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SULTAN KHAN 175
journey. But the harass I saw better, and knew I
should remember always, for his attitude and watchful
comprehensiv'e sweep of glance in passing were
inimitable. If an abyss had suddenly opened before
the araba I felt sure that somehow the kavass would
preserve his master.
Late in the afternoon the road crossed a ridge and
then went gently down in a straight line for five miles
to a cluster of willows and buildings below, where the
smoke of evening fires was rising.
"Sultan Khan," said Mehmet, pointing to the
village with his whip and then glancing at the sky.
From Sultan Khan to Kaisariyeh was the last day's
stage for him, and the sky continued hot and cloudless
; with these comforting thoughts he became almost
cheerful. I entered the village khcm as hot and dusty
and thirsty as on any previous day of the journey.
Seven hundred years ago, in the great days of
Sivas and Csesarea, sultans frequently used this road
between the two cities ; and along it, as on other
roads of royal travelling, Sultan Khans were built
about twenty-five miles apart. This was one of them,
and one of the best. It has given the village its name,
but is now a ruin, though enough remains to show
what a noble building it was in its time. It was
about two hundred feet in length, built throughout
of dressed stone, and contained apartments for the
sultan, his harem, and retinue, and vaulted stalls for
the camels of the royal caravan. You may see these
stalls still, for each royal camel his vaulted stall.
They open like a row of little chapels along each side
of the great hall, whose vault exceeds forty feet in
span, and part of which still remains. This fine old
building has now become a quarr}^ for the mean village
which has grown up round it.
At the village khayi I heard of the traveller whose
northward progress in a three-horse araha was made
so impressive by his servants. He was a British
consul, going as quickly and comfortably from the
Mediterranean coast to Samstin as circumstances per-