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A CIRCASSIAN DICK TURPIN 299
In the terms of peace laid down by the barman
he fixed the boundary between Greek and Armenian
as the foot of my bed. It became a physical boundary
interposed between the two races, and so v/e seemed
to have settled our Asia Minor in little ; but Ighsan
sat just there, and when a Greek presently chanced to
rest his arm upon the bed Ighsan flung it off as he
would a snake, and we nearly had trouble again.
hatred until you have
You can have no idea of racial
seen it in this land.
About eleven o'clock on the third night of detention,
when snow was still falling heavily, I was
awakened by a movement of the bed so violent that
it almost threw me to the floor. Springing up, I saw
a fine black horse with its hindquarters almost above
me, and a strange Circassian standing at its head.
Both were covered with snow, which the rider was
wiping from the horse. He then took off his own
wet outer garments and hung them before the stove,
and in thin undervest and trousers stood talking to
the Maw-keeper. He had all the appearance of a Dick
Turpin, and was a good-looking, trimly-built fellow,
somewhat of an outlaw, I thought, and doubtless a
friend of our host, for the two spoke in whispers with
every appearance of confidence. And yet I seemed
to find in the Circassian the manner of one who
wants something for nothing from another, and ingratiates
himself to that end. The khan - keeper
presently went to the bar and came back with a
large steaming glass of rakki with water and lemon
three times he supplied the same drink, and for
each the Circassian showed a fresh measure of friendliness
and dignified gratitude, but made no other
payment. I understood then that the Man-keeper's
good-nature was widely known, and that Circassians
in general made a practice of trading upon it.
To this scene Ighsan presently awoke, and looking
at it steadily found his chief interest in the spectacle
of a Moslem drinking intoxicating liquor. Others also
awoke and silently watched the Circassian, and drew