d his
moustache skywards. Jo wished to canter on, but he sternly forbade her,
flipping her horse on the nose and driving it back when she tried to
pass; for it would have damned his manly dignity for ever had a woman
preceded him.

Our first view of Ipek was of a forest of minarets shooting up from the
orchards, not a house was to be seen. Ramases tried to make us lodge in
a vague looking building. We asked him if that were the best hotel. He
answered nonchalantly, "Nesnam" (don't know); so we hunted for
ourselves, discovering in the main square a blue house labelled "Hotel
Skodar" in large letters.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XI

IPEK, DECHANI AND A HAREM

We entered the courtyard of the inn. Tiny as it was all Ipek seemed to
be plucking poultry in it. An urbane old woman came forward, evidently
the owner. She had short arms, and her hair grey at the roots was
stained with henna, which matched her eyes. A dog fancier once told us
never to buy a dog with light-coloured eyes if we wanted a trustful
loving nature, so we wondered if it applied to humans.

She showed us a tiny dungeon-like room entirely filled up by two beds.
We were not impressed; but she assured us that we should have a large
beautiful room the next day for the same price. So we engaged it and
strolled out into the evening.

Buffaloes were sitting in couples round the big square. They chewed the
cud with an air of incomparable wisdom so remote from the look of
reproachful misery that is generally worn by an ox. Goats came in from
the hills with their hair clipped in layers, which gave them the
appearance of ladies in five-decker skirts; and children were playing a
queer game. They jumped loosely round in circles with bent knees, making
a whooping-cough noise followed by a splutter. We saw it often
afterwards, and decided that it must be the equivalent to our "Ring o'
Roses."

Work was over for the day, the sun set behind the hills which ringed us
round, and we went to kill time in a cafe.

While we were exchanging coffees with an "American," who was showing us
the excellences of his wooden leg which he had made himself, a
breathless man ran in.

He had been searching the town for us. The governor had ordered him to
put us up, as his had the notoriety of being a clean house. Having taken
a room already with the amiable old lady we feared to disappoint her, so
we decided not to move. The man piteously hoped that we were not
offended; a