ned into a little platform
large enough for our mules to stand upon together. In front of us, a
ledge of broken rocks jutted from the mountain and ran down, crossing
our path, and leaving only a very small passage. In front of this path
stood our challengers. Six worse-looking men, whether in form, dress, or
feature, it would be difficult to imagine. Each man wore around his
high, conical felt hat, a turban of handkerchiefs of every hue and
texture; in his hand a long gun with short and narrow breech; and in his
belt the universal Kurdish curved and two-edged dagger. The leader of
the gang was a man of middle age, with black eyes and a grisly,
untrimmed beard, and with half his front teeth knocked out."

After some discussion, the robbers consented to allow them to pass, on
the payment of fifty piastres, (two dollars and a half,) which they
agreed to do, provided they were conducted to the house of the Agha. The
robbers objected to this, and, provoked by the delay, leveled their guns
at the party. At this juncture, the chief muleteer advanced the
necessary money, and they were spared.

"These transactions, from the time we were stopped, occupied about an
hour. We now passed with our ragged regiment straggling around us, now
with their long guns under our ears, and now cutting off the long bends
of our crooked and little used path. In about ten minutes from the pass,
we were hailed by another party, posted upon a hillside, and a
discussion of many minutes ensued between them and our escort, in which
our Kurdish muleteers took an active part. The result was, that we moved
on with an addition of two men to our guard. We soon began to perceive
that we were going toward the Agha rather as prisoners than as guests.
The castle, (if it may be dignified by the name,) which was now in
sight, was of no promising appearance. It was a rude, rectangular
building, with a small white tower at one corner, on which the workmen
were still engaged. It was situated on the side of a hill which formed
the head of a valley opening into the ravine we had just left. The small
windows and the roof were crowded with men, women, and children, gazing
at our singular cavalcade. As we drew near, some women who were bathing
in a brook, rose, and gazed at us with irrepressible curiosity. We
stopped at the door of the castle.

"Here the assault began. The men of our guard flew like savage dogs at
our servants: Khudhr and Ablahad seized the arms which w