acrossasiaminoro00chiluoft

106 ACROSS ASIA MINOR ON FOOT
About midway between Jelat and Tokat appeared
the remains of an old stone bridge crossing the river.
When I reached it a faint straight band became visible,
going from the bridge up the distant slope ni the
south, and crossing the summit in a little notch or
hollow. If this were not a Roman road, it had everylook
of one. Its northward aim, too, would bring it
to the rich valley of the Lycus, a district of much
Roman work. It might, in this land of abounding
ancient remains and complete indifference to them,
be as fine a Roman road as any existing, and yet have
attracted no notice.
It is not easy to say why, but on the roads of Asia
Minor the passing of the Ottoman mail always creates
interest. Every one watches its coming, watches
it pass, and throws a glance backward when it has
gone ; and I found interest in it myself, perhaps
even greater than that of the natives. I fancy the
cause had something to do with the unusual spectacle
of haste in a land whose motto is "Yavash"
(slowly).
So now, when far in front of us a ball of dust
appeared, Achmet pointed with his whip and cried
''Posta!" with unusual animation. The ball grew
larger and larger, though still too dense and too far
off for anything it contained to be seen. But at last
horses could be discerned dimly, and next a crescent
flag fluttering bravely on a pole, and then the driver,
and behind him vague bobbing figures in blue. The
procession was travelling on one of those curious loops
which all roads in the country show, w4iere traffic,
weary of the ill-paved road, turns ofl* in fine weather
and makes a parallel road perhaps fifty yards away.
On such a loop the Ottoman mail, clothed with authority,
now passed in its cloud of dust. The equipage
consisted of one springless, unpainted, rattling waggon,
drawn at a canter by two fine horses, with two
zaptiehs in blue, rifle on hip, cantering close behind.
But there was clatter, jingling, rapid movement, the
fluttering crescent, the glinting of sunlight on arms ;