“Why not go into Tarsus and claim protection at the British consulate?” suggested Fred.

“But our friends of Tarsus warn us the worst fury of all will be in the cities!”

“Take to the hills, then!” Monty advised him.

“But how can we, sir?  How can we?  We have homes—­property—­children!  We are watched.  The first attempt by a number of us to escape to the hills would bring destruction down on all!”

“Then escape to the hills by twos and threes.  You ask my advice —­I give it.”

It looked like very good advice.  The slopes of the foot-hills seemed covered by a carpet of myrtle scrub, in which whole armies could have lain in ambush.  And above that the cliffs of the Kara Dagh rose rocky and wild, suggesting small comfort but sure hiding-places.

“You’ll never make me believe you Armenians haven’t hidden supplies,” said Monty.  “Take to the hills until the fury is over!”

But the old man shook his head, and his people seemed at one with him.  These were not like our Zeitoonli, but wore the settled gloom of resignation that is poor half-brother to Moslem fanaticism, caught by subjection and infection from the bullying Turk.  There was nothing we could do at that late hour to overcome the inertia produced by centuries, and we rode on, ourselves infected to the verge of misery.  Only our Zeitoonli, striding along like men on holiday, retained their good spirits, and they tried to keep up ours by singing their extraordinary songs.

During the day we heard of the chicken, as Will called her, somewhere on ahead, and we spent that night at a kahveh, which is a place with all a khan’s inconveniences, but no dignity whatever.  There they knew nothing of her at all.  The guests, and there were thirty besides ourselves, lay all around the big room on wooden platforms, and talked of nothing but robbers along the road in both directions.  Every man in the place questioned each of us individually to find out why we had not been looted on our way of all we owned, and each man ended in a state of hostile incredulity because we vowed we had met no robbers at all.  They shrugged their shoulders when we asked for news of Miss Gloria Vanderman.

There was no fear of Ibrahim and his friends decamping in the night, for the Zeitoonli kept too careful watch, waiting on them almost as thoughtfully as they fetched and carried for us, but never forgetting to qualify the service with a smile or a word to the Turks to imply that it was done out of pity for brutish helplessness.

These Zeitoonli of ours were more obviously every hour men of a different disposition to the meek Armenians of the places where the Turkish heel had pressed.  But for our armed presence and the respect accorded to the Anglo-Saxon they would have had the whole mixed company down on them a dozen times that night.

“I’m wondering whether the Armenians within reach of the Turks are not going to suffer for the sins of mountaineers!” said Fred, as we warmed ourselves at the great open fire at one end of the room.