volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

184 A Night at Al-KardkM.
would disturb him less if I took the other. He turned,
and, beckoning me to follow him, went across the gateway
and opened the door of the other room. When I
looked in I saw eight dead Arabs lying on the floor.
He then told me that his men had had a quarrel about
way-dues the day before with the men of a caravan
who had halted at the well, and that after someone had
fired a rifle a general free fight took place. Eight of
the men of the caravan were killed on the spot, several
were wounded, and the rest ran away after their caravan.
The captain explained why the bodies were lying there
instead of being buried, but I could not make out the
exact reason. On the whole I would rather have camped
by the well, yet the shelter of the rest-house was a thing
to be thankful for. The captain, like most Turks of
the agricultural classes, turned out to be a " good
fellow," and he shared our supper and provided wood
for a fire, and Muhammad got on well with him.
Just before sunset an individual arrived on horseback
and claimed admission to the rest-house, and the
captain being satisfied admitted him. He was soaked
to the skin with rain, and his horse was much exhausted
he had no money and asked for food for himself and his
beast. Muhammad took the horse in hand and we
brought his master in and made tea for him and gave
him food. Late in the evening, after sleeping, he told
us how and why he came to be there. He said that he
had an appointment at the Porte, and that he had been
sent on a mission to the various Turkish officials stationed
in Northern Syria and further east ; he spoke Turkish
and a little French. Knowing no Turkish I could not
follow what he said to the captain, but I gathered from
his remarks to me that he had been sent by a Minister
in Stambul to confer decorations on the Ka'im Makams
and Pashas of certain towns of which he had a long
list. The Minister thought that officials who were
profusely decorated would be held in greater honour by
the people over whom they were set, and that their
authority would be increased, and that in most cases
decorations would be accepted by them in the place of