ay.'

He was a slim, foppish fellow, and he looked more puzzled than angry.

'I offer you enough,' he said, again stretching out his hand.

At that I fairly roared. 'If you try to bribe me, you infernal little
haberdasher, I'll have you off that horse and chuck you in the river.'

He no longer misunderstood me. He began to curse and threaten, but I
cut him short.

'Come along to the commandant, my boy,' I said, and I marched away,
tearing up his typewritten sheets as I went and strewing them behind me
like a paper chase.

We had a fine old racket in the commandant's office. I said it was my
business, as representing the German Government, to see the stuff
delivered to the consignee at Constantinople ship-shape and
Bristol-fashion. I told him it wasn't my habit to proceed with cooked
documents. He couldn't but agree with me, but there was that wrathful
Oriental with his face as fixed as a Buddha.

'I am sorry, Rasta Bey,' he said; 'but this man is in the right.' 'I
have authority from the Committee to receive the stores,' he said
sullenly.

'Those are not my instructions,' was the answer. 'They are consigned
to the Artillery commandant at Chataldja, General von Oesterzee.'

The man shrugged his shoulders. 'Very well. I will have a word to say
to General von Oesterzee, and many to this fellow who flouts the
Committee.' And he strode away like an impudent boy.

The harassed commandant grinned. 'You've offended his Lordship, and he
is a bad enemy. All those damned Comitadjis are. You would be well
advised not to go on to Constantinople.' 'And have that blighter in the
red hat loot the trucks on the road? No, thank you. I am going to see
them safe at Chataldja, or whatever they call the artillery depot.'

I said a good deal more, but that is an abbreviated translation of my
remarks. My word for 'blighter' was _trottel_, but I used some other
expressions which would have ravished my Young Turk friend to hear.
Looking back, it seems pretty ridiculous to have made all this fuss
about guns which were going to be used against my own people. But I
didn't see that at the time. My professional pride was up in arms, and
I couldn't bear to have a hand in a crooked deal.

'Well, I advise you to go armed,' said the commandant. 'You will have
a guard for the trucks, of course, and I will pick you good men. They
may hold you up all the same. I can't help you once you are past the
frontier, but I'll send a