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A DANGEROUS PATHWAY 127
his judgment of me at all at fault—which seemed a
curious thing when I came to consider it further. He
had, indeed, my hearty good wishes, and I even found
that his ready confidence had pleased my vanity, and
made me willing to serve him and his party to a surprising
degree.
Somewhere on this ascent of Kurt Dagh the road
went off in a wide loop, and a path, going among
scrub and scattered trees, led directly across the
bend. To follow the track seemed a natural thing
for a pedestrian, the more so that when I reached
it a party of men in front called to me to follow.
They looked like friendly folk, in no way different
from other peasants, and I had no misgivings. But
as I left the road Achmet stopped his araba, and
when I turned to see what had happened, the
vigorous upward toss of his head — the native
negative sign — seemed charged with importance.
His manner was impressive when I went back,
wondering what was in the air.
" Do not go ; they are robbers," he said.
He had seen or heard of them during our stay
at Tokat—more as footpads, perhaps, than serious
robbers ; at all events they were men of evil
repute.
At falling dusk, or in rain and wind, the appearance
of this track might have given colour to
Achmet's warning, but now, in smiling sunlight,
danger seemed nowhere near. If danger indeed
were here, it wore a most beguiling face. If I had
been minded to follow the track before, I was conscious
now of a trebled wish to go that way. Some
curious reasonless influence urged me forward ; some
other equally curious influence urged me to keep
the road, and I found myself standing doubtful at
the entrance to the path, summing up the for and
against of the shorter way. I turned along the road
at last, reflecting that he who takes needless risks
loads the dice against himself; but as I went a vast
curiosity remained with me as to what incident—if