and lay down to
the riverside, but the sky had cleared, and against a space of blue
heaven some peaks to the south rose glittering like jewels. The arches
of a bridge, spanning two forks of the stream, showed in front, and as
I slowed down at the bend a sentry's challenge rang out from a
block-house. We had reached the fortress of Erzingjan, the
headquarters of a Turkish corps and the gate of Armenia.

I showed the man our passports, but he did not salute and let us move
on. He called another fellow from the guardhouse, who motioned us to
keep pace with him as he stumped down a side lane. At the other end was
a big barracks with sentries outside. The man spoke to us in Turkish,
which Hussin interpreted. There was somebody in that barracks who
wanted badly to see us.

'By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept,' quoted Blenkiron
softly. 'I fear, Major, we'll soon be remembering Zion.'

I tried to persuade myself that this was merely the red tape of a
frontier fortress, but I had an instinct that difficulties were in
store for us. If Rasta had started wiring I was prepared to put up the
brazenest bluff, for we were still eighty miles from Erzerum, and at
all costs we were going to be landed there before night.

A fussy staff-officer met us at the door. At the sight of us he cried
to a friend to come and look.

'Here are the birds safe. A fat man and two lean ones and a savage who
looks like a Kurd. Call the guard and march them off. There's no doubt
about their identity.'

'Pardon me, Sir,' I said, 'but we have no time to spare and we'd like
to be in Erzerum before the dark. I would beg you to get through any
formalities as soon as possible. This man,' and I pointed to the
sentry, 'has our passports.'

'Compose yourself,' he said impudently; 'you're not going on just yet,
and when you do it won't be in a stolen car.' He took the passports
and fingered them casually. Then something he saw there made him cock
his eyebrows.

'Where did you steal these?' he asked, but with less assurance in his
tone.

I spoke very gently. 'You seem to be the victim of a mistake, sir.
These are our papers. We are under orders to report ourselves at
Erzerum without an hour's delay. Whoever hinders us will have to
answer to General von Liman. We will be obliged if you will conduct us
at once to the Governor.'

'You can't see General Posselt,' he said; 'this is my business. I have
a wire from Siwas that four