With snow-crowned Beirut Dagh frowning down over us, and the track growing every minute less convenient for horse or man, word came from the rear that the hamidieh were truly on our trail.  Then we had our first real taste of what Armenians could do against drilled Turks, and even before Fred and I could get in touch with Will and Gloria we realized that whether or not we took part with them there was going to be no stampede by the men-folk.

Nothing would persuade Gloria to go on to Zeitoon and announce our coming.  Kagig came galloping back and found us four met together by a little horsetail waterfall.  He ordered her peremptorily to hurry and find Monty, but she simply ignored him.  In another moment he was too bent on shepherding the ammunition cases to give her a further thought.

Men began to gather around him, and he to issue orders.  They had either to kill him or obey.  He struck at them with a rawhide whip, and spurred his horse savagely at every little clump of men disposed to air their own views.

“You see,” he laughed, “unanimity is lacking!” Then his manner changed back to irritation.  “In the name of God, effendim, what manner of sportmen are you?  Will not each of you take a dozen men and go and destroy those cursed Turks?” (They call every man a Turk in that land who thinks and acts like one, be he Turk, Arab, Kurd or Circassian.)

It was all opposed to the consul’s plan, and lawless by any reckoning.  To attack the troops of a country with which our own governments were not at war was to put our heads in a noose in all likelihood.  Perhaps if he had called us by any other name than “sportmen” we might have seen it in that light, and have told him to protect us according to contract.  But he used the right word and we jumped at the idea, although Gloria, who had no notions about international diplomacy, was easily first with her hat in the ring.

“I’ll lead some men!” she shouted.  “Who’ll follow me?” Her voice rang clear with the virtue won on college playing fields.

“Nothing to it!” Will insisted promptly.  “Here, you, Kagig—­I’ll make a bargain with you!”

“Watch!” Fred whispered.  “Will is now going to sell two comrades in the market for his first love!  D’you blame him?  But it won’t work!”

“Send Miss Vanderman to Zeitoon with an escort and we three—­”

“What did I tell you?” Fred chuckled.

“—­will fight for you all you like!”

But Gloria had a dozen men already swarming to her, with never a symptom of shame to be captained by a woman; and others were showing signs of inclination.  She turned her back on us, and I saw three men hustle a fourth, who had both feet in bandages, until he gave her his rifle and bandolier.  She tossed him a laugh by way of compensation, and be seemed content, although he had parted with more than the equivalent of a fortune.

“That girl,” said Kagig, from the vantage point of his great horse, “is like the brave Zeitoonli wives!  They fight!  They can lead in a pinch!  They are as good as men—­better than men, for they think they know less!”