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INTEODUCTION TO CAVE LIFE 219
arches made an arcade round the interior courtyard,
one side of which was formed by the cliff: the khan
was like many others in the country. Not much cave
accommodation here, I thought, as I looked around.
Yet they took me upstairs, passed along one of the
side arcades, and at its farther end put my baggage
into a room as certainly formed in a cliff as any cave
in the world could be. It. was a cell perhaps nine feet
square and seven high to the crown of its arched
ceiling, with floor, ceiling, and walls of naked stone.
A door and window opened to the arcade, and in the
rear wall was a second door, a flimsy affair, which
excited my curiosity. Opening this door I looked
into a black opening from which issued echoing
voices, the sound of chains and a gust of foul air.
Visions of unpleasant possibilities rose before me at
once. A cave was what I wanted, but not a cave
connected with inner recesses of which I knew
nothing, but could imagine a great deal.
So the Mem-keeper was summoned, and when I
wished to learn what would be found if I went far
enough through the doorway, he spoke reassuringly
of stables and other dom.estic offices to be reached
that way. The dwellings of these cave -villages are
said to be connected by a labyrinth of passages going
back into the hill, with safety from outer danger as
the underlying principle ; but the idea of my room
being part of such a system was not to my liking, and
I resolved upon precautions. No one, I vowed, should
come upon me from that quarter unawares ; I would
have such visitors give unmistakable announcement
of their coming. Therefore I heaped my baggage
against the door, and put the foot of my bed against
the baggage, and as the door opened inwards it thus
could not be forced without disturbing me.
During the evening a Greek merchant came to my
room, presented his card, on which, after his name, he
was described as " Tpehji {^\\^ merchant), Taliil Oglu
Bazar, Kaisarie," and proposed to do business with
me in silks or anything else. He was young and