ed
manner declared he could not allow us to remain in his house overnight.
Our reappearance caused a jeering shout to go up from the crowd; but no
violence was attempted beyond the catching hold of the rear wheel when our
backs were turned, and the throwing of clods of earth. They followed us,
_en masse_, to the edge of the village, and there stopped short, to watch
us till we disappeared in the darkness. The nights at this high altitude
were chilly. We had no blankets, and not enough clothing to warrant a camp
among the rocks. There was not a twig on the whole plateau with which to
build a fire. We were alone, however, and that was rest in itself. After
walking an hour, perhaps, we saw a light gleaming from a group of mudhuts
a short distance off the road. From the numerous flocks around it, we took
it to be a shepherds' village. Everything was quiet except the restless
sheep, whose silky fleece glistened in the light of the rising moon.
Supper was not yet over, for we caught a whiff of its savory odor. Leaving
our wheels outside, we entered the first door we came to, and, following
along a narrow passageway, emerged into a room where four rather
rough-looking shepherds were ladling the soup from a huge bowl in their
midst. Before they were aware of our presence, we uttered the usual
salutation "Sabala khayr olsun." This startled some little boys who were
playing in the corner, who yelled, and ran into the haremluek, or women's
apartment. This brought to the door the female occupants, who also uttered
a shriek, and sunk back as if in a swoon. It was evident that the visits
of giaours to this place had been few and far between. The shepherds
returned our salutation with some hesitation, while their ladles dropped
into the soup, and their gaze became fixed on our huge helmets, our
dogskin top-coats, and abbreviated nether garments. The women by this time
had sufficiently recovered from their nervous shock to give scope to their
usual curiosity through the cracks in the partition. Confidence now being
inspired by our own composure, we were invited to sit down and participate
in the evening meal. Although it was only a gruel of sour milk and rice,
we managed to make a meal off it. Meantime the wheels had been discovered
by some passing neighbor. The news was spread throughout the village, and
soon an excited throng came in with our bicycles borne upon the shoulders
of two powerful Turks. Again we were besieged with entreaties