therefore a greater expense, but
I hoped that by due economy in the number of lamps to be able to keep
down to the original estimate which I had thought of.

So we went steadily through all the rooms, looking at the places where
lamps might be most economically established, and I made calculations
with pencil and paper, which I showed him, while I jotted on my shirt
cuff the names of the tribes and the other information required by my
superiors at home--which I did not show him.

The armament of native auxiliaries and their organisation and numbers
were thus comparatively easily found out--thanks to that little stroke
of luck which I repeat so often comes in to give success whether in
scouting or spying.

But a more difficult job was to ascertain the practical fighting value
of such people.

TEA AND A TURK.

Reports had got about that some wonderful new guns had been installed
in one of the forts on the Bosphorus and that a great deal of secrecy
was observed in their being put up. It became my duty to go and find
out any particulars about them.

My first day in Constantinople was spent under the guidance of an
American lady in seeing the sights of the city, and when we had
visited almost all the usual resorts for tourists she asked whether
there was anything else that I wanted to see, and to a certain
extent I let her into my confidence when I told her that I would give
anything to see the inside of one of these forts, if it were possible.

She at once said she would be delighted to take me to see her old
friend Hamid Pasha, who was quartered in one of them and was always
willing to give her and her friends a cup of tea.

When we arrived at the gate of the fort the sentry and the officer in
charge would on no account allow us to pass until the lady said that
she was a friend of the Pasha, when we were at once admitted and
passed to his quarters.

He was a charming host, and received us with the greatest kindness,
and after showing us his own quarters and the many curiosities he had
collected he took us all round the fort and pointed out its ancient
and modern devices for defence, and finally showed us its guns. Two
of these, in a somewhat prominent position where they could easily be
seen from outside, were covered with canvas covers.

My excitement naturally grew intense when I saw these, and I secretly
begged the lady to persuade him to allow us to look at them, and he
at once acquiesced, thinking I was