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THE DRUMMER OF INJESU 211
A cup of tea placed before him he left uii tasted ; a
plate of stew, which he knew contained nothing a
Moslem might not eat, for he had seen it made,
he treated in the same way. He would not even
smoke a cigarette, and my worst forebodings seemed
justified.
Shaving went on without interruption for nearly
two hours, then the barber turned out all spectators
and bolted the door. Presently he sent his boy
outside, who came back with a bowl of rice pilaf.
With bread, a piece of j^^^derma, and the basin
of pilaf, followed by coffee, the two and Ighsan,
who by this time had recovered somewhat, made a
great meal. My man regained strength while he
ate, and with it his appetite increased so much that
when the native food was finished he turned to the
stew and made an end of that also. With a sigh of
contentment he then dragged himself to a corner, and
wrapping his hairy cloak about him immediately fell
asleep.
We slept four in this small tightly-closed room,
yet for my part I never slept better in my life, nor
felt more fresh on getting up. The door was open
when I awoke. Outside I could see the barber washing
himself at a dribble from a tin with a hole in it,
held up by the boy, for a Moslem always washes in
running water. Washing over, he fell to business at
was light.
once, for customers came in as soon as it
On going into the street I found it filled with
sleepy, dishevelled soldiers in khaki, standing about
waiting for food. They said they had come from the
south, and were marching to Sivas. While I looked
at them, and thought how difficult they found the
wearing of a European uniform and puttees, the sound
of drums was heard, and a drummer appeared, a fine
resplendent figure in scarlet and blue and gold, with
two small drums, no larger than good-sized pudding
basins, attached to his belt. He advanced slowly,
stopping now and then, and facing in turn towards
north, east, south, and west. At each halt he gave