ore entering. But while our boastful host was kicking up the mats to
convince us of the truth of his assertions, he suddenly retired behind the
scenes to rid himself of some of the pests.

[Illustration: PILGRIMS IN THE CARAVANSARY.]

Throughout our Asiatic tour eggs were our chief means of subsistence, but
_pillao_, or boiled rice flavored with grease, we found more particularly
used in Persia, like _yaourt_ in Turkey. This was prepared with chicken
whenever it was possible to purchase a fowl, and then we would usually
make the discovery that a Persian fowl was either wingless, legless, or
otherwise defective after being prepared by a Persian _fuzul_, or
foreigner's servant, who, it is said, "shrinks from no baseness in order
to eat." Though minus these particular appendages, it would invariably
have a head; for the fanatical Shiah frequently snatched a chicken out of
our hands to prevent us from wringing or chopping its head off. Even after
our meal was served, we would keep a sharp lookout upon the unblushing
pilferers around us, who had called to pay their respects, and to fill the
room with clouds of smoke from their chibouks and gurgling kalians. For a
fanatical Shiah will sometimes stick his dirty fingers into the dishes of
an "unbeliever," even though he may subsequently throw away the
contaminated vessel. And this extreme fanaticism is to be found in a
country noted for its extensive latitude in the profession of religious
beliefs.

[Illustration: A PERSIAN WINE-PRESS.]

A present from the village khan was announced. In stepped two men bearing
a huge tray filled with melons, apricots, sugar, rock-candy, nuts,
pistachios, etc., all of which we must, of course, turn over to the
khan-keeper and his servants, and pay double their value to the bearers,
as a present. This polite method of extortion was followed the next
morning by one of a bolder and more peremptory nature. Notwithstanding the
feast of the night before at our expense, and in addition to furnishing us
with bedclothes which we really ought to have been paid to sleep in, our
oily host now insisted upon three or four prices for his lodgings. We
refused to pay him more than a certain sum, and started to vacate the
premises. Thereupon he and his grown son caught hold of our bicycles.
Remonstrances proving of no avail, and being unable to force our passage
through the narrow doorway with the bicycles in our hands, we dropped
them, and grappled with o