h actually chattering from apprehension,
boasted of what he would do, in case we were attacked; and, to hear his
language, one would suppose that he had done nothing all his life but
fight and slaughter Turcomans. The chaoush, who overheard his boastings,
and who was jealous of being considered the only man of courage of the
party, said aloud, 'No one can speak of the Turcomans until they have
seen them--and none but an "eater of lions" (at the same time pulling up
his moustaches toward his ears) ever came unhurt out of their clutches.
Saadi speaks truth when he sayeth, "A young man, though he hath strength
of arm, and the force of an elephant, will kick his heel ropes[5] to
pieces with fear in the day of battle."'

But Osman Aga's principal hope of security, and of faring better than
others in case we were attacked, was in the circumstance of his being a
follower of Omar;[6] and, by way of proclaiming it, he wound a piece
of green muslin round his cap, and gave himself out as an _emir_, or a
descendant of the Prophet, to whom, as the reader may guess, he was no
more allied than to the mule upon which he rode.

We had proceeded in this manner for several days, when the chaoush
informed us, in a solemn and important manner, that we were now
approaching to the places where the Turcomans generally lie in wait for
caravans, and directed that we should all march in a compact body, and
invited us to make preparations for a desperate resistance in case we
were attacked. The first impulse of my master was to tie his gun,
sword, and pistols on one of his baggage mules. He then complained of an
affection in the bowels, and so abandoning all his former intentions of
engaging in combat, wrapped himself up in the folds of his cloak, put
on a face of great misery, took to counting his beads, ever and anon
repeating the prayer of _Staferallah_, or 'God forgive me,' and, thus
prepared, resigned himself to his destiny. His greatest dependence for
protection he seemed to have placed upon the chaoush, who, among
other reasons for asserting his indifference to danger, pointed to the
numerous talismans and spells that he wore bound on his arms, and which,
he boldly maintained, would avert the arrow of a Turcoman at any time.

This double-bladed sword of a man, and one or two of the boldest of the
caravan, rode ahead, at some distance, as an advanced guard, and every
now and then, by way of keeping up their courage, galloped their horses,