will answer to God for that when my hour shall come! How is it you

nd we got our first proof of the man's enormous strength. Fred, Will and I charged together round behind the newcomers' horses, in order to make sure of cutting off retreat as well as rescuing Maga. Monty leveled a pistol at the German's head. But Kagig did not waste

aid, now proved the soundness of his judgment by divining Kagig's pu

the struggling German this a

hadows like lightning before a thunder-storm. Monty used his fists. Rustum Khan used the flat of a Rajput saber. Maga, leaving most of her clothing in the Turk's hands, struggled free and in another second the Turks were on the defensive. Rustum Khan knocked the revolver

like a madman. He whirled him twice-shouted a sort of war-cry-hove him high with

range, for contrary to general belief, close quarters almost never help straight aim, especia

the fire, and out beyond it to a space between the flames and the back wall, where it must have been hot enough to make the fat run. He stood with a forearm covering his face, while Kagig thundered at him voluminous abuse in T

the kahveh's owner's seven sons poured water on him by Kagig's order. His burns were evidently painful, but not nearly so serious as I expected. I got out the first-aid stuff from our medicine bag, and Will, who was our self-

and hands, and sat up-resembling an unknown kind of angry animal with his eyebrows and mustache burned off except for a stray, outstanding whisker here an

o him in English, I suppose in ord

prisoners!" he sai

, and even the gipsy women were armed to the teeth and willing to do battle. I caught sight of Maga's mother-o'-pear

d I know the very wording of the letters in your private box for nothing? Are you the only spy in Asia? Am I Kagig, and do I not know who advised dismissing all Armenians from the railway work? Am I Kagig, and do I not know why? Kopek! (Dog!) You would beggar my people, in order to curry favor with the

tum Khan would have objected to that cruelty, even ha

nced swiftly at the Turks, and at Peter Measel, who wa

f zaptieh to throw

ys at us. He was not without a certain stormy cou

Von Quedlinburg had promised them our consul would be lavish with rewards on our account. Therefore there was added reason why they should not fire on Englishmen and an American. We had not made a move since

e German in the ribs. And his coat had been so scorched in the fierce

pain of his burns was beginning to tell on him, but he

r weapons!" he

with the evidence of all the sensual appetites very plainly marked on his face-laughed and brought his men to attention. Then he made a kind of

men, for the Turks bad torn off most of her clothes, and she had not troubled to find others. She was unashamed,

ces to be disarmed by a gipsy woman; but the Turk is an am

who has failed, that always made Kagig bare his teeth in a spas

aga managed it. They had less regard for their own skins than handicapped the

lieutenant's ear, and bade him enforce her orders, the gipsy women applauding with a chorus of "Ohs" and "Ahs." The lieutenant succumbed to force majeure, and his men

h a curt nod of approval, and Maga tossed him a smi

s for clothing. Then Kagig turned on us, motioning with his toe toward Hans von Q

l and murder women and children. What of a German-a foreigner in Turkey, who instigates the murder-and the robber

Quedlinburg. "You dog o

ignore

t in his pocket now-a concession from the politicians in Stamboul, granting him the right to exploit Zeitoon-a place he has never seen! He has encouraged this present butchery in order that Turkish soldiers may have exc

dkerchief and wallet, cigars, matches that by a miracle had not caught in the heat, and considerable money to the flo

those Turks are my prisoners. You have nothing to do with it. You may go back to Tarsus if you wish, and tell the Turks that Kagig

ed several shades darker

tters?" he demanded, throwing a very military chest

hat Maga Jhaere threw a kiss from across the room, but one could not tell whether her

a situation, and of course Rustum Khan mistook the nasal noises for intentional insult. He turned

riends and I have engaged you as guide for a hunting t

enly at each of

een the hunters hun

t punished!" growled the Rajput,

nd bears!"

g gr

opose a diffe

and therefore to all outward appearance in

rman's ribs again, "has said nothing of any

mission of the

s Vanderman, who he thinks is on her way to the mission at Marash. He desired the credit for her rescue in order better to blind th

s, implying that to argue with s

Maga Jhaere, at the sound of another woman's name, sat bolt upright be

ook fright this afternoon, and have taken to the hills. They are farther ahead than this p

irst," said Monty, and the

g gr

le. In the castle where you find her you

risoners made fast, a

ended to it, he himsel

. Will went and put ban

to help. But we

he sneered. "You take

-there will b

m and ordered him flung, unbound, into the great wooden bin in which the horse-feed was kept for sale to way

the roof on guard, and bade us sleep

when I shall decide t

inally died down to a bed of crimson. The prisoners were most likely all awake, for their bonds were tight, but only Kagig remained seated in the mi

ots on the fire the blaze betrayed no other expression on their faces than the stock-in-trade stolidity. Even the women looked as if thundering on a kahveh door at night was nothing to be noticed. Kagig did not move, but I could see that he was breathing faster than the normal, and he,

d to all the human processes. In that instance it meant "

wn from the roof. Kagig arose and stood in the middle of the room with the firelight behind him. He listened for two minutes, standing stock-st

hem in!" he com

er of the place. "I shall be

, I s

ill make us

ise of scuffling, and of oaths and blows. As Gregor Jhaere had mentioned earlier, they did obey Kagig now and then. The Turks came back looking crestfallen,

where i

fools, where

?" Their eyes were stil

, and bolt it! Aye-Ka

ig! Behold

g infernally of sweaty garments and

happened as I, Kagig, wa

l. More.

forehand in the m

e to agree. They were cutting throats while we still argued. When we ran int

ah

oughed out between set teeth

g, li

s I who was sayin 'Listen!' I walked myself lame, and talked

g, my wife

ah

ghter,

ah

orward and thumped the butt

talked already too much, Kagi,-now prove yourself a man of deeds! With these eyes I saw them dragged b

-Kag

til the rifle barrel burned my fingers. Then those cursed Turks set the house on fire behind me, and my companions dragged me away to come and find others to unite

night-month in, month out-to come to Zeitoon and help me fort

ou it is nothing not to have women near

s have seen my mother, ravished

you are one with us afte

t, then, when I risked life and l

gig. That would h

with an oath like the a

ting for the ax delay the massacres a day? But now it is 'Com

s? We are

th nineteen men to the r

will rally t

y sh

e, t

l rally at

n? The cursed Turks have ordered out t

ed they

nting down fugitive

told a hun

ent to prote

always th

les, until I hid in a watercourse! Look at us! Look at our clo

at heart for words. They reproached him in chorus, coming nearer to

g. Once Armenia was great, remember that! You must not only talk to us, you mu

s to beat his temples-and then suddenly turned the palms

my pe

ers closed suddenly, and the palms that had risen in helplessness des

e with the ammunit

manure under John

at. Where

Some one had told. They burned Zimisces a

warned you to send it to Zeitoon, but somebody told you I was treach

e with us. I have

t

nin

irty-

ed their contributions to the common fund with scorn too deep for

you to lead

me to hi

he God who gave my fathers bread among the mountains,

, it i

nd the beams are black against the sky! You shall obey me in future on the instant that I

man!" said Mont

es from across the room. Fred, almost too sleepy to know what he was doing (for the tail end of the fever is a yearning for early bed) undid the catch of his beloved instrument, and m

alked over to discover what he was saying. He was praying aloud-nasally-through the

st waked up and remembered it. He is praying that we may be fo

nians, including Kagig, knelt promptly on the floor and prayed, the gipsies looking on in mild amusement tempere

o hell! Give them another chance, O Lord! Let the Ten Commandments be written on their hearts in letters of fire, but

most amaz